An Introduction To The Computer Component

Posted by Abirama on Friday, March 02, 2018 in Computer | No comments

Last time I already give you an article where I talk about network topology (look it in my blog if you didn't know), the definition, it's function, history, everything. Now I'm gonna do the same thing, but this time with computer. Yes, I'm gonna talk about components inside the computer, hardware and software. And If you are going to build a computer, you should read this article (And share it, I'm begging you...).

Computer, just like we know it was the most important invention after television, wheel, and smartphone. Everybody used it, can you imagine what happen if there are no computer? Our life will be so boring, all of our tasks like homework will always be written in paper. If computer doesn't exist, smartphone will only be a dream. And there's a reason why computer is so important; It's the components. The technology have become more sophisticated this days, and so does the computer components. So if the component become more sophisticated, the computer itself become more sophisticated too. Our tasks will be easy to complete, and we can get all information that we need thanks to it. And that's why computer is so important.

Anyway, every high tech device needs a components in order to be working. Like a smartphone that can't work if there are no ion-lithium battery, the same with computer. It can't work if there are no processor inside, and processor can't work if there are no motherboard in the CPU, all of that components are working together to form a perfect and beautiful PC. And in this article I'm gonna explain everything.

Components Of The Computer

For you who didn't know, the components inside a computer are divided into three parts. Hardware, software, and brainware. And hardware itself can be divided into input, process, storage and also output. You can find all of the explanation below:

Hardware, is the most basic thing that you should know if you are going to build a computer. It can't work without this. But what is hardware exactly? Well, after I did a research which is in Wikipedia (Just kidding...). It says that hardware is the phsyical parts of computer components. And it can be divided into:

• Input: It was a device or hardware that was used to provide and send a data into a processing device. And then later the data was processed into an information that you can use.

• Process: This is basically the brain of computer. All of the information that you send, will be processed here. There are three important elements in here, Primary Storage, Arithmatic Logic Unit, and Main Memory. I will them explain later.

• Output: is a device that was used by CPU to display the result of a data that was translate by the processing device. If you look closely, you should notice that most of output device was located outside the computer.

• Storage: The last is storage, just like it's name storage was a device to store all of your data and files in your computer. The most basic storage device is memory and there are two kind of memory Random Access Memory (RAM) and Read Only Memory (ROM).

Software, the second one should be software. Or known as application. Software is basicaly a collection of electronic data that was stored and organized by the computer. The data that was stored can be a program or instruction that will run or execute a command. And software is the one that was used by computer to execute that command. The only difference between hardware and software, is that you can touch a hardware. And software can't (Unless you have a touch screen computer of course). And just like hardware, software can be divided into:

• Freeware: is the type of software that you can use as long as you want and of course you didn't have to pay to own the software. There are no such thing called limited time in freeware, and it was usually donated to the communities. This communities have a rights to develop and control the freeware product. They can also give the software to the developer, if the developer was no longer continue the development. They will give the source code to the other developer.

• Shareware: is another type of software that didn't take your money, or in other words free. It was almost like a freeware, You can get shareware at no cost. But there's a requirement for it, you can't use it to the fullest. That means there will be certain limitations on features like availabity, function, and comfort that can be fully utilized. People called it trialware because of that, the developer use shareware as a tool for advertising. So it's just like video game, there's a demo version (promotional) and full version (the real one). Shareware is just like the demo version of a full version software.

• Firmware: is a software that was stored in Read Only Memory (ROM), firmware can't be change even if there are no electricity. What about the place where it was stored in ROM? It can't be change too, but it can be modified depends on the type of the ROM like EEPROM and Flash Rom.

• Commercial Software: is a software for commercial purposes that can be bought at distributor, developer, and other software developer partner. The user who bought that software can't redistribute or reshare the software without permission, because it was protected by law and you can go to jail if you did that. One of the example of commercial software is Corel Draw, Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Visual Basic NET, etc.

• Free Software: is a software where you can do anything you want. You can bought it for free, change the source code, and distributed the software. It was not protected by law because it was open for everyone, you can even sell the free software that you have changed and make some profit from it. If you still confused, just imagine a person draw a straight line in a paper, then that person give you the drawing. And then you change or modified the straight line into any drawing. After that you sold it, and get some money.

• Open Source Software: is a software where you can changed, learn, upgrade, and distributed the source code. It was open for a community or a group of developer to change the code. Because open source software was built for that purposes, sometimes only a programmer or a person that know programming that own this kind of software.

