Kinds and types of computers. Types of computers. Manipulator "Computer mouse"

In this lesson, I will talk about the device of a computer: what a PC consists of, what function each of its parts performs.

Consider the hardware ("hardware"):

• the system unit is that big box that is on your desk or under the desk, on the side of it, etc. It contains all the main components of the computer.
• peripherals- additional components, such as a monitor, keyboard, mouse, modem, scanner, etc.

What does computer consist of

The system unit in the computer is the "master". If you carefully unscrew the screws from its back wall, remove the side panel and look inside, then only in appearance its device will seem complicated. Now I will briefly describe its device, and then I will describe the main elements in the most understandable language.

The following elements are placed in the system block (not necessarily all at once):

- Power Supply

- Hard disk drive (HDD)

- Floppy Disk Drive (FDD)

- CD or DVD drive (CD/DVD ROM)

- Connectors for additional devices (ports) on the rear (sometimes on the front) panel, etc.

- System board (it is more often called motherboard), which, in turn, contains:

• microprocessor;
• math coprocessor;
• clock pulse generator;
• memory chips(RAM, ROM, Cache, CMOS)
• controllers (adapters) of devices: keyboards, drives, etc.
• sound, video and network cards;
• timer, etc.

All of them are connected to the motherboard using connectors (slots). Its elements highlighted in bold are discussed below.

And now, in order about the system unit:

one . Everything is clear with the power supply: it powers the computer. Let me just say that the higher its power rating, the cooler it is.

2. A hard disk drive (HDD - hard disk drive) is commonly called a hard drive.

The nickname originated from the slang name for the first 16K hard drive (IBM, 1973), which had 30 tracks of 30 sectors, which coincidentally coincided with the 30/30 caliber of the famous Winchester hunting rifle. The capacity of this drive is usually measured in gigabytes: from 20 GB (on older computers) to several Terabytes (1TB = 1024 GB). The most common hard drive capacity is 250-500 GB. The speed of operations depends on the rotational speed (5400-10000 rpm). Depending on the type of connection between the hard drive and the motherboard, ATA and IDE are distinguished.

3 . A floppy disk drive (FDD) is nothing more than floppy disk drive. Their standard capacity is 1.44 MB with a diameter of 3.5 "(89 mm). As a storage medium, magnetic disks use magnetic materials with special properties that allow fixing two magnetic states, each of which is associated with binary digits: 0 and one.

4 . Optical disc drives (CD-ROM) come in different diameters (3.5" and 5.25") and capacities. The most common of them - with a capacity of 700 MB. It happens that CD discs can be used for recording only 1 time (then they are called R), but it is more profitable to use rewritable RW discs.

DVD originally stood for Digital Video Disk. Despite the name, you can burn anything to DVDs, from music to data. Therefore, in recent years, another decoding of this name has become more and more common - Digital Versatile Disk, loosely translated meaning "digital universal disk". The main difference between DVDs and CDs is the amount of information that can be recorded on such a medium. A DVD disc can contain from 4.7 to 13, and even up to 17 Gb. This is achieved in several ways. Firstly, a laser with a shorter wavelength is used to read DVDs than to read CDs, which has significantly increased the recording density. Secondly, the standard provides for the so-called dual-layer discs, in which on one side the data is recorded in two layers, while one layer is translucent, and the second layer is read "through" the first. This made it possible to write data to both sides of DVDs, thus doubling their capacity, which is sometimes done.

5 . Other additional devices can be connected to the personal computer ( mouse, printer, scanner and other). Connection is made through ports - special connectors on the rear panel.

Ports are parallel (LPT), serial (COM), and universal serial (USB). On a serial port, information is transmitted bit by bit (more slowly) over a small number of wires. A mouse and a modem are connected to the serial port. A parallel port transmits information simultaneously over a large number of wires corresponding to the number of bits. A printer and an external hard drive are connected to the parallel port. The USB port is used to connect a wide range of peripheral devices - from a mouse to a printer. It is also possible to exchange data between computers.

