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Computer Hardware - Cengage Learning

1. ecycled Computer Creations by Gregory Steele Marquette MI community organizations have few resources for ing broken equipment so if your old computer not in good working order it could be more of a burden than a gift In addition your computer might be too old to be compatible with the other comput ers in an organization It helps if you can donate software along with your old computer To ensure a legal transfer include the software distribution disks manuals and license agreement And remember once you donate the software you cannot legally use it on your new computer unless it is freeware or shareware If you cannot find an organization to accept your computer donation look in your local Yellow Pages or on the Internet for an electronics recycling firm which will haul away your computer and recycle any usable materials Despite private sector options for selling donat ing or recycling old computers many governments are worried that these voluntary efforts will not be enough to prevent massive dumping of an ever growing population of obsolete computers Many states have taken legislative action to curtail the rampant disposal of obsolete computer equip ment For example Massachusetts has banned televisions and computer monitors from its landfills In Maine it is illegal to dispose of computers or moni COMPUTER HARDWARE tors they have to be recycled in an environmentally sound way But recycling can b
2. Most desktop computers have several drive bays some accessible from outside the case and others designed for hard disk drives without any external access Empty drive bays are typically hidden from view with a face plate oO Watch the video for this figure to find out how to install internal and external drives INFOWEBLINKS To get an update on the latest computer storage technolo gies connect to the Storage Frontiers InfoWeb w CLICK TO CONNECT www infoweblinks com np2011 ch02 COMPUTER HARDWARE 8 What are the relative advantages and disadvantages of each type of computer storage device Earlier in the chapter you read that no storage technology is perfect While hard disk drives offer fast and inexpensive access they are not the most durable technology CD and DVD technology is durable but slow and flash drive storage is expensive when compared to other storage media The table in Figure 2 36 summarizes the FIGURE 2 36 relative advantages and disadvantages of each storage technology cov Storage Technology ered in this section Comparison Cost of Cost per Bere pone Capacity Media MB a ean Technology Portable See Disk Tape Average Floppy 0 24 l Disk Drive 15 30 1 44 MB o 0 17 62 5 KBps Magnetic Yes CD RW 30 60 700 MB aed COR 0101 NS tical Yes DVD RW 40 400 8 5 GB ao 0 0001 Optical Yes Blu ray Writer 90 300 50 GB 15 00 0 000 Optical Yes per tices 1
3. Concept Map Fill in the blanks to show the hie of system unit components Processor Devices 9 List four types of memory and briefly describe how each one works 10 Describe the advantages and disadvantages of magnetic storage optical storage and solid state storage using crite ria such as versatility durability capacity access time and transfer rate 11 Summarize what you know about how a graphics card can affect a display device s resolution 12 Compare and contrast the technologies and applications for ink jet laser and dot matrix printer w the data bus con ipheral devices iderations device driv 13 Create your own dia nects RAM the micro Explain the hardware co ers and proceduressimvolv Display Device Ports RAM gt CHECK ANSWERS CHAPTER 2 CRITICAL THINKING Steve Jobs co founder of Apple Inc coined the idea that comput ers should be consumer appliances like toasters that could be set up easily used by anyone and democratically priced so they are afford able to everyone An opposing philosophy championed by many PC owners is that computers should be flexible modular systems that can be easily customized upgraded and modified by anyone with a moderate degree of technical savvy Which philosophy do you per sonally prefer What do you think is the preference of the majority of computer shoppers If you were a computer desi
4. i bStorage Devices COMPUTER MANUFACTURERS typically try to entice consum ers by configuring computers with a variety of storage devices such as a hard disk drive solid state card readers and some sort of CD or DVD drive What s the point of having so many storage devices As it turns out none of today s storage technologies is perfect One technology might provide fast access to data but it might also be susceptible to problems that could potentially wipe out all your data A different technology might be more dependable but it might have the disadvantage of relatively slow access to data Smart shoppers make sure their new computers are equipped with a variet of storage devices Informed computer owners understand the stren and weaknesses of each storage technology so that they can use t devices with maximum effectiveness In this section you ll fi lines that can make you a smart storage technology buyer The storage technologies you ll learn about are now used in devices from digital cameras to player pianos so ane understa storage technology can be useful even outside the boundaries of personal computing STORAGE BASICS What are the basic components d age system A data storage system has two main components a storage medium and a storage device A storage medi torage media is the plural is the disk tape CD DVD paper or other nce that contains data A storage cords and retrieves data from include hard disk drives
5. CD DVD and Blu ray drives use a laser to read data from the underside of a disc Laser lens directs a beam of light to the underside of the CD ROM disc Tracking mechanism positions 7 a disc track over the laser lens Laser pickup assembly senses the reflectivity of pits and lands 82 The surface of an optical disc is coated with clear plastic making the disc quite durable and less susceptible to environmental damage than data recorded on magnetic media An optical disc such as a CD is not suscepti ble to humidity fingerprints dust magnets or spilled soft drinks Scratches on the disc surface can interfere with data transfer but a good buffing with toothpaste can erase the scratch without damaging the underlying data An optical disc s useful life is estimated to be more than 30 years Figure 2 29 illustrates the layers of an optical disc How fast are CD DVD and Blu ray drives The original CD drives could access 1 2 megabits per second d Mbps of data The next generation of s drives doubled the data transfer rate and were consequently dubbed 2X drives Transfer rates seem to be continually Recording Layer 1 increasing A 52X CD drive for example transfers data at 63 8976 Mbps which is Spacer Layer still relatively slow compared to a hard disk drive s transfer rate of 5 000 Mbps The speed of a DVD drive is measured Aai hs on a different scale than a CD drive
6. COMPUTER HARDWARE How do portable computers differ from desktops A portable computer also referred to as a mobile computer is a small lightweight personal computer with screen keyboard storage and processing com ponents integrated into a single unit that runs on power supplied by an electrical outlet or a battery Portable computers are ideal for mobile uses because they are easy to carry and can be used outdoors in airports and in classrooms without the need for a nearby electrical outlet Portable com puters are classified as notebooks netbooks and tablets Figure 2 4 What is a notebook computer A notebook computer also referred to as a laptop is a small lightweight portable computer that opens like a clamshell to reveal a screen and keyboard Notebook computers cost a bit more than desktop computers with similar computing power and storage Capacity Notebook computers are coveted by students because they don t take up too much space in crowded dorm rooms and they are fairly easy to carry around campus On average a notebook computer weighs about fiv pounds The price of an entry level notebook computer starts around 500 Consumers often spend between 800 and 1 200 however to get th features and performance they want A fully loaded notebook computer wi widescreen display can cost more than 4 000 computer Classified as subnotebooks and sometimes gef laptops these small form factor computers are scaled
7. Chapter Contents SECTION A PERSONAL COMPUTER BASICS Personal Computer Systems Desktop and Portable Computers Home Game and Small Business Systems Buying Computer System Components sEcTIONB MICROPROCESSORS AND MEMORY Microprocessor Basics Today s Microprocessors Random Access Memory Read only Memory EEPROM SECTION c STORAGE DEVICES Storage Basics Magnetic Disk and Tape Technology CD DVD and Blu ray Technology Solid State Storage Storage Wrapup sECcTION D INPUT AND OUTPUT DEVICES Basic Input Devices Display Devices Printers Installing Peripheral Devices SECTIONE HARDWARE SECURITY Anti theft Devices Surge Protection and Basic Maintenance Troubleshootin ISSUE WHERE DOES ALL E GARBAGE GO gt COMPUTERS IN CONTEXT MILITARY NEW PERSPECTIVES LABS REVIEW ACTIVITIES ON THE WEB Web Site Visit the NP2011 Web site to access additional resources that accompany this chapter Computer Hardware Learning Objectives After reading this chapter o answer the following questions by completing ased Learning Objectives N a gt oOo O re e o Q o OO oOo of O O lt O O v O 49 am ee O gt O O 3 O C n 49 lt on 49 3 D 3 Isahome com busin comput 4 Wh the best way to select a computer d Macs compatible pod idea to upgrade an old computer Joes a microprocessor
8. page 8 128 MB 1 5 2 page 2 128 KB FIGURE 2 48 The expansion bus connects the computer system board to peripheral devices Printer or other peripherals COMPUTER HARDWARE 95 What s an expansion slot An expansion slot is a long narrow socket on the system board into which you can plug an expansion card An expan sion card is a small circuit board that gives a computer the capability to control a storage device an input device or an output device Expansion cards are also called expansion boards controller cards or adapters Expansion slots are typically used for installing high end graphics cards in desktop computers configured for gaming desktop publishing and graph ics applications Figure 2 49 shows how to plug an expansion card into an expansion slot FIGURE 2 49 An expansion card simply slides into an expansion slot install an expansion and or by touching both hands o a metal object gt Your digital textbook explains how to install expansion cards in a desktop computer What is an expansion port An expansion ponti connector that passes data in and out of a computer or p ri al device similar to an electrical outlet because you can plug thi ake a connection Expansion ports are usually incorporated e system board Computer system units are designed with i e these ports accessible VGA port and USB ports 1394 port HDMI Digital Visual Interface Port sion ports
9. A 1X DVD drive is about the same speed Y as a 9X CD drive Today s DVD drives transfer rate of about 297 Mbps SECTION C CHAPTER 2 FIGURE 2 29 CDs DVDs and Blu ray discs are constructed with one or more layers of recording sur face sandwiched between protective plastic 5 ycarbonate Substrate typically have 22X speeds for a data NS Blu ray drive speed is measured on an even different scale A 1X Blu ray driv drive operates at 432 Mbps Kon 36 Mbps a 12x What s the significance of ROM R an RW Optical technologies are grouped into three categories r ad only recordable and rewritable Read only technology ROM ssto permanently on a disc which cannot be subsequently added to r changed Read only discs such as Jeo and DVD ROMs are typically pre pressed CD ROMs CD DAs during mass production istribute software music and movies J Q Recordable te es a laser to change the color in a dye layer sandwiched beneath the clear plastic disc surface The laser creates dark spots in the dye that read as pits The change in the dye is permanent so data cannot be changed once it has been recorded Rewritable technology RW uses phase change technology to alter a crystal structure on the disc surface Altering the crystal structure creates patterns of light and dark spots similar to the pits and lands on a CD The crystal structure can be changed from light to dark and back ag
10. Basigyinexpen gt sive home systems offer adequate but not super charged Support for most computer applications including Web browsing e mail working with photos downloading music and working with general productivity applica tions such as word processing Software applications We at an acceptable speed but graphics and games might be a bit slows A A basic home computer system can algo funtion for home office tasks with the addition of accounting software F nother business applications Upscale home computer systems includ cutting edge computers large screen displays and entertainment components to stream music throughout the house and display MOwies in a home theater Figure 2 5 DTC ED ND This Father s Day give Dad gi tainm with the Pavilion Elite OMUR sFERSONAL AGAIN Shop now Want more savings sign up for hot offers amp deals Enter e mail address SECTION A CHAPTER 2 h ae fey i a d FIGURE 2 5 Many high end home computers are configured to function as the command center for watching movies and listening to music COMPUTER HARDWARE 6 1 What s so great about a gaming PC Some of the most cutting edge computers are designed for gaming Not only do these machines feature the fastest processors they are also stuffed with memory include state of the art sound capabilities and feature multiple graphics processors Figure 2 6 FIGURE 2 6 Inside the system unit gam
11. Keyboard port allel port 4 s also include a FireWire IEEE Itimedia Interface port anda DVI FIGURE 2 50 50 illustrates major types of expan Expansion Ports Ethernet network port TEE Speaker and DB 9 serial port USB ports microphone jacks 96 Is it difficult to install a new peripheral device At one time install ing computer peripherals required a screwdriver and extensive knowledge of ports slots boards and various electronic gizmos Today most periph eral devices connect to an external USB universal serial bus port located on the front sides or back of the computer system unit Figure 2 51 Many kinds of peripheral devices including mice scanners and joy sticks are available with USB connections Transmitters for wireless devices such as wireless mice also plug into USB slots Several types of storage devices such as USB flash drives and external hard disk drives use USB connections too What if run out of USB ports You can easily add USB ports to your computer by using an inexpensive USB hub which contains several aux iliary USB ports The hub plugs into one of your computer s USB ports and you can then insert USB devices into the ports supplied by the hub Self powered USB hubs require power from an external power supply such as a wall outlet Bus powered USB hubs sometimes called unpow ered hubs draw their power from the computer A bus powered USB hub_ can be used for low po
12. The compatibility situation has ed because many Mac computers TERMINOLOGY NOTE now use the same microprocesso If you have a Mac computer an Intel Mac you can install Computers that are compat ware You can also configure it to run ible with the PC platform are usually referred to simply as PCs Computers in the Mac platform are referred to as Macs with an Intel processor som Windows on it and runWindo Linux software capability can come in handy for example if a parent who uses Windows software is sharing a computer with an elementary school student who is working with Macs at school What about software Most computers are sold with a pre installed operating system which typically includes a Web browser and e mail soft ware Some computers are bundled with application software that you can use to create documents crunch numbers and produce presentations Check the software situation carefully The trend today is for manufacturers to install trial software that you can use free for a few months To continue using the software beyond the trial period however you have to pay for it Such software is included but not free Buyer beware If you re purchasing a computer to do a task that requires specialized soft ware you should factor its cost into the cost of your computer system Check the specifications listed on the software box to make sure your new computer has enough memory and processing speed to ru
13. Understanding the Motherboard Installing and Uninstalling Software Protecting Your Privacy Online Keeping Your Computer Virus Free Make your selection from the list of labs to the left PERIPHERAL DEVICES U In the Peripheral Devices Student Edition Lab you will learn about the following topics Identifying commonly used peripheral devices suc display devices printers scanners digital cameras an storage devices Adjusting display properties on a monitor and er set tings on a printer e Identifying storage devices an gt uses CHAPTER C Use your computer or i audio presentation of chap FLASHCARD COURSECAST Interact with audio flashcards to review key terms from the chapter 8 amp 5 gt up at Ss DETAILED OBJECTIVES Make sure that you ve achieved all the objectives for a chapter before it s time for your test Work hands on in structured simulations practicing important skills and concepts CLICK TO ACCESS THE NP2011 WEB SITE or open your browser and connect to www cengage com computerconcepts np np2011 Lab results can be stored in the Universal Gradebook INPUT DEVICES ing Input Devices Student Edition Lab you will learn th following topics ing a keyboard including using the function keys and the numeric keypad e Using a mouse including double clicking right clicking and dragging objects e Identifyi
14. When the gates are closed by a process called Fowler Nordheim tunneling the cell has a value that represents a O bit Very little power is required to open or close the gates which makes solid state storage ideal for battery operated devices such as digital camer and PDAs Once the data is stored it is non volatile the chip retaing data without the need for an external power source Solid state storage provides fast access to data because it inclu ing parts This storage technology is very durable tt is virtuall to vibration magnetic fields or extreme temperature fluctuations e downside the capacity of solid state storage does noceurrently match that of hard disks The cost per megabyte of solid state stor is slightly higher than for magnetic or optical storage What are my options for solid s Several types of solid state storage are available to tod mers The formats for small flat memory cards include CompactFla ultiMedia Secure Digital edia A card reader is a device that reads and writes data on solid s torage Sometimes referred to as Because digital photo computers ha i d reader to make it simple to transfer photos from your came uter Moving data in the other direction a computer can do d MP3 music files and store them on a solid state memory card That cafdcan be removed from the computer and inserted into a portable MP3 player so you can listen to your favorite tunes while you re on the go Fo
15. nically its frequency is measure to 1600 MHZ Higher numbers in faster FSB speeds one time Word size i capacity of circu word size for Ose registers A processor with a 32 bit bit registers processes 32 bits at a time and is referred to a 32 bit processor Processors with a larger word size can process m ata during each processor cycle a factor that leads to increased computer performance Today s personal computers typically contain 32 bit or 64 bit processors How does the cache size affect performance Cache pro nounced cash is special high speed memory that allows a microprocessor to access data more rapidly than from memory located elsewhere on the system board A large cache can increase computer performance Some computer ads specify cache type and capacity A Level 1 cache L1 is built into the processor chip whereas a Level 2 cache L2 is located on a separate chip and takes a little more time to get data to the processor Cache capacity is usually measured in megabytes socket AM2 940 Wy Iie 2 M gI ec 2 X 64 KBytes 2 way SECTION B CHAPTER 2 FIGURE 2 13 You can discover your proces sor s specs using the Windows Control Panel or third party soft ware such as CPU Z If you are using a Mac click the Apple icon and then select About This Mac Li inst 2x64 KBytes 2 way Level2 2x512 KBytes 16 way TERMINOLOGY NOTE Other terms for front side bus include system
