I/O Devices

I/O Devices are devices that can perform the same operations as both an input and an output device. It can send and display data of a computer. An example of an Input and Output device is RAM (Random Access Memory) because it processes information sent to a computer, allowing the computer to display it. Another example is a CD-ROM device because it can contain information or have information digitally encoded on it, and then be displayed in a computer.

Storage Devices and their Categories

There are several different types of storage devices. The purpose of storage devices is to save information, display it, or erase it. Storage devices can be classified as Portable Memory, Short Term Memory, and Long Term Memory. One example of a storage device is RAM(Random Access Memory). This type of memory involves data being stored in a computer, but when a computer is turned off, the memory is erased. This is an example of short term memory. ROM (Read Only Memory) is an example of long term memory that cannot be modified. An external hard-drive is an example of portable memory. You save data in it, and then you can plug into any computer to access your data. A floppy disc is an older example of memory and it is also portable. However, it's storage capacity is very low, and is very fragile. A hard drive is an example of Long Term memory, because it is incorporated in a computer, and cannot be taken out. A flash drive and a memory card are also examples of more portable data which can be taken and accessed anywhere. A CD-ROM is an example of Potable Memory which can be read by a computer, but it's contents cannot be changed. In order to change the contents of a CD-ROM the CD has to be CD-RW meaning Compact Disc-Rewritable. Another portable storage device is a DVD which stores information in a media format. The final example of a storage device is an online storage service such as Mediafire, which make digital copies of data and stores them on the web. This is an example of both Portable and Long Term Storage because it can be accessed from anywhere, and this information will be saved for as long as you want.
by Sara, Alexis, and Shawn.

What Is BIOS?

BIOS is firmware that is used by a PC as soon as it turns on. It's used to ignite the Video Display Card, Hard Disk, and the Floppy Disc Drive. It is known as a boot process.

ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange)

The American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) is a system of computer character encoding that is based on the American Alphabet. They represent text in computers and other devices that involve text. Work on this system began in October of 1960 and there are 128 characters. 94 that are printable, 33 that are not, and Spacing. It was the most used Computer system for character encoding until 2008 when it was surpassed by another system known as UFT-8.

Bit

In computing, a Bit is the smallest piece of information used by a computer. It could be defined as a variable with only two corresponding values. Bits contain many conversions in which they can increase.

Byte

A byte is the unit for digital information in Computing and has the binary value of one. In virtual storage, 1 byte is equal to 8 bits, 1024 bytes are equivalent to 1 kilobyte, 1024 kilobytes are equivalent to 1 megabyte, 1024 megabytes are equivalent to one gigabyte and so on. However in disk storage and other external forms of storage 1000 bytes are equivalent to 1 kilobyte, 1000 Kilobytes are equivalent to a megabyte, 1000 megabytes are equivalent to one gigabyte and etc. Bytes represent information. For example 10 bytes could equal a word, a 100 bytes could equal a sentence, and 1000 bytes could equal a paragraph.

CD-ROM

A CD-ROM is a Compact Disc with Read Only Memory. Compact disks are storage devices for media which can contain Pictures and Music but cannot be modified. They are mostly popular because of their use for distributing Computer Games and Applications. The first CD-ROM's date back to 1985. At first, these devices had much more memory capability than a hard drive but now it's the opposite. Though there are Holographic Versatile Discs under development which will contain much space for storage, no CD or CD-ROM device contains more memory than a Computer.

CPU (Central Processing Unit)

The Central Processing Unit (CPU) of a computer is the most important element of a computer used so that a computer can function. They have been used since the 60's and contain all the circuits, memory, and etc, that is used to run a computer. Before CPU's Computers had to be rewired before each use and CPU's brought an end to this dilemma because of their reliability and speed advantages.

Controller

A controller is a chip or an extension card which allows devices to be plugged in and used in a computer. It can also serve as a link between internal devices of a computer or an external device being used with a computer.

DVD

A DVD (Digital Versatile Disc/Digital Video Disc) is a form of optical disc storage used for storing media such as videos. They were developed by the companies of Sony and Phillips in 1995 and store more than 6 times the amount of data as a CD (Compact Disc). Some DVD's are called DVD-ROM meaning that once information has been stored in them, the information cannot be modified, and other DVD's are called DVD-R, the R standing for Re-Writable. They come in different formats with different capacities of storage. Data is encoded through DVD's through laser technology and overtime, advances have been made for the image quality of a DVD. In 2006 a new format was released known as the Blu-Ray with better image and sound qualities, but DVD's still prove to be superior in market sales.

