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What is included in a personal computer, parameters and types of PC. Basic computer components

Good day, dear readers. Today, any person is at least remotely familiar with a personal computer. This useful device greatly helps in many areas of life. Advanced users will easily distinguish the system unit from the printer, and will also explain the difference. But for people who are encountering such technology for the first time, it is quite difficult. In today's article we will look in detail at how the computer system unit works.

What is it for?

Users who have never delved into the study of computer components believe that the system unit is some kind of box that provides image output to the monitor. And most of them call it a "processor". What does the system unit do?

Its main task is to connect the components located inside with the monitor, keyboard, mouse and other peripheral devices. Well, of course, protection from external influences on internal elements.

Case size

There are two large types of system units: horizontal or vertical. The first ones are placed in a horizontal position under the monitor, but are rare today. The second type of case is more common, often called Tower, which is translated from English as “tower”. Vertical system units can be divided into several more groups: big, midi and mini.

Dimensions depend on user requirements. The most common are Tower mini (small), which take up minimal space but have enough space for subsequent upgrades. Fans of the most modern games need large ones to have room for several video cards. Compact cases are suitable for assembly, which is intended for undemanding tasks.


Another important point of the system unit, on which the subsequent placement of components depends. Currently, two form factors are actively used: AT and ATX. It is important to remember that the motherboard must have the same form factor, otherwise it simply will not fit.

What is included in the system unit

The basic package of the case, as a rule, includes a power supply, which eliminates the need to purchase it separately. Of course, if you want, you can replace it without any problems.
So, the main components:

  • motherboard;
  • power unit;
  • CPU;
  • HDD;

Motherboard


The most basic part of any system unit, without which work is impossible. Its main task is to connect all components and ensure joint functioning. It is the largest and most visible part of the block. The motherboard has connectors for connecting components and peripherals.

The motherboard connectors are located on the rear wall of the system unit. All of them are color coded. This is done to facilitate the correct connection of other devices (keyboard, mouse, monitor, audio speakers). After all, their plugs (most often) have the corresponding color.

power unit


Responsible for distributing energy to each component. It has a set of connectors on the front panel, through which the rest of the system is connected. Usually comes complete with the case, but can be replaced with a more powerful one. In the picture above, the power supply is positioned at the bottom of the case, but most often it is located at the top.

CPU

It is considered the heart or brain of the PC. It is a silicon crystal grown and processed using special technologies. Responsible for processing information; processors from Intel and AMD are especially popular.


It is equipped with a cooling system, which is represented by a fan and a radiator or only the latter. Installed in a designated location on the motherboard. The cost depends on the tasks that will be assigned to the processor, and can reach several thousand dollars.

Video card


Without this component, you will not be able to work with graphics programs, and games will not start. Almost any modern processor has a built-in graphics adapter, which is sufficient for simple tasks. But gamers will have to buy a separate video card. How to connect? Of course, to the motherboard, which has special slots. There are many models on the market aimed at different user tasks.

RAM


Necessary for storing information processed by the processor. True, the RAM works while the PC is turned on, after turning it off everything disappears. The more there is, the better. A lot of memory ensures high speed of processing user data. RAM consists of small sticks that are inserted into special slots. In addition to capacity, an important characteristic is the type of memory.

HDD


Unlike RAM, hard drives are needed to store permanent user data. Their main characteristic is their volume, which today is measured in gigabytes and terabytes. The size of the hard drive depends on the user's tasks. Recently, HDDs have been replaced by SSDs (drives without mechanical parts). They work faster, do not make noise and practically do not heat up.

Sound card

It is impossible to imagine a modern computer without the ability to reproduce sound. For this purpose, an audio information output device is designed, which is most often already integrated into the system board and has sufficient characteristics to reproduce audio information. But for professional sound processing on a computer, a separate sound card (internal or external) is required.

Let's finish here. We'll talk about how to connect the components of the system unit together next time. Share the article with your friends. See you again!