16. 89 Lands 81 Laser printer 92 LCD 90 Level 1 cache 68 Level 2 cache 68 Linux platform 64 Mac platform 64 Magnetic storage 78 Megahertz 67 Microprocessor cl Mod 65 otebook computer 59 D 90 p storage 81 verclocking 70 arallel processing 69 PC platform 64 Peripheral device 56 Pipelining 69 Pits 81 Pixels 90 Plug and Play 97 Pointing device 88 Pointing stick 89 Portable computer 59 PostScript 94 Power surge 99 Printer Control Language 94 RAM 71 Random access 77 Read only technology 82 Read write head 78 Recordable technology 82 Resolution 91 Response rate 90 Rewritable technology 82 RISC 69 ROM BIOS 73 ROM 73 Safe Mode nsity 77 device 76 Surge strip 100 SVGA 91 SXGA 91 System unit 57 Tablet computer 59 Touch screen 89 Trackball 89 Trackpad 89 UPS 100 USB 96 USB flash drive 84 USB hub 96 UXGA 91 VGA 91 Viewing angle width 90 Virtual memory 72 Volatile 72 Word size 68 WQXGA 91 WUXGA 91 XGA 91 Ya SN Interactive Summary CHAPTER 2 To review important concepts from this chapter fill in the blanks to best complete each sentence When using the NP2011 BookOnCD or other BookOn product click the Check Answers buttons to automatically score your answers SECTION The core of a personal computer system includes the computer system Po dis play device keyboard and mouse Personal computers c
17. and Disk Defragmenter It s best to do this maintenance on a weekly e Delete your browser s history and cache files on a monthly basis in order ce for your temporary files The free space results in faster downloads from the Internet up e Apply the latest operating system driver and security updates e Scan your computer for viruses and spyware once a week e Keep antivirus and spyware definitions updated TROUBLESHOOTING AND REPAIR How can tell if something is wro are several telltale signs that your comp one is your PC s failure to power up A lo indicate a problem If your computer s scree sages appear you might have a are prob uter There he most obvious up time can also mains blank or error mes Hardware problems can also show as unexpected restarts at random s working Some problems are intermittent and mig esolved only to come back when they death also calle uddenly replaces the usual graphical screen display with an enigmatic error message written in white text against a black background The black Screen of death indicates that the operating system has encountered an error from which it cannot recover and the computer Prior to Windows Vista no longer accepts any commands BSoD referred to the blue screen of death because Hardware problems can quickly escalate and some can eventually make the screen turned a bright your computer non functional or make your data impossible to a
18. attempts to establish the setti necessary for sending data between them QuickCheck 1 Computer ssisSY devices include A printer with fs printing capa mice trackpads trackballs and joysticks bility can print on both sides of the paper 2 Inthe context of computer display technology VGA HDMI and DVI are types of expansion rate refers to the speed at Rs iaoa which the screen image is repainted necting a display device to a computer 3 The number of dots that form images and A n fs port provides one of text on a monitor or printer is referred to as the fastest simplest ways to connect peripheral devices o CHECK ANSWERS CHAPTER 2 SECTION Hardware Security THE INFORMATION that computers contain and process has become practically priceless to every PC owner Just about everyone depends on a computer for information and communication A stolen com puter even if it s low priced can be a huge loss if it holds valuable financial data or months of research A broken PC can easily cost hundreds of dol lars to repair especially if the data is damaged and needs to be recovered For trouble free computer use it is important to secure and regularly main tain your computer equipment just as you would with your home and car ANTI THEFT DEVICES What can I do to prevent my computer from being stol Computers have rapidly become prime targets for thieves Many security breaches have been
19. bus and memory bus Cache is sometimes called RAM cache cache memory CPU cache or internal cache COMPUTER HARDWARE How does an instruction set affect performance As chip design ers developed various instruction sets for microprocessors they added increasingly complex instructions each requiring several clock cycles for execution A microprocessor with such an instruction set uses CISC com plex instruction set computer technology A microprocessor with a limited set of simple instructions uses RISC reduced instruction set computer technology A RISC processor performs most instructions faster than a CISC processor It might however require more of these simple instruc tions to complete a task than a CISC processor requires for the same task Most processors in today s personal computers use CISC technology A processor s ability to handle graphics can be enhanced by adding specialized graphics and multimedia instructions to a processor s instruc tion set 3DNow MMX AVX and SSE5 are examples of instruction set enhancements sometimes mentioned in computer ads Although instruction set enhancements have the potential to speed up games graphics soft ware and video editing they offer soeed enhancements only with softwar designed to utilize these specialized instructions Can a microprocessor execute more than one instruction all steps in the instruction cycle before it begins to execute the tion However using a tec
20. by circuitry that blocks surges Some surge strips have sockets for modem connections that prevent surges from traveling down telephone or cable lines and into your computer Figure 2 58 A surge strip monitors the electrical current that passes from the outlet to all the devices plugged into the strip When it detects a surge it redirects the extra current to a grounded circuit A big power surge can burn out a surge strip while it tries to protect your equipment Some surge strips have a indicator light that warns you if the surge strip is no longer functioning prop erly Check the manufacturer s documentation to determine if you sho discard the depleted strip reset it or install a new fuse What is a UPS A UPS uninterruptible power supply is a devi only provides surge protection but also furnishes desktop co battery backup power during a power outage If your computer i to a UPS when a power outage occurs the battery baekup allow save what you re doing and shut down your PC proper system s configuration a UPS with a high perfor you enough backup power to keep your gio d eral hours allowing you to continue to w Dattery backup plus rotection The surge only Most UPSs have two types of sockets o Power Conversion yo tem s configurati nd mount of run time you want during a power On Battery Replace Battery ET Back UPS RS 1ESTONO Surge only outlets Surge and bat
21. ch dual channel technology and double data rate DDR DDR have increased SDRAM speed processor Most computers today inclu processing speed RAM is configured a onto a small circuit board as sh ay READ ONLY MEMORY How is ROM different ROM read only memory is a he computer s startup routine ROM is cinewit usually a fairly large caterpillar like d into the system board housed in a single inte DIP package i Whereas RAM is porary and volatile ROM is permanent and non volatile ROM holds d wired instructions that are a permanent part of the circuitry and remain in place even when the computer power is turned off This is a familiar concept to anyone who has used a handheld calcula tor that includes various hard wired routines for calculating square roots cosines and other functions The instructions in ROM are permanent and the only way to change them is to replace the ROM chip If a computer has RAM why does it need ROM too When you turn on your computer the microprocessor receives electrical power and is ready to begin executing instructions As a result of the power being off however RAM is empty and doesn t contain any instructions for the microprocessor to execute Now ROM plays its part ROM contains a small set of instructions called the ROM BIOS basic input output sys tem These instructions tell the computer how to access the hard disk find the operating system and load it
22. com puters some instructions occur within one cycle but other instructions might require multiple cycles Some processors can even execute sev eral instructions in a single clock cycle A specification such as 3 33 GHz means that the microprocessor s clock operates at a speed of 3 33 billion cycles per second All other things being equal a computer with a 3 33 GHz processor is faster than a com puter with a 2 6 GHz processor or a 933 MHz processor Figure 2 13 some chipmakers differentiate chips by clock speed whereas other chipmakers use model numbers called processor numbers PN Processor numbers do not correspond to a par diiis l ae AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800 ticular clock speed but they can indicate speed Code Name Windsor SsBrand 4 relative to other processors within the same fam ily For example the Intel Core i7 940 processor has a higher processor number and is faster than the Core 17 920 Processor numbers cannot Package Specification AMD Ath Family F be compared across product families however eta me N f T MMX Ir SSE a J of FA An Intel Celeron E1500 processor is not faster eames MTR i Clocks Core 0 than the Core i7 940 Even though 1500 is a larger number than 940 the Celeron processor and Core i7 are in different processor families m4 Their processor numbers cannot be compared to i 1002az each other What is FSB FSB stands for front side bus
23. desktop computer includes a mouse as its primary pointing device Many computer owners also add a mouse to their notebook computers A mouse includes one or more but tons that can be clicked to input command selections such as Start and Shut down To track its position a computer mouse uses optical technol ogy Figure 2 37 COMPUTER HARDWARE 89 When would I use other pointing devices Alternative pointing devices such as those pictured in Figure 2 38 can be used when a mouse FIGURE 2 38 is not available or does not provide adequate control Alternative Pointing Devices i Pointing stick Trackpad Trackball Joystick A pointing stick or TrackPoint looks like the tip of an eraser embedded in the keyboard of a notebook computer It is a space saving device that you can push up down or sideways to move the on screen pointer A trackpa is a touch sensitive surface on which you can slide your fingers to move the on screen pointer Pointing sticks and trackpads are typically supplied wi notebook computers so that it is not necessary to carry a mouse as an a component A trackball consists of a ball resting in a stationary base Y fingers or palm to roll the ball and move the pointer Controllin uses a different set of muscles than controlling a mouse so some c owners periodically switch to a trackball to prevent stre juries A joystick looks like a small version of a car s stick sh oving the stic
24. effects la System and Security Fix problems with Windows Update Run maintenance tasks Improve power usage Check for performance issues See also Action Center Help and Support Recovery Get the most up to date troubleshooters from the Windows Online Troubleshooting service a i wl 12 47PM COMPUTER HARDWARE 105 What is Safe Mode If Windows encounters a critical problem that is keeping it from operating normally it starts up in Safe Mode the next time FIGURE 2 65 you reboot your computer Safe Mode is a limited version of Windows that To enter Safe Mode you can allows you to use your mouse screen and keyboard but no other periph press the F8 function key as your eral devices Figure 2 65 While in Safe Mode you can use the Control PC boots Panel s Add Remove p Microsoft R Windows R Build 7100 Programs to uninstall recently added programs or hardware that might be interfering with the opera tion of other components What if can t solve 5 the problem myself If you are unable to fix a hardware problem after following the basic guide lines for troubleshooting get ready to call the tech nical support center for the device or component that is malfunctioning You can also consider asking for help from a knowledgeable person or from computer repair pro fessionals like the Geek W Qp 1242PM M Squad Make sure you have all the data they might need such as warranty inf rmation purchase dat
25. floppy disks CDs and DVDs end up in landfills every year U S landfills already hold more than 2 million tons of computer and electronic parts which contain toxic substances such as lead cadmium and mercury A cathode ray tube monitor for example can con tain up to eight pounds of lead An Environmental Protection Agency EPA report sums up the situa tion In this world of rapidly changing technology disposal of computers and other electronic equip ment has created a new and growing waste stream Many computers end up in landfills b owners are unaware of potential en hazards and simply toss them in the old machines uter is there or send it back to the ists even accept old comput ry and craft projects manufacturer Som ers and use parts in je With the growing popularity of Internet auctions and dedicated computer reclamation sites you might be able to get some cash for your old computer At Web sites such as Earth911 com at http earth911 com electronics computers you can post an ad for your old stuff Off the Web you can find businesses that refurbish and sell old computers Goodwill stores in many communities accept old computer equipment and arrange for it to be reused or recycled Donating your old computer to a local organization doesn t actually eliminate the disposal problem but it does delay it Unfortunately finding a new home for an old computer is not always easy Most schools
26. in multiple sessions For example you can store two files on a CD R disc today and add data for a few more files to the disc at a later time e DVD R or DVD R digital versatile disc recordable discs store data using recordable technology similar to a CD R but with DVD storag capacity e CD RW compact disc rewritable discs store data using rewritable t nology Stored data can be recorded and erased multiple times makin it a very flexible storage option e DVD RW or DVD RW DVD rewritable discs store data using re le technology similar to CD RW but with DVD storage capacity s BD R Blu ray recordable can e BD ROM Blu ray read only memory is used for m recordable can be written to once BD RE Blu r record and erase data multiple times ive n acceptable Cb DVD or Blu ray drive is a fine addition to a computer system but i hard disk drive Unfortunately th cess of a Are rewritable CD DVD or BI replacement for a hard disk A re fying data on a rewritable disc is ively slow compared to the speed of hard disk access DVD drives can read CD and DVD for d creating music CDs require a recordable s you can see from the table in Figure 2 30 the most evice is a Blu ray DVD writer or rewritable devic versatile optical stora Play Audio Play DVD Read CD Read DVD Create CDs Movies Data Data Music CDs CD ROM Drive Y Y CD R Drive CD RW Drive DVD CD RW Drive DVD R RW CD RW Drive KANI
27. memory is a special holding area for data program instructions and the Ps sys tem It stores data on a temporary basis until the processor makes a data request The speed of RAM circuitry is measured in Fs or in megahertz MHz RAM is differ ent from disk storage because it is fo which means that it can hold data only when the computer power is turned on Computers also contain Read fF memory which is a type of memory that provides a set of hard wired instructions that a computer uses to boot up A third type of memory called by its acronym fF is a non volatile chip that contains configuration settings such as hard disk size and RAM capacity oO CHECK ANSWERS COMPUTER HARDWARE SECTION C Today s personal computers use a variety of storage technologies fs storage technolo gies such as hard disks floppy disks and tapes store data as magnetized particles A hard disk drive provides multiple fF for data storage that are sealed inside the drive case to prevent airborne contaminants from inter fering with the read write heads Hard disks are less durable than many other types of storage so it is important to make a copy of the data they contain fF storage technologies store data as a series of Fo SECTION D Most computer systems include a keyboard and some type of fs device for basic data Po For output most computers include a dis play device technology produces an image by manipulating light wit
28. that elim inates the need for a fan which might pull in dust dirt or water The computers run Sun Microsystems Solaris operating system because it is less vulner able to viruses and intrusion attacks than Microsoft Windows To prevent enemy capture and use Force XXI computers have a self destruct mechanism that can be triggered remotely HAPTER 2 3 sys H 338 BHH SALILA D A A UHHH COMPUTER HARDWARE In 2007 the U S Army began implementing its Future Combat Systems FCS network According to the Army Web site FCS enables soldiers to per ceive comprehend shape and dominate the future battlefield at unprecedented levels The system uses off the shelf hardware a proprietary operating system secure data transport protocols and a vari ety of specially designed applications called Battle Command software The software helps soldiers plan missions using simulations detailed maps and decision aids FCS allows soldiers to communi cate voice and data over secure radio and network connections Soldiers can also control unmanned robots and drones using a small hand carried device FCS research encompasses soldier wearable computers such as helmet mounted dis plays and communications devices The new technol ogy we have is going to save a lot of lives explains one of the soldiers who tested the system That s the thing we re impressed abou
29. traced to stolen computers The portability of notebo computers makes them particularly easy for a thief to grab jus or a handbag would be Figure 2 55 contains important tips f C your notebook computer from theft FIGURE 2 55 Tips for Preventing Computer Theft e Carry your notebook computer i ynconspicuoUS carrying case e Record your notebook computer model and serial number and FIGURE 2 56 work Several comput r anti theft devices are available Most can be used for both desktops and notebook computers The Kensington Security Slot is an industry stan dard way to secure a The Kensington Security Slot is a security computer to a desk mechanism that s factory installed on many personal computers It docks with a special lock that can be attached to a cable The cable can be fastened to a desk to prevent theft as shown in Figure 2 56 COMPUTER HARDWARE 99 Notebook computers can also be fastened with tie down brackets or stored FIGURE 2 57 in a specially designed locker that can be installed under a desk or ina Security plates are designed to closet Another option for securing notebook computers is a security plate lock a computer to a desk that s affixed to the underside of the computer or to a desk Figure 2 57 Computer motion sensor alarms similar to those for automobiles can be installed on desktop or notebook computers and armed so that any movement triggers audible alarm sounds or recorded verb