• Malware: or malicious software is a type of software that can harm your computer. Malware can be very destructive, it can delete all of your important files, slowing down or decreasing your computer performance, and even kill your computer. There are so many types of malware like trojan horse, adware, worm, rootkit, crimeware, etc.

Brainware, last but not least is brainware. It was not a cpu nor a processor, but it's you the user. Many people sometimes mistaken brainware as the important part of the computer, but actually brainware is the person who use the computer like programmer, netter, and many else. Brainware is the part of holy trinity of the computer world, software can't work without hardware and hardware should be operated by brainware. If there's one missing the computer will not be working.

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Hardware Components

There are so many components inside in the computer and each of them have it's own function. It's just like a transformers, there are lots of parts or components inside and you will be confuse if I mention them all. So for the last part of this article, I'm gonna mention some of the hardware components, and put them according to their type like input, process, storage, and output (sorry if there are bad grammar).

Input

1. Mouse, is one of the component that was very important. It was use for interacting with a monitor, you need this to click everything that you want to click on your computer. And almost every computer need it, especially if you are good at design graphic and a gamer too. There are several types of mouse, serial type mouse, PS/2 mouse, scroll mouse, and the one that everybody use; optical mouse.

2. Keyboard, what's the first thing that come to your mind when you hear the word computer? Yes, keyboard. It begin from typewriter, and from there keyboard become more advanced. Just like it's previous ancestor, there are lots of button in keyboard. From function button (F1...F12), letter button, numbers, etc. And you will need it for writing or typing something in your computer.

3. Scanner, another input device comes in third place. If you are an illustrator or maybe you are working for a prson who make a comic book, the you must be familiar with this device. Just like it's name, scanner is use for scanning a drawing from a paper and then the scanner put the drawing that you just scan in the computer.

Process

1. Processor, the first and the obvious one is processor. All of data from input device was sent and then translate it by this device. Processor have two important role in a computer, as Arithmatic Logic Unit (the center of all mathematic calculations), and Memory Unit (store all the functions that was executed by the processor).

2. Motherboard, is like a big town of circuit with processor and a lot of slot (like IDE, PCI, FDD, etc) as it's building. Yes, this is where you put most of the computer components. And like I've said before, motherboard have a lot of slots and some extra slot for card/adapters. There are lots of thing that you can find in motherboard like BIOS, memory, CPU, mass-storage interface, serial ports, expansion slots, and controller.

3. Sound Card, is an expansion card that for producing a sound that will connected to a speaker. Sound card is available in every computer, and computer doesn't really need sound card to produce a sound. Usually sound card was attached in motherboard. But if you want a better sound quality, you may want to bought a separate sound card and put it in PCI slot.

Output

1. Monitor, or people called it computer screen. It was the most important thing that you'll need if you want to have a computer. Monitor is used to display a data and information that was processed by a computer in a form of a picture. There are two types of monitor that you can find, CRT or Cathode Ray Tube (ask your parents if you didn't know) and LCD or Liquid Crystal Display (The slim version of CRT).

2. Printer, is used to display the result of a data that was processed by computer in a form of writing or picture that was printed in a paper. Today there are so many types of printer like Dot Matrix (It use carbon tape to print on paper), Inkjet (It use ink of course), Laser (The best printer type).

3. Speaker, is a device that conects to a computer (and television too) to generate sound.The signal used to produce sound that comes from a computer speaker is created by the computer's sound card. To be simple, sound card is the processing device and speaker is the output.

Storage

1. USB Flash Disk, the most popular and most used device in the world. Almost every people used it, why? Because of course it was easy to use and can store data up to 128 GB, cheap (the most important thing), can delete and store your data easily, plug and play and many else.

2. Hard Disk Drive, or HDD is a storage device made from a rigid material that shaped like a disc. It was cover in magnetic oxide with huge storage capacity (up to 1 terra byte!). This device can be found in almost every CPU that you can find. And of course there are two types of HDD, PATA and SATA (the new and most used by today's computer).

3. Memory, the basic strorage device. Just like every storage device, it was used for store the data and the result of output device. Memory was made in a serial location or cells, one cell can store one word. Computer memory is divided into two types Primary Memory (like ROM and RAM), and Secondary Memory (disc, compact disc, and hardisk).

Technology is probably the greatest achievement in our life, with times passed by. Technology become more advanced. Just like human that needs air to breath, gadgets and machine needs a component or hardware in order to be working. Because of the gadgets and machines our job and tasks become easier, our house become safer, and we also can meet another person in another country. All of that will only be a dream if there are no components or hardware inside it.