Figure 4. A minicomputer.
2. Computer Components. The components of a computer consist of devices through which
data is entered into the computer. Processing of data on a computer is performed by specific
equipment that is often referred to as computer "hardware". Figure 5 shows a layout of the
computer components. This equipment consists of input and output devices.
a. Input devices.
Are used to enter data into a computer. A common input device is the
keyboard. As the data is entered or keyed, it is displayed on a screen (monitor) and stored in the
computer.
(1)
Monitor
(2)
(3)
Mouse
(4)
Scanner
(5)
Modem
b. Output devices. Anything from the computer that sends sensory information to the
user. The two most commonly used output devices are the printer and the computer screen.
Other frequently used names for the screen are the monitor or the CRT, which stands for cathode
ray tube.
(1) Printer.
(2) Monitor.
(3) CPU. Central Processing Unit. This is the "brains" of the System. All
processing and logical computations are done through the CPU. CPU's can range from the old
386 units to the newly introduced Pentium IV. The speed of a computer is directly related to the
speed of the CPU.
(a) 486X2 66Mhz
(b) Pentium 166 Mhz
(c) Pentium IV 933Mhz
PROCESSOR CPU
OUTPUT
INPUT
CPU
QM 6312
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