Cheap Computer Contest

Hardware

The physical components of a computer system.

Examples: Motherboard, DVD Burner, RAM CPU, and etc.

Software

Computer programs; instructions that make hardware work.

Example: Microsoft PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat, AppleWorks

Question: Is an Operating System software?

Keyboard-Standard

Keyboard-Ergonomic

Keyboard

A hardware unit with a set of switches that resembles a typewriter keyboard and that conveys information from a user to a computer or data communications circuit.

Mouse

Left Click

Right Click

Scroll Ball

Mouse

A common pointing device. The basic features of a mouse are a flat-bottomed casing designed to be gripped by one hand, one or more buttons on the top, a multidirectional detection device

Monitor-Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)

• Display device that uses a cathode-ray tube to produce a picture

Monitor-Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)

• an electronic display that consists of segments of a liquid crystal whose color varies according to the voltage applied to them

Housing the System

Computer Case Power supply

Case

• Houses the hardware• Creates good air flow to keep hardware cool• Creates a mounting point for hardware• Protects hardware from outside interference

Power Supply

Converts 120volts AC into– 12 volts DC

• Runs Fan, DVD rom, CD rom, hard drive, Motherboard

– 5 volts DC• Mouse

– 3.3 volts DC• Runs the RAM

Backbone of the Computer System

Motherboard Central Processing Unit (CPU)

– CPU FAN and Heat Sink

Random Access Memory (RAM)

Motherboard

The Motherboard allows all the components in the computer system to interact with one another

This Hardware component is the brain of the computer system– The CPU device that interprets and

executes instructions

The CPU produces as much heat as a 100 watt light bulb

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

CPU Fan with Heat sink

Used to Pull the heat away from the CPU and keeping the CPU temperatureat 95 Fahrenheit

Random Access Memory (RAM) Also Known as MEMORY-PC Allows for information to be written to and

read instantly You DO NOT want to buy the cheapest brand

– Three Good Brands

• Kingston • PONY• Samsung

PCI and AGP Cards

Network Adaptor Sound Card Video Card

Video Card

Connected to the AGP slot on the motherboard

Designed to generate output for the system's video display screen

Network adaptor

Connected to a PCI slot on the motherboard Allows you to access the internet Can transfer 10/100mbps of data

Sound Card

Connected to a PCI slot on the motherboard

Designed to produce or reproduce sound

Storage Devices

• USB Flash Drive • DVD+/-RW• Hard drive

USB Flash Drive

• Storage device that is inserted into a computers USB port

• Data is stored in flash memory • Data is stored and read electronically

DVD burner

• Stores up to 4.5 gigabytes of data on DVD media

• Uses a laser to burn an image onto DVD or CD

• One DVD =7CDs• One CD =447 3.5 Floppy disks

Hard Drive (EIDE)

The faster the Hard Drive spins the faster you will be able to access the Data stored on it

7200rpms is a speed to look for

Operating System

The purpose of an operating system is:– to organize and control hardware and software

so that the device it runs on, ßbehaves in a flexible but predictable way.

Graphical User Interface (GUI)– GUIs display visual elements such as icons and

windows

Operating System Choices

Windows NT

Linux

Unix

OPENSUSE