Looking at Computers: Understanding the Parts
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Looking at Computers: 2 Understanding the Parts Understanding Digital Processing, Storage, and Components Connectivity Understanding Your Processing, Memory, Computer and Storage OBJECTIVES OBJECTIVES 1. What exactly is a computer, and what are its 6. What’s on the motherboard? (pp. 52–53) four main functions? (p. 30) 7. Where are information and programs stored? (pp. 54–56) 2. What is the difference between data and information? (p. 30) Sound Byte: Virtual Computer Tour 3. What are bits and bytes, and how are they measured? (pp. 30–34) Sound Byte: Binary Numbers Interactive Active Helpdesk: Understanding Bits and Bytes Ports and Power Controls OBJECTIVES Input Devices and 8. How are devices connected to the computer? Output Devices (pp. 57–58) 9. What’s the best way to turn my computer on OBJECTIVES and off, and when should it be done? 4. What devices can I use to get data into the (pp. 59–60) computer? (pp. 35–41) Active Helpdesk: Exploring Storage Devices and Ports 5. What devices can I use to get information out of the computer? Sound Byte: Port Tour: How Do I Hook It Up? (pp. 42–49) Active Helpdesk: Using Output Devices Setting It All Up OBJECTIVE 10. How do I set up my computer to avoid strain and injury? (pp. 61–63) Sound Byte: Healthy Computing Make This: Explore an App Builder Skill on page 51 The information in this text is written for Windows 8.1, update 2. If you are running a different version of Windows 8, your screens For all media in this chapter go to pearsonhighered.com and task instructions may vary slightly. /techinaction or MyITLab. Login/Shutterstock; Zadorozhnyi Viktor/Shutterstock; Rukanoga/Fotolia; Lola/Bek/ImageZoo/Alamy 28 M02_EVAN9568_12_SE_C02.indd 28 12/19/14 8:07 PM HOW COOL IS THIS? Now that we are used to the touch experience with our devices, where do we go next? How about no touch! The Ring from Logbar, Inc. is a wearable device that info for more Scan here senses the movements of the finger on which it is worn and transmits those gestures to compatible devices (iOS and Android). You can type text, control home appliances, or make payments all by making gestures with one finger. The device has preprogrammed gestures, but you can also customize them (or create your own) with the companion app. So controlling your devices may soon only require a small wave of your finger! (© 2014 Logbar Inc. All rights reserved) 29 M02_EVAN9568_12_SE_C02.indd 29 12/19/14 8:07 PM Understanding Digital Components After reading Chapter 1, you can see why becoming computer literate is important. But where do you start? You’ve no doubt gleaned some knowledge about computers just from being a member of society. However, even if you have used a computer before, do you really understand how it works, what all its parts are, and what those parts do? understanding your COMPUTER Let’s start our look at computers by discussing what a In computer terms, data is a representation of a fact, a computer does and how its functions make it such a useful figure, or an idea. Data can be a number, a word, a picture, machine. or even a recording of sound. For example, the number 7135553297 and the names Zoe and Richardson are pieces of data. Alone, these pieces of data probably mean little to you. Computers Are Data Information is data that has been organized or presented in Processing Devices a meaningful fashion. When your computer provides you with a contact listing that indicates that Zoe Richardson can be Strictly defined, a computer is a data processing device that reached at (713) 555-3297, the data becomes useful—that is, performs four major functions: it becomes information. 1. Input: It gathers data, or allows users to enter data. 2. Process: It manipulates, calculates, or organizes that How do computers interact with data and data into information. information? Computers are excellent at processing 3. Output: It displays data and information in a form suitable (manipulating, calculating, or organizing) data into information. for the user. When you first arrived on campus, you probably were directed 4. Storage: It saves data and information for later use. to a place where you could get an ID card. You most likely provided a clerk with personal data that was entered into What’s the difference between data and a computer. The clerk then took your picture with a digital information? People often use the terms data and camera (collecting more data). All of the data was then information interchangeably. Although they may mean the same processed appropriately so that it could be printed on your ID thing in a simple conversation, the distinction between data and card (see Figure 2.1). This organized output of data on your ID information is an important one. card is useful information. FIGURE 2.1 Computers process data into information. 