In conclusion, I suggest you watch a cool video about self-assembling a computer system unit from the “Good Choice!” channel.

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In this article we will look at what does the system unit consist of?.

Go!

So, all components of the computer system unit can be divided into two categories.

First of these, includes something without which the PC will not work at all:

  • Frame.
  • HDD.
  • CPU.
  • Power unit.
  • Motherboard.
  • Cooling system.
  • RAM.
  • Video card.
  • Optical drive (CD, DVD, BluRay).
  • Card reader.
  • TV-map.
  • Audio card.
  • Satellite map.

The main components that make up the system unit

Frame. Designed for compact arrangement and fixation of all other PC components. Sometimes they are supplied immediately with a built-in power supply. Several standards (ATX) are issued that describe the permissible sizes of motherboards and power supplies that can be installed in these cases. May have built-in ports:

USB.
Audio (miniJack).
eSATA.
IEEE 1394.

HDD. This is a device with non-volatile memory for storing information. For PCs, hard drives of form factor 3.5 are almost always used? and rotation speed 7200 rpm. There are three types of hard drives:

  • HDD. The noisiest, but the cheapest. In terms of writing/reading speed it ranks third. In case of failure, the data can be restored. They are afraid of shock loads. The resource is practically unlimited.
  • SSD. Silent, not afraid of shocks and falls, the highest possible speed. If damaged, the data cannot be restored. The resource is limited. The most expensive.
  • H-HDD. A less common type of hard drive. This is a hybrid of the two models described above. Main memory on HDD + 1.5-2% of the total volume on SSD.

You can install several hard drives in one system unit. Some motherboards allow you to create RAID arrays from them.

CPU. A set of integrated circuits located on a single module. All computing processes take place in it.
The speed of the PC depends on the speed of the processor. All modern processors are multi-core. Everyone has Cash. This is a kind of RAM of the processor. It is divided into three levels – L1, L2, L3.

Power unit. Selected taking into account the case, motherboard and power. It has a certain number of connectors for connecting components of the system unit.

Motherboard. A device for pairing all PC components. Its choice determines the type of processor and RAM. Almost all motherboards have integrated audio and video cards. Their capabilities are more than enough for watching movies, listening to music and even playing simple games. The motherboard configuration is characterized by:

USB3.0 and 2.0 port controllers
PCI Express ports and PSI ports.
Network Controller.
Channels for connecting devices with SATA interface.
Number of slots for RAM modules.

Cooling system. Cooler and radiator. The minimum quantity in one system unit is 2 pcs. One is mounted on the processor, the second on the power supply. 96% of system unit noise is produced by cooling system coolers. Some processors are sold immediately, with a cooler and radiator, in which case they have the prefix “BOX” in the name. There is a rarely used water cooling system. It is 3-3.5 times more expensive, but it works silently.

RAM. This is a set of chips that store the data necessary for the operation of the PC at the moment. Installed in special sockets on the motherboard. On some boards you can install immediately up to 4 slats. It is very important that all modules are from the same batch. Clock frequency (speed of information exchange with the processor) and the amount of RAM directly affect the performance of the PC. When you turn off the system unit, all data from RAM is deleted.

Minor elements that make up the system unit

From the entire list of the second part, it is highly desirable to have a video card and drive in the system unit, and the rest are less important:

Video card, needed for gaming and working with complex video editing programs. It is installed on all productive computers, but for the average user, for whom social networks, Skype and the like are primarily important, it is generally not important. But without installing a video card, the main processor of the computer must have a built-in graphics core.

Optical drive. Of three types:

  • CD drive. Outdated standard.
  • DVD drive. The most common option.
  • Blu-ray drive. More perfect look. But quite expensive.

The remaining components of the system unit do not play a significant role for the average user and have a narrow specialization. For example:

Card reader. A device that allows you to connect memory cards to the system unit.

Audio card, required to create a 7.1 surround sound effect.

