THE COMPONENTS OF
COMPUTER.
 A computer contains many
electric, electronic, and
mechanical components
known as hardware.
 These components include
input devices, output devices,
a system unit, storage
devices, and communications
devices.
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1.Input devices:
 An input device is any
hardware component that
allows you to enter data
and instructions into a
computer.
 Five widely used input
devices are the
keyboard, mouse,
microphone, scanner,
and Webcam
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 A computer keyboard contains keys you
press to enter data into the computer.
 A mouse is a small handheld device. With
the mouse, you control movement of a small
symbol on the screen, called the pointer, and
you make selections from the screen.
 A microphone allows a user to speak into
the computer.
 A scanner converts printed material (such
as text and pictures) into a form the
computer can use.
 A Web cam is a digital video camera that
allows users to create movies or take
pictures and store them on the computer
instead of on tape or film.

2.Output devices.
 An output device is any hardware
component that conveys information to
one or more people.
 A printer produces text and graphics on
a physical medium such as paper. A
monitor displays text,graphics, and
videos on a screen. Speakers allow you
to hear music, voice, and other audio
(sounds).
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3.System devices.
 The system unit is a case that contains
electronic components of the computer that
are used to process data .
 The circuitry of the system unit usually is part of or is
connected to a circuit board called the motherboard.
 Two main components on the motherboard are the
processor and memory. The processor, also called the CPU
(central processing unit), is the electronic component that
interprets and carries out the basic instructions that operate
the computer.
 Memory consists of electronic components that store
instructions waiting to be executed and data needed by
those instructions. Most memory keeps data and
instructions temporarily, which means its contents are
erased when the computer is shut off.
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4.Storage devices.
 A storage device records (writes)
and/or retrieves (reads) items to
and from storage media. Storage
devices often function as a
source of input because they
transfer items from storage to
memory.
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A USB flash drive is a portable storage device that is small
and lightweight enough to be transported on a keychain or in a
pocket . The average USB flash drive can hold about 4 billion
characters.
A hard disk provides much greater storage capacity than a
USB flash drive. The average hard disk can hold more than
320 billion characters. Hard disks are enclosed in an airtight,
sealed case. Although some are portable, most are housed
inside the system unit.
Some mobile devices, such as digital cameras, use memory
cards as the storage media. You can use a card reader/writer
to transfer stored items, such as digital photos, from the
memory card to a computer or printer.
An optical disc is a flat, round, portable metal disc with a plastic
coating. CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray .Discs are three types of optical discs.
A CD can hold from 650 million to 1 billion characters. Some DVDs can
store two full-length movies or 17 billion characters Blu-ray Discs can
store about 46 hours of standard video, or 100 billion characters.

5.Communication devices.
 A communications device is a hardware
component that enables a computer to
send (transmit) and receive data,
instructions, and information to and from
one or more computers or mobile
devices .A widely used communications
device is a modem .
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Categories of computer.
 A computer’s size, speed, processing
power, and price determine the category
it best fits
 Industry experts typically classify
computers in seven categories: personal
computers (desktop), mobile computers
and mobile devices, game consoles,
servers, mainframes, supercomputers,
and embedded computers.
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This table summarizes some of the differences among categories of computer

1.Personal computer.
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A personal computer is a computer that
can perform all of its input,
processing, output, and storage activities
by itself. A personal computer
contains a processor, memory, and one or
more input, output, and storage devices.
Personal computers also often contain a
communications
device.
Two popular architectures of personal
computers are the PC and the Apple

2.Mobile computers and mobile
devices.
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A mobile computer is a personal computer you
can carry from place to place. Similarly, a
mobile device is a computing device small
enough to hold in your hand. The most popular
type of mobile computer is the notebook
computer.

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A notebook computer, also called a laptop
computer, is a portable, personal computer
often designed to fit on your lap. Notebook
computers are thin and lightweight,
yet can be as powerful as the average
desktop computer.
Notebook
Tablet PCs
Resembling a letter-sized slate, the Tablet
PC is a special type of notebook computer
that allows you to write or draw on the
screen using a digital pen.
Mobile devices, which are small enough to
carry in a pocket, usually store programs
and data permanently on memory inside
the system unit or on small storage
media such as memory cards.
Mobile devices

Mobile devices.
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Five popular types of mobile devices are smart
phones, PDAs, handheld computers, portable
media players, and digital cameras.
A digital camera is a
device that allows users to take
pictures and store the
photographed images digitally,
instead of on traditional film.
Although digital cameras
usually have some amount of
internal storage to hold images,
most users store images on
small storage media such as
memory cards.

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a smart phone allows you to send
and receive e-mail messages and access the Web —
usually for an additional fee. Many models also function
as a portable media player and include built-in digital
cameras so that you can share photos or videos. Many
smart phones also offer variety of application software
such as word processing, spreadsheet, and games
A PDA (personal digital assistant) provides personal
information management functions such as a calendar, an
appointment book, an address book, a calculator, and a
notepad
Handheld Computers A handheld
computer, sometimes referred to as an
Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC), is a computer
small enough to fit in one hand.
A portable media player is a mobile
device on which you can store, organize,
and play digital media

Game consoles.
 A game console is a mobile computing
device designed for single player or
multiplayer video games .
 Standard game consoles use a
handheld controller(s) as an input
device(s); a television screen as an
output device; and hard disks, optical
discs, and/or memory cards for storage.
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Servers .
 A server controls access to the hardware,
software, and other resources on a network
and provides a centralized storage area for
programs, data, and information
 Servers support from two to several
thousand connected computers at the
same time.
 People use personal computers or
terminals to access data, information, and
programs on a server. A terminal is a
device with a monitor, keyboard, and
memory.
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Server, providing
Services to the
others Computers
and
Related devices

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A mainframe is a large, expensive,
powerful computer that can handle
hundreds or thousands of connected users
simultaneously
Mainframes store huge amounts of data,
instructions, and information. Most
major corporations use mainframes for
business activities. With mainframes,
enterprises are able to bill millions of
customers, prepare payroll for thousands
of employees , and manage thousands of
items in inventory. One study
reported that mainframes process more
than 83 percent of transactions around the
world
Mainframe

Supercomputer.
 A supercomputer is the fastest, most
powerful computer — and the most
expensive.
 The fastest supercomputers are capable of
processing more than one quadrillion
instructions in a single second.
 Applications requiring complex,
sophisticated mathematical calculations use
super computers. Large-scale simulations
and applications in medicine, aerospace,
automotive design, online banking, weather
forecasting, nuclear energy research, and
petroleum exploration use a supercomputer
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Embedded Computers
 An embedded computer is a special-
purpose computer that functions as a
component in a larger product.
 A variety of everyday products contain
embedded computers:
• Consumer electronics
• Home automation devices
• Automobiles
• Process controllers and robotics
• Computer devices and office machines
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Components and categories of computer

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