Tom LintonUnit 20 Assignment 2Student No. 2068571

In the article below I intend to cover the topic of the basic computer components that are required for every PC. This article will also cover the hardware and software that is required. These topics will be explained by how they have come to be what they are today. The final topics that I will be covering include GUI’s (Graphical User Interfaces) and the different networks that are able to be supported by a PC.

Software:GUI – GUI or more commonly known as Graphical User Interface is a program that is graphical or basically has images instead of text to guide the user around their computer easier. Non Graphical User Interfaces such as the computer program / software Command Line (CMD) is mainly a text based user interface where you have too input where you would like to go to in the computer via typing phrases through the keyboard. Whereas the Graphical user interface only requires the user to point and click with the mouse, but it will do exactly the same thing as the non-graphical user interface in the sense that the user will click on an image and the interface will take them to that certain / specific part of the computer system. Hardware:Hard Drive – HDD, Hard Disk Drives or more commonly known as Hard Drives are like RAM (Random Access Memory) in the sense of them being a data storage device. Data storage devices are used for storing and retrieving digitalised information by using rapidly rotating disks that have a coated magnetic material. Hard drives are also able to retain its data that it has been collected even after the user’s computer has been powered off. The user is able to read the data / information that is stored onto a Hard Drive in a random manner which means that blocks of data / information can be stored or retrieved in any order that the user chooses to do so rather than going through in a sequence. Just one hard drive is able to normally contain one or more rigid rotating disks which have magnetic heads to read and write data / information on the surface.

Tom LintonUnit 20 Assignment 2Student No. 2068571

Keyboard – In I.T or even when a user is building a computer they have to take into consideration of what a keyboard really does. Everyone knows that a user will use it to type to friends and socialise with it, but there is much more to a keyboard then just typing for social purposes. A keyboard is basically a modern day typewriter in the sense of the user using the arrangement of buttons that are available to press. These buttons that are available to press act as mechanical levers, electronical switches and triggers. The buttons are counted as triggers because they are able to lead to a certain / specific thing happening, therefore counting as an event. For example the user presses keys in a certain / specific order to create a word. Once this is done the computer will then take those letters into account and creating a word on the monitor before the user. So to sum up the user presses the key which is the trigger to produce the event which is the word appearing on the monitor in front of the user. Most keyboards also have the letters engraved or printed onto them, but they are able to wear off after a while due to the amount of times it has been pressed. However some keys require the user to press and hold down certain / specific keys to achieve getting capital letters for example. Finally there are different versions of keyboards all around the world some are in different languages, others have different layouts and some are shortened down to keys that are only useful in games. The different layouts of keyboards are QWERTY, AZERTY and Dvorak.

Mouse – A mouse is like a keyboard in the sense that it is a trigger. The trigger only happens when a user presses the button on a mouse. Most mice will contain at least one button and a scroll wheel. However since times are changing mice now have at least 3 buttons and at the most 20, but that is with the gaming mice which have keyboard shortcuts on the left side of the mouse. Over the years mice have always had a solid rubber ball that rolls in any direction the user moves the mouse, the sensors inside would then basically relay the movement of the rubber ball and display the movement in conjunction with the cursor that appears in front of the user on their monitor. However as times have changed company’s / businesses who have produced mice have changed the solid rubber ball to a powerful and bright laser that will do exactly the same thing in the sense of detecting movement.

Motherboard – In a computer the mother board is the overall circuit board that contains connectors and cables to every other piece of hardware in the computer. The main hardware components that a user is able to find on a motherboard is the CPU, Graphics / Video card, Sound card, Heat Sync and fan, RAM, ROM and lots of cable slots for expanding or even adding more into the computer. On most of the motherboards that a user is able to buy

Tom LintonUnit 20 Assignment 2Student No. 2068571

different CPU chips and replace them or even upgrade them to make their computers performance even better.