TV card(TV tuner), allows you to watch and record television programs.

Satellite map, processes the signal received by the satellite dish.

Now you fully know what the computer system unit consists of and can easily give exact definition for any of the components: video card, processor, hard drive, RAM, and so on.

I planned to write a series of useful articles for beginners on how to choose and purchase a computer of the desired configuration (as well as a tablet) and for solving certain tasks: work, study, games, working with graphics. Before directly touching on the choice of a home computer or laptop to solve your problems, it would be more correct to first explain to beginners what a computer consists of... Therefore, in this article I will talk about the main components of a typical home (stationary) computer so that you have an idea of ​​how it is structured, what this or that component looks like, what characteristics it has and what it is responsible for. All this information can be useful to simple novice users when choosing and buying a computer... By “Basic” I meant those components (components) that can be removed and can be easily replaced. Simply put, I won't go too far and go into great detail about how a computer works, explaining every element on the circuit boards and the internals of every component. This blog is read by a lot of beginners, and I believe that talking about all the complex processes and terms at once is not good and will simply cause confusion in the head :)

So, let's move on to considering the components of any one using the example of a regular home computer. In laptops and netbooks you can find everything the same, just in a much smaller version.

What are the main components of a computer?

    CPU. This is the brain of the computer. It is the main component and performs all calculations in the computer, controls all operations and processes. It is also one of the most expensive components, and the price of a very good modern processor can exceed 50,000 rubles.

    There are processors from Intel and AMD. Here, whoever likes what, but Intel heats up less and consumes less electricity. With all this, AMD has better graphics processing, i.e. would be more suitable for gaming computers and those where work will be carried out with powerful image editors, 3D graphics, and video. In my opinion, this difference between processors is not so significant and noticeable...

    The main characteristic is the processor frequency (measured in Hertz. For example, 2.5GHz), as well as the connector for connecting to the motherboard (socket. For example, LGA 1150).

    This is what the processor looks like (the company and model are indicated at the top):

    Motherboard (system) board. This is the largest board in the computer, which is the link between all other components. All other devices, including peripherals, are connected to the motherboard. There are many motherboard manufacturers, and ASUS and Gigabyte are at the top, as the most reliable and at the same time expensive, respectively. The main characteristics are: the type of supported processor (socket), the type of supported RAM (DDR2, DDR3, DDR4), the form factor (determines which case you can place this board in), as well as the types of connectors for connecting other computer components. For example, modern hard drives (HDD) and SSD drives are connected via SATA3 connectors, and video adapters are connected via PCI-E x16 3.0 connectors.

    This is what the motherboard looks like:

    Memory. Here we will divide it into 2 main types, which will be important to pay attention to when purchasing:


  1. Video card(video adapter or “vidyukha”, as more or less advanced computer users call it). This device is responsible for generating and displaying images on the screen of a monitor or any other similar connected device. Video cards can be built-in (integrated) or external (discrete). Today, the vast majority of motherboards have a built-in video card, and visually we see only its output - a connector for connecting a monitor. An external video card is connected to the board separately in the form of another board with its own cooling system (radiator or fan).

    What's the difference between them, you ask? The difference is that the built-in video card is not designed to run resource-intensive games or work in professional image and video editors. It simply does not have enough power to process such graphics and everything will be very slow. The built-in video card today can be used more as a temporary backup option. For everything else, you need at least some kind of simple external video card, and which one depends on your preferences for using the computer: for Internet surfing, working with documents, or for playing games.

    The main characteristics of a video card are: the connector for connecting to the board, the frequency of the graphics processor (the higher it is, the better), the amount and type of video memory, the bit width of the video memory bus.

    This is what the video card looks like:

    Sound adapter. Each computer has at least a built-in sound card and is responsible, accordingly, for processing and outputting sound. Very often it is the built-in one, and not everyone buys a discrete sound card that connects to the motherboard. Personally, for example, the built-in one is quite enough for me and, in principle, I don’t pay attention to this component of the computer at all. A discrete sound card will produce much better sound and is indispensable if you make music or work in any music processing programs. And if you’re not into anything like that, then you can safely use the built-in one and not think about this component when purchasing.