30. type of RAM No RAM com ponents vary in speed technology and configuration Many computer ads provide information on all three aspects of RAM but consumers who want lots of fast RAM for 3 D gaming and desktop publishing have to wade through a thicket of acronyms and technical jargon To unlock the meaning of RAM specifications such as 2 GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800 MHz max 4 GB you need an understanding of a few more acronyms and abbreviations RAM speed is often expressed in nanoseconds or megahertz One nano second ns is one billionth of a second In the context of RAM speed lower nanosecond ratings are better because it means the RAM circuitry can react faster to update the data it holds For example 8 ns RAM is faster than 10 ns RAM is the most popular type ay s computers It ically available on a small oard called a DIMM al inline memory module hen adding memory to a com puter check with the computer manufacturer to make sure you For a computer to function at peak efficiency RAM h purchase the correct RAM type cessor with a continuous stream of data If a single and speed RAM speed can also be expressed in MHz millions of cycles per second Just the opposite of nanoseconds higher MHz ratings mean faster speeds For example 1066 MHz RAM is faster than 800 MHz RAM Most of today s personal computers use SDRAM SDRAM synchro dynamic RAM is fast and relatively inexpensive Innovatio
31. typically provi computing power for your dollar The price of an entry level deskt puter starts at 300 or a bit less but most consumers Select more powerful models that cost between 700 and 1 100 ertical case ora A small form factor desktop is horizontal case Most horizontal units a he display device asy to carry but is not classified t desk H ri tal t as a portable computer because it O PAVE OCSE SPALE PONZONMAL Serene requires power from a wall outlet desktop computer form factor however they much less popular now and does not run on batteries A desktop computer s system unit can desk on the floor or i Spyhole h the desk The case for a verti cal system unit is oft gt d to aS a tower Tower cases provide plenty of space for gamers an odders cards Tower un form factor of choice for computer owners who might want to ade components in the future because it is easy to get inside the case an ap out parts Another desktop computer option is a cube shaped mini case which is smaller than a tower unit and sometimes sports a handle Mini cases are popular with gamers because they can be easily carried to LAN parties where they are networked together for multiplayer games Some manufacturers eliminate the separate system unit by incorporating eee ae A tay computer circuitry in the back of a flat panel screen or into a keyboard holds the screen Figure 2 3 illustrates some popular desktop form factors
32. 4 200 512 MB 64 GB 0 0032 30 MBps Solidstate Yes Hard Drive 50 400 80 GB 2 TB 0002 150 300 MBps Magnetic No Internal P AU E ae E 0 0004 12 480 MBps Magnetic Yes External i R g Solid State Drive 120 1 000 32 G GB 0 0038 200 MBps Solid state No Internal Tape 300 1 000 3 150 69 0016 2 160MBps Magnetic A ed in bulk sequential SECTION C it takes a computer to locate data on a storage medium and read it A disk drive is a n fs access device a tape drive is a n fs access device Higher disk _ provides increased storage capacity A magnetic storage device uses a read write fe to magnetize particles that represent data a lt time is the average time 5 Hard disks are very susceptible to head fs SO it is important to make backup copies Data on an optical storage medium such as a DVD is stored as pits and fs CD RW technology allows you to write data on a disc and then change that data True or false A USB flash drive uses solid fe technology to store data and programs gt CHECK ANSWERS CHAPTER 2 SECTION D Input and Output Devices THIS SECTION provides an overview of the most popular input and output devices for personal computers It begins with input devices includ ing keyboards mice trackpads joysticks and touch screens Next a survey of computer display devices helps you understand their features and settings A guide to printers de
33. CHAPTER 2 DESKTOP AND PORTABLE COMPUTERS What is the significance of different computer designs The industrial design principle that form follows function applies to computers If you need a computer that s functional for mobile applications you would A desktop computer fits on a not consider hauling around a large heavy unit designed to remain ona desk and is tethered to a wall desk Instead you would look for a computer form that suits your mobile outlet function FIGURE 2 3 In the computer industry the term form factor refers to the size and dimen sions of a component such as a system board or system unit Personal computers are available in all sorts of form factors some are small and some are large some are designed to remain on a desk whereas others are designed to be portable What are the characteristics of desktop computers A desktop computer fits on a desk and runs on power from an electrical wall out let The main component of a typical desktop computer is a system unit that houses the processor memory storage devices display circuitry an sound circuitry A desktop computer s keyboard mouse and display screen are typically separate components that are connected to the main uni cables or wireless technology The first personal computers were desktop models and this sty popular for offices schools and homes Because their compo manufactured economically desktop computers
34. Core processors Are the benchmarks different What would account for the benchmark results amp COMPUTER HARDWARE N R v AN He SOS rm 7 SX C C S X a gt T T AA NINN NA go TAA NN i A Make sure you understand all the boldfaced key terms presented in this chapter If you re using the NP2011 BookOnCD or other NP2011 BookOn product you can use this list of terms as an interactive study activity First try to define a term in your own words and then click the term to compare your definition with the defi nition presented in the chapter Access time 77 Benchmarks 69 Black screen of death 103 Blu ray 81 BD R 83 BD RE 83 BD ROM 83 Cache 68 Capacitors 72 Card reader 84 CD 81 CD DA 82 CD R 83 CD ROM 83 CD RW 83 CISC 69 Color depth 91 Data bus 94 Data transfer rate 77 Desktop computer 58 Dot matrix printer 92 Dot pitch 90 Double layer DVD 81 Drive bays 86 Dual channel architecture 73 Duplex printer 93 Duty cycle 93 DVD 81 DVD R 83 DVD RW 83 DVD R 83 DVD ROM 83 DVD RW 83 DVD Video 82 EEPROM 74 Expansion bus 94 Expansion card 95 Expansion port 95 Expansion slot 95 Floppy disk 80 Form factor 58 Front side bus 68 Gigahertz 67 Graphics card 91 Graphics processing unit 91 Hard disk controller 79 Hard disk drive 78 Hard disk platter 78 Head crash 80 Home computer system 60 Ink jet printer 92 Joystick
35. HARDWARE 7 Which storage technology is best Each storage technology has its advantages and disadvantages If one storage system was perfect we wouldn t need so many storage devices connected to our computers To compare storage devices it is useful to apply the criteria of versatility dura bility speed and capacity How can one storage technology be more versatile than another The hard disk drive sealed inside a computer s system unit is not very versatile it can access data only from its fixed disk platters More versatile devices can access data from several different media For exam ple a DVD drive is versatile because it can access computer DVDs DVD movies audio CDs computer CDs and CD Rs What makes a storage technology durable Most storage tech nologies are susceptible to damage from mishandling or environmental factors such as heat and moisture Some technologies are more suscep tible than others to damage that could cause data loss CDs and DVDs tend to be more durable than hard disks for example What factors affect storage speed Quick access to data is impor tant so fast storage devices are preferred over slower devices Ac time is the average time it takes a computer to locate data on the st medium and read it Access time for a personal computer stora such as a disk drive is measured in milliseconds thousandt ond One millisecond ms is one thousandth of a second Lo indicate faster access t
36. M every time you start your computer and they remain there until you turn off your computer How does RAM differ from hard disk storage People who are new to computers sometimes tend to confuse RAM and hard disk storage maybe because both components hold data because they typically are hidden inside the system unit or because they can both be measured in gigabytes To differentiate between RAM and hard disk storage remem ber that RAM holds data in circuitry that s directly connected to the system board whereas hard disk storage places data on magnetic media RAM is temporary storage hard disk storage is more permanent In addition RAM usually has less storage capacity than hard disk storage E Intel Core 2 Quad E9650 processor 3 0 GHz 1333 MHz FSB E 12 MB L2 cache m 500 GB SATA HD 7200 rpm 71 FIGURE 2 16 A computer ad typically speci fies the amount and type of RAM Is the computer equiva of the waiting room at an airport or a train station It holds data waiting to be pro cessed stored displayed or printed 72 SECTION B CHAPTER 2 How does RAM work In RAM microscopic electronic parts called capacitors hold the bits that represent data You can visualize the capaci tors as microscopic lights that can be turned on or off A charged capacitor is turned on and represents a 1 bit A discharged capacitor is turned off and represents a 0 bit Each bank of ca
37. NIN Blu ray Drive Blu ray DVD Writer NIATSIINI NIN NINAIS NIA TISTA TNN AININIS 83 TERMINOLOGY NOTE Even though CD ROM and ROM BIOS both contain the word ROM they refer to quite different technologies ROM BIOS refers to a chip on the system board that contains permanent instruc tions for the computer s boot sequence A CD ROM drive is an optical storage device that s usually installed in one of the system unit s dri FIGURE 2 30 CD and DVD Capabilities Store Data Store Data Store Data on CDs on DVDs on BDs NISUINIIS S S A 84 SOLID STATE STORAGE What is solid state storage Solid state storage sometimes called flash memory is a technology that stores data in erasable rewritable cir cuitry rather than on spinning disks or streaming tape It is widely used in portable consumer devices such as digital cameras MP3 music players PDAs and cell phones It is also used as an alternative for hard disk stor age in some notebook computers and netbooks Solid state storage is removable and provides fairly fast access to data It is an ideal solution for storing data on mobile devices and transporting data from one device to another How does solid state storage work Solid state storage contains a gridwork of circuitry Each cell in the grid contains two transistors that act as gates When the gates are open current can flow and the cell has a value that represents a 1 bit
38. NOTE You might hear the term fixed disk used to refer to hard disks You often see the terms hard disk and hard disk drive used interchangeably although technically hard disk refers to the platters sealed inside the hard disk drive COMPUTER HARDWARE aml w Spindle Erna a het gt Read write head Ba EE Personal computer hard disk platters are typically 3 5 in diameter with storage capacities ranging from 40 GB to 2 TB Miniature hard drives su as Hitachi s 1 Microdrive featured on Apple s iPod digital music pl store 30 to 160 GB Hard disk access times of 6 to 11 ms are not uncommon wh takes about half a second to spin up to speed and find dat r read write head e to access data faster a drive spins the more rapidly it can position over specific data For example a 7 200 rpm drive is faster than a 5 400 rpm drive Computer ads typically specify the cap hard disk drive So 160 GB 8 ms 7200 with 160 gigabyte capacity access time of 7 200 revolutions per minute A rely specifythe amount of data that a hard drive can transfer but th rage data transfer rate is about 50 megabytes per second What s all this DMA Computer ad technology A disk controlle t Ultra ATA EIDE SCSI and ronyms to describe hard disk drive m includes a circuit board called a hard the disk locates data and interfaces with components on th stem board Disk drives are classified according to
39. PTER 2 On the BookOnCD To access the New Perspectives Lab for Chapter 2 start the BookOnCD or other NP2011 BookOn product and then click the icon next to the lab title below gt BENCHMARKING IN THIS LAB YOU LL LEARN Which computer performance factors can be mea sured by benchmark tests e How to run a test that identifies a computer s pro cessor type RAM capacity and graphics card type e How to run benchmarking software that analyzes a computer s processor speed and graphics pro cessing speed e How to interpret the results of a benchmark test e How to compare the results from benchmark tests that were performed on different system configu rations When benchmark tests might not provide accurate information on computer performance LAB ASSIGNMENTS 1 Start the interactive part of the lab M you ve enabled Tracking if you want to your QuickCheck results Perform eac as directed and answer all th questions When you exit the are automatically graded and ocation at home at work in a computenlab and so on PROCESSOR BENCHMARKS Processor Quake Ill Arena PCMark Supernova EE 548 5198 Pulsar FX 551 5020 graphics process be better at ove ut get different results computer magazine which e computer with the same bench Use a search engine on the Web to find benchmark ratings for one of Intel s Core Duo pro ssors and one of AMD s Athlon 64 Dual
40. ad write heads in a hard disk hover a microscopic distance above the disk surface If a read write head runs into a dust particle or some other contaminant on the disk it might cause a head crash which damages some of the data on the disk To help prevent contaminants from contacting the platters and causing head crashes a hard disk is sealed in its case A head crash can also be triggered by jarring the hard disk while it is in use Although hard disks have become considerably more rugged in recent years you should still handle and transport them with care You should also make backup copies of the data stored on your hard disk in case of a head crash Can I use a second hard disk drive to increase storage space You can increase the storage capacity of your computer by adding a sec ond hard disk drive which can also provide backup for your primary drive Hard disk drives are available as internal or external units Internal drives are inexpensive and can be easily installed in a desktop computer s syste unit External drives are slightly more expensive and connect to a desktop or notebook computer using a cable What is floppy disk technology One of the oldest storage techfblo gies floppy disks are classified as magnetic storage because data is stor by magnetizing microscopic particles on the disk surface A flo di a round piece of flexible Mylar plastic covered with a thin layer ic A standard floppy disk drive oxide and sealed
41. age of document The two screens in Figure 2 42 help you compare a display set at 1280 x 800 resolution with a display set at 800 x 600 resolution O00 resolution Text and Os NECEMO Documen E Microsoft Word z Home L Insert Page Layout Referi ilings i i oo eee her objects appear larger on jii HESS ran cue g the low resolution screen but p s you see a smaller portion of the screen desktop 12 e oft solution Notice t and other d objects The on the right shows 800 cr Ll ub T F ut x x w di My Cambridge Books and Bindings 118 Apple Street 604 299 3434 Ms Martha Dewey Memorial Bell Library 10 Mile Road Hawthorne WI 99767 Dear Ms Dewey am writing to let you know that I have finished binding your Vincent van Go aS think you will be pleased with the results The deep blue leather binding and i 26 26 fal T m i i lettering came out very nicely Clipboard Image Tools Shapes Size Colors You expect the bound copies to arrive within the erate celia und PF X X X X X autem if Cambridge Books and Bindings can be of service to you in the fut Cambridge Books and Bindings 118 Apple Street Monroe WI 99768 604 299 3434 Rufus Bell Page 1 of1 Words 101 lt Sincerely Ms Martha Dewey Memorial Bell Library 10 Mile Road Hawthorn
42. ain many times making it possible to record and modify data much like on a hard disk The term rerecordable RE is sometimes used instead of rewritable What are my choices for CD DVD and Blu ray media Several CD and DVD formats are currently popular for use in personal computers e CD DA compact disc digital audio more commonly known as audio CD is the format for commercial music CDs Music is typically recorded on audio CDs by the manufacturer but can t be changed by the consumer e DVD Video digital versatile disc video is the format for commercial DVDs that contain feature length films TERMINOLOGY NOTE The letter D in acronyms for optical media such as CDs and DVDs formally means disc In common usage however you will often see it spelled disk COMPUTER HARDWARE e CD ROM compact disc read only memory pronounced cee dee rom was the original optical format for computer data Data is stamped on the disc at the time it is manufactured Data cannot be added changed or deleted from these discs e DVD ROM digital versatile disc read only memory contains data stamped onto the disc surface at the time of manufacture Like CD ROMs the data on these DVD ROMs is permanent so you cannot add or change data e CD R compact disc recordable discs store data using recordable tech nology The data on a CD R cannot be erased or modified once you record it However most CD R drives allow you to record your data
43. al warnings In addition to locks designed to secure a computer s system unit there are also several types of storage device locks designed to prevent unauthorized access to your computer s floppy CD and DVD drives For example you can equip your computer with a finger print reader that requires your fingerprint match to access data on the hard disk If my computer is stolen can authorities recover it Your chances of recovering a stolen computer improve if you have taken some steps in advance such as recording the computer s serial number affixing a tracking label or installing tracking software STOP Security Tracking of Office Property plates leave an indelible Aat too on your computer equipment It takes 800 pounds rce tor vea plate which contains a unique ID number a warning message and a toll free number to report a stolen computer Each plate er is registered in the international STOP database ther by y impossible for a thief to resell a computer that has a Tracking and recovery software such as GyberAngel and LoJack for Laptops secretly sends a me e as soonas a thief uses a stolen computer to log onto the Internet is message contains the computer s exact location and is directed ing or monitoring center Some To ensure that your computer stays in good running condition ssential that you protect it from power surges that endanger many electrical appliances and digital equipment A po
44. an Display Device Technology output device because it typically shows the results of a processing task Touch sensitive screens however can be classified as both input and output devices because they accept input and display output Two tech nologies are commonly used for computer display devices LCD and LED Figure 2 40 An LCD liquid crystal display produces an image by manipulating light within a layer of liquid crystal cells Modern LCD technology is compact in size lightweight and provides an easy to read display LCDs are standard equipment on notebook computers Standalone LCDs referred to as LCD monitors or flat panel displays are popular for desktop computers The advantages of LCD monitors include display clarity low radiation emission portability and compactness Most new computers ship with LCD displays LCD Display technology that uses organic light emitting diodes OLEDs is now available First introduced for handheld devices such as GPSs ang facturing process which essentially prints a matrix of LEDs on a plasti backing produces a wafer thin screen The backing can be cleareor able opening up possibilities for innovative devices such a displays embedded in automobile windshields or foldable disp portable e book readers OLEDs have a bright crisp image and amp f s response rate than standard LCD screens OLED televisions and computer display devices are pricey but as the technology develo hey a
