Chapter 1 Digital electronics use electronic circuits to represent data Computer Basics Input is whatever is typed, submitted, or transmitted to a computer system Output is the result produced by a computer Memory is an area of a computer that temporarily holds data waiting to be processed, st ored, or output Storage is the area where data can be left on a permanent basis when it is not immediat ely needed for processing Data refers to the symbols that represent facts, objects, and ideas A file is a named collection of data that exists on a storage medium The series of instructions that tells a computer how to carry out processing tasks is refer red to as a computer program Personal Computers, Servers, Mainframes, and Supercomputers Server: It can refer to computer hardware, to a specific type of software, or to a combina tion of hardware and software. The purpose of a server is to serve computers on a netw ork by supplying them with data. Mainframe Computer: A mainframe computer is a large and expensive computer capable of simultaneously processing data for hundreds or thousands of users. Supercomputer: It is one of the fastest computers in the world. Microcontrollers Microcontroller: A microcontroller is a special-purpose microprocessor that is built into th e machine it controls. Sometimes called a computer-on-a-chip. Microprocessor: An integrated circuit (IC) that contains the circuitry for processing data. It is a single chip version of the central processing unit (CPU) found in all computers. Chapter 2 Desktop and Portable Computers A desktop computer fits on a desk and runs on power from an electrical wall outlet A portable computer is a small, lightweight personal computer A notebook computer (also referred to as a laptop), is a small, lightweight portable comp uter that opens like a clamshell to reveal a screen and keyboard A tablet computer is a portable computing device featuring a touch-sensitive screen that can be used as a writing or drawing pad An ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) is a small form factor tablet computer designed to run most o f the software available for larger portable computers A home computer system offers a hardware platform with adequate, but not super-charg ed support for most computer applications Computers marketed for small business applications tend to be middle-of-the-line modelspared down to essentials personal computer vs. business computer A Media Center PC officially uses Windows Media Center Edition operating system Some of the most cutting-edge computers are designed for gaming Microprocessor Basics A microprocessor is an integrated circuit designed to process instructions Central Processing Unit(CPU) ALU Registers Control unit Instruction set Random Access Memory Random Access Memory is a temporary holding area for data, application program instru ctions, and the operating system Storage Basics A storage medium contains data A storage device records and retrieves data from a storage medium Magnetic Disk and Tape Technology A floppy disk is a round piece of flexible Mylar plastic covered with a thin layer of magnet ic oxide and sealed inside a protective casing A tape drive is a device that reads data from and writes data to a long stream of recorda ble media similar to the tapes used in audio cassettes A tape is a sequential storage medium CD and DVD Technology Optical storage stores data as microscopic light and dark spots on the disk surface CD and DVD storage technologies Solid State Storage Solid state storage technology stores data in an erasable, rewritable circuitry Card reader may be required to read data on solid state storage A U3 drive is a special type of USB flash drive that is preconfigured to auto play when it i s inserted into a computer MEMORY RAM:RAM(random access memory) is a temporary holding area for data, application prog ram instructions ,and the operating system. To differentiate between RAM and hard-disk storage, remember that RAM holds data in c ircuitry thats 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, R AM usually has less storage capacity than hard-disk storage. ROM:ROM(read-only memory) is a type of memory circuitry that holds the computers sta rtup routine. Its permanent and non-volatile. ROM BIOS: (basic input/output system) It tell the computer how to access the hard disk find the operating system, and load it into RAM. Overclocking:Overclocking is a technique for increasing the speed of a computer compon ent, such as a processor, graphics card, motherboard, or memory. Display Devices CRT: Cathode ray tube. It uses the same sorts of galss tube as a standard television. LCD: liquid crystal display. It produces an image by manipulating light within a layer of li quid crystal ceels. Plasma screen: Creates an on-screen image by illuminating miniature colored fluorescentlights arrayed in a pa