    This is what a discrete sound card looks like:

    Network adapter. Used to connect the computer to the internal network and the Internet. Just like a sound adapter, it can very often be built-in, which is enough for many. Those. in this case, you will not see an additional network adapter card in the computer. The main characteristic is throughput, measured in Mbit/sec. If the motherboard has a built-in network adapter, and the vast majority of motherboards usually have one, then there is no need to buy a new one for your home. You can determine its presence on the board by the connector for connecting an Internet cable (twisted pair). If there is such a connector, then the board has a built-in network adapter, respectively.

    This is what a discrete network card looks like:

    Power supply (PSU). A very important computer component. It is connected to the mains and serves to supply direct current to all other computer components, converting the mains voltage to the required values. And computer devices operate at voltages: +3.3V, +5V, +12V. Negative voltages are practically never used. The main characteristic of a power supply is its power and is measured, accordingly, in Watts. A power supply with such power is installed in the computer that it is enough to power all components of the computer. The video adapter will consume the most (the power it consumes will be indicated in the documentation), so you need to focus on it and just take it with a small margin. Also, the power supply must have all the necessary connectors for connecting to all existing computer components: motherboard, processor, HDD and SSD drives, video adapter, disk drive.

    This is what the power supply looks like:

    Disk drive (drive). This is an additional device, which, in principle, you can do without. Serves, respectively, for reading CD/DVD/Blu-Ray discs. If you plan to read or write any discs on your computer, then, of course, such a device is necessary. Among the characteristics, we can only note the ability of the drive to read and write various types of disks, as well as the connector for connecting to the board, which today is almost always SATA.

    This is what the drive looks like:

Everything listed above is basic, which, as a rule, no computer can do without. In laptops everything is similar, only there may often be no disk drive, but this depends on which model you choose and whether you need this disk drive at all. There may also be other components that will also connect to the motherboard, for example: Wi-Fi adapter, TV tuner, video capture devices. There may be other additional components that are not at all mandatory, so we will not dwell on them for now. Now almost every laptop has a Wi-Fi adapter for connecting to the Internet via a wireless network, and there is also a built-in TV tuner. In stationary home computers, all this is usually purchased separately!

Computer case

All those major components I listed above need to be located somewhere and not just lying around on the floor, right? :) All computer components are placed in a special case (system unit) in order to exclude external influences on them, protect them from damage and maintain the desired temperature inside the case due to the fans present in it. You also start your computer using a button on the case, so you can’t do without the case :)

Cases come in different sizes and the smallest case, of course, will not fit, for example, a standard motherboard. Therefore, the main characteristic of the case is the form factor of the supported motherboards. If the largest cases (Full Tower) are able to accommodate boards of any size and any components so that it is also more or less free and, if necessary, to remove any of the components, there will be no inconvenience.

This is what the computer case looks like:

Monitor

Also, outside the case, another important device will be located - a monitor. The monitor is connected by a wire to the motherboard and without it, you, therefore, will not see everything you do on the computer :) The main parameters of the monitor are:

    Screen diagonal in inches;

    Supported screen resolution, for example 1920x1080. The larger it is, the better;

    Viewing angle. Affects how the image will be seen if you look at the monitor from the side or slightly higher / lower. The wider the viewing angle, the better.

    Brightness and contrast. Brightness is measured in cd/m2 and in good models lies beyond 300, and contrast should be at least 1:1000 for good display.

This is what the monitor looks like:

In addition to the main computer components listed above, there are also peripheral devices. Peripherals are various additional and auxiliary devices that allow you to expand the capabilities of your computer. This includes many devices, for example: computer mouse, keyboard, headphones, microphone, printer, scanner, copier, graphics tablet, joystick, web camera.