6. The main computer devices (processor, RAM, etc.) are located on motherboard.

Microprocessor (more simply - processor) - the central unit of a PC, designed to control the operation of all blocks of the machine and to perform arithmetic and logical operations on information.

Its main characteristics are the bit depth (the higher it is, the higher the computer performance) and the clock frequency (largely determines the speed of the computer). The clock frequency indicates how many elementary operations (cycles) the processor performs in one second.
Intel Pentium processors and its economy version Celeron are respected on the market, and their competitors are also valued - AMD Athlon with Duron economy variant. Intel processors are characterized by high reliability, low heat generation and compatibility with all software and hardware. And AMD show great speed with graphics and games, but are less reliable.

Computer memory can be internal or external. External memory devices include the already considered HDD, FDD, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM. Internal memory includes read-only memory (ROM, ROM English), random access memory (RAM, RAM English), CACHE.

ROM is designed to store permanent program and reference information (BIOS - Basic Input-Output System - basic input-output system).

RAM has a high speed and is used by the processor for short-term storage of information while the computer is running.

When the power supply is turned off, no information is stored in RAM. For the normal functioning of a computer these days, it is desirable to have from 1 GB to 3 GB of RAM.

Cache memory is an operational super-fast intermediate memory.

CMOS memory - CMOS RAM (Complementary Metall-Oxide Semiconductor RAM). It stores computer configuration settings that are checked each time the system is turned on. To change the configuration settings for your computer, the BIOS contains the computer configuration program, SETUP.

Sound, video and network cards can be either built into the motherboard or external. External boards can always be replaced, while if the integrated graphics card fails, you will have to change the entire motherboard. From video cards, I trust ATI Radeon and Nvidia. The higher the video card memory, the better.

Peripherals

The computer consists of 6 groups of keys:

• Alphanumeric;
• Controls (Enter, Backspace, Ctrl, Alt, Shift, Tab, Esc, Caps Lock, Num Lock, Scroll Lock, Pause, Print Screen);
• Functional (F1-F12);
• Numeric keypad;
• Cursor control (->,<-, Page Up, Page Down, Home, End, Delete, Insert);
• Light indicators of functions (Caps Lock, Num Lock, Scroll Lock).

Mouse (mechanical, optical). Most programs use two of the three mouse buttons. The left key is the main one, it controls the computer. It plays the role of the Enter key. The functions of the right key depend on the program. In the middle is a scroll wheel, which you quickly get used to.

The modem is a network adapter. It can be both external and internal.

The scanner automatically reads from paper media and enters any printed texts and images into the PC.

The microphone is used to input sound into the computer.

(display) is designed to display information on the screen. Most often, modern PCs use SVGA monitors with a resolution (the number of dots placed horizontally and vertically on the monitor screen) of 800 * 600, 1024 * 768, 1280 * 1024, 1600 * 1200 with up to 16.8 million colors.

Monitor screen size is 15 to 22 inches diagonally, but 17 inches (35.5 cm) is most common. Dot size (grain) - from 0.32 mm to 0.21 mm. The smaller it is, the better.

PCs equipped with television monitors (CRTs) are no longer as popular. Of these, monitors with low radiation levels (Low Radiation) should be preferred. Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are more secure and most computers have one.

Designed for printing text and graphics. Printers are dot matrix, inkjet and laser. In dot matrix printers, the image is formed from dots in an impact way. Inkjet printers in the print head instead of needles have thin tubes - nozzles through which tiny droplets of ink are ejected onto the paper. Inkjet printers also perform color printing by mixing primary colors. Dignity - high quality printing, disadvantage - the danger of drying ink, the high cost of consumables.

