Topic: Programming: Basic Concepts

English for Computer Hardware ( Components )

Due to convergence, the traditional categories we divide computing into are

blurring. But for practical reasons, IT professionals can still divide hardware into
two main classes: components and peripherals.

Components are primarily core internal devices of a computer which help define
what type a computer is, what it is capable of doing, and how well it is capable of
doing it. Nothing affects the overall quality of a computer more than its
components.

Normally the more expense a component is, the better it performs. This is a
general guideline however and not a steadfast rule. Sometimes you can spend a
lot more money on a component with only slightly better performance than one
costing half as much. Other times a very expensive component might be based
on a completely new technology that is not ready for mass production. In these
cases, one is often better off buying a more mainstream part.

Being an early adopter is not always the most practical move when speccing
components for a new system. Often you can find very powerful hardware at the
medium price ranges. There is normally a relatively large sweet-spot in the
market.

How can you know if a component is good or bad? You want to be an IT

professional, right? IT professionals need good computers without performance
bottlenecks. So do some research. Read articles about components on a
website. Where do you find them? Just Google it!

One of my favorite places for objective customer reviews of components is Tom's

Hardware Guide. Another place for objective information is on well-known
websites such as Amazon.com or NewEgg.com. On sites like these, customers
will often write both positive and negative reviews shortly after receiving their
products. This can help you decide what to buy!

Imagine you want to build your own computer. It's not that difficult or expensive
really. I personally think its kind of fun, How would you start? If you are
experienced, you would start by choosing the components first! Components
must be compatible with each other in order to function correctly. For example
not all processors are compatible with all motherboards. Research is necessary
to solve your dependencies.
If you can't afford the exact parts you want to get all at the same time, you can
use old parts or buy cheaper parts at first if you have to. Why? Because certain
components can be upgraded to attain increased performance. For example, a
video card ( or graphics card ) can be upgraded to improve the graphics for a
CAD/CAM application or 3D gaming experience.

At the heart of the computer lies several key components sitting on the
motherboard including the microprocessor, the chipset, RAM and a ROM
firmware instruction set called the BIOS. These core components are connected
by several buses made to carry information around the system and eventually
out to display devices and other peripherals.

The CPU is another name for the 'brain' of the computer and normally includes
the microprocessor and RAM. This is what does all the calculations. One or more
coprocessors may or may not be needed depending on what the computer is
used for. In the 20th century, coprocessors were often used for mathematics
such as floating point operations. Today however coprocessors are mostly
used for 3D graphics ( GPUs ), sound generation, and physics applications.

As you probably learned in an earlier chapter, RAM is the memory which allows
your computer to hold the operating system and all running programs while your
computer is in use. On the contrary, ROM is a kind of permanent memory which
is still in tact even when the computer is off. The BIOS is a good example of an
application using ROM. The BIOS controls very low-level access to the hardware.

Busses and ports are general terms for connectivity components with connect
the different parts of the PC together. These include the serial port, parallel
port, PCI and PCIe busses, and the Universal Serial Bus ( USB ) controller.
These devices allow communication between different parts of the system. Also
network interface cards are now standard on most motherboards, although
USB and PCI versions of the devices are also available.

Your optical drives and hard disk drives are also components in your computer.
To allow data interchange between your CPU and drives, SATA, ATA, and SCSI
controllers are still widely used.

The core multimedia components include the sound card and graphics card.
They make computing more fun and useful for creative professionals such as
designers, gamers, and musicians. Multimedia is definitely a place where high-
quality components really matter.

Feeding all these components with a steady supply of energy is another

component called the power supply. This is an often overlooked piece of
hardware but obviously very important! A low quality power supply can cause
havoc in a computer system. On the other hand a bigger than necessary power
supply can increase system heat, waste power, and make a lot of noise. Choose
wisely!

At the most exterior of the computer we see the computer case. This is meant to
look good, protect the components, and provide an easy interface to plug in
peripherals. If you are buying or building your own computer, make sure it has a
good case.

Apple is well-known for high quality PC and laptop cases, although most major
companies have fair to medium quality PC cases. Beware of computers with
cheap looking plastic cases. If a computer manufacturer uses a cheap case, it's
very likely they are also using other cheap components inside as well. Cheap
components equal a slow computer which will break after moderate use. If you
intend to use a computer for several hours every day, it makes sense to buy the
very best one which fits your needs and budget.

I hope this reading inspires you to learn more about the components in your
computer. Just remember that putting computers back together is harder than
taking them apart!

Discussion Questions

What components are in your computer right now? Make a list of them. Look
them up on the Internet. Are they high quality or low quality? If you do not have
permission to view your components please ask your system administrator to do
it for you.