45. atically perfor You can manually change EEPROM settings by running your compu setup program as described in Figure 2 21 J S een instructions Esc Escape any changes to the If you mistakenly enter the setup program follow the on key allows you to exit the setup program EEPROM settings FIGURE 2 21 EEPROM holds computer configuration settings such as the date and time hard disk capac ity number of floppy disk drives and RAM capacity To access the EEPROM Main Advanced system Time system Date Language Item Specific Help lt Tab gt lt Shitt Tab gt or lt Enter gt selects field Primary Master Primary Slave secondary Master secondary Slave Installed Memory Memory Bank U Memory Bank 1 BIOS Revision CPU Type CPU Speed CD RW CED 8080B SM DVD ROM DRD 8120B 1024 MB 512 MB SDRAM 512 MB SDRAM F 26 12 07 08 AMD Athlon tm 64 X2 2200 MHz setup program hold down the F1 key as your computer boots But be careful If you make a mis take with these settings your computer might not be able to start COMPUTER HARDWARE J3 What information about memory performance is most impor tant Even though ROM and EEPROM have important roles in the operation of a computer RAM capacity really makes a difference you can notice The more data and programs that can fit into RAM the less time your computer will soend moving data to and from virtual memory With lots
46. because they can store more data and process data faster To find out how your home Ke lab computer stacks up you ll need to know a few of its specifications Check your computer s speggicatig by wes the following 1 Start your computer x 2 Windows Click the Start button then siege Panel vy Double click the System icon or mae Ken the System Properties dialog box If you re in Sates view click System and Maintenance first 4 If you see a window wi tabs Make sure bine General tab is displayed lt g MAC OS X Click the HL pte ic icon on the menu bar located at the top line desktopi Select About this Mac system Properties XN System Restore Automatic Updates Remote General Computer Name Hardware Advanced System Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition My Version 2002 Wi Service Pack 2 n Registered to ey 76487 DEM 0011903 00803 Hewlett Packard Company HP Pavilion AMD Athlonftm 64 x2 Dual Core Processor 4200 2 4 GHz 1 93 GB of RAM Physical Address Extension Manufactured and supported by invent Support Information OK Cancel 3 Record information about your computer similar to the E finformation provided for the sample computer in the table below 4 Then just to get an idea of the other equipment you ve got attached to your Windows computer click the link or icon for Device Manager You might have to click the Hardware tab fi
47. c software such as a game or graphics tool You re buying a new computer to replace an old one onsider one of the business systems offered by your computer vendor Buy a computer with the fastest processor and graphics card you can afford Select a computer system with a fast processor lots of hard disk capacity and a graphics card loaded with memory Consider purchasing appropriate adaptive equipment such as a voice synthesizer or one handed keyboard Make sure the computer you purchase can accommodate the devices you plan to use Shop for a computer that s compatible with those you use at school or work Make sure you select a computer that meets the specifications listed on the software box or Web site If you have a big investment in software you should select a new computer that s compatible with the old one 64 SECTION A CHAPTER 2 How important is compatibility Suppose that you want to do some assignments at home using the same software provided by your school lab Maybe you want to transport data back and forth between your Job and intoWeb contains all kindsof tips home Or perhaps your child wants to use a computer at home like the bout how to be a savvy com one at school Computers that operate in essentially the same way and use puter shopper Plus you ll find the same software are said to be compatible To assess whether two com worksheets to help assess your puters are compatible check th
48. ccess Any shade oi oie ncen ol computer problem that prevents you from working as usual should be taken Brace seriously A little time spent troubleshooting can save you lots of annoyance down the road 104 SECTION E CHAPTER 2 How do I troubleshoot a hardware problem You might be able to solve many hardware problems by simply following the basic guidelines for FIGURE 2 63 troubleshooting listed in Figure 2 63 Troubleshooting Tips e Stay calm and don t jump to any conclusions until you ve thought everything through e Write down all error messages and any other information that goes with them e Make sure all components are plugged in and that there are no loose cables For example if your display device s cable is loose the indicator light will be off and your screen will be blank e If you can try to duplicate the problem by going through the same steps that led you to it e Look for troubleshooting and repair tips in your user s manual on your vendor s Web site or even through a search engine If you search the Internet by typing in the error message number or keywords in the error message you might discover that at least one person has already found a solution to your problem e Run your spyware and antivirus software Lurking viruses worms Trojan horses an the next chapter can cause strange and unexplainable occurrences in your spyware can cause your computer to keep displaying a pop up ad no matter h discusse
49. ces Atypical computerad provides e Decide on a budget and stick to it specifications couched in lots of e Make a list of the ways you plan to use your computer computer jargon e Select a platform e Decide on a form factor e Select peripherals software and accessories Wal channel SDRAM Where can find product information You can start GB SA 7200 rpm by looking at ads in current computer magazines such as 6 Computer Shopper PC Magazine CPU and Macworld You L might visit computer stores online or in a nearby mall to get af m 52MB NVIDIA GeForce graphics card general idea of prices and features ative Sound Blaster X Fi Xtreme Audio How can I make sense of all the jargon in co ads Computer ads are loaded with jargon and a yms such as RAM ROM MHz GB and USB You resswnre a Logie speakers E Mouse and keyboard E Storage bay Portable Media Drive Bay 6 USB ports 2 front 4 back When you complete this chapter you should ab Sort out 2 IEEE 1394 the terminology used in a typical compute ad Forterms you 1 network port RJ45 connector encounter that are not covered gu can google a7 expansion slots the term or refer to online diction and encyclopedias such windows 7 operating system as Webopedia Whatis com or Miki E Home small business software bundle What can I expe a new computer 1 year limited warranty Computers are sold at price pe ainging from a few hundred A
50. cessity is the mother of invention then war can be said to be its grandmother The military an early pioneer in computer and commu nication technologies continues to be the driving force behind technologies that have revolutionized everyday life During World War Il the U S military initiated a classified research program called Project PX to develop an electronic device to calculate artil lery firing tables by hand each table required weeks of grueling calculations Project PX produced ENIAC Electrical Numerical Integrator And Calculator one of the first general purpose electronic computers When ENIAC was completed in 1946 the war was over but ENIAC s versatile architecture could be used for other calculations such as designing hydro gen bombs predicting weather and engineering wind tunnels ENIAC s technology evolved into the computers used today ey PEEP L PD g i JH reooo cooly C J c coss RUT 44 LIIAJ J After Project PX the military continued to support computer research Like most large corporations the military used mainframe computers to maintain personnel inventory supply and facilities records This data was distributed to terminals at other loca tions through rudimentary networks Because all data communication flowed through the mainframe a single point of failure for the entire system was a possible risk A malfunction or an enemy hit could disrupt command and c
51. complete most of the activities 1 Draw a sketch of your computer system and label at least six of its components Make a table with three columns labeled Input Output and Storage Memory Page through the chap ter and for each device you encounter place it in one or more of the columns as appropriate 2 Draw a set of quick sketches that show each of the following form factors desktop tower desktop horizontal small form factor desktop notebook slate tablet convertible tablet and netbook List the advantages of each form factor 3 Create a short consumer brochure that lists five characteristics that would help consumers choose among a home game or small business computer system 4 List important factors to consider when shopping for a new computer Describe the three price points for personal com puters and indicate which price point best fits your computing needs 5 Explain how Intel Macs are changing the old idea that PCs and Macs are not compatible 6 List at least six computer upgrades and rank each as easy moderate or difficult for computer owners to perform 7 Refer to Section D of Chapter 1 and create a sequence of sketches that shows what happens in a microprocessor s ALU and control unit when an instruction is processed 8 List and describe the factors that affect microprocess performance Name two companies that produce micr cessors and list some of the models that each compan produces Ee
52. computer Computers can help you perform such a wide variety of tasks that it can be impossible to predict all the ways you might use your new machine in the future You can however make a list of the ways you plan to immediately use your computer and that list can help you think about the features you ll need Some computer based activities require more pro cessing or storage capacity than others Therefore if you have some ideas about your computer usage you re more likely to buy the right computer and not have to purchase expensive upgrades for it later Figure 2 9 offer some guidelines to help you evaluate how your plan for using a computer might affect your purchase decision Usage Plan You plan to use your computer for popular tasks such as e mail browsing the Web playing a few games managing your checkbook downloading digital music and writing school papers A mid priced com your needs You re on a budget li ht run more slowly Purchase Recomm 2 6 3 FIGURE 2 9 Situations such as those listed er with standard features might meet et priced computer will handle the same ions as a mid priced computer but some tasks You plan to work on accounting and budg for a small business You plan to work ext desktop publishing Someone who special needs You plan to use specialized peripheral devices Your work at home overlaps your work at school or on the job You want to work with specifi
53. computer priced higher than 2 000 is the computer equiv alent of a luxury automobile Computers in this price range contain one or more fast processors a generous amount of RAM and a copious amount of disk space These computers contain state of the art components and should not have to be replaced as quickly as less expensive computers Computer game enthusiasts and anyone planning to work extensively with video editing graphics and desktop publishing are likely to require a high end computer that costs over 2 000 Computers that retail for between 600 and 2 000 might be considered the four door sedans of the computer marketplace because a majority of buyers select computers in this price range These popular computers lack the flashy specifications of their state of the art cousins but provide ample computing power to meet the needs of an average user COMPUTER HARDWARE In the computer industry the equivalent of a compact car is a sub 600 computer The technology in these computers is usually a year or two old and you can expect reduced processor speed memory capacity and drive capacity Nevertheless budget computers feature many of the same com ponents that owners coveted in their state of the art computers a few years back You might have to replace a budget computer sooner than a more expensive computer but it should be serviceable for typical applications Why is it important to figure out how I m going to use my new
54. cuitry t tasks as the central processing unit of a it is the largest chip on the system FIGURE 2 12 der a cooling fan Most of today s Today s microprocessors are ray chip package as shown in typically housed in a PGA chip package identify the microprocessor be board although it might be hidd microprocessors are housed 4 Figure 2 12 What makes one m Computer ad icall performance r perform better than another de microprocessor specifications related to ad might describe a microprocessor as Intel Core 2 D 33 GHz 1333 MHz FSB 6 MB Cache A micro processor s performanee is affected by several factors including clock speed bus speed word size cache size instruction set and processing techniques What do MHz and GHz have to do with computer performance A specification such as 3 33 GHz that you see in a computer ad indi cates the speed of the microprocessor clock a timing device that sets the pace for executing instructions Most computer ads specify the speed of a microprocessor in megahertz or gigahertz Megahertz MHz means a million cycles per second Gigahertz GHz means a billion cycles per second A cycle is the smallest unit of time in a microprocessor s universe Every action a processor performs is measured by these cycles It is important however to understand that the clock speed is not equal to the number 68 of instructions a processor can execute in one second In many
55. d for input instead of a keyboard A convertible tablet computer is similar to a notebook computer but the screen will swivel over the key board to provide a writing surface 6 0 HOME GAME AND SMALL BUSINESS SYSTEMS What s the significance of designations such as home small business or game systems When studying computer ads and browsing vendor Web sites you re likely to see some computer systems designated as home systems whereas others are designated as game systems or small business systems These designations are created by computer vendors to help consumers sort through the sometimes mind boggling variety of configuration options What differentiates a home computer from other types The idea of a home computer system probably developed because Microsoft offered Home and Professional versions of the Windows operating system Windows Home version targeted less sophisticated users and originally was not meant to be used extensively for networking Today the term home computer system encompasses a vast array of computer configurations designed to accommodate consumers who use computers for personal tasks These systems also work for dual use envi ronments where a computer might be used for general computing activities and also for home office tasks Netbooks as well as notebook tablet dnd x many desktop computers are marketed as home computer systems The prices and features of home computer systems vary
56. d in or example eit to c e A simple reboot of your computer might clear up the problem Windows al s a reboot when it displays the black screen of death However a more serious problem u with a reboot To reboot a PC hold down the Ctrl Alt and Del keys at t Manager window appears hold down the Ctrl Alt and Del keys o Troubleshooting and diagnostic tools can help you find the source of FIGURE 2 64 lem and fix it For example Windows offers interactive troubleshooting tools To access a Windows trouble formatted as a series of simple questions answers and recommendations shooter use the Start menu You might have to borrow a computer to run the ur computer is to select Help and Support totally out of commission Figure 2 64 illastrate e troubleshooting then look for the link to session Troubleshooting or Fixing a Problem Erer gt gt Control Panel All Control Panel Items JjifOubleshooting 7 Control Panel Home troubleshoot and fix common computer problems To view more egory or use the Search box View all View history Change settings Get help from a frien rograms made for previous versions of Windows Hardware and Sound fa Configure a device Use a printer fs Troubleshoot audio recording fa Troubleshoot audio playback e Network and Internet Connect to the Internet Access shared files and folders on other computers Appearance and Personalization fa Display Aero desktop
57. ddition most systems in ludesperipheral devices The term peripheral device designates input output and storage equip ment that might be added to a computer system enhance its functionality Popular peripheral devices includ printers digital cameras scanners joy sticks and speakers Lo N A personal computesystem usually includes the components shown in Figure 2 1 These comp hentSare described briefly on the next page They are defined andidiscussed in more detail later in the chapter CD DVD drive yy Hard disk drive graphics card sound card modem and or network card inside system unit Display device FIGURE 2 1 A typical personal computer system includes the system unit and a variety of storage input and output devices gt The components of a typical desk top system are shown here To compare the components of desktops with notebook and netbook computers watch the video for this figure in your digi tal textbook COMPUTER HARDWARE e System unit The system unit is the case that holds the computer s main circuit boards microprocessor memory power supply and storage devices Depending on the computer design the system unit might also include other built in devices such as a keyboard and speakers e Keyboard Most personal computer systems are equipped with a key board as the primary input device e Mouse A mouse is an input device designed t
58. e WI 99767 Dear Ms Dewey am writing to let you know that have finished b think you will be pleased with the results The de lettering came out very nicely a E ll 12 08PM What are the components of a typical computer display system In addition to a display device such as a monitor a computer display system also requires graphics circuitry that generates the signals for displaying an image on the screen One type of graphics circuitry referred to as integrated FIGURE 2 43 graphics is built into a computer s system board Graphics circuitry can also A graphics card is a small cir be supplied by a small circuit board called a graphics card graphics board cuit board that plugs into the or video card like the one in Figure 2 43 system board A graphics card typically contains a graphics processing unit GPU and special video memory which stores screen images as they are pro cessed but before they are displayed Lots of video memory is the key to lightning fast screen updating for fast action games 3 D modeling and graphics intensive desktop publishing In addition to video memory most graphics cards contain special graphics accelerator technology to further boost performance 92 PRINTERS What printer technologies are available for personal computers Printers are one of the most popular output devices available for personal computers Today s best selling printers typically use i
59. e computers feature state of the art components for processing graphics and audio gt N AGURE 2 7 i Small business owners want a cost effective solution without bells and whistles Although some manufacturers produce gam ing notebook computers most serious gamers tend to select desktop models because they l are easier to customize and offer a little afore l ea M power per dollar The technophile features of CE BP iced a gaming computer come with a steep oN dA premium Computers start at 2 000 and dEr aaa aaa quickly climb past the 4 000 pric amp int From 599 99 after rebate What are the characteristics of small Renae tae business PONPA omp ters mar Apply now Get up to g0 day payments keted for small busitiess a applications tend Renae to be middle of the lin models pared down Customer rating AAAA 37 outats From 799 99 fatter rebate As low as 24inot Apply now Get up to g days no payments Customer rating Weer 46 outofs to essentials A medium Speed processor moderate amount of RAM and sensible disk capacity are adequate for basic busi ness applications suchas word processing spreadsheet analysis accounting and e mail Easy networking options allow small business computers to connect with other computers in an office environment Read 19 reviews VWrite a review Read 65 reviews Write a review Staring at specs Genuine Windows Vista Hom
