personal computers basic

1. PC Hardware Basic Guide
Module 1- Personal Computers
(PC) - Basics

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Module 1- Personal Computers (PC) - Basics
 Overview
◊ Personal Computers are electronic devices. The user inputs the
data for calculation and the computer gives the output.
◊ The primary jobs that a computer can perform are storing data,
processing data and moving and communicating the different
data patterns.
Lesson Covered in this Module
◊ Personal computers

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Lesson 1 - Personal Computers (PC) -- Basics
 Introduction
◊ Personal Computers (PC) are electronic gadgets that
perform the same function a human does on an
information/data in an amazing speed.
 Topics Covered in this Lesson
◊ Working with a PC
◊ Systems and Components – An Overview

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Topic 1 - Working with a PC
 Primary functions of a PC
 Storing the data:
◊ short term storage - is the system memory that holds the
data that you or the system working with right now.
◊ Long term storage - is provided by the hard disk drive,
like floppy, drives and other devices
 Processing the data
◊ The key part of the computer that processes information
is the processor.
◊ The computer translates data from one form to another.

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Topic 1 - Working with a PC
Movement and communication of the data
◊ The computer reads the information, moves it into
memory and displays it on the screen or stores it in a file.
◊ This movement is called input/output or I/O
◊ The computer uses networking components, to
communicate with other machines.
Computing
◊ Computers use a form of digital information called binary
information
◊ The values of binary system are only zero (0) and one (1)
◊ The hardware processes the commands it receives from
the software, and performs tasks or calculations.

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Topic 1 - Working with a PC
How the computer works?
◊ The system software tells the CPU to start up certain
programs
◊ The first process is called booting up
◊ The next step happens when you choose a program you
want to use.
◊ Click on the printer icon, if you decide to print the page.

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Topic 2 - Systems and Components – An Overview
◊ The Motherboard hold the computer hardware subcomponents
◊ Memory is used to provide temporary storage of information

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Topic 2 - Systems and Components – An Overview
◊ Microprocessor is used to provide the processing of data
function
◊ Video card is an interface between the computer
monitor and the motherboard
◊ Sound card is an interface between the computer
speakers and the motherboard
◊ Hard disk is used to provide permanent storage of data
◊ CD ROM drive or DVD drive is used to provide permanent
storage of data
contd…

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Topic 2 - Systems and Components – An Overview
◊ Floppy Drive is a low capacity storage device
◊ Monitor is an output device that displays the
data/information
◊ CPU is the system case that houses several internal
operating mechanisms
◊ Keypad: is an input device similar to a kind of a
typewriter
◊ Mouse helps to activate certain things on the monitor

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Topic 2 - Systems and Components – An Overview
◊ Case is the outside component which provides
protection for the parts inside.

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Topic 2 - Systems and Components – An Overview
◊ The following diagram shows the components inside the
computer case.

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Topic 2 - Systems and Components – An Overview
► Bits, Bytes and Kilobytes
◊ Computers are digital and store data using binary numbers
◊ In computers, zero is always thought of as a number
◊ With two switches you can represent up to four different
numbers
• 0 0 (OFF OFF) = Decimal 0
• 0 1 (OFF ON) = Decimal 1
• 1 0 (ON OFF) = Decimal 2
• 1 1 (ON ON) = Decimal 3
contd….

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Topic 2 - Systems and Components – An Overview
◊ The correspondence between the binary and decimal
numbers is shown in the table.
Decimal Binary Representation
0 0
1 1
2 10
3 11
4 100
5 101
6 110
7 111
8 1000
9 1001
10 1010
11 1011
12 1100
13 1101
14 1110
15 1111

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Topic 2 - Systems and Components – An Overview
◊ The counting in binary is related to the computer
memory.
◊ Early memory capacity in terms of kilobytes.
◊ One kilobyte equals 2 to the 10th power, or 1,024 bytes.
◊ One megabyte equals 2 to the 20th power, or 1,048,576
bytes.
◊ One gigabyte equals 2 to the 30th power, or
1,073,741,824 bytes.
◊ One terabyte equals 2 to the 40th power, or
1,099511,627,776 bytes.

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Topic 2 - Systems and Components – An Overview
Electrical Devices
◊ Jumpers are used to control the operation of hardware
without the use of software
◊ Jumpers are located in the hard disk drives and
motherboards
◊ The disadvantage of jumpers is that they require physical
manipulation
Data Transfer
◊ In the computer, millions of operations are performed in
micro seconds
◊ These activities must be coordinated and managed by
special control signals

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Conclusion
◊ Personal computers takes in the data from the user
(input), processes and returns (output) it to the user in the
desirable form.
◊ It performs heavy and complex math operations through
a set of instructions called Programs.
◊ PC is made up of hardware and software.
◊ Computers are digital and use binary numbers to allot
space in the memory.