Laser printers use electrographic imaging. The laser is used to create an ultra-thin light beam that traces the contours of an invisible dot electronic image on the surface of a pre-charged photosensitive drum. After developing the electronic image with dye (toner) powder adhering to the discharged areas, printing is performed - transferring the toner from the drum to paper and fixing the image on paper by heating the toner until it melts. Laser printers provide the highest quality printing at the highest speed. Color laser printers are widely used.

Speakers output sound. The sound quality depends - again - on the power of the speakers and the material from which the cabinets are made (preferably wood) and its volume. An important role is played by the presence of a phase inverter (a hole on the front panel) and the number of bands of reproducible frequencies (high, medium and low speakers on each speaker).

USB flash drives, in my opinion, have become the most versatile means of transferring information. This miniature device is smaller and weighs less than a lighter. It has high mechanical strength, is not afraid of electromagnetic radiation, heat and cold, dust and dirt.

The most sensitive part of the drive is the connector covered with a cap. These devices range from 256 MB to 32 GB, allowing you to choose the storage capacity you need according to your needs. Thanks to the interface, the USB drive can be connected to any modern computer. It works with Windows 98SE/Me/2000/XP/Vista/7, Mac OS 8.6 ~ 10.1, Linux 2.4 operating systems. In Windows, you don’t even need to install any drivers: plug it into a USB port and work.

Needed to enter a dynamic image into a computer and sound (for communication and the possibility of creating teleconferencing).

Uninterrupted power supply unit needed in the event of a power outage.

Phuff, well, in my opinion, that's all the main thing that I wanted to tell you about the computer hardware, the so-called hardware.

The article "Computer Device" was written quite a long time ago. Therefore, if you find an error or find some inaccuracy, please write about it using the comment form. We will be very grateful to you!

Personal Computer is a complex electronic device designed to perform a wide range of tasks. It can be various calculations, calculations, listening to music, watching videos, various office tasks, games and much more.

Personal Computer may be stationary or mobile. Mobile computers include laptops, netbooks and tablets.

A stationary computer has also undergone changes recently, but in most cases it is a system unit, monitor, input devices (keyboard and mouse), audio devices (speakers, headphones and microphone), as well as other peripheral devices (printer, scanner, etc. .).

For the normal functioning of a personal computer, only a system unit, a monitor, a keyboard and a mouse are needed.

An operating system is also needed, in most cases they use Windows, but you can also download Linux.
Next, we will take a closer look at each of these devices.

System unit

Main node personal computer is the system unit. It is a case, most often a metal vertical box, on the front panel of which there are power buttons and disk drives. All the necessary connectors and cables are displayed on the back wall. The system unit consists of a power supply, a motherboard (it is also a motherboard or "motherboard"), a hard disk drive (HDD), a video card, a processor (CPU), random access memory (RAM), disk drives (CD / DVD), a sound card and a network fees. Often, the network and sound cards are integrated into the motherboard, that is, the radio elements of the board are soldered directly on the motherboard.

Power Supply

The power supply is made in the form of a separate box, which is located at the top rear of the system unit and has several power cables for all elements of the system unit.

Power Supply

Motherboard

The motherboard is the largest printed circuit board in the system unit, on which all the main components of the computer (CPU, RAM, video card) are installed, it also has connectors for connecting a hard drive and disk drives, as well as USB ports and connectors that go to the rear panel of the case . The motherboard coordinates the operation of all computer devices.

Motherboard

CPU

The processor is a microcircuit designed to perform basic computing operations. Processors are produced by two companies AMD and Intel. Depending on the manufacturer of the processor, the socket (its installation location) is also different, so you should not forget this when choosing a motherboard. You simply won't put an AMD processor into an Intel motherboard.

CPU

video card

The video card is a separate printed circuit board installed in the PCI Express slot of the motherboard and is designed to display images on the monitor screen. It processes the received information and converts it into an analog and digital video signal, which is fed to the monitor through a connector via a cable. A video card usually has a processor (GPU) and RAM.

video card

RAM

RAM is one or more small cards installed in special slots on the motherboard (DDR). RAM provides temporary storage of intermediate data during computer operation. RAM is characterized by the speed of access and the amount of memory. To date, the fastest memory has the DDR3 standard.