60. e serial number brand model and peratingasystem You will also have to provide the error message and all information that came with it You might also have to describe the steps that led yowto the problem Computer However you resolve the problem writesdown the solution You never know when you might need it again QuickCheek Ee 1 The Kensington Security fs is 4 Many seasoned users have encountered the an industry standard security mechanism that s black screen of that sud factory installed on many personal computers denly replaces the usual graphical screen 2 A power Po E a sidden display with an enigmatic error message written increase or spike in electrical energy affecting in white text against a black background the current that flows to electrical outlets 5 oo Mode is a stripped down 3 Most UPSs have two types of sockets one version of Windows designed for trouble type offers __ backup plus Shooting surge protection and the other offers only surge protection o CHECK ANSWERS Issue Where Does All the E garbage Go IT IS CALLED e garbage or technotrash unwanted and outdated computers monitors printers cell phones PDAs disk drives disks CDs and DVDs According to Greenpeace 50 million tons of it is discarded every year In the United States alone almost eight printer cartridges are discarded every second A recycling company called GreenDisk estimates that about 1 billion
61. e Premium AMD Phenom Guad Core processor 2GB memory 32068 hard drive 125M6 NVIDIA graphics card Starting at specs Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium 64 bit Intel Core 2 Quad processor 436 memory S500608 hard drive Z56MB NVIDIA graphics card Ple x16 expansion slot With price tags under 1 000 small business computers like those adver tised in Figure 2 7 remain cost effective because they are not loaded with memory fancy graphics cards or audio systems typical on home comput ers Small business computers might not include a CD or DVD drive and often do not include speakers The computers used in small businesses tend to be desktop models rather than notebooks because they are less expensive easier to repair and less likely to be lost or stolen 62 SECTION A CHAPTER 2 BUYING COMPUTER SYSTEM COMPONENTS How do I get started The process of buying your own computer sys tem is not cut and dried Some experts advocate assessing your computing needs first whereas other experts suggest researching features and prices The trick is to do your homework for the entire system before jumping into a purchase of any one component Remember that you will be purchasing peripherals software and accessories in addition to a computer To pre pare for a computer purchase you should complete the following activities e Browse through computer magazines and online computer stores tO FIGURE 2 8 get a general idea of features and pri
62. e costly equipment needs to be collected sorted disassembled and shipped to processing or disposal plants Basic to the issue of reducing electronic waste is the question of Who pays Should it be the tax payer the individual consumer the retailer or the computer manufacturer When Californians were faced with the prospect of tax hikes to deal with alarm ing increases in electronic waste activists questioned if tax increases were fair to individual taxpayers who generate very little electronic waste Now consumers buy ing computers in California have to pay a recycling fee at the time of purchase Other lawmakers propose to make manufacturers responsible for recycling costs and logistics Extended producer responsibility refers to the idea of holding manufacturers respon sible for the environmental effects of their produ taking them back recycling them or them Maryland requires computer ma er cartridges are pro vided with a post paid shipping box so they can return the cartridg s for recycling Dell offers free recycling for all Dell branded products Just 107 connect to the Dell Web site enter the equipment serial number and fill out a shipping label The EPA advocates a national plan in which con sumers retailers and manufacturers can cooperate to reduce electronic waste Its Plug in To eCycling Web site makes the point that No national infra structure exists for collecting
63. eir operating systems Computers with the needs compare different comput same operating systems can typically use the same software and periph rs and shop for fun accessories eral devices INFOWEBLINKS The Computer Buyer s Guide w CLICK TO CONNECT Today there are three personal computer platforms PC Mac and Linux www infoweblinks com np2011 ch02 The PC platform is based on the design for one of the first personal com puter superstars the IBM PC The great grandchildren of the IBM PC are on computer store shelves today a huge selection of personal computer brands and models manufactured by companies such as Lenovo Hewlett Packard Dell and Acer The Windows operating system was designed specifically for these personal computers and therefore the PC platform sometimes called the Windows platform The Mac platform is based on a proprietary design for a personal comp called the Macintosh or Mac manufactured almost exclusively by Inc The Mac lineup includes the iMac MacBook MacBook Air system The Linux platform can use a standard PC or Mac runni ating system A variety of software is available for thi tends to be more specialized but not as polished as and Mac operating systems latform though it re for Windows At one time the PC Mac and Linux plat C of hardware and operating system differenc s leation software designed for Macs did not typically work onother platfor nd vice versa
64. ever directly on the screen Don t scrub The membrane covering many screens is delicate and can be easily damaged 102 Should be concerned about my computer s operating tem perature High performance processors hard drives graphics cards and several other computer components generate a lot of heat Overheating can shorten the lifespan of internal components and chips Most desktop computers have a fan mounted on the power supply that runs continuously to maintain the proper temperature inside of the system unit Additional cooling fans might also be used to cool the microproces sor or graphics card Notebook computers also have cooling fans but the fans come on only after the processor reaches a certain temperature Figure 2 61 4 It is important to be aware of the ventila i nT f tion around your computer system and iti ensure that the fans are able to d air from the room and blow it across th inside components If your co in an enclosed space suc net you might need to cut also be aware of room in which gt MIE S ni irt and even your pet s can collect on and around the cool AQ nd impede their performance ou should regularly use a can of com ssed air or a vacuum cleaner hose to clean out debris from the tents and fans You should however exercise extreme caution when Yousclean out your computer s system case First make sure that yOtyve turned off your PC display device and all o
65. floppy disk drives tape drives C i ives and flash drives The term stor How does a interact with other computer com ponents You c ink of your computer s storage devices as having a direct pipeline to RA ata gets copied from a storage device into RAM where it waits to be processed After data is processed it is held temporar ily in RAM but it is usually copied to a storage medium for more permanent safekeeping As you know a computer s processor works with data that has been coded into bits that can be represented by 1s and Os When data is stored these 1s and Os must be converted into some kind of signal or mark that s fairly permanent but can be changed when necessary Obviously the data is not literally written as 1 or 0 Instead the 1s and Os must be transformed into changes in the surface of a storage medium Exactly how this transformation happens depends on the storage technol ogy For example hard disks store data in a different way than CDs Three types of storage technologies are commonly used for personal computers magnetic optical and solid state CHAPTER 2 TERMINOLOGY NOTE The process of storing data is often referred to as writ ing data or saving a file because the storage device writes the data on the stor age medium to save it for later use The process of retrieving data is often referred to as reading data loading data or opening a file COMPUTER
66. gner how would you provide your customers with flexibility while making it approachable for non techies Incorporate your ideas in a one page e mail message or attachment and submit it to your instructor eS GROUP PROJECT For this project work in groups of three or four The group should select a digital device such as a printer scanner digital camera Web camera digital video camera digital music player video capture card digitizing tablet or accelerated 3 D graphics card If a member of your group owns the device that s a plus Create promotional materi als for a trade show booth featuring your product You might include a product photo a list of specifications and a short instruction manual If time permits your instructor might ask your group to present your sales pitch or a demonstration to the rest of the class CYBERCLASSROOM E mail the other members of your team a technical based on a hypothetical problem you re having with y They should try to solve the problem using their c cess rate based on the difficulty of the their troubleshooting p MULTIMEDIA PROJE Search the Web for modding and col ideas for souping up your computer system unit keyboard and mo se Make sure you check out options for clear Lexan and metallic cases along with lighting options Download photos from the Web and print them out keeping track of sources Using ideas from your collection of photos sketch out plans for your ul
67. hin a layer of liquid crystal cells Image quality for a display device is a factor of resolution screen size dot Po viewing angle width respon J and color computer owners select SECTION E For trouble to secure and regularly comp se it is important your computer equipment Anti theft devices include computer locks and tie down brackets Computers can be protected from power Po by connecting to a surge strip An fF power supply can also protect against surges plus it can supply backup power in case of a power outage Keeping your computer s fF vents when low operati and lands on the surface of CDs DVDs or BDs Storage tech nologies such as CD are often used for distributing software but you cannot alter the disc s con tents Ps technology allows you to write data on a CD DVD or BD but you cannot delete or change that data Rerecordable or Po technol ogy allows you to write and erase data on a CD DVD or BD state storage technologies such as USB flash drives store data by activating electrons in a microscopic grid of circuitry check answers although rinters are a popular option high duty cycle are important rix printer is sometimes used for port is not built in to your computer you might have to add an Pca gt CHECK ANSWERS free of dust can help to keep its temperature within operational levels You can also clean dust off the
68. hnology called pipelining a process ssing in which ining and parallel Hs ral ocessing technol i OMS are pizzas Serial oving along the conveyor belt into ther pizza starts moving along To get a clearer picture of serial pipelini ogy consider an analogy in which comp one oven that holds only one p veyor belt A pizza instruction s ssor A single microprocessor that con tains circuitry for e than one processing unit is called a multi core processor Today s l core and quad core processors are faster than those with a single core To gain maximum speed however your com puter s operating system and software should be optimized for multi core processing Windows supports it as do some games and graphics software With so many factors to consider how can compare micro processor performance Various testing laboratories run a series of tests to gauge the overall speed of a microprocessor The results of these tests called benchmarks can then be compared to the results for other microprocessors The results of benchmark tests are usually available on the Web and published in computer magazine articles 69 FIGURE 2 14 Microprocessor designers have developed techniques for serial processing pipelining and paral lel processing Instruction 3 Instruction 2 essing one instruction ssed at a time Instruction 2 s Instruction 1 In pipelining an instr
69. imes For example a drive with ms acc is faster than a drive with an access time of 11 ms irectly to the ia d state drives are d in digital cameras Access time is best for random access device access also called direct access is the ability of i requested data Floppy disk hard disk random access devices as are the mem A tape drive on the other hand r sequential access by FIGURE 2 22 reading through the data from the Beginning of the tape The advantage Vertical storage produces of random access becomes clear w ou consider how much faster and higher storage capacities than easier it is to locate a song m access than on a cassette horizontal storage Data transfer rate is th ata a storage device e storage medium to the icate faster transfer rates For example a CD ROM drive with a 7800 Kbps kilobits a ee per second data transfer rate is faster than one with a N sls NN SS N WSN s NN sla N 3600 Kbps transfer rate e gt e gt e e gt e gt What s important about storage capacity In With horizontal storage particles are arranged end to end and use of the disk surface is not optimized today s computing environment higher capacity is almost always preferred Storage capacity is the maximum amount of data that can be stored on a storage medium and it is measured in kilobytes KB megabytes MB gigabytes GB or terabytes TB Storage capacity is directly related to storage densi
70. inside a protective casing Figure 2 26 If you bre n reads and writes data on a 3 5 the disk casing something you should never do unles u want to ruin the HD DS floppy disk disk you would see that the Mylar disk inside is thin and literally floppy IGURE 2 26 At one time just about every personal co designed for high density HD double also referred to as floppies or diskettes disks even though they seem to have a h term hard disk refers to an entirelyidifferent stor py disk drive Floppy disks are to call them hard technology A floppy disk s 1 44 MB capacity Is really sufficient for today s media s and photos are too large to fit on a floppy In th s were extensively used to distribute software CDs and D ef Capacity for distributing the huge files data on tapes Next time you watch a movie from the 50s Os that shows a computer look for the big reels of tape used as storage ices Tape storage once used to store mainframe data and also used for personal computer backups is too slow for modern computing COMPUTER HARDWARE 8 1 CD DVD AND BLU RAY TECHNOLOGY How do CD DVD and Blu ray technologies differ Today most computers come equipped with one or more drives designed to work with CD DVD and Blu ray technologies CD compact disc technology was originally designed to hold 74 minutes of recorded music The original CD standard was adapted for computer stor age with capacity fo
71. into RAM After the operating sys tem is loaded the computer can understand your input display output run software and access your data 74 SECTION B CHAPTER 2 EEPROM Where does a computer store its basic hardware settings To operate correctly a computer must have some basic information about storage memory and display configurations For example your computer needs to know how much memory is available so that it can allocate space for all the programs you want to run RAM goes blank when the computer power is turned off so configura tion information cannot be stored there ROM would not be a good place for this information either because it holds data on a permanent basis lf for example your computer stored the memory size in ROM you could never add more memory well you might be able to add it but you couldn t change the size specification in ROM To store some basic system informa tion your computer needs a type of memory that s more permanent than RAM but less permanent than ROM EEPROM is just the ticket EEPROM electrically erasable programmable read only memory is non volatile chip that requires no power to hold data EEPROM replaces CMOS technology that required power from a small battery integrated int the system board When you change the configuration of your computer system by addi RAM for example the data in EEPROM must be updated So per ing systems recognize such changes and autom
72. ion of this chapter focused on computer and communication technologies pioneered by the military and then adopted into civilian use For this project research one of two topics e The use of notebook computers in combat environments and how design innovations for military use might affect the design of your next computer e Developments in wearable computers and how soldiers and civilians might use them To begin the project survey the material in the Computers and the Military InfoWeb page 109 Use a Web search engine to locate additional material relevant to the topic you ve selected Then write a two to four page paper about your findings and include graphics to illustrate your points Make sure you cite sources for your material Follow your professor s instructions for formatting and submitting your paper COMPUTER HARDWARE vant N AAR AN NY oe wea eS a A Ae SS y ee Vuk SS A NASAN rA x i at b STUDENT EDITION LABS Student Edition Labs 4 0 Windows Intenet Explorer STUDENT EDITION LABS COURSE TECHNOLOGY a CENGAGE Learning GUIDE TO STUDENT EDITION LABS SELECT A LAB Welcome to the Student Edition Labs Version 4 0 Using Input Devices Peripheral Devices Using Windows Working with Graphics Working with Audio Working with Video Word Processing Spreadsheets Databases Presentation Software Maintaining a Hard Drive Managing Files and Folders Binary Numbers
73. k action figure and buttons for using a standard mouse How does a touch screen Tablet computers many PDAs retail store self checkouts ane osks collect input from a touch screen which overl en The most commonly used touch FIGURE 2 39 screen technology is anel coated with a thin layer of elec Most touch screens use resis trically conduct enses a change in the electrical current tive technology that registers when touched chnology is fairly durable It is not suscep a change in electrical current tible to dust or wa ut it can be damaged by sharp objects when touched The coordinates for a tially the same way as a mouse click For example if you touch your PDA screen at the location of a button labeled Migi NOMINATION Aij n PRIMARY STRATEGY ee PRIMARY Calendar the area you touch generates coordinates and sends them to the processor The processor compares the coordinates to the image displayed on the screen to find out what is at the coordinates and then responds in this case by opening your appointment calendar The resistive technology used in today s touch screens can be operated with bare fingers or a stylus Processing technology can interpret a single touch Figure 2 39 or more complex input such as handwriting 90 SECTION D CHAPTER 2 DISPLAY DEVICES What are my options for display devices A computer display FIGURE 2 40 device sometimes referred to as a monitor is usually classified as