Execution Cycle (E-Cycle)

The Execution cycle, also referred as the E-Cycle is the process in which a given instruction is carried out/executed. Before a program can be executed, it has to be recognized in the computer's memory so that the E-Cycle can function properly.

Hard Disk Drive

The Hard Disk Drive of a Computer is a storage device that has the ability to retain information even if a computer is not turned on. Data is recorded in a metal platter that has a magnetic surface. These devices were introduced by IBM in 1956 for the purposes of data storage. In the 90's the use of HDD's (Hard Disk Drives) were expanded outside the fields of computer technology and applied to camcorders, cellphones, digital video players and recorders, PDA's (Personal Digital Assistant) and video game consoles.

Impact Printers

Impact Printers are printers which operate by having needle heads that bang against an ink ribbon so that images can be produced on paper. These types of printers make a considerable amount of noise compared to Non-Impact Printers.

Input Devices

Input devices are pieces of computer hardware and equipment that are used to provide data and send signals to processing systems which are also computers. Keyboards, pointers, graphics controlling devices, and game controllers are all examples of input devices.

Instruction Cycle (I-Cycle)

The Instruction Cycle is when machine language is processed by a computer from its memory and a series of actions are used to instruct the start of a program from the CPU. With this cycle, the commence of a program is instructed, the program is then executed, and then all results are saved.

Keyboard

A keyboard is an input device used for computers and its original modeling came from the type writer. In keyboards, arrangements of buttons which are also called keys, are used as electronic switches that create symbols that are displayed by a computer monitor. Different combinations of key arrangements are used to perform different tasks. Keyboards can produced both lettering and numbering, and computer commands. Combinations such as Control+Alt+Delete can be used to end a working computer process, shut down, or reboot the system. There are keyboards that are integrated to laptops, make contact through a USB port, or are wireless and require frequencies and a receiver to operate.

Main Memory

In Computing, Main Memory is a storage device used by a computer to save current executing programs and data. Today the main memory of a computer comes from integrated circuits and other sources for storage capacity which include cache, PROM, magnetic disks, and magnetic tape.

Memory

The term memory is used in computing for data storage meaning components of a computer that are digitally stored and is a main component of modern computers along with the CPU (Central Processing Unit). RAM(Random Access Memory) are examples of memory and data storage. External drives and flash drives are examples of external devices that also serve the same purpose of data storage.

Motherboard

The motherboard of a computer is the central circuit board which contains many of the most crucial and important components of the system. Before motherboards came along odd designs of wires and boards and card connector pins were found in a computer. Quickly, the circuit board became the alternative and a motherboard can be found in all modern day computers. As time went by and technology advanced, motherboards were programmed to support a keyboard, a mouse, a floppy disk drive, serial ports, and later audio, video, storage, and networking functions were added to them. Now a motherboard symbolizes a circuit board with a capability of extended performance.

Mouse

A Mouse is a computer device used for pointing that works by detecting two-dimensional motion that relates to its surface. It features two buttons, a cursor, and a wheel for movement. Its motion is reflected on a computer screens and so are the commands given on the mouse which allows Graphic User Interface. GUI is when interactions are made with people by more than just typing. The first dating of a mouse that came with a personal computer was in 1981 and commonly, a computer mouse would be connected to a computer through a USB (Universal Serial Bus). With today's advances in technology, a mouse can be connected through a USB port or it is wireless and a connection is established through the wireless frequencies in the mouse, and a receiver.

Network Drive

A Network Drive is when a hard-disk or a space is shared in a computer in which information is shared by different users through a server.

Non-Impact Printers

A Non-Impact printer is a printer that can produce images digitally or without making any impact and noise while doing so. These printers differ from impact printers because impact printers use mechanics to strike an image on a piece of paper. They are known for making matrix patterns and the main types of Non-Impact Printers are Laser Printers, Ink Jet Printers, and Thermal Printers.