30 Chapter 2 Looking at Computers: Understanding the Parts M02_EVAN9568_12_SE_C02.indd 30 12/19/14 8:07 PM SOUND BYTE ACTIVE HELPDESK Binary Numbers Interactive Understanding Bits and Bytes This Sound Byte helps remove the mystery surrounding In this Active Helpdesk, you’ll play the role of a helpdesk binary numbers. You’ll learn about base conversion staffer, fielding questions about the difference between between decimal, binary, and hexadecimal numbers data and information, what bits and bytes are, and how using colors, sounds, and images. bytes are measured. Bits and Bytes: The Language set of programs you use on a computer to help you carry out tasks such as writing a research paper. If you’ve ever typed a of Computers document, created a spreadsheet, or edited a digital photo, for How do computers process data into informa- example, you’ve used application software. tion? Unlike humans, computers work exclusively with System software is the set of programs that enables your numbers (not words). To process data into information, computer’s hardware devices and application software to work computers need to work in a language they understand. This together. The most common type of system software is the language, called binary language, consists of just two dig- operating system (OS)—the program that controls how your its: 0 and 1. Everything a computer does, such as processing computer system functions. It manages the hardware, such as data, printing a report, or editing a photo, is broken down the monitor and printer, and provides a means by which users into a series of 0s and 1s. Each 0 and 1 is a binary digit, or can interact with the computer. Most likely, the computer you bit for short. Eight binary digits (or bits) combine to create own or use at school runs a version of Windows as the system one byte. In computers, each letter of the alphabet, each software. However, if you’re working on an Apple computer, number, and each special character (such as @, pronounced you’re probably running OS X. “at”) consists of a unique combination of eight bits, or a string of eight 0s and 1s. So, for example, in binary language, Types of Computers the letter K is represented as 01001011. This is eight bits, or one byte. What types of computers are popular for personal use? There are two basic designs of computers: What else can bits and bytes be used for? Bits and portable and stationary. For portable computers, a number bytes not only are used as the language that tells the com- of options exist: puter what to do, they are also used to represent the quantity • In 2010, Apple introduced the iPad, which created a new of data and information that the computer inputs and outputs. class of portable computers. A tablet computer, such as Word processing files, digital pictures, and even software are the iPad or Samsung Galaxy Tab, is a portable computer represented inside computing devices as a series of bits and integrated into a flat multitouch-sensitive screen. It uses an bytes. These files and applications can be quite large, contain- onscreen virtual keyboard, but you can connect separate ing thousands or millions of bytes. keyboards to it via Bluetooth or wires. To make it easier to measure the size of such files, we need units of measure larger than a byte. Kilobytes, megabytes, • A laptop or notebook computer is a portable computer and gigabytes are therefore simply larger amounts of bytes. that has a keyboard, monitor, and other devices integrated As shown in Figure 2.2, a kilobyte (KB) is approximately into a single compact case. 1,000 bytes, a megabyte (MB) is about 1 million bytes, and • A netbook is a small, lightweight laptop computer that a gigabyte (GB) is around 1 billion bytes. Today, personal is generally 7 to 10 inches wide and has a longer battery computers are capable of storing terabytes (TB) of data life than a laptop. They usually sacrifice performance for (around 1 trillion bytes), and many business computers can portability. store up to a petabyte (PB) (1,000 terabytes) of data. The • An ultrabook is a full-featured but lightweight laptop Google search engine processes more than 1 PB of user- computer designed to compete with the MacBook Air. generated data per hour! Ultrabooks feature low-power processors and solid-state drives and try to reduce their size and weight to extend How does your computer process bits and bytes? battery life without sacrificing performance. Your computer uses hardware and software to process data into information that lets you complete tasks such as writ- • A tablet (or convertible) PC is similar to a laptop ing a letter or playing a game.