The computer is a device that operates on a series of command and can be instructed to carry out any random set of arithmetic and logical processes in an automated manner. Computer programs make the device seems very flexible and useful through its ability to follow a particular sequence of operation. A computer is also referred to as information processor. It happens in such a way that the computer is fed with raw data where its stored till it's ready to work on it, does it into bits after a few technical processes and finally have an end product of the machine. It is the simplest model of how a computer works. This paper is going to address how a computer work and all those components that make a computer whole.
Computer hardware and input devices
A computer work by combining some key aspects such as input, storage also referred to as memory, processing and finally output. Every central part of the computer is involved in one of the four processes. The computer is always fed with some data. The input aspect is responsible for this. The keyboard and mouse are the best examples of the input devices used in a computer. They are the ways of getting the information into the computer so it can process it. Other forms of inputs include microphone and voice recognition software that feed the computer with the audio data as asserted by Weiser (1991).
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Fig 1.0: computer keyboard and mouse
Computer Memory or Storage
The second part is the memory aspect. After all the information has been fed into the computer, the device will probably need to store all that data inform f documents and files on the hard drive- that is a huge magnetic memory. The huge magnetic memories are those that are used by bigger computers. Small computers use flash memory cards that are typically employed in digital cameras and mobile phones.
Fig 1.1: a computer hard drive.
The computer's processor also known as the Central Processing Unit (CPU) is built deep inside the works hard to process aggregate the information that one has fed into the computer. At times this CPU gets hot, and it is attached to some fan that cools it, thus preventing it from overheating in the process (Laue, 2004).
Finally, we have the output. The computer is characterized by an LCD – Liquid Crystal Display screen. This screen has a very high resolution that enables it to display very detailed graphics of both words and pictures and probably also stereo loudspeakers ( Tavallaei, et al. 2001).
A computer is composed of two "wares", hardware, and the software. Computer hardware consists of a collection of physical parts of the device. They include the keyboard, monitor, mouse and even the whole computer cover or case. The computer's hardware includes even its internal physical parts such as the hard disk drive, video card, and even the motherboard. In general, the hardware in a computer is all that you can touch and even see.
The device software is a well programmed and organized collection of computer data and instruction (Laue, 2004). The software is always divided into major parts namely, system software and the application software. The system software provides the basic or fundamental non-task-specific functions of the computer whereas the application software is used by the computer users to achieve certain specific tasks.
Types of computers
There are different types of machines, but we'll major on two; desktop and laptop. A desktop consists of the computer case as a separate mouse, a different keyboard, and the monitor. A desktop is that computer that is not easily portable and most of the time; they are attached to desks or tables where they are operated. The laptops unlike the desktops, they are easily portable, and they have all their components integrated into one single cover or rather a casing. Against their differences, both the laptop and the desktop perform the same roles and consist of the same hardware components.
Fig 1.2: desktop and laptops
Computer CPU
Some of the key elements of a computer are; motherboard and the Central Processing Unit. The motherboard is the fundamental component installed in a computer that links all the functional units in the machine. It's on the motherboard that all the operations of a computer start and ends. The CPU also referred to as the brain of the computer where all transactions are carried on in a computer. All the commands you provide the computer, for example, a click of a mouse will go through the CPU, which processes in billions of cycles per second. Installed processors have quad-cores or four distinct processors in one element. There are six-core and eight-core accessible, and the more innovative the technology, the higher their cost.
Fig 1.3: Motherboard
Understanding a computer is so hard at once since it is very broad to cover all. All that is included herein are some of the core or fundamental aspects that help the computer function well. The computer has made human work so easy with the constant innovations that come along with technology. In most cases, if one talks of technology, it’s the computer that clicks into people’s minds. What does this mean? It's the complexity of use, and all it has with regards to innovation are the core indicator of advancement ( Cavallari et al., 2000).
References
Laue, A. (2004). How the computer works. A Companion to Digital Humanities , 145-160.
Tavallaei, S., Vu, A. T., Hardt, T. T., Vinson, W. D., Lacombe, J. S., & Mouton, J. A. (2000). U.S. Patent No. 6,101,459 . Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Weiser, M. (1991). The computer for the 21st century. Scientific american , 265 (3), 94-104.
