Most ordinary people never get to take a computer apart or assemble computer parts into a working computer. For Joe Blow, it’s just something that works when you hit the button, a gizmo that Bill Gates and some really smart nerds at IBM cooked up. But the real truth is that today’s computer is the result of decades of research and innovation in the fields of semiconductors, micro processing and programming languages. Below is a primer on all the hardware and software that goes into it.
Most of the circuitry and the brains of a computer are nowadays built-into motherboards and processors. The rest of it is just so that these two can function properly and interface with the user. The ‘rest’ in this case includes keywords, monitors, the mouse, etc.
The biggest processor makers are Intel and AMD, and the choice is usually whatever happens to be the latest in the market. Choices for the motherboard and chipset are a lot more varied and depend on usage, budget, location, etc. It’s best to look it up on computer hardware review and benchmarking sites before buying anything.
Of the remaining computer parts, those worth a mention include the memory (RAM), hard disk drive (hdd), power supply (SMPS), and video cards (graphics adaptors or display cards). Other add-on cards like LAN (networking) cards, sound cards and modems are these days already built into motherboards, but many people still buy more powerful cards or devices anyway.
The power supply is worth mentioning because unlike other electronic gadgets, a computer’s power supply is a very important and delicate part. It provides power separately to the motherboard and each motorized part (hdd, cd/dvd-rom, cooling fans, led displays). Each of these power cables is critical to the operation of the computer, and needs a strong and stable power supply.
Also to be noted that laptop computers and desktop computers have different needs, as far as parts are concerned. In a laptop, most of the parts are factory built, and there’s not much room for customization by adding cards or a bigger monitor, etc. On the other hand, a desktop computer can be ripped apart, upgraded and customized with better video cards, faster LAN cards, a bigger hdd, more RAM and anything else that’s required.
As far as operating systems are concerned, Microsoft Windows is still the world’s most dominant OS. An OS, by the way, is what interfaces between all the hardware on one side, with all the software and the user on the other side. Alternative OS options include Unix, Linux, FreeBSD and various other Unix derivatives and clones.
Commonly used software choices for web browsers include Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome. Office software choices include MS-Office and OpenOffice. The rest is pretty much dependent on what the computer is to be used for.
To summarize, most of the software and computer hardware that go into a computer can be selected individually, based on need, availability and budget. Someone who simply wants to use the computer to stay connected can make do with a standard issue value buy laptop computer, while others who play online games or need to use advanced multimedia software may go in for a custom-built powerful desktop with the latest parts.
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