ICT(hardware)

• Computer HARDWARE consists of the physical parts of a computer system, tangible components, that you can touch.
• Computer SOFTWARE is a set of instructions for a computer to make it perform certain specific operations.
• You need hardware and software for a computer system to work.
• Hardware includes things like keyboards, mice, monitors, hard drives, RAM (memory), processors, motherboard, graphics card, etc.
• The computer case contains the motherboard on which other components are mounted, such as the CPU, main memory, internal hard disk drive, optical disk drive, and expansion slots for other hardware components
• The internal hard disk drive is a mass storage device used to store data files and software applications.
• An optical disk drive makes it possible to read from and write to CDs and DVDs.
• Computer hard ware is divided into input devices, output devices, a processor, and a storage device.
• Input devices include keyboard, mouse, touch screen, joystick, scanner, microphone, webcam, digital camera, game controller, etc.
• Output devices include monitor, printer, projector, speakers, headphones, etc.
• A processor or central processing unit (CPU) a chip attached to the motherboard, makes complex calculations and logical decisions, executes computer programs, and also sends instructions to other parts of the computer.
• The arithmetic logic unit (ALU) is where the calculations occur in the CPU.
• Logical operations, including AND, OR, NOT, etc, are performed in the CPU.
• Bit-shifting operations, which means moving the position of bits left or right, is how multiplications are performed.(component of CPU)
• Arithmetic operations to add and substract are a component of CPU.
• The control unit (CU) manages various components of the computer and reads and interprets the instructions from memory, changing them into signals which activate other parts of the computer's calculations.(component of CPU)
• The cache acts as a high-speed memory where instructions and data can be copied to and retrieved.(component of CPU)
• The binary number system is made up of only 0s and 1s and is used to represent whether a switch is on or off.
• The name for a single signal unit(a 0 or a 1) is a bit, which stands for binary digit.
• A sound card enables the computer to send audio information to an audio device such as a speaker or headphones.
• A video card is an internal circuit board for displaying images from a computer onto a screen.
• A video card, also known as a graphics card, can generate images, translate them, and output them to a display.
• A sound card lets you hear, record and play back sounds.
• The power supply converts alternating current (AC) electricity from the main supply to direct current(DC) electricity, and then supplies it to the other components.
• A hard disk drive is for storing programs and data. The computer can read from and write to it. For hard drives a magnetic head is used.