RAM

HDD

The hard drive is a permanent storage of data, it can be both user data and system or temporary data. The operating system is stored on the hard disk, without which the normal operation of the computer will be impossible. Also, the operating system can use the hard disk to save the contents of RAM (for example, in hibernation mode). It is a closed metal parallelepiped hard drive, which is connected to the motherboard via a connector (SATA).

HDD

Drive

The optical disc drive looks like a hard drive, but has a retractable optical disc tray on the front panel. Serves as a drive for reading and writing optical discs.

Other additional devices may be installed on the system board, such as a Wi-Fi module or a TV tuner.

Monitor

The computer monitor serves to provide a graphical representation of information that is clearly understandable to the PC user. Recently, only liquid crystal displays (LCDs) have been produced. Monitors can be equipped with digital and/or analog video connectors (DVI, HDMI).

Keyboard

The keyboard is an essential input device for any computer. The keyboard is a group of keys for entering symbolic information. Also, many modern keyboards are equipped with additional keys, for example, to control media players and various programs.

Computers can vary in many ways, both in size and in their inherent capabilities. The integration of computers into other devices is no longer a novelty, they can be built into cars, household appliances and much more, but in turn, such computing mechanisms perform only tasks defined by the developer.

There are a lot of types of devices that can rightfully be called computers, and every year there are only more such computer devices that developers present to the world, and the devices themselves can be logically divided into certain types of computer groups.

Types of computer and types of computer

What is a type of computer is a group of computers that have similar functionality or use, and a type of computer is considered to be a certain computer technology and computing devices that are usually similar in appearance, as well as the type of computer, have their own distinctive capabilities. For example, a personal computer is a type, and types of PCs are computers that are used by a person for personal purposes: monoblock, tablet, nettop, etc.

If in the last century computers could be both analog and digital, today only digital computers have remained relevant. It will be about this type of technology as a digital computer, they are used today.

In addition, it is wrong to divide computers according to the classification of the last century, the line between microcomputers and minicomputers is no longer noticeable, and other devices are already called such, and mainstream is only roughly equated to today's servers.

Personal computers

If we are inclined to believe that personal computers rule the world, then to a greater extent it is, the only thing is that they do not rule in the literal sense, their number is simply the largest. Personal computer, also abbreviated to PC, relies to work with a person directly, that is, a computer makes it possible to obtain understandable information for a person. PCs can be represented by both types of desktop computer systems - Desktop, and portable computer devices, some of which can not only be taken with you, say, on the road, but also put in your pocket. In turn, personal computers can be divided into portable and stationary devices.

Types of stationary personal computers

The type of stationary PC is understood as a computer that has a permanent place, which actually serves, say, a computer desk and does not imply frequent changes of location. Such computers can also be called workstations, because there is enough computing power to perform certain work, that is, intensive calculations.

There are three main types of such devices:

1. Desktops or desktops

The most high-performance personal computers are desktop computers. This is called a desktop computer because the place of placement is a written one, and later, after some changes, a computer desk.

The main component here is the system unit, usually a rectangular box, most often located either at the top of the table or at the bottom. A monitor, keyboard and mouse are connected to the system unit, all these components interact with each other.

The system unit is a modular device, which means the ability to replace each component - the module, independently, thereby changing the configuration for yourself.

2. Nettops

3. Monoblocks

Monoblock is also a stationary computer, but without a visible system unit. The frame for this type of computer as a monoblock is one common case with a monitor. All components are located in the rear part, behind the display, which creates a certain aesthetics for working at a computer. What is a monoblock and a monoblock computer can be clarified in the article of the same name.

Types of portable personal computers

What is a portable device? Portable - means portable, and in our case, the mobility of computers provides them with a smaller size and a capacious battery compared to a desktop computer. In most cases, this type of computer limits itself in performance to increase battery life, but these capabilities are enough to perform certain computational operations, in fact, as for any computer.