Optical Storage Device

An optical storage device is a laser used on a spinning disk to store data. In order to do so, marks are made in patterns so that they are readable with light. An old example of an optical storage device is known as a microform. Microforms are small pieces of film or paper in which documents are stored and can be read. When using a microform, a document is reduced to about 25 times it's original size. Today there are other means of optical storage devices which are currently in the making.

Output devices

Output devices are devices that communicate results of data in processing system (computer) and make them visible to the outside world. Examples of output devices are speakers, headphones, the screen/monitor, and the printer.

Plotter

Plotters are printers that are used for printing graphics using point to point technology. Plotters are composed of pens and were used for color printing way before ink jet printers came to the scene. They are more affordable than other printers and offer the best resolution options unlike all other printers. Unlike common printing, anything printed on a Plotter will actually be drawn, instead of being printed in little dots.

Pointer

A pointer is an incorporated computer program which is used to open an address or another program on a computer.

RAM (Random Access Memory)

RAM (Random Access Memory) is a device used for computer storage. Ram is in the form of integrated computer circuits and is used for saving data that can be reused and modified unlike ROM (Read Only Memory). It is used in flash devices and can be saved in partitioned spaces which are portions of computer RAM.

ROM (Read Only Memory)

Rom (Read Only Memory) is a storage device that is used in computers and other devices. The data it contains is specific to the device that it is intended for, therefore ROM is memory that cannot be changed. Some modern types of ROM known as EPROM and EEPROM can be erased or reprogrammed, but after doing so, it cannot be changed. However it is very slow and sometimes it cant be saved to any memory location so as of 2007, it is rarely used.

Scanner

In the world of computers, scanners are mechanical objects used scan images, text, and handwriting, and then converts them to digital images which are transmitted to a computer. Scanners are usually flat objects in which the desired document is placed in a piece of glass and then scanned. Scanners have image sensors so that they are able to detect an object and convert it to an image.

System Time

System time is used in computers to represent all the time that has passed by since a specific points. These points are known as the Epoch, which is set to January 1st every year. In computers, system time is presented in the form of a clock or calendar. It's usually adjusted and set for leap years, and events such as Daylight Savings Time.

What are Input, Output, and Storage Devices?

1) Input devices are pieces of computer hardware and equipment that are used to provide data and send signals to processing systems which are also computers. Keyboards, pointers, graphics controlling devices, and game controllers are all examples of input devices.
2) Output devices are devices that communicate results of data in processing system (computer) and make them visible to the outside world. Examples of output devices are speakers, headphones, the screen/monitor, and the printer.

3) Storage devices are devices used to record components of a computer and also processes and information. It is an important device for computers, and one type of storage device can be identified as RAM (Random Access Memory).

What are the parts of a computer?

Computers are very advanced technological works. Not anyone can assemble a computer and you can't assemble a computer with just any parts. These parts include memory, a hard disk, a modem, power supply, CD-Rom drive, the motherboard, heat sink, and the graphics card. There are many different types of computers. These include microcomputers (one that has i micro processing chip as its CPU) Desktop Computers, Laptops, PDA's (Personal Digital Assistant), Hand held PC's, Mainframe Computers, Mini Computers, and Servers.

What is the difference between hardware and software?

Typical hardware that can be found in a PC (Personal Computer) are motherboards which is basically the main component to a computer and serves as a port/connection for all the other units in a computer. Media devices, memory devices, power supplies and of course the mouse and keyboard are also in the list of computer hardware. Software involves digitally stored data which is used for programming so that a computer could run. Websites, Word Processing Programs, Operating systems, and video games are examples of computer software. The difference between hardware and software is that hardware involves the physical appearance of a computer, while software involves the internal programing of a computer.

What is a computer?

A computer is an electronic device that can process, transmit, and save data. Overtime computers have been used for construction and other sources and have had many technological advances. Computers can also obtain responses. The first electronic computers were created during the mid 20th century and were the size of a very large room. Their electrical consumption of one of these computers was equal to that of several hundred modern day computers. Integrated circuits are used in today's computers and computers cannot "think" themselves. In order for a computer to perform a task, a computer has to be programmed by the user to do so.

My Expectations

My expectations of this class is to learn more about computers and blogging from my teacher and that she is kind, understanding, and helpful. I expect cooperation and respect from my piers and i will give them that same respect in return. I expect to have a great time in this class. I also expect to do very well in this class.