It will be convenient to discuss all these devices in separate topics, since each of them has its own characteristics and features. The keyboard and mouse are the easiest to choose, the main thing is that the connection to the computer is via USB or even via a radio channel without a wire, and all other parameters are selected individually and the main thing here is that it is simply convenient.

Read about choosing the most basic peripheral devices in the article:

This concludes the analysis of computer components. I hope that such an article will be to some extent useful for beginners and that those who did not understand at all what is in the computer and what is needed for, can now more or less imagine :) Also, this information, I think, will be useful for choosing a computer, and even more so, subsequent articles will be about choosing and buying a home computer.

Have a nice day, everyone! Bye;)

BASIC DEFINITIONS OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

A PERSONAL COMPUTER (PC or IBM PC) is an electronic computer designed to work in dialogue with a person (user).

INFORMATION SCIENCE is a science that studies the structure and most general properties of information, its search, storage, transmission and processing using computers.

INFORMATION is information about objects and phenomena of the environment, their parameters, properties and condition.

FILE is a named memory area on external media. Files can store texts, documents, programs themselves, drawings, etc.

A DIRECTORY is a named location on a disk in which files are stored.

PROGRAMMING is the preparation of a problem for solving it on a computer.

ALGORITHM is a sequence of commands leading to a goal.

Computer generations

First generation computers on vacuum tubes (1946-1956). The speed of the first machines was several thousand operations per second.

Second generation- transistor computers (1956-1964). Transistor-based computers have dramatically reduced their size, weight, and power consumption, and increased their performance and reliability. A typical domestic car (Minsk, Ural series) contained about 25 thousand transistors.

Third generation- computers on microcircuits with a low degree of integration (1964-1971). Microcircuits made it possible to increase the speed and reliability of computers, reduce dimensions, weight and power consumption.

Fourth generation- computers based on microprocessors (1971-present). A microprocessor is an arithmetic and logical device, most often made in the form of a single microcircuit with a high degree of integration.

Fifth generation(promising) are computers that use new technologies and a new element base, for example, ultra-large integrated circuits, optical and magneto-optical elements, operating through ordinary spoken language, equipped with huge databases. It is also expected to use elements of artificial intelligence and recognition of visual and sound images. Such projects are being developed in leading industrialized countries.


COMPOSITION OF A PERSONAL COMPUTER

Personal computers have 2 parts: hardware - Hardware and software - Software.

The Personal Computer includes:

1) System unit;

2) Monitor;

3) Keyboard;

4) Mouse (standard PC configuration).

Any computer contains:

1) Arithmetic logic unit (ALU),

2) Storage device (memory),

3) Control device

4) Information input/output device (I/O) and has a program stored in its memory (John von Neumann architecture).


SYSTEM UNIT includes devices that enable the computer to operate: processor, random access memory (RAM), floppy and hard disk drives, power supply, etc.

CPU designed for calculations, information processing and computer control; RAM, floppy and hard disk drives - for storing information.

MEMORY Computers can be internal or external. Internal memory includes permanent storage (ROM-BIOS or CMOS Setup), RAM, cache, video memory. External memory devices include hard and floppy disk drives (HDD and FDD), CD-ROM, magneto-optical disk and tape drive.

STORAGES floppy disks (FDD) and hard disks (HDD) are used for permanent storage of information. When the power source is turned off, the information on floppy and hard drives is retained.

KEYBOARD designed for manually entering information into a computer. It contains keys for Latin and Russian letters, numbers, various characters and special function keys.

A computer keyboard consists of 6 groups of keys:
1) Alphanumeric;
2) Controls (Enter, Backspace, Ctrl, Alt, Shift, Tab, Esc, Caps Lock, Num Lock, Scroll Lock, Pause, Print Screen);
3) Functional (F1-F12);
4) Numeric keypad;
5) Cursor control (->,<-, Page Up, Page Down, Home, End, Delete, Insert);
6) Function indicator lights (Caps Lock, Num Lock, Scroll Lock).