74. k away the keys on your key board so be very careful if you use one to clean your keyboard You can use cotton swabs just slightly moistened with a mild cleaning flui to clean the sides of keys Wipe the tops of the keys with a soft c ag slightly dampened with a mild cleaning solution Allow your keyboar before you reconnect it to your PC Avoid spills into your keyb t setting your drinks too close to it A flexible clear plastic keyboard c an also prevent damage from spills and sticky fingers igure 2 60 provides more information on cleaning your computer keyboard y FIGURE 2 60 Carefully use a cotton swab and a can of compressed air or a vacuum cleaner to remove dust and debris from your keyboard Sticky liquids are difficult to remove That can of pop Better to keep it away from your keyboard gt Watch the video in your digital textbook to see how to safely clean your computer keyboard How do I get dust and fingerprints off my computer screen Dust and fingerprint smudges can easily accumulate on your computer screen and make it quite difficult to read You should clean your screen on a regular basis at least weekly Its always best to turn off your display device before you clean because a blank screen will reveal all the smudges dust and dirt Follow manufacturer s instructions for cleaning your computer screen using the recommended cleaning product Spray the cleaner on a lint free soft cloth but n
75. ktop publishing multitrack soun ey nputer s microproces of the latest greatest microprocessor can often get you new computer system Technigalsl the speed of a computer component such as a processor graphics card system board or memory When successful overclocking can increase the processing power of a slow component to match that of a faster more expensive component Overclocking is popular with gamers who want to squeeze every bit of processing speed out of their computers Why doesn t everyone overclock Overclocking is very risky Additional electrical power pumped into a component increases heat output Overclocked components can overheat and even catch fire To maintain safe operating temperatures modders install supplemental cooling sys tems sometimes using heavy duty heatsinks big fans liquid oxygen dry ice or other refrigerants SECTION B CHAPTER 2 FIGURE 2 15 Today s Popular Server Desktop and Mobile Microprocessor Families Processor Application intel Desktops and eG Notebooks Pentium Desktops Ce Desktops and P Notebooks Servers and Workstations Servers Netbooks and Handhelds AMD Phenom Desktops Desktops and eion Notebooks ean Desktops and p Notebooks Turion Notebooks eaters Servers and B Workstations INFOWEBLINKS For updates on popular micro processors you can connect to the Microprocessor Update InfoWeb D CLICK TO CONNECT www inf
76. n tt COMPUTER HARDWARE Can upgrade a computer to make it more powerful When shopping for a computer system your budget might not stretch to cover the cost of all the equipment you want Or you might wonder if you can extend the life of your current computer by upgrading key components Some com ponents are easy to add or change whereas others are not Figure 2 10 summarizes the most popular computer equipment upgrades and indicates their average time for completion cost difficulty level and accessibility 65 FIGURE 2 10 Popular upgrades at a glance in the Accessibility column internal upgrades require you to open the system unit Upgrade Time Cost US Difficulty Accessibility Replace processor 1 5 hours 200 600 Picu Ana noL Internal recommended Add memory 30 60 minutes 50 300 Moderate Internal Add external mer ene 10 15 minutes 100 300 Easy Replace internal hard diskdrive 1 2 hours 50 500 Som Replace graphics card 1 hour 150 500 Switch to wireless keyboard and mouse o mules Z Add USB port or digital ENE Z camera memory card reader Add second display screen 5 10 minutes Easy se as 5 10 Minutes 50 500 Easy aes reo a 50 150 Moderate What is a mo and add ons such as those listed in Figure 2 10 are usually sanetioned and approved by computer manufacturers and vendors However some creative computer owners called modders work with unsanctioned m
77. ng data Magnetic media gradually lose Some experts estimate that span of data stored on magnetic media is about three ommend that you refresh your data so popular Hard disk technology is the in storage for most computer systems for three rea sons First it provi ots of storage capacity Second it provides fast access to files Third a hard disk is economical The cost of storing 40 megabytes of data is about a penny You ll find hard disk drives in all kinds of digital devices including personal computers iPod Classics and TiVo digital video recorders DVR preferred type of How does hard disk technology work As the main storage device on most computers a hard disk drive contains one or more platters and their associated read write heads A hard disk platter is a flat rigid disk made of aluminum or glass and coated with magnetic iron oxide particles More platters mean more data storage capacity The platters rotate as a unit on a spindle making thousands of rotations per minute Each platter has a read write head that hovers over the surface to read data The head hovers only a few microinches above the disk surface as shown in Figure 2 24 on the next page SECTION C CHAPTER 2 FIGURE 2 23 Before data is stored particles on the surface of the disk are P random patterns driwe s read write agnetizes the particles them in a positive or negative south ction to represent O and 1 its TERMINOLOGY
78. ng other input devices such as touchpads stylus microphones and digital video cameras TEST YOURSELF Review chapter material by taking these ten ques tion tests then send your results to the Universal Gradebook ONLINE GAMES Have some fun while refreshing your memory about key concepts that might appear on the next test You can even send your results to the Universal Gradebook AND MORE At the NP2011 Web site you ll also find Extra Content and InfoWebLinks
79. nk jet or laser tech nology in multifunction devices that can also serve as scanners copiers and fax machines How does an ink jet printer work An ink jet printer has a nozzle like print head that sprays ink onto paper to form characters and graphics The print head in a color ink jet printer consists of a series of nozzles each with its own ink cartridge Most ink jet printers use CMYK color which requires only cyan blue magenta pink yellow and black inks to create a printout that appears to have thousands of colors Alternatively some print ers use six or eight ink colors to print midtone shades that create slightly more realistic photographic images Ink jet printers such as the one in Figure 2 44 outsell all other types o printers because they are inexpensive and produce both color and black and white printouts They work well for most home and small busines applications Small portable ink jet printers meet the needs of many m computer owners Ink jet technology also powers many photo printers which are optimized to print high quality images produced by digi eras and scanners to paint dots of light on a light sensitive drum Electro is applied to the drum and then transferred to ps more complex than ink jet technology ha 3 higher price of laser printers A basic laser printer produces only black a hite printouts Color laser printers are available but are so at more ly than basic black and white models Laser p
80. nse rate is measured in milliseconds ms For gaming systems a response rate of 5 ms or less is desirable w CLICK TO CONNECT www infoweblinks com np2011 ch02 COMPUTER HARDWARE 9 1 The number of colors a monitor can display is referred to as colordepthor FIGURE 2 41 bit depth Most PC display devices have the capability to display millions of Common Display Resolutions colors When set at 24 bit color depth sometimes called True Color your PC can display more than 16 million colors and produce what are consid ered photographic quality images Windows allows you to select resolution SVGA 800 x 600 and color depth The most popular display setting is 24 bit color at 1024 x VGA 640 x 480 XGA 1024 x 768 768 resolution SXGA 1280 x 1024 The number of horizontal and vertical pixels that a device displays on screen is referred to as its resolution The resolution for many early PC UXGA 1600 x 1200 displays was referred to as VGA Video Graphics Array Higher resolu WUXGA 1920 x 1200 tions were later provided by SVGA Super VGA XGA eXtended Graphics WOXGA PSRs INOE Array SXGA Super XGA and UXGA Ultra XGA Widescreen reso 2 lutions such as WUXGA and WQXGA offer aspect ratios similar to high definition television Figure 2 41 summarizes common PC resolutions ee The on the left shows At higher resolutions text and other objects appear smaller but the computer can display a larger work area such as an entire p
81. nvironment friendly option saves paper but can slow down the print process especially on ink jet printers that pause to let the ink dry before printing the second side 94 e Memory A computer sends data for a printout to the printer along with a set of instructions on how to print that data Printer Control Language PCL is the most widely used language for communication between computers and printers but PostScript is an alternative printer language that many publishing professionals prefer The data that arrives at a printer along with its printer language instructions require memory A large memory capacity is required to print color images and graphics intensive documents Some printers let you add memory to improve printing of such pages e Networkability If your personal computer system is not networked to other computers in your house apartment or dorm you can attach a printer directly to your computer If your computer is part of a network you can share your printer with other network users who essentially send their print jobs to your computer s printer for output Another way to configure network printing for multiple users is to purchase a network enabled printer that connects directly to the network rather than to one of the computers on network The network connection can be wired or wireless The advantage of a network ready printer is that it can be placed in a location conveni for all the network users Figure 2 47
82. o manipulate on screen graphical objects and controls e Hard disk drive A hard disk drive is the main storage device on a personal computer system It is usually mounted inside the computer s system unit and can store billions of characters of data A small external light indicates when the drive is reading or writing data e Optical drive An optical drive is a storage device that works with CDs DVDs Blu ray discs or some combination of these storage media Optical drives are handy for playing audio CDs DVD movies and Blu ray movies They can also be used to store computer data on writable CDs DVDs and Blu ray discs e Other storage In the past personal computers included a low capaci storage device called a floppy disk drive Today these drives be replaced by solid state storage options such as USB flash driv ory cards Figure 2 2 a e Sound system The sound system for a persona put digital music digitally recorded speech and a va mputer can out of sound effects ious messages and events To produce sounds a co cult board called a sound card which is typically house sound card sends signals to speakers built into the system unit e Display system A pers es often called s present visual output systems can use se nd videos Personal computer types of display technologies including LCDs and LEDs Display devices are usually integrated with the system unit of portable computer
83. odifications In the context of computing a mod is a custom hand built modification to a computer system component Mods are analogous to hot rods in many ways Just as hot rod construction begins with a standard car chassis a computer mod begins with standard off the shelf components Hot rods can be chopped and jacked fenders removed windows added engines chromed and chassis painted in day glo colors Computer mods often include custom paint jobs glowing lights and clear Plexiglas side panels that offer a view of the system board Where do modders find components Modders have built com puters using discarded microwave ovens vintage televisions gumball machines LEGOs suitcases and toys all items that can be picked up in thrift stores or rummage sales Ex nal Internal Internal External External External External Internal 66 Electronic components such as cold cathode lights and neon string lights can be scavenged from a variety of sources RadioShack offers a collection of products for modders but a much more extensive selection of modding components can be found at Web sites that specialize in modding Figure 2 11 illustrates a creative mod that uses see through and lighting effects Where is the best place to buy a computer Consumers have many choices for computer vendors Manufacturers such as Dell and Apple sell computers online at company Web sites where you can easily con figure a compute
84. of RAM you ll find that documents scroll faster games respond more quickly and many graphics operations take less time than with a computer that has a skimpy RAM capacity Most ads specify RAM capacity speed and type Now when you see the specification 2 GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800 MHz max 4 GB in a computer ad you ll know that the computer s RAM capacity is 1 giga byte enough to run Windows 7 that it operates at 800 megahertz fairly fast and that it uses dual channel double data rate SDRAM You ll also have important information about the maximum amount of RAM that can be installed in the computer 4 GB which is more than enough for the typi cal computer owner who does a bit of word processing surfs the Web an plays computer games number such as 0 to differentiate micropro cessors A front side fs is circuitry that transports data to and from the processor at speeds ranging from 200 MHz to 1600 MHz A dual fs processor allows a computer to execute multiple instructions at the same time to achieve parallel processing RAMis which means that it cannot hold data when the computer power is off A computer does not usually run out of RAM because it can use an area of the hard disk called memory The instructions for loading the operating system into RAM when a computer is first turned on are stored in fs Hint Use the abbreviation gt CHECK ANSWERS Tagen
85. of the art sound capabilities and multiple graphics processors To determine whether two computers are oo you have to consider if they run the same software and use the same peripheral devices gt CHECK ANSWERS r TE A NN i SEANDA CONPUNR HARDWARE SECTION B Microprocessors and Memory A TYPICAL COMPUTER AD contains a long list of specifications that describe a computer s components and capabilities Savvy shoppers understand how these specifications affect computer performance and price Most computer specifications begin with the microprocessor type and speed Computer manufacturers want consumers to think that faster is better but is there a point at which you can pay for speed you won t need Computer ads also contain information about a computer s memory capacity Lots of memory can add hundreds of dollars to the cost of a com puter Consumers are right to ask How much RAM is enough Section explains how microprocessors and memory affect computer performance and price MICROPROCESSOR BASICS What exactly is a microprocessor As you learned t 1 a microprocessor sometimes simply referred to as a proc isvan integrated circuit designed to process instructions It is the mosti r tant and usually the most expensive component of mputer Although a microprocessor is sometimes mistakenly referred a computer on chip because entially the same e computer it contains on a single chip cir
86. om a computer you should use the appropriate onscreen eject control For example on PCs you would use the r Safely Remove Hardware icon located on the right side of the j Windows taskbar A Files stored on a USB flash drive can be opened edited deleted and run just as though those files were stored on magnetic or optical media You might say that USB flash f s4 drives are the new floppy disks because not only can you access files as if they were stored on disks but you can carry them from one computer to another and you can run software from them too Figure 2 34 ro To run software from a USB flash drive you can CJON di gt Computer gt USB20FD F PortableOpenOffice gt B Organize Views Financia ivi Name Date modified Type J Documents Js openoffice double click the E oe eei program name in settings I Music help html Windows Explorer More a PortableOpenOffice exe Folders E Desktop E kk amp Public 1 Computer cy Floppy Disk Drive nA Local Disk C cow Disk Drive D lt i DVD Drive E ee USB20FD F i data P PortableOpenOf m Date accessed 11 3 2011 12 00 AM Application pA Date modified 7 19 2011 12 31 PM f Size 94 8 KB Date created 7 19 2011 12 31 PM 86 STORAGE WRAPUP Can add storage to my computer You can inc
87. ome in several varieties of Ps factors A Po computer fits on a desk runs on power from an electrical wall outlet and can be housed in a horizontal case or vertical Po case A Po computer also referred to as a mobile computer is a small lightweight personal computer with screen keyboard storage and processing components integrated into a single unit that runs on power supplied by an electrical out let or a battery Three categories of these computers include notebook computers netbooks and Po computers Personal computers are sometimes designated as home small business or game systems to help consumers select the computer that s right for their needs Although the Mac platform was not previously Ps with the PC platform the situation is changing now that Intel Macs use modification ed E o A to their computer systems F ion on the latest computers mods and pric si gt CHECK ANSWERS consu an check computer magazines and Web SECTION B The microprocessor and memory ar the most important components in a compute The microp cessor is an fs circuit whi designed cessor overall processing speed include word size cache size instruc tion set complexity parallel processing and pipelining Most personal computers only contain one main microprocessor but today s dual fF processors contain the cir cuitry for two microprocessors puters contain various kinds of memory Random Po
88. ontrol sending the military into chaos Therefore the armed forces created the Advanced Research Projects Agency ARPA to design a distributed communications system that could continue operating without a centralized com puter The result was ARPANET which paved the way for the data communications system we know today as the Internet ARPANET was activated in 1967 but the mil domain that designates U S mili tary Web sites was not implemented until 1984 The U S Department of Defense DoD currently maintains several data communications networks including SIPRNet a Classifieds secret level network works like a battlefield Internet to transmit data on the location of friendly and enemy forces from one vehi cle to another using wireless communication Much like a video game the Force XXI touch screen shows friendly troops in blue and a global positioning system GPS updates their positions automatically Enemy troops spotted by helicopters are shown as red icons To get information on any friendly or enemy vehicle a soldier can simply touch one of these blue or red icons To send text mes sages much like cell phone and computer instant messaging a soldier touches the Message button The built in GPS provides location and route informa tion much like sophisticated mapping programs in luxury Cars Force XXI computers are installed in shock resistant cases and equipped with a cooling system
89. oweblinks com np201 1 ch02 COMPUTER HARDWARE RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY What is RAM RAM random access memory is a temporary holding area for data application program instructions and the operating system In a personal computer RAM is usually several chips or small circuit boards that plug into the system board within the computer s system unit A com puter s RAM capacity is invariably included in the list of specifications in a computer ad Figure 2 16 The amount of RAM in a computer can affect the overall price of a computer system To understand how much RAM your computer needs and to understand computer ad terminology it is handy to have a little background on how RAM works and what it does Why is RAM so important RAM is the waiting room for the computer s processor It holds raw data waiting to be processed as well as the program instructions for processing that data In addition RAM holds the results of processing until they can be stored more permanently on disk or tape Figure 2 17 ance your checkbook in RAM The personal processing thi your checkbook your checkbook ba cessor uses these instructions to calculate ends the results back to RAM From RAM e can be stored on disk displayed or printed In addition to data and application software instructions RAM also holds operating system instructions that control the basic functions of a computer system These instructions are loaded into RA
