Introduction

Welcome to my Blog. Here, i will present to you what you need to know about the topic
3.1 Hardware

The hardware topic deals with a computer system consisting of input devices, output devices, a central processing unit and storage.The increasing tendency to develop hardware in modular units raises a range of social impacts and ethical issues such as the use of non-renewable natural resources, the global transportation of manufactured components and their eventual disposal by individuals, organizations and governments.

Possible scenarios

A computer user is planning to upgrade their current computer system to a newer model and must use their knowledge to:

• understand the specifications of the proposed new system

• evaluate other physical considerations that may influence the choice of the physical environment of

the proposed new system, such as ergonomics and other health-related issues

• suggest upgrades to the computer system to take advantage of improvements in components, such

as processing speed

• describe how the proper disposal of the old computer system can take place and whether the choice

of computer may be affected by the manufacturer’s policies on disposal.

The IT concepts I will be addressing in this topic are:

The computer system

• Types of computers: personal digital assistant (PDA), laptop, desktop computer

• MAC address

• Motherboard

• Central processing unit (CPU), microprocessor, clock speed: for example, megahertz (MHz), gigahertz

(GHz), terahertz (THz)

An explanation with follow each of the topics as well as captionned images to help one better visualize the term discussed.

Thank you for visiting, Enjoy!

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The central processing unit (CPU) is an integrated circuit chip (IC) that controls and directs the activities of the computer. Considered the 'brain' of your computer, the CPU executes instructions from both hardware and software components . This processing device is the the portion of a computer that directs the sequences of operations and initiates the proper commands to the computer for execution.

Would you like to learn more?

Sockets and CPUs

The CPU deals with computer speed and performance. Find out about the Pin Grade Array and Land Grid Array and how socket arrangements affect your CPU.

Clock Speed

The clock speed is the frequency which determines how fast devices that are connected to the system bus operate. In other words, it is the rate at which a processor executes operations. The higher the clock speed, the more operations is it can perform

It can be in Megahertz (MHz), Gigahertz (GHz) or Terahertz (THz)

Megahertz (MHz)

one million periods per second

Gigahertz (GHz)

A unit of frequency that is equal to one billion cycles per second

Terahertz (THz)

one trillion periods per second

NOTE: Above are simplified representations of the integration of the clock speed in a system

Microprocessor

A microprocessor is an integrated circuit semiconductor chip that performs the bulk of the processing and controls the parts of a system. It is a circuit of transistors and other electrical components on a chip that can process programs, remember information, or perform calculations.

NOTE: Above is the picture of the world's first Microprocessor.

Would you like to learn more?

 How Microprocessors Work

Learn about microprocessor logic, assembly language and the basic functions of a microprocessor

Laptop

A laptop is a portable computer that can be battery powered. They provide flexibility beyond the standard PC but often at a significant price premium.

NOTE: The devellopment of technology has lead to the variety of laptops in our present society. In fact, there are many diffrent brands, shapes and designs.

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How Laptops Work

Laptops are now as popular as desktops, and the price gap is closing. Learn about laptops, upgrading laptop memory, laptop batteries and more...

 

Desktop Computers

A desktop computer is a complete, autonomous and personal computer with its own operating system and hard drive. It is small enough to fit conveniently in an individual workspace .

NOTE: This is an example of an 'old' Desktop Computer. They have undergone explicit development, and now, there are no longer anymore of these. Instead, they have become more advanced as displayed below.

Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)

A PDA is a lightweight, pocket-sized and portable consumer electronic device that performs specific tasks. These devices make possible services such as paging, data messaging, electronic mail, computing, facsimile, date book and other information handling capabilities.

NOTE: The previous images represent PDAs and their usage in society.

 Would you like to learn more?

How PDAs Work

PDA software allows people, such as business executives, to stay organized. Learn about some of the different types of PDA software

Motherboard

The motherboard, also sometimes referred to as the mainboard, is a collection of devices that control the flow of data and operating electricity for all the primary components in a PC - for example, the CPU, memory, graphics adapter and sound card… It is considered to be the “heart” of your PC in the bus-oriented system. It happens to be the circulatory system of your computer, through which the devices communicate. Furthermore, it is a major computer component, to which all other components including memory, CPU, graphics cards and storage devices are attached.

NOTE: Here is a simplified version of the typical inner system in a device.

NOTE: The previous pictures are examples of Motherboards.

Would you like to learn more?

How Motherboards Work

The motherboard contains the processor and other essential hardware needed to run a computer.

Motherboards tie everything in your computer together. Go inside motherboards with diagrams and video and learn about sockets, the CPU and computer.. together -- the motherboard. A motherboard allows all the parts of your computer to receive power and communicate with one another. ­­­

MAC Address

The MAC address is the six byte long hardware address that uniquely identifies a device in the network. It hard-coded onto a chip  by the manufacturer and cannot be manipulated. Every piece of network hardware has a unique identifying number, thus, no two MAC addresses are alike.

NOTE: In the picture above, the MAC address is visible under the bar-code on the device.

NOTE: There is a whole colum of varied MAC Addresses for the diffrent computer systems available.