MONITOR(display) is designed to display information on the screen. There are text and graphic display modes. Displays reproduce color and monochrome images.

Video memory- this is a special RAM in which a graphic image is formed.

PORTS b There are parallel and sequential ones. A serial port transmits information bit by bit (slower) over a small number of wires. A mouse and modem are connected to the serial port. Through a parallel port, information is transmitted simultaneously over a large number of wires corresponding to the number of bits.


3. The concept of software.

Software is a set of programs that allows you to organize the solution of problems on a computer. Computer software and architecture (hardware) form a complex of interconnected and diverse functional computer tools that determine the ability to solve a particular class of problems.

It is necessary to distinguish between software and mathematical software (MS).

MO- these are mathematical methods and algorithms that provide solutions to assigned problems. The software is divided into 3 classes: system software, application software and programming systems (tool systems).

1. System software organizes the process of information processing in a computer. The main part of the system software is the Operating System (OS). System software also includes programs for diagnosing and monitoring computer operation, archivers, antiviruses, disk maintenance programs, software shells, external device drivers, network software and telecommunications programs.

2. Application software designed to solve a certain class of user problems. There are application packages (for example, MS Works) and libraries of standard programs (for example, MathCad for calculating functions, plotting graphs and solving equations). Application software includes text and graphic editors, spreadsheets, database management systems (DBMS), graphic editors for computer-aided design (CAD) systems, automated workstations (AWS) for accountants, secretaries, etc., publishing, information and reference systems , training and testing programs, game programs. Examples of the most important application programs: Word, Excel, Works, Lexicon, Paint Brush, AutoCad.

3. The most important part of the software is Programming systems(tool systems) that allow you to develop new programs in programming languages. Examples of the most important programming systems: Turbo Pascal, QBasic, Borland C++, Visual Basic.


4. Concept of interface. Types of interfaces.

1. Interface is a way for a user to communicate with a personal computer, a user with application programs, and programs with each other. The interface is used for convenient management of computer software. Interfaces can be single-tasking or multi-tasking, single-user or multi-user. Interfaces differ in the ease of software management, that is, in the way they launch programs. There are universal interfaces that allow all ways to launch programs.

2. Interface types.
Interfaces differ in the way they access program command files.
2.1. Command line (text) interface.
To control the computer, a command is written (entered from the keyboard) into the command line, for example, the name of the program’s batch file or service words specially reserved by the operating system. The command can be edited if necessary. Then the Enter key is pressed to execute the command. The

2.2. Graphical full screen interface.
It usually has a menu system with hints at the top of the screen. Menus are often drop-down (drop-down). To control the computer, the screen cursor or mouse cursor, after searching in the directory tree, is set to program command files (*.exe, *.com, *.bat) and the Enter key or the right mouse button is pressed to start the program. Different files may appear in different colors or have different designs. Directories (folders) are separated from files by size or design.

2.3. Graphical multi-window pictographic interface.
It is a desktop (DeskTop) on which icons (icons or program icons) lie. All operations are performed, as a rule, with the mouse. To control the computer, move the mouse cursor to the icon and start the program by clicking the left mouse button on the icon.

Computer composition

The main components of a computer are shown in the figure:

Monitor (display) is designed to display information on the screen. On it we see numerical, textual, graphic information (texts and drawings, heroes of our favorite computer games).

Keyboard designed for entering information (typing texts and numbers), as well as for controlling the computer using special commands (arrow keys used for games, “hot keys”).

Mouse designed to control a computer (contextual, program menu).

System unit- the most “smart” part of the computer. It contains control and storage devices: processor, RAM (internal) memory, drives on flexible and rigid magnetic media, power supply. CPU(derived from the English word process- process; do, process) controls all computer devices, executes programs, processes data located in RAM.