If you could upgrade any single component on your system with a new one,
which ones would you replace and why?

Imagine your boss is asking you to spec out new workstations for some game
testers. Your budget is $2,500 per workstation not including the monitor. What
components would you spec?

This is the end of the reading!

Topic Objectives for "Computer

Types"
The objective of unit Computer Types is to learn to recognize and understand the key unit
vocabulary. This is accomplished by completing the readings and practice activities.

Key Topic Vocabulary

Below is a list of key vocabulary terms in the current unit:

- server

- personal computer

- laptop

- workstation

- tablet PC

- personal digital assistant

- print server

- router

- supercomputer

- embedded system

- legacy system

- netbook

- convergence

Topical Readings:

Topic Objectives for "The Internet:

Level 1"
The objective of unit The Internet: Level 1 is to learn to recognize and understand the key unit
vocabulary. This is accomplished by completing the readings and practice activities.

Key Topic Vocabulary

Below is a list of key vocabulary terms in the current unit:

- hypertext

- backbone
- electronic mail

- refresh

- Advanced Projects Research Agency Network

- Bulletin Board System

- download

- bookmark

- intranet

- domain name

- Hypertext Markup Language

- Uniform Resource Locator

- search engine

- World Wide Web Consortium

- electronic publishing

- World Wide Web

- hyperlink

- upload

- web browser

- homepage

- electronic commerce

- cookie

- emoticon

Topical Readings:
hypertext
Definition: any electronic cross-referencing
document first prophesized by Vannevar Bush in
1945
Example: “The woman asked her professor if the
textbook was available as hypertext.”
Part of Speech: noun (thing)

backbone
Definition: a central high speed network that
connects smaller, independent networks
Example: “The Department of Defense was
worried that someone might plan an attack on the
Internet backbone, which would cripple the
country.”
Part of Speech: noun (thing)

email ( electronic mail )

Definition: messages that are sent electronically
via computer networks
Example: “The President of the company sent an
email to his employees inviting them to Christmas
party.”
Part of Speech: noun (thing)
refresh
Definition: update displayed information with
current data
Example: “Tommy hit F5 to refresh his browser
screen and update the latest score on the football
game.”
Part of Speech: verb

ARPANET ( Advanced Projects Research Agency

Network )
Definition: the predecessor to the Internet
developed by ARPA and the first worldwide network
with packet switching
Example: “The World Wide Web owes a big debt to
ARPANET, which was the original global network.”
Part of Speech: proper noun (thing)
BBS ( Bulletin Board System )
Definition: a predecessor to modern websites,
these were early communities that users could dial
using a modem.
Example: “The man who became a network
administrator ran his own BBS as a boy back in the
1980s.”
Part of Speech: proper noun (thing)
download
Definition: The transfer a file or files from a remote
computer to the user's computer
Example: “The professor asked us to download the
example database from the school's server.”
Part of Speech: verb

bookmark
Definition: a saved URL in a web browser allowing
for easy return at a later date
Example: “The student decided to bookmark the
site so he would not have to remember the long
and complicated URL.”
Part of Speech: noun (thing)
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intranet
Definition: a private network contained within an
organization, that typically uses Internet protocols
and standard web browsers
Example: “Companies use intranets as a central
repository for information central to an
organization.”
Part of Speech: noun (thing)

domain name
Definition: the unique name that identifies a Web
site.
Example: “The domain name of Microsoft
Corporation is microsoft.com”
Part of Speech: noun (thing)
HTML ( Hypertext Markup Language )
Definition: the coding or tagging syntax used to
write documents read by web browsers
Example: “A good web developer will know most
HTML tags by heart without looking in a book.”
Part of Speech: proper noun (thing)

URL ( Uniform Resource Locator )

Definition: an address that specifies the location of
a file on the Internet
Example: “One must type in a URL to view a
particular web site.”
Part of Speech: noun (thing)
search engine
Definition: software that indexes network
resources and enables users to search that index
using categories and/or keywords
Example: “The man used a search engine to find
the appropriate web site for his needs.”
Part of Speech: noun (thing)
W3C ( World Wide Web Consortium )
Definition: an organization which develops
specifications and guidelines for the World Wide
Web.
Example: “The W3C recommended that Web
developers no longer use tags in their HTML
documents.”
Part of Speech: proper noun (thing)
electronic publishing
Definition: the distribution of information which is
stored, transmitted and reproduced electronically
Example: “The student got his Masters Degree in
Electronic Publishing and then went on to work as a
webmaster for The Times Online”
Part of Speech: noun (person)

WWW ( World Wide Web )