CPU – The Central Processing Unit or more commonly known as the CPU is basically the brain of the computer. Therefore meaning that this is where all of the computers statistics, calculations and mathematics are done. This also means that it is one of the most important component parts to the computer. Without this then the computer would not be able to run any program not even the CMD (Command Line) because the computer is not able to recognise the binary coding behind it because it is just numbers.

Power Supply – The power supply or also known as the PSU is the computer component that basically supplies power the whole computer. The way that this works is that the user will plug the personalised computer or just any computer into an electrical outlet. The user will then have to make sure that the voltage outlet is on 115 and not 230. This is because in Europe the voltage current is 115 and the American voltage current is 230, if the user did not change the voltage output from 230 to 115 then the computer would malfunction and possibly explode causing server damage to the components and critical injuries to the user themselves. Power supplies are also measured in watts therefore meaning that the more powerful a computer is the more watts it is therefore able to provide to other components.

Graphics Card / Video Card – Graphics Cards or also known as Video Cards are one of the key hard ware components to a computer in the sense that it is used to generate graphics on an output device such as a monitor so that the user is able to see them. Graphics / Video cards are mainly measured in how much power they have to support graphics. One of the best companies for making Graphics / Video cards is a company / business call Nvidia they have some of the best and most powerful cards on the market at this current moment in time. Their fastest graphics / video card that they sell is the GTX Titan which costs $999 and is able to smoothly run any game or program without hassle that has been created at the moment.

RAM – Random Access Memory or most commonly known as RAM is one of the main forms of computer data storage and it allows the user to be able to access data items that can be read and re-written whenever the user feels like it is necessary to do so. These pieces of data are able to be read and re written at any time regardless in what order they have been

Tom LintonUnit 20 Assignment 2Student No. 2068571

accessed in the first place. There are many types of RAM (Random Access Memory) at this current point in time meaning that some are more powerful than others causing the user to achieve different outcomes then before. For example the most powerful type of RAM (Random Access Memory) are the DDR3’s which allow for a user’s computer to run more efficiently basically granting the user’s computer more power to run programs and software that they possibly couldn’t run before.

ROM – Read Only Memory or most commonly known as ROM is another type of data storage that is used in computers, but as it says in the name of the component is the user is only able to read what is on the memory device. To basically sum up what the ROM chip does is that once the data has been put onto the ROM (Read Only Memory then is not able to be removed, but it is only able to be read. Unlike RAM (Random Access Memory), the contents of a ROM chip is also able to retain information even when the computer has been initially switched off. Therefore ROM is related to being non-volatile and RAM is related to being volatile. Most personal computers contain a small amount of ROM that stores programs that are critical to the user’s computer such as the program or piece of software that basically boots up the computer in the first place.

Output: Scanner – Although scanners are not an essential piece of hardware for a user when they are looking to build a new computer they are able to be of some use. Scanners are an external piece of hardware that is used for taking images or files / documents of text and putting them into a computer system. This is only able to be achieved when the user places the piece of paper on the scanner and closing it. Once they have closed the lid then the scanner will start to digitally transfer the data / information to the computer and onto the monitor that is in front of the user.

Speakers – Speakers are seen as an essential external piece of hardware for users when they are building computers for the purpose of hearing sound. The sound can come from watching videos, playing computer games, listening to music and much more. This is done by electrical signals that emit from the speakers. The electrical signals that are emitted from the speaker is measured in decibels which is also the frequency that humans are able to hear in.

Printers –

Tom LintonUnit 20 Assignment 2Student No. 2068571

A printer is an external hardware device that is able to be used for printing out text file / document or even pictures. Printers are also able to be linked up with digital cameras and be used to print out pictures that way. They would normally be used in a workplace environment in a company / business, but there would only be 2 or 3 per floor therefore causing the company / business less money in toner, paper and overall printing costs. Another constraint would include employees queuing up to use the printer. One of the main constraints however would be if the company / business lose money on trying upgrade their printing machines because they would have to upgrade to a more advanced type of printer making the toner prices, paper prices and overall printing costs higher from the technology that is involved.