Memory The computer is used to store data and is divided into operational ( RAM- random access memory) and permanent storage ( ROM- read-only memory). While the computer is running, all programs and data in use are stored in RAM(RAM). The processor can instantly access data located in RAM. When the computer is turned off, the contents of the RAM are lost because the electrical impulses in the form of which information is stored in the RAM only exist when the computer is turned on. ROM stores instructions that determine how the computer operates when it is turned on. These instructions persist when you turn off your computer. To save the necessary data, they are written to external(long-term) memory. Such memory is magnetic disks - disks made of plastic or metal coated with a magnetic substance. Magnetic disks can be flexible or hard.

Hard(HDD) - high-capacity disks built into the system unit. Flexible(FDD) - external drives, floppy disks. To read them, the system unit has a special device - a disk drive. Using floppy disks you can transfer information from one computer to another. Also used to transfer information optical media- laser discs (CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW).

The computer configuration can be flexibly changed if necessary.

Also, additional, so-called, external or peripheral, devices (devices that have their own control and operate according to processor commands):

- columns; - Printer; - scanner; - headphones with microphone; - joystick and others.

All these devices are called computer hardware.

Often computers are connected in networks. For this purpose they are used modem And network devices. With the help of network devices, computers are connected into networks (local and global). Currently, networks have become widespread, which allows information to be transmitted quickly and over fairly long distances, and gives the user access to information resources.

- modem.

Computers are used in school for teaching. They are used not only in computer science lessons in elementary school, but also for teaching high school students such subjects as physics, mathematics, Russian, literature, chemistry, biology, astronomy, and foreign languages. University students also use computers for studying.

Input devices

People know how to enter visual and audio information into computer memory. Devices that help do this are called input devices information.

Let's take a closer look at them.

Devices for entering text information.

The main, and usually necessary, device for entering text characters and sequences (commands) into a computer is keyboard.

A keyboard is a device that is a set of buttons (keys) designed to control a device or to enter information. A regular keyboard contains 104 keys. As a rule, buttons are pressed with your fingers. Each key corresponds to one or more specific characters. It is possible to increase the number of actions performed on the keyboard using keyboard shortcuts. On keyboards, the keys are often accompanied by stickers depicting the symbols or actions that correspond to the press. There are techniques that allow you to type text without looking at the keyboard, the so-called “touch typing method.” Many modern computer keyboards, in addition to the standard set of one hundred and four keys, are equipped with additional keys (usually of a different size and shape), which are designed to simplify control of some basic computer functions, for example, controlling the sound volume: louder, quieter, turn the sound on or off; CD tray control: remove disc, accept disc; control the audio player: play, pause, stop playback, skip the audio recording forward or backward, go to the next or previous audio recording; managing the network capabilities of the computer: open an email program, open a browser, show the home page, move forward or backward through the history of visited pages, open a search engine; management of the most popular programs: open a calculator, open a file manager; managing the state of operating system windows: minimize a window, close a window, move to the next or previous window; managing the computer's state: put it in standby mode, put it in hibernation mode, wake up the computer, turn off the computer.

Graphics input devices.

Scanner is a device that allows you to enter images of texts, drawings, slides, photographs or other graphic information into a computer. This is a device that, by analyzing an object (usually an image, text), creates a digital copy of the object’s image. The process of obtaining this copy is called scanning. Special programs are used to recognize scanned text.

Graphics tablet(or digitizer, digitizer, from English. A digitizer is a device for entering handwritten drawings directly into a computer. Consists of a pen and a flat tablet that is sensitive to pressure or proximity of the pen. A special mouse may also be included.

Graphic tablets are used to create images on a computer in a way that is as close as possible to how images are created on paper. In addition, they are convenient to use for transferring (rendering) ready-made images to a computer.

Webcam- a digital video or photo camera capable of capturing images in real time for further transmission over the Internet.

Such cameras are used for video conferencing and for depicting city panoramas. Today, there are webcams even in space. The webcam itself is not capable of storing video footage; it is usually connected to a computer on which the necessary software is installed.

