Introduction to Hardware
* Lesson 2 - COMMON COMPUTER TERMINOLOGY 2.1 - INTRODUCTION
TO HARDWARE [1] Introduction to Hardware[Introduction to
Hardware]
_Hardware_ refers to all the physical components of a computer. It
includes all input devices, processing devices, storage devices, and output
devices. The keyboard, mouse, motherboard, monitor, hard disk, cables, and
printer are all examples of hardware.
You use hardware to provide input to a computer and also to get the
desired output. For example, when you play a musical instrument, such as a
piano, you provide input by pressing the keys and get the desired output in
the form of music. Similarly, computers also need input and output devices
to perform tasks.
Apart from input and output devices, a computer uses processing devices to
work on the input data and generate the desired output. The most important
processing device is the CPU. The CPU is the brain of the computer. It
processes the input to perform calculations and produce output.
A motherboard is a large circuit board that connects input, output, and
processing devices. The motherboard circuits provide pathways that allow
data to pass through these various components. It also contains chips that
determine how, when, and where data can flow through the computer.
Depending on the task that you want your computer to perform, you can
choose the appropriate hardware. For example, you can use a NIC to connect
your computer to other computers. You can also use expansion cards, such as
video cards, to add new features or enhance the performance of your
computer. All of these devices are plugged into the motherboard.