Monitor – Monitors are one of the main pieces of hardware that a user needs if they require a computer. Without a monitor the user will not be able to see the visual display their computer is trying to portray for them. When monitors were first introduced to the world they were these big square bulky boxes that were quite heavy and would not be that portable. Also they looked like smaller versions of the televisions that were introduced in the 1990’s. Whereas modern day monitors are quite thin and are made out of materials like plastic that is quite light. However this is able to lead to monitors becoming less protective because of the amount of plastic that is there in the first place causing the user to lose more money in replacing it if they therefore drop it. Early electronic computer monitors were fitted with a panel of really small LED (Light Emitting Diode) lights which light up behind the monitor a certain / specific colour when any program is loaded. This is thanks to the CPU’s calculations on what colour needs to be loaded for the user to see the right thing. While the LED lights play a big part in seeing colours on a monitor red, green and blue coloured pixels come into effect making it possible for modern monitors today to use colour.

Networks:LAN or also known as Local Area Network is able to connect users together within a local area. For example schools, small companies / businesses, laboratories, colleges and much more. The smallest LAN network is able to support just 2 computers whereas the biggest LAN network is able to support thousands of computers. These PC’s are also able to be on the same site therefore meaning that the LAN is able to support them easily and that the LAN network is also able to be wired meaning that they are always able to connect together and not lose the connection. The cables in a wired network are mainly copper straight through cables with the maximum distance that they are able to reach is 100 metres.

Tom LintonUnit 20 Assignment 2Student No. 2068571

Topologies:Bus:

The bus topology is able to connect people through a single point in the line. Each computer that is able to connect to the LAN network or every server that is able to connect to a LAN network is overall connected to a single bus cable. How this topology works is that a signal will travel from the source in both directions to all of the machines connected in the network until it finds its destination. Although if the data / information is not able to find its recipient then it will ignore the data / information altogether. If the network has been terminated at both ends then the data / information that was travelling in-between points then it will be forgotten about.

Star:A star topology is able to have a central point that is able to host the whole network. The central point in this type of topology is either a hub or a switch. So when data / information is passing through the topology it comes from the centre hub / switch and is then relayed to where it is required to go. Although for the topology to be successful and for the network to work all of the points have to be connected to the hub or switch.

Ring:This topology is set up like a hexagon in the sense of the point of where the data / information is able to be relayed to. However this hexagon shaped topology is only able to make the data / information travel one way. The only way that the data / information is able to get to its required destination is by travelling through each device.

Mesh:A mesh or a fully connected topology is able to connect all devices to each other. Even if there was interference then there will be another way to get that data / information to the required destination.

Partially Connected:The partially connected topology is when some of the hub / switches are connected. This topology is able to be big or small depending on where it is put in a network.

Tom LintonUnit 20 Assignment 2Student No. 2068571

Bibliography:RAM – http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/R/RAM.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random-access_memory

ROM – http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/R/ROM.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Read-only_mem ory

Graphics / Video Card – http://www.geforce.co.uk/geforce-gtx-titan-z-where-to-buyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_card

Printer – http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/printer.html

Keyboard – http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/K/keyboard.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_keyboard

What a LAN (Local Area Network) would look like in real life.

Tom LintonUnit 20 Assignment 2Student No. 2068571

Mouse – http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/m/mechmous.htmhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/mouse.html

Motherboard – http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/motherboard.html

Processor / CPU – http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/C/CPU.html

Power Supply – http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/power_supply.html

Hard Drive – http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/H/hard_disk_drive.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_disk_drive

GUI – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphical_user_interfacehttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/G/Graphical_User_Interface_GUI.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/U/user_interface.html

Scanners – http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/photo_scanner.html

Speakers – http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/speaker.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC_speaker

Tom LintonUnit 20 Assignment 2Student No. 2068571

Printer – http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/printer.html

Monitor – http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/monitor.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_monitor