Digital video camera- electronic film camera. It takes video information and is equipped with a microphone to record audio information.

There are cameras for everyday shooting and professional ones.

Digital camera is a type of camera, only the information is presented, processed and stored in the camera itself in digital form. Modern cameras allow you to take more than just static pictures. But they also record video information.

Digital cameras come with built-in optics (amateur ones, they are often called “soap cameras”) and with interchangeable optics (professional, SLR).

Audio input devices.

Microphone- an electroacoustic device that converts sound vibrations into electric current vibrations.

Dictaphone- a device for sound recording of speech for the purpose of subsequent dictation and recording of the text of speech by hand on paper. Used to record conversations, lectures, and speeches.

Pointing (coordinate) devices.

Mouse manipulator- one of the pointing input devices that provides a user interface with a computer.

The mouse perceives its movement in the working plane (usually on a section of the table surface) and transmits this information to the computer. A program running on a computer, in response to mouse movement, produces an action on the screen that corresponds to the direction and distance of this movement. Using a mouse, the user controls a special cursor - a pointer - a manipulator of interface elements. The mouse also has additional controls - a scroll wheel, buttons.

Touchpad- touchpad - a pointing input device, most often used in laptops. A touchpad is typically used to control a "pointer" by moving your finger across the surface of the device.

Joystick- a device for entering information into an electronic device, a manipulator. Used to change the position of an interface element, as well as to iterate through list elements. It is one of the standard input means for computers and many mobile phones. Widely used in computer games. It is a lever on the base that can be moved in one, two, or three planes. The lever usually contains buttons and switches for various purposes.

Output devices

Output devices are used to retrieve the results of a computer's operation. There are devices for outputting audio and graphic information.

Graphic information output devices.

The main device for outputting graphic information is monitor. A monitor is a device for visually presenting data. The most common types of monitors are: CRT monitors (they work using a cathode ray tube, are now less common and are larger in size) and LCD monitors (liquid crystal, smaller in size, currently used much more often) . CRT monitors have better image quality, but LCD monitors have gained more popularity due to their compactness, light weight and ideal screen plane. An important characteristic of monitors is size (measured by the distance between opposite corners - the diagonal, which is measured in inches). The monitor is also characterized by resolution - the number of pixels horizontally and vertically. (A pixel is the smallest element of a two-dimensional digital image. It is an indivisible square or round object with a specific color. Pixels are arranged in rows and columns).

The same applies to output devices projectors, which are most often called multimedia. A projector is a lighting device. It projects the image onto a special screen. Currently, it is an important element of conferences, thesis defenses, lectures and lessons.

Printer- a device for printing digital information onto a solid medium, usually paper. The printing process is called printing, and the resulting document is printout or hard copy. Printers are divided into color and black and white (monochrome). There are also dot matrix, inkjet and laser printers. Currently, the most popular and convenient are color string printers and black and white laser printers. Dot matrix printers are considered obsolete, but are used in banks, laboratories, cash desks, where you need to print on multi-layer forms (for example, railway tickets) or you need a second copy printed as a carbon copy.

Plotter(or plotter) a device for automatically drawing with great accuracy drawings, diagrams, complex drawings, maps and other graphic information on paper up to A0 size or tracing paper. Plotters draw images using a stylus (writing block).

Audio output devices.

Audio output devices include speakers And headphones - devices for listening to speech, music or other sound signals. Their main characteristic is the power of sound reproduction.

    • Position yourself in front of the computer so that the monitor is 50-70 cm from your eyes.
    • Place your feet on the floor, one next to the other, do not pull them up or bend them.
    • You need to sit at the computer freely, without tension, without slouching, bending over, or leaning back in your chair.
    • Relax your shoulders, lightly touch your torso with your elbows, and place your forearms at the same height as the keyboard.
    • Every 5 minutes, try to take your eyes off the monitor and look at something in the distance.