Definition: a global hypertext system operating on
the Internet that enables electronic communication
of text and multimedia.
Example: “When most people refer to the Internet,
they are actually speaking of the World Wide Web,
which is a part of the Internet.”
Part of Speech: proper noun (thing)
hyperlink
Definition: A document cross-reference technique
enabling the retrieval of a related document or
resource simply by clicking on an underlined word
or image.
Example: “The man made a hyperlink from his
home page to his friend's business so people could
find it easily.”
Part of Speech: noun (thing)
upload
Definition: to transfer a file from a local computer
to a remote computer
Example: “The boy uploaded a picture of his
girlfriend to his personal web page.”
Part of Speech: verb

web browser
Definition: software that interprets a markup
language such as HTML, and converts them into
human readable web pages.
Example: “The man upgraded his web browser to
the latest version before surfing the web for the
best deal on a car.”
Part of Speech: noun (thing)

homepage
Definition: The root or main page for a web site
Example: “The homepage of the White House is
www.whitehouse.gov”
Part of Speech: noun (thing)

e-commerce ( electronic commerce )

Definition: The term for buying and selling goods
and services over the world wide web
Example: “Although e-commerce started out small,
it has grown into a billion dollar industry. ”
Part of Speech: noun (thing)
cookie
Definition: a text file containing personal
information of a user retreived while browsing the
Internet, normally stored on the user's hard drive.
Example: “The lawyer said the web's use of
cookies is quite controversial because most users
have no idea that information about them is being
collected and stored on their own computer.”
Part of Speech: noun (thing)

emoticon
Definition: A symbol that uses the characters on a
computer keyboard to convey emotion an email or
instant message, such as the smiley face :)
Example: “One of the most popular emoticons is
perhaps the wink and smile ;) which is used to
convey irony or satire.”
Part of Speech: noun (thing)

Topic Objectives for "Types of

Removable Storage"
The objective of unit Types of Removable Storage is to learn to recognize and understand the
key unit vocabulary. This is accomplished by completing the readings and practice activities.

Key Topic Vocabulary

Below is a list of key vocabulary terms in the current unit:

- diskette

- compact disc read only memory

- flash drive

- digital versitile disc

- compact disc recordable

- digital versitile disc recordable

- Blu-Ray Disc

- Blu-Ray Disc Rewritable

Topical Readings:

Below is a list of all the reading(s) in the unit:

diskette
Definition: a portable magnetic storage media
enclosed in a platic sleeve, typically holding 1.4 MB
of data; also known sometimes as a 'floppy disk'
Example: “Diskettes are getting rare these days
and have all but been replaced by USB flash
memory drives.”
Part of Speech: noun (thing)

CD-ROM ( compact disc read only memory )

Definition: a storage medium popular in modern
computers; one of these can hold approximately
650 MB of data
Example: “The CD-ROM has almost been
completely replaced by the much more efficient
DVD-ROM technology.”
Part of Speech: noun (thing)

flash drive
Definition: A USB device used for portable data
storage, typically 64 MB or higher; also known as a
USB drive, jump drive, and even a key drive
Example: “The man stopped using his floppy
disk drive for good when he found out that flash
drives are more reliable, have more storage
capacity, and are faster.”
Part of Speech: noun (thing)
DVD ( digital versitile disc )
Definition: a portable storage medium which can
hold between 4.7 and 17 gigabytes of data, often
used for storing movies, games, and operating
systems
Example: “The salesperson said that once he
saw a film on DVD, he was never satisfied with
VHS technology again.”
Part of Speech: noun (thing)

CD-R ( compact disc recordable )

Definition: a recordable storage medium that
allows a user to write one time up to 650
megabytes of data.
Example: “The nervous author backed up his
novel every day on a new CD-R.”
Part of Speech: noun (thing)

DVD-R ( digital versitile disc recordable )

Definition: a portable recordable storage medium
which allows a user to write one time up to 4.7
gigabytes of data.
Example: “A DVD-R can store many times as
much information as a CD-R, so they are great for
making backups of larger files and folders.”
Part of Speech: noun (thing)

BD ( Blu-Ray Disc )
Definition: an optical read-only disc storage media
format used for data or movie storage with same
dimensions as a standard DVD or CD; holds up to
50 GB or 6 times the storage of a DVD.
Example: “The name Blu-ray Disc comes from
blue-ish colored laser used to read and write data
to this type of disc.”
Part of Speech: proper noun (thing)
BD-RE ( Blu-Ray Disc Rewritable )
Definition: an optical disc format technology which
can be re-recorded multiple times. Disc capacities
are up to 50GB;
Example: “Blu-Ray Disc Rewritable technology
holds 6 times as much data as a traditional DVD-
RW. They are used for high definition movie
storage and to backup large file archives.”
Part of Speech: proper noun (thing)