1. Laptops and their closest relatives netbooks

Laptops are computers that can be easily carried, have the ability to work offline, which is possible thanks to the battery, like other types of portable computers. In addition, a distinctive feature from stationary computers is the presence of combined components, a keyboard display in one case. And the ability to fold makes them even more compact.

Netbooks, on the other hand, are still the same laptops, not only having smaller sizes and longer battery life, but also less high performance, which makes it impossible for them to use resource-intensive applications.

These knee-type computers, based on the bookish principle of closing and opening, provide, although not high, but sufficient performance to meet the needs of the user. What is a laptop - this article will be able to create a general idea of ​​​​a laptop, netbook and other folding computers.

2. Tablets and tablet laptops

Tablets are portable computers that share the needs of users in PDAs with smartphones, in one case the computing potential for browsing the Internet, watching videos and listening to music, the basis here is such an input device as a touch display - Touchscreen (touchscreen), are real helpers, and in some situations, it is more convenient than a laptop due to its smaller size.

In tablet laptops, in addition to the touchscreen, just like a laptop, there is a keyboard and, depending on the model, it can either fold or slide out.

The main task of this type of portable device is to access and use the Internet, although there are basic multimedia capabilities. For such mini computers, battery life is more important than performance when compared with the same Desktop.

3. Pocket types of computers and smartphones

If earlier the differences between smartphones and PDAs (personal pocket computers) were really noticeable, now the average statistical smartphone performs the same functions, and the popularity of PDAs is not the same as before, but this type of computer still has its users.

Just like other types of computers, which are representatives of portable devices, they are dependent on battery life. They are quite small in size, which favorably affects the ability to have them always at hand, which is the opposite of performance. Due to the lower resolution, it is possible to use such devices to view videos and photos, even if they are not the best players, they are not without such an opportunity, and the photo and video shooting functions are a good plus.

These devices are battery powered and their size makes it easy to carry them with you at all times. The main difference between today's smartphones and PDAs is that the former will perform, in addition to the computing function, the function of a telephone. Modern models without fail have such an input device as a touch screen.

Compute servers

This type of computer as a computing server underlies the operation of local networks and the Internet as a whole. All network work is built on the server work of computers, each of the Internet resources, its files, and any type of information on the network is located on the storage device of one of the types of servers.

Without a doubt, the high performance of server versions of computers is very important, but not so much as their reliability. Computers that perform the task of the server, first of all, must have very high reliability and work without exception for the entire service life, because the information stored on the server must be constantly available, and in no case can it be lost. The use of backups becomes mandatory for these types of computing solutions.

Servers can process a large amount of information, and calculations are based on parallel processing of information. Therefore, server versions of computers are aimed at the development of multiprocessor and their multi-core.

In general, almost any computer can be a server, it does not have to be cumbersome, as many people think, because its function is to serve other computers on the network, it is their information source. For example, a nettop can become not a bad home server, and using the functionality of the system unit, it can be easily used as hosting for your blog. In terms of functionality, and in size, servers are comparable to the type of computer of the outdated classification - mainframes.

Supercomputers

Supercomputers are computers with the highest performance. Such computing facilities are ultra-fast types of computers. It is a multi-computer and multi-processor complex that occupies large premises, with shared memory and other devices that are also shared.

Such computers are characterized by multiprocessor processing of many operations simultaneously - trillions of operations per second. They use the capabilities of such computers for very important tasks, at the state, world level. In modeling complex natural phenomena, various effects of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, such a supercomputer makes it possible to predict, for example, a cataclysm as approximately as possible. Such computers can occupy entire buildings, government agencies, scientific computing and research centers.

The structuring of elements, as well as the parallel and vector organization of the computational process, makes it possible for each system element to deal with its part of the task, and this is how the concept of a cluster appeared.

