Types of Personal Computers

PC, or Windows-based	Macintosh

Computer Components

Hardware
Software

PC Hardware: An Overview

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Responsible for most operations
Also called "processor"
Categorized by speed and type (e.g., Pentium 200, 486DX-33)

Random Access Memory (RAM)


"Short-term memory" of the computer
Erases every time the computer is turned off
Measured in megabytes
1 byte is one character of computer code
1 kilobyte is 1 thousand bytes
1 megabyte is 1 million bytes
1 gigabyte is 1 billion bytes

Disk drives


"Long-term memory" of the computer
Hard drive is fixed on your computer, but data can be added and removed
Floppy drives can be used for portable data

PC Software: An Overview

Files
A unit of computer code
May be a document, an image, a set of instructions, etc.
One or more integrated files designed to perform a task is known as an application

Operating System

Software that allows the user and the computer to communicate with each other
DOS, Windows, MacOS, UNIX

Applications

Word processors, spreadsheets, presentation/graphics programs, statistics programs, World Wide Web browsers, e-mail programs, games

Computer Term Dictionary Links

Free On-line dictionary of computing
A Glossary of Computer Oriented Abbreviations and Acronyms
Web terms
internet glossary
Hypertext and WWW information