PARTS OF A COMPUTER
We know that computer consists of various physical components known as hardware devices. Let us now see about some of the basic parts of a computer system.
CPU(Central Processing Unit)
The central processing unit or the microprocessor is the core of the computer. It has the electronic circuitry
to process the input data to get the required information. It is the processor which executes the instructions.
Another component known as 'Random Access Memory'(RAM) resides inside this unit and it stores the data that the CPU uses for processing. But this memory is volatile which means that the data will be erased once the computer is switched off.
Mouse
A mouse is a small device used to point to and select items on your computer screen.
A mouse usually has two buttons: a primary button (usually the left button) and a secondary button. Many mice also have a wheel between the two buttons which enables smooth scrolling.
When you move the mouse with your hand, a pointer on your screen moves in the same direction. When you want to select an item, you point to the item and then click (press and release) the primary button. Pointing and clicking with your mouse is the main way to interact with your computer. We'll see more about using the mouse in a later chapter.
Keyboard
A keyboard is used for typing the text. Apart from letters
and numbers, it has some special keys too. The top row contains the 'function keys' for different functions.
On the right side of the keyboard, we see the 'Numeric Keypad' which is
used to enter numbers quickly. Arrow keys known as the 'Navigation Keys' allows easy
navigation through the page.
Monitor
A monitor displays the information for the user to view them. The information could be in text or graphical
form. The area in which the information is displayed is called the screen.
There are basically two types of monitors viz., CRT Monitors and LCD Monitors. The LCD monitors are being widely used these days.
Storage
Disk Drives are storage devices that store information and preserves it even when the computer is switched off.
Hard Disk
Hard Disk Drive stores information on a hard disk with a magnetic
surface. It is normally inside the system unit. In most of the systems, the hard disk acts as the primary
storage, storing almost all the program files and other data. Hard disks can store massive amount of information
depending upon their configuration.
CD/DVD Drive
Most of the computers today come with a CD/DVD Drive which is located
on the front side of the CPU Box. CD drives use lasers to read data from a CD, and if it is a writable CD
drive, you can also write data onto CDs.
DVD Drives are similar to CD Drive, except that the amount of data that a DVD can hold is much much more than a CD.
Floppy Disk Drives
Floppy disk drives store information on floppy disks.
floppy disks can store only a small amount of data. Moreover, they retrieve information very slowly and are
more prone to damage. For these reasons, floppy disk drives are less popular than they used to be once.