90. pacitors holds eight bits one byte of data A RAM address on each bank helps the computer locate data as needed for processing Figure 2 18 FIGURE 2 18 The two charged capaci Each RAM location has an tors at this RAM address da d ane represent the letter A ACUTESS ANG USES EJL Capaci tors to hold the eight bits that A different sequence represent a byte gt Your of ae AR digital textbook shows you how represents tne letter D i RAM works with bits that repre Another sequence of sen charged capacitors represents the letter C In some respects RAM is similar to a chalkboard You can use ac board to write mathematical formulas erase them and then write for a report In a similar way RAM can hold numbers and formu you balance your checkbook and then can hold the outline of your essay when you use word processing software RA changed just by changing the charge of the capacitors all data stored in RAM instantly and per ly di ears When some FIGURE 2 19 one exclaims Rats just lost my docu itoftem means the person Minimum RAM requirements Being held in RAM and are typically displayed on the i package of a software product ay s personal computers typi cally feature 2 8 GBM amount of RAM your computer needs UGS Stet Requirements fied on the outgide of a software EN Figure 2 19 If you need more Windows 7 or Vista RAM you can pul and install additional memory
91. programmers and network specialists Even previously low tech mili tary jobs such as mechanics and dietitians require some computer expertise Happily new recruits are finding military computer systems easy to learn based on their knowledge of civilian technologies such as the Internet and computer games Alth ni de most citizens recog dequate national is m cessary the cost d elated equipment personnel and cutting edge gt esearch remains contro ersial In 1961 President Dwight Eisenhower warned We must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence whether sought or unsought by the military industrial complex Many socially motivated citi zens and pacifists tried to withhold tax dollars from the military industrial complex that Eisenhower cautioned against In retrospect however military funding contributed to many technolo gies we depend on today For example detractors tried to convince the government that Project PX was doomed to failure but without ENIAC research computers might not exist today Skeptics saw no future for the fruits of ARPANET research but it led to the Internet which has changed our lives significantly INFOWEBLINKS You ll find lots more informa tion related to this Computers in Context topic at the Computers and the Military InfoWeb D CLICK TO CONNECT www infoweblinks com np2011 ch02 110 CHA
92. provides comparative information for ink jet lase dd matrix printers For specific information on a particular brand printer check the manufacturer s Web site Printer Type Max Resolution Speed Actu Duty Cycle color graphics 91600 2 400 dpi 139 2 3 000 ppm a POE ooa N 90 000 ppm panne is 72 360 d 5 6 ppm 6 000 60 000 ppm INSTALLING PERIPHER How does a com devices W a connection f data to and from peripheral eripheral device you are basically creating tween the device and the computer Within a computer data Is from one component to another over circuits called a data bus One pa he data bus referred to as the local bus or internal bus runs between RAM and the microprocessor The segment of the data bus to which peripheral devices connect is called the expansion bus or external bus As data moves along the expansion bus it can travel through expansion slots expansion cards ports and cables Figure 2 48 PIT Expansion Gagauuumm oe Local bus aS oe pansion en bus Pisses m om Microprocessor RAM Sy Expansion slots BZ and expansion 2 9 cards ER Hard disk drive SECTION D CHAPTER 2 INFOWEBLINKS Before you shop for a printer take a look at the buying tips in the Printer Buyer s Guide InfoWeb D CLICK TO CONNECT www infoweblinks com np201 1 ch02 IGURE 2 47 Printer Comparison Operating Cost Memory 1 7 page 5 18 page ee 2 4 page g 2 4
93. r 650 MB of data Later improvements in CD standards increased the capacity to 80 minutes of music or 700 MB of data DVD digital video disc or digital versatile disk is a variation of CD technol ogy that was originally designed as an alternative to VCRs but was quickly FIGURE 2 27 adopted by the computer industry to store data The initial DVD standard offered 4 7 GB 4 700 MB of data storage that s about seven times as much capacity as a CD Subsequent improvements in DVD technology offer even more storage capacity A double layer DVD has two recordable layers on the same side and can store 8 5 GB of data As seen through an electron microscope the pits on an opti Cal storage disc look like small srs Each pit is less than je millionth of a iar cm 500 pits Blu ray is a high capacity storage technology with a 25 GB capacity per layer The name Blu ray is derived from the blue violet colored laser used technology uses a near infrared laser How do CD DVD and Blu ray drives work CD DVD afd Blu technologies are classified as optical storage which stores datayas micr scopic light and dark spots on the disc surface The dark met Shown Figure 2 27 are called pits The lighter non pitted surface areas of ine disc are called lands laser directs a beam of light toward the under a disc The dark pits and light lands on the disc surface reflect the lightadiffe resent data Figure 2 28 FIGURE 2 28
94. r computer might require notifi cation In Windows you can give notification using the Safely Remove Hardware icon in the notification area of the taskbar With a Mac hold down the Control key click the device icon and then select Eject Figure 2 54 Before removing USB devices when the computer is operat ing issue a notification For Windows left use the Safely Remove Hardware icon On Macs below hold down the Control key click and select Eject Open a ee E II wO HRO 5 25 AM Why do some peripheral devices include a disk or CD Some devices require software to establish communication with your computer The directions supplied with your peripheral device include instructions o how to install the software Typically you use the software disk or CD one time to get everything set up and then you can put the disk away in a safe place You ll learn more about this software called a device driver in next chapter Eject USB DRIVE Copy USB DRIVE Clean Up Selection Label Long time computer techies probably remember the days when i x BBBSBBEB More gt Fortunately today s computers include a feature called g and automatically takes care of these technical details computer does not recognize a newly correctly exchange data with it check t device driver update or call the manufactu ical support depart ment Plug and Play detects new ices that are sconnected to a computer and
95. r even more versatility solid state drives and USB flash drives can be used to store computer data files and programs A Solid state drive SSD can be used as a substitute for a hard disk drive in handheld devices and netbooks Figure 2 32 A USB flash drive is typically used for storing data files and programs that you want to use on various computers for example on your home computer and at work or in a school lab SECTION C CHAPTER 2 FIGURE 2 31 A 5 in 1 card reader can be installed in a drive bay if one is S ea FIGURE 2 32 Solid state drives store data in erasable rewritable circuitry COMPUTER HARDWARE 85 What is a USB flash drive A USB flash drive such as Sony s TERMINOLOGY NOTE MicroVault the SanDisk Cruzer or the Kingston DataTraveler is a porta ble storage device that plugs directly into a computer s system unit using a UFD stands for USB Flash built in connector Figure 2 33 Drive Also called thumb drives pen drives jumpdrives keychain drives or UFDs USB flash drives are about the size of a highlighter pen and so durable that you can literally carry them on your key ring USB flash drives FIGURE 2 33 have capacities ranging from 16 MB to 64 GB They have maximum data transfer speeds of about 100 Mbps but most commonly operate in the A USB flash drive plugs directly range of 18 28 megabytes per second When you want to remove into a computer s system unit a USB flash drive fr
96. r system with various features and get a price quote The Web hosts a wide array of computer vendors Make sure you are dealing with a reputable vendor before finaliz ing your purchase and providing your credit card number Computers and peripherals are also sold at office stores such as OfficeMax and electronics stores such as Best Buy You might have the option of working with a locally owned computer boutique Most con sumer advocates suggest shopping around to compare prices service and warranties Before you make a final decision on com the following questions Does your new technical support How long does the s the duration of the equipment and labor Where do repairs ta equipment that is sent to the m 3 or repair How long do repairs typically take With t gt ose questions in hand along with your decisions about budg a d platform you can be confident that SECTION A CHAPTER 2 FIGURE 2 11 Mods are customized com puters that sport radical modifications such as see through cases and lighted cables and speakers The first popular personal computers were models and this style remains popular for offices schools and homes Portable computers are classified as note books computers and netbooks 1 Popular fo devices include 4 printers digital cameras scanners joysticks 5 Key components of a n computer include the fastest processors state
97. re likely to LED become less expensive and more popular Computer display devices can be equipp standard American television or HDTV high definition tel quality is a factor of screen sizepdot rate resolution andacolor depth Screen size is the measurement in inches l reen diagonally across to the opposite corner Typical monitor scree sizes range from 13 to 24 Dot pitch dp is a measure of image clarity A smaller dot pitch means a crisper image Technically dot pitch is the distance in millimeters between like colored pixels the small dots of light that form an image A dot pitch between 26 and 23 is typical for today s display devices A display device s viewing angle width indicates how far to the side you can still clearly see the screen image With a wide viewing angle you can INFOWEBLINKS view the screen from various positions without compromising image qual For up to the minute informa ity For an LCD screen the viewing angle is measured in degrees Wider tion on the latest and greatest viewing angles are preferable A 170 degree viewing angle is preferable toa graphics cards monitors and ws LCD screens check out the viewing angle of 150 degrees Display Devices InfoWeb Response rate is the time it takes for one pixel to change from black to white then back to black Display devices with fast response rates display a crisp image with minimal blurring or ghosting of moving objects Respo
98. rease storage capacity by adding hard drives and you can add storage flexibility by install ing additional types of storage devices External storage devices such as external hard disk drives CD drives DVD drives and USB flash drives simply plug into connectors built into your computer s system unit They can be easily detached when you want to move your computer or if your external drive contains a backup that you want to store away from your computer Before you disconnect any stor age device make sure you understand the manufacturer s instructions for doing so On PCs you usually have to use the Safely Remove Hardware icon on the Windows taskbar Macs usually provide an eject icon next to the drive listing As an alternative to an external drive you can install storage devices inside your computer s system unit case in parking spaces called drive bays An external drive bay provides access from outside the system unit a necessity for a storage device with removable media such as floppy disks CDs and DVDs Internal drive bays are located deep inside the system and are designed for hard disk drives which don t use removable store media Most desktop and notebook computers include at least onesimter drive bay and one or more external bays Figure 2 35 SECTION C CHAPTER 2 FIGURE 2 35 Most notebook computers provide bays for one hard disk drive and one CD or DVD drive An empty drive bay ated on the side of
99. reusing and recycling electronics With laws that differ from state to state consumers are often con fused about how to dispose of their unwanted comput ers monitors CDs and ink cartridges Moa experts agree that an anufact should also offer low cost con nient recycling options Consumers can select een products and purchase equipment from onment friendly manufacturers Check out reenpeace s Green Ranking to find out which gital equipment manufacturers have the green est recycling policies and manufacturing methods Consumers can also help to keep the planet green by recycling unwanted electronic equipment instead of throwing it in the trash INFOWEBLINKS You ll find much more information about how you can recycle an old computer by connecting to the Computer Recycling InfoWeb D CLICK TO CONNECT www infoweblinks com np2011 ch02 What Do You Think 1 Have you ever thrown away an old computer or other electronic device QYes Q No QO Not sure 2 Are you aware of any options for recycling electronic equipment in your local area QYes QO No O Notsure 3 Would it be fair for consumers to pay a recycling tax on any electronic equipment that they purchase OYes O No O Notsure gt SAVE RESPONSES a aA ETEF s i S eateana AFF EET EEFE TT AE ERETT EAA EF ET lt Computers in Context Military IN ENGINES OF THE MIND Joel Shurkin writes If ne
100. rinters ar n the choice for business printers particularly for applications th du igh volume of printed material O What is a dot matrix printer When PCs first appeared in the late 1970s dot matrix printers were the technology of choice and they are still available today A dot matrix printer produces characters and graphics by using a grid of fine wires As the print head noisily clatters across the paper the wires strike a ribbon and paper in a pattern prescribed by your PC Dot SECTION D CHAPTER 2 FIGURE 2 44 Most ink jet printers are small lightweight and inexpensive yet produce very good quality color Output FIGURE 2 45 Laser printers are a popular technology when high volume output or good quality printouts are required oO Find out more about laser printers by watching the video for this figure in your digital textbook COMPUTER HARDWARE 93 matrix printers can print text and graphics some even print in color using FIGURE 2 46 a multicolored ribbon Unlike laser and inkjet Today dot matrix printers like the one in Figure 2 46 are used primarily for technologies a dot matrix back office applications that demand low operating cost and dependability printer actually strikes but not high print quality the paper and therefore can print multipart carbon forms EA Print head contains a 3 matrix of thin wires Characters are formed from a pattern of dots created as
101. rst For more information about your Mac hardware click the More Info button 5 Browse through the list When you re done close all the dialog boxes SECTION A Personal Computer Basics WHETHER YOU ARE SHOPPING for a new computer using your trusty laptop or troubleshooting a system glitch it is useful to have some background about computer system components and how they work Section A begins with a framework for understanding the vast number of options available for putting together a personal computer system and then wraps up with some tips on interpreting the jargon in computer ads and negotiating the digital marketplace PERSONAL COMPUTER SYSTEMS What s a personal computer system The term personal computer system has at least two meanings It can broadly refer to any comput ery system that uses personal computers for core processing operations Such systems would include school labs and small business networks Ina more CHAPTER 2 limited context the term personal computer system refers to personala computer software and peripheral devices that can be connectedg gether for use by a single individual This chapter focuses on computers ingtheflat ter context to make sure you re familiar with the hardwa tools that make a computer system tick gt What are the components of a typical persona computer system The centerpiece of a personal computer system is of course a personal computer In a
102. rt your files using a USB i i we 7 You want to add a storage device to your computer that reads CD ROMs DVD ROMs DVD Videos and CD Rs A DVD CD RW will do the job True or false Interactive Practice Tests SUP R GAME DESKTOP MODEL EE2007 m Intel Core i7 920 m6 GB Tri Channel DDR3 at 1066 MHz m 500 GB SATA II 7200 rpm 16x CD DVD burner Creative Sound X Fi Titani You need to purchase a new monitor fF screens have a bright crisp image and a faster response rate than standard fo screens Suppose that you volunteer to produce a large quantity of black and white leaflets for a charity organization It is fortunate that you have access to a n fs printer with a high duty cycle and low operating costs gt CHECK ANSWERS Practice tests that consist of ten multiple choice true false and fill in the blank questions are available on both the NP2011 BookOn products and the NP2011 Web site The questions are selected at random from a large test bank so each time you take a test you ll receive a different set of questions Your tests are scored immediately and you can print study guides that help you find the correct answers for any questions that you missed gt CLICK TO START Learning Objectives Checkpoints are designed to help you assess whether you have achieved the major learning objectives for this chapter You can use paper and pencil or word processing software to
103. s but exist as standalone devices for computers that spend most of their time on a desk e Network and Internet access Many personal computer systems include built in circuitry for wired or wireless connections to a computer network Networking circuitry is useful for constructing a home network or connecting to public networks in coffee shops and airports Internet connections require a modem Modems that establish an Internet connec tion using a standard telephone line are often built into the system unit Modems for cable satellite and other types of Internet access are usually separate components e Printer A computer printer is an output device that produces computer generated text or graphical images on paper 57 TERMINOLOGY NOTE The word peripheral is a relatively old part of computer jargon that dates back to the days of mainframes when the CPU was housed in a giant box and all input output and storage devices were housed separately Technically speak ing a peripheral is any device that is not part of the CPU In the world of personal com puters however the use of the eral varies and it is refer to any com At are not housed e system unit Many al computer owners do think of a hard disk drive as a peripheral device but techni cally it is one FIGURE 2 2 Computers provide sockets called ports for solid state stor age such as these SD cards and USB flash drives 58 SECTION A
104. screen and shake dirt out of the keyboard Problems such as the black screen of fF require troubleshooting Windows offers interactive troubleshooting tools formatted as a series of sim ple questions answers and recommendations Booting into fF Mode can also be a helpful step in the troubleshooting process gt CHECK ANSWERS CHAPTER 2 gt Interactive Situati n Questions Apply what you ve learned to some typical computing situations When using the NP2011 BookOnCD or any other NP2011 BookOn product you can type your answers and then use the Check Answers button to automatically score your responses 1 Suppose you re reading a computer magazine and you come across the ad pictured to the right By looking at the specs you can tell that the microprocessor was manufactured by which company fs 2 The capacity of the hard disk drive in the ad is fs GB and the memory capacity is y B 3 The computer in the ad appears to have a n oo controller card for the hard disk drive 4 You are thinking about upgrading the microprocessor in your four year old computer which has a 2 6 GHz Pentium microprocessor and 512 MB of RAM Would it be worthwhile to spend 500 to install an Intel Core Duo processor Yes or no ooo 5 You re in the process of booting up your comp suddenly the screen contains an assortment of ool lab computers have no floppy disk drive ut do have USB ports You should be able to transpo
