Technololgy Revealed Essay, Research Paper
“Technology Revealed”
The computer is no longer something new and special to many people nowadays,
because many families now have at least one computer in their homes. When most
people think of a computer they think of the monitor, the tower, and the small pieces that
come with it, like the keyboard and mouse. In fact, a computer can be broken down into
four distinct categories, which include the output, input, CPU, processor, and the power
supply.
The term ”output” consists of all components that display words and graphics so
that a person can see them. Many people can easily understand why the monitor is a form
of output device since it is the screen that tells them what the computer is actually doing.
Simply put, without a monitor, the computer itself is basically useless. Another form of
output, which is rarely noticed by many computer users however, is the printer. Many
people have probably used a printer before, but it is just that they never realize it is also a
form of output.
As opposed to the “input” consists of components that take in information from
the users themselves so that the computer will know the tasks it is supposed to perform
and accomplish. The keyboard is classified as a form of input because this is where the
users enter commands and text. There are many other forms of input as well.
Nonetheless, many people just don’t realize them, or are too lazy to classify them. For
instance, the mouse belongs to input, since it provides a floating pointer on the screen so
that the users can access commands faster and easier. The scanner is another form of
input, because it acts like a photocopier, except it scans the image and makes it onto the
computer screen instead of onto a piece of paper.
The CPU, Central Processing Unit is probably one of the most important category
of the five . As the name implies, it is the soul of a computer, very much alike the human
brain. For some weird reason, people often call the CPU a computer. This is incorrect,
the word computer is just a general term which must always include all the
five categories
mentioned. To make it easier to understand, this central unit must have memory blocks
to store data temporarily; disk drives to store data permanently; and last but not least, the
main processor chip which performs all the jobs and mathematical calculations, as well
as determines the speed of a CPU.
When a person looks for a computer they should always look at the processor
speed. It is a very important because the processor is the part of the computer that makes
your computer perform certain tasks. The most common task im talking about is when
you click on a certain icon or program and the processor is what brings that program up.
The faster the processor the quicker the program will come up and be able to use and
access. There are only two types of processors the are Pentiums and Athalon processors.
Both are easily up gradable to any speed our fast technological world creates.
The most important unit of the CPU is the power supply. There are 3 main power
sources you have to hook up to any one hundred-ten volt outlet on your wall. One power
source is the plug that hooks up from the monitor to the wall, which gives power to your
monitor and speakers. Another supply is the link up that hooks up to your monitor and
the actual tower, in this case gives the monitor and tower both power to one another so
they can run with the same amount of power and no use to much energy, so you don’t
have a huge electric bill. The main power root is the plug that leads from the tower to the
plug outlet, and this gives the CPU all the power to run all the other functions mentioned.
These are the five categories that the readers must know should they need to
classify a computer again in the future. Also, it can be seen that a computer is not as
simple as many people think it is, for it consists of many internal components which are
often neglected and ignored. It should also be emphasized that the components listed in
this essay are not the only ones available, since developers and manufacturers will
continue to create newer and more sophisticated gadgets everyday, and will never stop.