Inside your

computer

Hardware ReviewMotherboardProcessor / CPUBusBios chipMemoryHard driveVideo CardSound CardMonitor/printerPorts

Software = Computer Program = Instructions

Allow you to use your computerWithout software, the computer is

useful as a planter

Software

Computer memoryBIOS (flash memory)Read Only Memory (ROM)Random Access Memory (RAM)

chips on motherboardopen files

Virtual (part of your OS)pagefile.sys

Video graphics and games

Memory factsStored in KB (kilobytes), MB (megabytes),

GB (gigabytes), TB (terabytes)One MB ~ 1 million memory locationsA memory location (byte) stores one

characterSo, 512 MB will store about 512 million

characters.One MB can store about 500 pages of text

information

Booting orderBIOSOperating System

Windows or LinuxOS X on an AppleUNIX on a Sun station

UtilitiesAntiVirus softwareInternet security

Application software

BIOSStores date and timeBasic hardware settings

Memory and hard drive infoDisk boot orderBoot passwordEtc.

BIOS entry screen

BIOS boot disk setup

BIOS advanced setup

BIOSMore info

Operating SystemLoads drivers (small software

applications) to run all the hardware in your computerVideo driversPrinter driversMouse and keyboard driversEtc.

Operating SystemsWindows Products Linux.orgApple Software Unix

When you open an application, memory must be used to store the program that’s running and the file you have open.

Open files are stored in RAM chips.Physical chipsTemporary storage of files and

instructionsWhen files are too big to fit in RAM, the

excess goes to Virtual Memory (on the hard drive).

The video is stored in Video memory, often in special chips on the Video card.

Using Software

Sometimes you don’t need to save …Listing to musicPlaying gamesSurfing the Net

When you do need to save a file, you must select a storage device.

In this class, you will save to your number; your personal drive on the school network.

At home, you probably save to the C drive; the hard disk in your computer.

Creating Files

Storage devicesCan be internal or externalMeasured in:

Size (MB, GB, TB)Speed (mHz)

Hard drive (contains disk)Floppy CD/DVDFlash – static devices (no moving

parts)

Inside your

computer