Computer hardware refers to the physical parts of a computer and includes components like the processor, memory, storage, and input/output devices. It differs from software which are programs that run on the hardware. Common types of hardware include motherboards, RAM, hard disks, CD/DVD drives, flash memory, ports, and peripherals like monitors, keyboards, and printers. Hardware is necessary to store and process the data and instructions of software.

1. BTEC NATIONAL DIPLOMA IN INTERACTIVE GAMING COMPUTER HARDWARE

2. Computer hardware is the physical part of a computer, including the digital circuitry, as distinguished from the computer software that executes within the hardware. The hardware of a computer is infrequently changed, in comparison with software and data, which are "soft" in the sense that they are readily created, modified or erased on the computer. Firmware is a special type of software that rarely, if ever, needs to be changed and so is stored on hardware devices such as read-only memory (ROM) where it is not readily changed (and is, therefore, "firm" rather than just "soft"). Most computer hardware is not seen by normal users. It is in embedded systems in automobiles, microwave ovens, electrocardiograph machines, compact disc players, and other devices. Personal computers, the computer hardware familiar to most people, form only a small minority of computers (about 0.2% of all new computers produced in 2003). BTEC NATIONAL DIPLOMA IN INTERACTIVE GAMING COMPUTER HARDWARE

3. A personal computer ( PC ) is a microcomputer whose price, size, and capabilities make it useful for individuals. We may never know who coined the phrase with the intent of a small affordable computing device but John W. Mauchly described such a device in a November 3rd 1962 New York Times article entitled "Pocket Computer may replace Shopping List". Six years later a manufacturer took a risk at referring to their product this way when Hewlett Packard advertised their "Powerful Computing Genie" as "The New Hewlett Packard 9100A personal computer". This advertisement was too extreme for the target audience and replaced with a much drier ad for the HP 9100A programmable calculator. BTEC NATIONAL DIPLOMA IN INTERACTIVE GAMING COMPUTER HARDWARE

4. During the next 7 years the phrase had gained usage so when Byte magazine, published it's first edition it referred to it's readers as being in the "personal computing field“ while Creative Computing defined the personal computer as a "non-(time) shared system containing sufficient processing power and storage capabilities to satisfy the needs of an individual user." Two years later when the 1977 Trinity of preassembled small computers hit the markets, the Apple II and the PET 2001 were advertised as 'personal computers' while the TRS-80 was a microcomputer used for household tasks including "personal financial management". By 1979 over half a million home computers were sold and the youth of the day had a new concept of the personal computer. BTEC NATIONAL DIPLOMA IN INTERACTIVE GAMING COMPUTER HARDWARE

5. Personal computers are also known as microcomputers and home computers. Often, the term "personal computer" is used exclusively for computers running a Microsoft Windows operating system, but this is erroneous. For example, a Macintosh running Mac OS and an IBM PC compatible running Linux are both personal computers. This confusion stems from the fact that the term "PC" is often used as a shorthand form for "IBM PC compatible" and historically Mac OS has run on non-IBM compatible hardware like the PowerPC architecture. Linux runs on virtually any kind of hardware, but was developed later and has not quite achieved the same popularity as Windows. BTEC NATIONAL DIPLOMA IN INTERACTIVE GAMING COMPUTER HARDWARE

6. Memory Output Input Processor Hard disk Flash memory CD or DVD Storage Temporary Data Holding Data Data Data Data Data

14. BTEC NATIONAL DIPLOMA IN INTERACTIVE GAMING COMPUTER HARDWARE MOTHERBOARD Printed circuit board with connectors slots for adapter cards slots for RAM chips ROM chip CPU

20. BTEC NATIONAL DIPLOMA IN INTERACTIVE GAMING COMPUTER HARDWARE NOSTALGIA write protection tab liner disk spindle hole sector hole plastic casing sliding metal shutter read/write opening