Computer Quest
Computer History:
1) First Personal Computer 1955 (SIMON)
2) Popularized in 1981 by IBM
3) QWERTY: The name "QWERTY" for our typewriter keyboard comes from the first six letters in the top
alphabet row. It is also called the "Universal" keyboard for rather obvious reasons. It was the work of inventor
C. L. Sholes, who put together the prototypes of the first commercial typewriter in a Milwaukee machine shop
back in the 1860's.
Computer Parts:
Computer Parts/Vocabulary (use CPU):
1)BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System. The BIOS setup program above is used to setup a computer's
hardware. Without any disks, or even a hard drive, the BIOS program is always available, written permanently on the
BIOS chip.
2) The chipset is the chip, or set of chips, that direct the motherboard's flow of information from one point to another.
Just like a traffic cop, they make sure that the information, (also called data), arrives at the proper place.
3) The microprocessor, (also called the central processing unit--CPU), is the brain of the computer.
4) Drive Bays: Drive bays are where the computer's drives are installed.
5) Case Fan: Computer's can build up quite a bit of heat. Heat is bad for computers. They need to be kept as cool as
possible. The case fan is in charge of keeping the computer cool.
6) Hard Drives: Hard drives are where your programs or applications are stored. They can vary in size from 100 MB
to over 500GB or more!!!
7) Floppy Drives: Floppy drives hold data or serve as backup media. Not really used much anymore.
8) Memory has gotten huge in computers/technology today. At the same time, the size has shrunk.
-A 3.5 inch floppy disk contains 1.44MB of information
-A typical “flash drive can hold 512 or more. This is equal to 359 floppy disks.
-In my Blackberry, there is a 16GB card the size of my thumbnail. This is equal to 16,384 3.5 in
floppy disks.
9) The motherboard: Connects all of the components of the computer. It is like a big city with many streets and
highways that connect all of the buildings together. Instead of streets and highways, the motherboard uses tiny
electrical paths to connect everything together.
10) A memory module: has several memory chips. The computer uses this memory constantly to temporarily store
information, (or data), while it is working with it. If a computer has a lot of memory, it can store more temporary
information and operate faster.
11) A modem: Connects the computer to the Internet. It usually has it’s own speaker.
12) Power Supply: The power supply supplies the electrical power for a computer. It supplies power to the
motherboard, drives, and some expansion cards.
13) The sound card: Handles the computer's sound. It has its own processor.
14) Video cards: Connects a monitor or other video display device to a computer
15) “Plug and Play:” This allows users to plug in certain peripherals and the computer will automatically configure.
Allows for “Ease of Use.”
Computer Parts:
1) Hardware: The physical components of a computer system--the computer, plotters, printers, terminals, digitizers
(Things that you can touch)
2)Software: Written coded commands that tell a computer what tasks to perform. For example, Word, PhotoShop,
Picture Easy, and PhotoDeluxe are software programs.
3) Input Devices (mouse, keyboard, scanner, digital camera): Usually a keyboard and mouse, the input device is the
conduit through which data and instructions enter a computer
4)Output devices (printer, monitor): Any machine capable of representing information from a computer. This includes
display screens, printers, plotters, and synthesizers.
5)Monitor: Display produced by a device that takes signals and displays them on a screen
Functions of a Computer:
Inputs
Process
Output
Computer Windows Layout:
The Title Bar—Displays the file name and type. There are three toolbars located
The Ribbon User Interface--click on any of the words in this row to see menu options for that category - Home,
Page Layout and Review are the most commonly used for formatting, copying, and editing.
The Office Button—This can be customized and is where you can fine the functions print, save and save as.
NO MORE HUNTING AND PECKING!!!!!