Computer Appreciation for Beginners (Part 5)

Here, we want to concentrate on the external hardware parts of the computer system, their types, functions, and how they can be used. A proper understanding of this topic as it pertains to the computer will help beginners immensely in knowing how they can best use these devices.

Hardware:

Hardware is the parts of a computer itself, including the Central Processing Unit (CPU) and related microchips and microcircuits, keyboards, monitors, cases, and drives (floppy, hard drive, CD, DVD, optical, tape, etc. ) . Other additional parts called components or peripheral devices include mice, printers, modems, scanners, digital cameras, and cards (sound, color, video), etc. Collectively, they are often referred to as personal computers or PCs.

Monitors:

The monitor is one of the output devices that displays information on the screen when you type. Without the monitor, you cannot see what is happening on the computer. This is called information output. When the computer needs more information, it will display a message on the screen, usually through a dialog box. Monitors come in many types and sizes, from simple monochrome (black and white) displays to full color displays.

Most desktop computers use a monitor with a cathode tube, and most laptops or portable systems use a liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor. To get the full benefits of today’s full-color graphics and animation software, computers need a color monitor with a display or graphics card.

Keyboard:

The keyboard is one of the input devices used to send information to the computer or enter information. There are many different keyboard layouts and sizes, with the most common for Latin languages ​​being the QWERTY layout (named after the first 6 keys). The standard keyboard has 101 keys, while the enhanced keyboard has 104 keys or more.

Some of the keys have a special use. They are known as command or computer keys. The 5 most common are Escape or ESC, Control or CTRL, Alternate or Alt and the Shift keys although there may be more (the Windows key for example or the Command key). Each key on a standard keyboard has one or two characters. Press the key to get the bottom character and hold down the Shift key to get the top character.

Sections in an enhanced keyboard:

(1) Program operation area (F1 – F12)

(2) Writing area or alphanumeric area (combination of letters and numbers)

(3) Movement area or dedicated cursor keys (8 in number)

(4) Numeric Keypad (This section of the keyboard is controlled by Num Lock. That is, when the Num Lock light is on, the numbers work, but when it’s off, commands typed below the numbers take control)

(5) The status indicator (indicates the Num Lock, Caps Lock, and Scroll Lock light)

(6) Computer keys (such as Power, Sleep, Wake, Pause, Rest, etc.)

Keyboard layout and data entry:

Enter or Return – Moves the cursor one line down and to the left margin. Also enter process commands, such as choosing an option in a dialog box (message) and submitting a form.

Delete or Delete – Delete the character at the cursor and/or the characters to the right of the cursor and all highlighted (or selected) text.

BKSP or Backtrack – Delete the character to the left of the cursor and all the highlighted text.

space bar – Moves the cursor one space at a time to the right

Shift key – Use the shift keys to type capital letters and to type the top character on keys with two characters on them.

caps lock – Locks the keyboard to type capital letters (a light comes on when caps lock is on)

Tab: Moves the cursor five spaces to the right (the number of spaces is usually adjustable). Tab moves to the next field in a form or table (Shift-Tab to previous field).

ESC or Escape – Cancel a menu or dialog box

arrow keys – Move the cursor around the document without changing the text

Function Keys or F Keys: Access commands alone or in combination with the three command keys; CTRL, SHIFT, and ALT

Command or special keys:

Command keys usually don’t do anything on their own, but instead work in combination with other keys. Each piece of software uses command keys differently, although there is a move to standardize some features. The Control or Ctrl key is often used to access commands. The Alternative or Alt key is often used to access menus. The Shift key is used to type CAPITAL LETTERS. In addition, command keys are used to move through documents and edit text more quickly and easily. Also, many computers have a special key layout specifically for the particular computer. Many keyboards now have a Windows key specifically for Windows 9x and newer systems.

Basic writing rules:

Put a space between each word, after a punctuation mark, and at the end of a sentence. Always start a sentence with a capital letter. Capitalize names, addresses, provinces and countries, places, organizations, businesses, associations, schools, colleges, universities, days of the week, months, holidays, nationalities, ethnic groups, and languages.

Learning the keyboard is the first step in learning to use computers. Learning involves practice. It really is as simple as that. There are two types of typing.

The first is called touch typing. Touch typist uses the home keys (asdf for the left hand and jkl; for the right) and all the fingers of both hands, as well as the thumbs for the space bar while typing. There are many commercial and public domain programs that are designed to teach this method.

Mouse:

This is another input device that is executed by a mouse controlled pointer. Generally, if the mouse has two buttons, the left one is used to select objects and text, and the right one is used to access menus. If the mouse has a button (Mac, for example), it controls all activity, and a mouse with a third button can be used by specific software programs.

One type of mouse has a round ball under the bottom of the mouse that rolls and turns two wheels that control the direction of the pointer on the screen. Another type of mouse uses an optical system to track the movement of the mouse.

Note: It is important to clean your mouse periodically, especially if it becomes slow. A ball-type mouse has a small circular panel that can be opened, allowing you to remove the ball. Lint can be carefully removed with a toothpick or tweezers and the ball can be washed with a mild detergent. A buildup will build up on the small wheels of the mouse. Use a small instrument or a fingernail to scrape it off being careful not to scratch the wheels. The trackballs can be cleaned like a mouse, and the trackpad can be wiped down with a clean, damp cloth. An optical mouse can build up material from the surface it is in contact with that can be removed with a fingernail or small instrument.

The mouse operates in three ways

(1) Pointing – This is an act of placing the mouse pointer on a particular icon or location. In this case, nothing happens.

(2) Clicking: This is an act of pressing the left mouse button once or twice to double-click to execute a command.

(3) Drag: It is an act of pressing the left mouse button and moving the mouse. This action allows users to draw objects and carry them from one place to another.

Central Processing Unit (CPU):

This is the brain or engine of the computer that controls every manipulation of the system. Although the term relates to a specific chip or processor, the performance of a CPU is determined by the rest of the circuitry and chips in the computer.

Currently, the Pentium chip or processor, manufactured by Intel, is the most common CPU, although there are many other companies that produce processors for personal computers. Some examples are the CPU manufactured by Motorola and AMD. With faster processors, clock speed becomes more important.

Compared to some early computers that operated below 30 megahertz (MHz), Pentium chips started running at 75 MHz in the late 1990s. Speeds now exceed 3000+ MHz or 3 gigahertz (GHz). ) and different chip manufacturers use different measurement standards (check your local computer store for the latest speed). It depends on the circuit board the chip is housed on, or the motherboard, as to whether you can upgrade to a faster chip. The motherboard contains the circuitry and connections that allow the various components to communicate with each other.

Although there were many computers using many different processors before this, I call the 80286 processor the advent of home computers, as these were the processors that made computers available to the average person. Using a pre-286 processor meant learning a proprietary system and software. Most new software is being developed for the newer, faster processors, so it can be difficult to use an older computer system. Those are the four main parts of the computer system that the computer cannot do without.