What other types of computers exist

Types of computers provided to mankind by a large number of species and are not limited to the usual computer clones. Clone computers are, simply put, a lineup.
Sometimes the presence of such a computer at hand is not clear to everyone, for example, a payment terminal or an ATM is one of the types of computers, moreover, it is stationary and personal.

Modern game consoles are also computers, they carry a computer component, and in addition to the main function of the game, they also cope with other entertainment tasks. Household devices have microprocessors, which, in fact, is also one of the components of a computer.

Perhaps very soon, in our home, and not in a science fiction movie, there will be such a kind of computer as a robot that will also perform certain functions. Every year new representatives of computers appear, their capabilities are only expanding, and if you bring a little fantasy into the material, then the main thing is to prevent the evolution from robotics into the appearance of a race of robots that will become a worthy competitor to humanity.

A computer consists of a system unit and peripheral devices (monitor, mouse, keyboard). In this entry, I would like to disassemble the computer in detail to each bolt, consider the computer device as a whole, what it has and why each detail is needed.

System unit

The system unit is the computer itself. The system unit contains: PSU (power supply), HDD (hard disk), motherboard, RAM, processor, sound card, video card, network card, floppy drive and other components that are necessary to expand the capabilities. Let's now take a closer look at each device and find out what function it performs.

Case of the system unit

Cases are different: compact, transparent, backlit, but its main task is to fit all the computer devices. Of course, one could do without it, hang the motherboard on the wall, and put everything else on the table next to it, but this is stupid, inconvenient and dangerous.

During the included system unit, in no case should you touch its components. High voltage passes inside, which can even kill. Therefore, the case is always used, it is convenient and safe.

PSU - Power Supply

Almost all the wires that are in the computer come from the power supply. It provides each device in the system unit with electricity, without which nothing will work. The PSU weighs about a kilogram, and is about the size of a .

The power supply outputs: 3.3v, 5v and 12v. For each device a separate voltage. Also, so that the power supply does not overheat, it is equipped with a heatsink and a cooling fan. This is where the sound of a working computer comes from.

Motherboard

The main task of the motherboard is to unite ALL devices of the computer. It will literally unite everything: mouse, keyboard, monitor, USB drives, HDD, processor, video card and everything else. You can find more information about the holes / connectors and ports of the motherboard in the picture above.

CPU - the central processing unit of a computer

The processor provides and calculates all operations on the computer. Compared to human organs, a computer processor can be compared to the brain. The more powerful the chip (CPU), the more calculations it can do, in other words: the computer will run faster. But this is only one of the main devices responsible for the speed of your computer.

RAM - random access memory

RAM is a random access memory. It is also called RAM, random access memory and RAM. This small board is needed to store temporary data. When you copy something, this information is temporarily stored in RAM, it also stores information about system files, programs and games. The more tasks you set for your computer, the more RAM it will need. For example, at the same time the PC will download something, play an audio file and the game will be launched, then there will be a large load on the RAM.

The more RAM, the better and faster the computer works (as is the case with the processor).

Video card (video adapter)

A video card, also called a video adapter, is necessary to transfer an image from a computer to a screen / monitor. As mentioned above, it is inserted into the mat. board into your slot.

In general, the computer is designed in such a way that each device has its own hole and even by brute force it is impossible to insert something out of place.

The more complex the image (HD video, game, graphical shell and editor), the more memory the graphics card should have. For example, 4k. the video will not play normally on a weak video card. The video will slow down, and you might think that the Internet is weak.

A modern video card also contains a small cooler (cooling fan) as a PSU and CPU cooling. Under the cooler is a small graphics processor that works like a central processing unit.

HDD (hard disk drive)

HDD - it is also: hard disk, hard, hard drive, screw, drive. No matter how people call him, he has one task. It stores all information and files. Including OS (operating system), programs, browsers, photos, music, etc. In other words, this is the computer's memory (like a flash drive in a phone).