105. scribes today s most popular printer tech nologies and provides a handy comparison chart You ll learn about other peripheral devices in later chapters You ll also take a look at the comput er s expansion bus the components that carry data to peripheral devices With an understanding of how the expansion bus works you ll be able t select install and use all kinds of peripherals BASIC INPUT DEVICES What devices can use to get data into a computer puter systems include a keyboard and pointing device such as basic data input Touch sensitive screens offer an additional Other input devices such as scanners digital cameras and graphi lets are handy for working with graphical input Microphones and electronic instruments provide input capabilities for sound and m s esign The ypewriter s qwerty n enis mechanical keys computer keyboards include a c ion of keys stch as Alt Ctrl and Print FIGURE 2 37 Screen designed for computer ific tasks Most desktop computer An optical mouse uses an onboard chip to track a light beam as it bounces off a sur face such as a desk clipboard or mouse pad design of most computer keyboards is layout which was engineered to keep manipulate an on sc pointer and other screen based graphical con trols The most popular pointing devices for personal computers include mice trackballs pointing sticks trackpads and joysticks How does a mouse work A standard
106. standard clamshell Style notebook geal Lh e scr en that can be used as a writing iration 1 resembles a high tech clipboard hough one can be attached A convertible ike a notebook computer but the screen to provide a horizontal writing surface Tablet computers shine for applications that involve handwritten input Most tablet computers are alS configured to accept voice input These capabili ties are particularly useful for insurance adjusters who do most of their work at the scene of accidents and natural disasters real estate agents who need access to data while out with clients and health care workers who are moving quickly from one patient to the next When tablet computers were first introduced in 2002 they were priced significantly higher than notebook computers with similar processors and memory capacity Currently however tablet computers are priced only slightly higher than equivalent notebook computers ao FIGURE 2 4 Portable computers include a screen and keyboard in one unit and can run on batteries A notebook computer is small and Non Wao giving it the advantage of portabilityy t can be plugged into outlet or it can run on Netbooks are scaled down ver sions of standard notebook computers They are lightweight small and very portable A slate is a type of tablet computer that s similar in size to a notebook computer but features a touch sensitive screen that can be use
107. t The military has also con ducted research in computer simulations that are similar to civilian computer games Live military training is dan gerous weapons are deadly and equipment costs millions of dollars With computer si ulations however tr train in a true to life e ment without i or equipment an F 16 fighter costs thousands of lars an hour but flying an F 16 simulator costs only a few hundred dollars per hour The military uses simulators to teach Air Force pilots to fly fighter jets Navy submarine officers to navigate in harbors and Marine infantry squads to handle urban combat Military trainers agree that widespread use of computer games helps prepare troops to adapt quickly to simulations ra A 24 year old preflight student at Pensacola Naval Air Station modified the Microsoft Flight Simulator game to re create a T 34C Turbo Mentor plane s controls After logging 50 hours on the simulator the student performed so well on a real plane that the Navy used his simulation to train other pilots Today a growing cadre of computer and communi cations specialists is needed to create and maintain 2 i gt 109 increasingly complex military systems such as the Defense Departments Distributed Common Ground System DCGS for sharing surveillance imagery and intelligence Armies once depended on their infantry divisions but today s high tech armies also depend on data base designers computer
108. tery backup outlets SECTION E CHAPTER 2 FIGURE 2 58 A surge strip offers outlets for power plugs and might also provide protection for modem cables FIGURE 2 59 An uninterruptible power supply UPS not only protects elec tronic equipment from power surges it also provides battery power during power outages COMPUTER HARDWARE 101 BASIC MAINTENANCE Can I prevent hardware problems Computer component failures can be caused by manufacturing defects and other circumstances beyond your control You can however undertake some preventive maintenance that can add years to the life of your computer equipment just as regular tune ups lengthen the life of your car Preventive maintenance can save you more than the cost of repairs you also save the time you would ve lost while tracking down problems and arranging for repairs Regular cleaning of your PC s components and peripheral devices helps to keep your system in good condition How do I clean the keyboard Always shut down your PC before you clean your keyboard so that you don t inadvertently type in commands that you don t want your system to do Also disconnect your keyboard and remember where the connection is located Flip the keyboard over and shake it gently to get rid of any small pieces of dirt between the keys A can of compressed air is effective for blowing off the dust and dislodging large debris A vacuum cleaner can pop off and suc
109. the wires strike an inked ribbon linear inch abbreviated as dpi At normal reading distance a of about 900 dpi appears solid to the human eye bu cam tion reveals a dot pattern If you want magazine qua rintouts 900 dpi is sufficient resolution If you are aiming for resol tion i to print e Duty cycle In addition th speed a printer s duty cycle deter mines how maL ae printeris able to churn out Printer duty cycle red inspages per month For example a personal laser printer has a duty ej le of about 3 000 pages per month ppm that means roughly 100 pages pexday You wouldn t want to use it to produce 5 000 campaign brochures fornext Monday but you would find it quite suitable for printing 10 copies of a five page outline for a meeting tomorrow e Operating costs The initial cost of a printer is only one of the expenses associated with printed output Ink jet printers require frequent replace ments of relatively expensive ink cartridges Laser printers require toner cartridge refills or replacements Dot matrix printers require replacement ribbons When shopping for a printer you can check online resources to determine how often you ll need to replace printer supplies and how much they are likely to cost Printer comparisons often specify printing costs per page Color printouts average five cents or more per page e Duplex capability A duplex printer can print on both sides of the paper This e
110. their controllers Pop types of drive controllers include SATA Ultra ATA EIDE and SCSI Although computer ads often specify the hard drive con troller type consumers don t really have much choice If you want a 160 GB drive for example your hardware vendor is likely to offer only one brand of drive with one type of controller Figure 2 25 shows a typical controller mounted on a hard disk drive The storage technology used on many PCs transfers data from a disk through the controller to the processor and finally to RAM before it is actually processed Computer ads sometimes specify this technology DMA direct mem ory access technology allows a computer to transfer data directly from a drive into RAM without intervention from the processor This architecture relieves the processor of data transfer duties and frees up processing cycles for other tasks UDMA ultra DMA is a faster version of DMA technology 793 FIGURE 2 24 Hard disk platters and read write heads are sealed inside the drive case or cartridge to screen out dust and other con taminants gt The video for this figure in your digital textbook shows how a hard drive works and what happens when a hard dis FIGURE 2 25 A hard disk controller circuit board is typically mounted in the hard disk drive case 8 0 SECTION C CHAPTER 2 What s the downside of hard disk storage Hard disks are not as durable as many other storage technologies The re
111. ther related devices Sta ouple of inches away from all components as you dust especially if you re using a vacuum cleaner hose Do not touch the system board and make sure not to knock any cables loose SECTION E CHAPTER 2 FIGURE 2 61 Fans that cool your computer vent outside the case Keep the area around your computer clear for good air circulation COMPUTER HARDWARE 103 Are there any other components that need TLC To avoid read or write errors you also want your optical drives to function properly Retailers provide cleaning kits for many types of storage devices and media Also examine your CDs and DVDs for scratches and fingerprints Clean them with a soft cloth slightly dampened with water If the smudges don t come off a little isopropyl alcohol might help What is a good computer maintenance routine Aside from cleaning your computer equipment on a regular basis you should do the preventive maintenance tasks listed in Figure 2 62 You ll learn how to do Tips for Regular Computer these tasks in later chapters Maintenance FIGURE 2 62 e Back up your files regularly particularly those that are most important to you You might want to perform daily incremental backups of critical data and monthly backups of all your files You should also test your backup procedures periodically e Run utilities that ensure peak performance for your hard disk drive In WindoWs the es include Disk Cleanup
112. timate modded computer Submit your plan along with a list of the sources you used to get ideas and images RESUME BUILDER Use the Web and other resources to learn about the computers and other technologies used in your career field or profession of interest to you Develop the information you find into a format similar to the Computers in Context section of each chapter in this textbook Make sure you select two photos to accompany your narrative and include a list of relevant InfoWebLinks GLOBALIZATION Computer ownership is growing worldwide and providing access to productivity tools and a global communications infrastructure For this project look for statistics and graphs showing the increase in computer ownership over time How does it compare to telephone television and radio ownership Are any aspects of this data unex pected or surprising Gather your graphs and analysis into a two to three page executive summary ISSUE The Issue section of this O computers and other electr to e potential for discarded ome a significant envi wo to five page paper information you gather from about recycling comp the Internet To begi present in your paper You might for on toxic materials that end up in landfills Whatever aspect of the issue you present make sure you ck up your discussion with facts and references to authorita document COMPUTERS IN CONTEXT The Computers in Context sect
113. ty the amount of data that can be stored in a given area of a stor age medium such as the surface of a disk The higher the storage density the more data is stored Storage density can be increased by making the particles representing bits smaller by layering them packing them closer together With vertical storage particles stand on end so that or standing them vertically Figure 2 22 many more can be packed on the disk surface 78 MAGNETIC DISK AND TAPE TECHNOLOGY What is magnetic disk and tape technology Hard disk floppy disk and tape storage technologies can be classified as magnetic stor age which stores data by magnetizing microscopic particles on a disk or tape surface The particles retain their magnetic orientation until that ori entation is changed thereby making disks and tapes fairly permanent but modifiable storage media A read write head mechanism in the disk drive can magnetize particles to write data and sense the particles polarities to read data Figure 2 23 shows how a computer stores data on magnetic media Read write Zt Randomly scattered particles changing the magnetic orientation of the appropriat surface This feature of magnetic storage provide ing data and reusing areas of a storage eeded data Data stored on magnetic media can be t altered by magnetic fields dust mold smoke particles heat al problems with a storage device Placing a magn way of losi
114. uction can begin to be processed before the previous instruction s processing is complete Instruction 4 Instruction 3 Instruction 2 Instruction 1 In parallel processing multiple instructions can be processed at the same time 70 TODAY S MICROPROCESSORS Which companies produce most of today s popular micropro cessors Intel is the world s largest chipmaker and supplies a sizeable percentage of the microprocessors that power PCs In 1971 Intel intro duced the world s first microprocessor the 4004 Intel s 8088 processor powered the original IBM PC Since the debut of the IBM PC in 1985 Intel has introduced numerous microprocessors that have been used by most major computer manufacturers AMD Advanced Micro Devices is Intel s chief rival in the PC chip market AMD s Phenom processors are direct competitors to Intel s Core 2 Quad line AMD s Athlon X2 processors compete directly with Intel s Core 2 Duo processors Figure 2 15 AMD processors are less expensive than compa rable Intel models and have a slight performance advantage according to some benchmarks Historically Motorola and IBM were the main chip suppliers for Appl computers but Apple transitioned to Intel chips in 2005 IBM produces RISC based POWER processors for servers and other high performanc computers dads microprocessor is best for my PC The EDS typically engage in processing hungry activities suchy computer games des
115. up to the limit the 1GBof RAM computer manufacturer sets For good basic performance a computer 450 MB hard d running Windows 7 should have at least 1 GB of RAM Games desktop a aes aie publishing graphics and video applications tend to run more smoothly with e CD drive for installation at least 2 GB of RAM e Mouse Can my computer run out of memory Suppose that you want to e Internet connection work with several programs and large graphics at the same time Will your optional computer eventually run out of memory The answer is probably not e Printer optional Today s personal computer operating systems are quite adept at allocating RAM space to multiple programs If a program exceeds its allocated space the operating system uses an area of the hard disk called virtual memory to store parts of programs or data files until they are needed By selectively exchanging the data in RAM with the data in virtual memory your computer effectively gains almost unlimited memory capacity eScanner or digital camera with 32 bit twain interface optional Too much dependence on virtual memory can slow down your comput er s performance however because getting data from a mechanical device such as a hard disk drive is much slower than getting data from COMPUTER HARDWARE 75 an electronic device such as RAM To minimize virtual memory use load up your computer with as much RAM as possible Do all computers use the same
116. wer devices such as card readers and mice A s lf powered USB hub is required if the hub is used for connecting scanne Ay When do use Other kinds of ports FireWire ports are used for external storage deviees and for transferring data from digital video cam eras to a computer for editing printing or storage VGA DVI and HDMI ports are designed for audio visual devices They are primarily used for connecting a monitor to a desktop computer and for con necting an external monitor to a notebook computer Figure 2 53 illustrates ports that can be used for connecting display devices HDMI FireWire VGA DVI High Definition IEEE 1394 Video Graphics Digital Visual Multimedia Array Interface Interface SECTION D CHAPTER 2 FIGURE 2 51 A USB connector is shaped like a flat rectangle Make sure you know which side of the plug is up the top is usually labeled with the USB logo 4 gt e FIGURE 2 52 By attaching a self powered USB hub to a computer a single USB port can be used to connect many peripheral devices FIGURE 2 53 Ports commonly used for con necting display and multimedia devices COMPUTER HARDWARE 97 What is hot plugging When you connect or disconnect a peripheral FIGURE 2 54 device while the computer is operating you are hot plugging a practice that s allowed with USB and FireWire devices Before you unplug a device such as a USB flash drive however you
117. wer surge is a sudden increase in electrical energy affecting the current that flows to electrical outlets Power surges often occur before or after power failures which also put your computer and data at risk Computers and peripheral devices require stable current and are particu larly sensitive to these sudden bursts of electrical energy A powerful surge can ruin computer circuitry Smaller surges can slowly damage your com puter s circuit boards and other electrical components Over time even small repeated power surges can shorten your PC s life Power surges originate from a number of sources downed power lines power grid switching by the electric company faulty wiring and large appli ances like refrigerators and air conditioners powering on and off Lightning causes extremely large power surges and consequently poses a real threat to your computer equipment 100 How can I protect my computer from power surges You can protect your computer equipment from power surges by plugging it into a surge strip instead of directly into a wall outlet For added protection dur ing thunderstorms shut down your computer turn off all your peripheral devices and unplug the surge strip and all computer related cables from wall outlets including the cable for your modem What is a surge strip and how does one work A surge strip also called a surge suppressor or surge protector is a device that con tains electrical outlets protected
118. work Why are some computers faster than others 9 Why does a computer need memory 10 What is the best type of storage for my data 11 What factors affect a computer s screen display 12 Are ink jet printers better than laser printers 13 What s the best way to add devices to a computer system 14 How can protect my computer system from theft and damage 15 Are there guidelines for troubleshooting hardware and software problems Multimedia and Interactive Elements When using the BookOnCD or other BookOn products the icons are clickable to access multimedia resources Pre Assessment Quiz COMPUTER HARDWARE Take the pre assessment quiz to find out how much you know about the topics in this chapter Apply Your Knowledge The information in this chapter will give you the background to e Identify all the components of a typical personal com puter system e Purchase a new computer based on features perfor mance and price e Upgrade your current computer e Mod a computer e Change your computer s boot settings in EEPROM Try It HOW POWERFUL IS MY COMPUTER e Select a microprocessor based on performance specifi cations 4 i e Select storage devs for yo ur commuter e Change the resolution of your Monitor e Install periphefal devibes e Perform basic maintenance on your computer and troubleshoot hardware problems As you read Chapter 2 you ll learn that some computers a More powerful than others

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