Also there is more SSD. The essence and principle is the same, but the SSD works many times faster and costs an order of magnitude more expensive. If you use an SSD as a system disk for the OS, then your computer will run much faster.

Drive

If you need to view/copy information from a disk, then you will need a disk drive. Nowadays, you rarely see this device in new computers; USB drives (flash drives) have replaced the drive. They take up much less space than discs, are easier to use, and are reusable. Nevertheless, disk drives are still used, and I could not help but write about it.

Sound card

Your computer needs a sound card to play audio files. Without it, there will be no sound in the computer. If you go back to the "motherboard" section for a second, you will see that it is already built into every motherboard.

As you can see in the photo above, there are additional sound cards. They are necessary to connect more powerful speakers and provide better sound, unlike integrated (built-in).

If you are using ordinary small speakers, then the difference will not even be noticeable. If you have a subwoofer or home theater, then of course you need to put a decent sound card.

Computer accessories

Everything I have said above necessary for the operation of the system unit, and now let's look at additional computer devices that expand its capabilities and add functionality.

External hard drive

Unlike an HDD, an external hard drive is portable. If the HDD and SSD need to be installed in the case and fixed there, then the external one is connected with just one USB cable. This is very convenient for all occasions that do not make sense to describe. An external HDD is like a flash drive, only with more memory.

Uninterrupted power supply unit

Absolutely every computer is afraid of power surges, I would even say more than any other technique. An uninterruptible power supply will provide a stable voltage and protect your PSU from surges.

Voltage can jump for various reasons, and it is not always noticeable. For example, if you have weak wiring, then when you turn on other appliances in the house, the voltage may jump. Or the neighbors have something powerful ... In general, I strongly recommend that everyone use an uninterruptible device.

TV tuner

A TV tuner is a special chip that allows you to watch TV on your computer. Here, rather, as in the case of the drive, it still works, but is no longer relevant. To watch TV on a computer, it is not necessary to insert special boards, we now have and on my blog there is a whole section dedicated to this topic.

Computer Peripherals

As wikipedia says:

Peripherals are hardware that allows information to be entered into or output from a computer. Peripherals are not required for the operation of the system and may be disconnected from the computer.

But, I don't agree with her. For example, without a monitor, we don’t even need a computer, and without a keyboard, not everyone can turn on a computer, only the most experienced users can do without a mouse, and you won’t watch or listen to anything without speakers. These are far from all devices, so let's look at each of them separately.

Personal computer monitor

I repeat a little - we do not need a computer without a monitor, otherwise we will not see what is happening there. Perhaps in the future they will come up with some kind of hologram or special glasses, but so far this is just my sick fantasy).

The monitor is connected to the video card with a special cable, of which there are 2 types of VGA (an obsolete connector) and HDMI. HDMI provides the best picture, and also transmits sound in parallel with the picture. So, if your monitor has built-in speakers and has a high resolution, you definitely need to use an HDMI cable.

Keyboard

The keyboard is needed to enter information, call commands and perform actions. Keyboards are different: regular, silent, multimedia and gaming.

1. Ordinary - the simplest keyboard, on which there are only standard buttons.
2. Silent - rubber / silicone keyboards, when working with which no sound is heard.
3. Multimedia. In addition to the standard buttons, the keyboard has additional keys for controlling audio / video files, volume, touchpad (possibly), and the rest.
4. Gamer - Additional buttons for different games, the main buttons for the game have a different color and other goodies.

Mouse

The main task of a computer mouse is to control / move the cursor on the screen. Also select and open files / folders and call the menu with the right button.

Now there are many different mice for the computer. There are wireless, small, large, with additional buttons for convenience, but its main function has remained the same after decades.

Acoustic system

As mentioned above, the speaker system is connected to the sound card. A signal is transmitted to the speakers through the audio, and you hear what they say in the video and sing in the song. Acoustics can be different, but without any, a computer with all its capabilities becomes an ordinary working tool, in front of which it is boring to spend time.

MFP - Multifunction devices

The MFP is more necessary for the office and study. Usually contains: scanner, printer, copier. Although this is all in one device, they perform completely different tasks:

1. Scanner - makes an exact copy of a photograph / document in electronic form.
2. Printer - prints an electronic version of the document, photos, pictures on paper.
3. Xerox - Makes an exact copy from one paper to another.

Gamepad or joystick

The gamepad is also a joystick in the past. Needed only for comfort in some games. There are wireless and vice versa. Usually they contain no more than 15 buttons, and it makes no sense to use them in non-games.

A computer is an electronic device that works with information and data. It can store information, process, receive, transmit, etc. You probably already know that using a computer you can work with documents, e-mail, play games, surf the web, and work with spreadsheets, presentations, watch videos and much more.

In this lesson, we will answer the basic questions that beginners have, such as what is a computer and what types of computers are there.

Hardware and software

Before you go any further, you should be aware of two important things: the hardware of the computer, or in other words "Hardware", and the software or simply programs with which we perform any tasks on the computer every day.

All your activities on the computer are related to hardware and software. For example, you are currently viewing this web page and are learning a lesson using web browser(software), and on your right hand you hold mouse(hardware) with which you can easily navigate through the pages.

Kinds and types of computers

When most people hear the word computer, they think of a personal computer or laptop. However, computers come in many shapes and sizes, and they perform different functions in our daily lives. When you withdraw cash from an ATM, when your groceries are put through a price-determining scanner at a supermarket, or when you use a calculator. All these are also computers, but only of a different type and purpose.

Desktop computers

We use desktop computers at work, at home, at school, in the library, etc. They can be small, medium, large and they are usually on the table. It consists of a keyboard, mouse, monitor and system unit. Read more about what a computer consists of.

Most desktop computers are easy to upgrade and expand, or add new parts. Another benefit of desktop computers is their cost. If you compare a desktop computer and a laptop with the same functionality, you will most likely find that the desktop computer will be cheaper in price.

Portable computers

The second type of computers are laptops. Their advantage is that they are battery operated and are more compact, mobile and therefore can be used almost anywhere.

Since a laptop is smaller than a desktop computer, it will be more difficult to access the internal components. This means you can't upgrade or add new parts as easily as you can with a desktop computer.

tablet computers

Tablet computers or simply "tablet". They are even more compact and mobile than laptops. Instead of a keyboard and touchpad, a touchscreen is used for typing and navigation. The iPad is an example of a tablet computer.

The tablet cannot completely replace your home computer or laptop, because. it will be more convenient to run programs and work with documents on a laptop or desktop computer. But if you just want to play games, surf social networks, listen to music and watch videos, then a tablet can be a great replacement for a computer for you.

Servers

A server is a computer that serves other computers on the network. Many firms, enterprises have file servers for storing information. The server may look like a typical desktop computer, or it may be much larger.

Servers play an important role in . They store web pages, websites, photos and videos. And they are responsible for their security and loading time in the browser.

Other types of computers

There are plenty of devices that are also basically dedicated computers, although we don't always think of them as computers. Here are some examples:

• Cell phones: Today they are able to provide you with a lot of functions that used to be performed only on a computer, such as playing games, watching movies, etc. Such phones are called smartphones.
• Gaming consoles: A specialized type of computer that is used to play video games. Although they are not as full-featured as desktop computers, many of them can perform tasks such as browsing the web and watching videos on the Internet.
• TVs A: Many televisions now include programs and applications that allow you to surf the Internet or watch movies online.

There are two types of personal computers: PC and Mac. Both are fully functional, but look different.

PC: The first such computer was called IBM PC which was released in 1981. Then other companies began to produce similar computers. It is the most common type of PC today and uses the Microsoft Windows operating system.

Mac: These computers began to be produced in 1984 by Apple Inc. They are the first computers with a graphical user interface (GUI). They use the Mac OS X operating system.