Inside the Box The Vital Pieces Operating Systems Printers New Canaan Library Winter 2002.
-
Upload
maryann-watts -
Category
Documents
-
view
218 -
download
3
Transcript of Inside the Box The Vital Pieces Operating Systems Printers New Canaan Library Winter 2002.
Inside the Box
The Vital Pieces Operating Systems Printers
New Canaan LibraryWinter 2002
What we will look at:
CPU or Computer Chip Main Memory RAM (Temporary Storage) Hard Disk (Permanent Storage) Drives (Portable Storage) Video/Sound Cards Ports Monitors Operating Systems (Software) Printers
CPU
CPU (Central Processing Unit) or Chip is
the heart of the computer.
CPU processes instructions, performs calculations and manages the flow of information throughout the computer system.
CPU
The CPU speed is a major (but not the only) factor in determining how fast a computer operates.
CPU speed is measured in megahertz (MHz), millions of cycles per second or gigahertz (GHz), billions of cycles per second.
CPU
Today there are several different types of CPUs with different speeds to choose from:
Intel Pentium Processor Intel Celeron Processor AMD Athlon Processor AMD Duron Processor
CPU
Intel Pentium Processor
Pentium 4 is the latest generation, with a processing speed up to 2.0 GHz.
Pentium III’s are still common in new computers with speeds ranging from 700 MHz to 1.13 GHz
CPU
Intel Celeron Processor
An inexpensive CPU designed to meet the needs and budgets of most home computer users.
Similar to the Pentium, but have less built-in memory.
Available in speeds up to 900 MHz.
CPU
AMD Athlon Processor
The AMD Athlon is a high-performance processor manufactured by AMD, suitable for businesses and home users who need a powerful processor.
CPU
AMD Duron Processor
The AMD Duron is an inexpensive CPU designed to meet the needs of most computer users with speeds up to 900 MHz.
CPU
Recommended CPU:
Celeron or Duron based computers for the more cost conscious.
Pentium III, 4 or AMD Athlon for the power user.
Memory (Temporary Storage)
RAM (Random Access Memory) or Main Memory
The amount of RAM memory determines the number of programs a computer can run at once and how fast programs will operate.
Memory is measured in megabytes (MB). You should buy a computer with at least 128 MB of memory
Memory
Think of RAM as “work space” You can improve the performance of
your computer by adding more memory.
RAM is temporary memory
Memory
Memory comes in different forms DRAM (Dynamic RAM) is a type of
memory chip that makes up the main memory in many computer systems
SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM) is a faster type of memory chip found in most new computer systems. SDRAM transfers at a rate of 133 MHz
Memory
RDRAM (Rambus DRAM) is a new type of memory chip often found in high-performance computers. It can transfer data at up to 600 MHz.
ECC (Error-correcting code memory) Includes a special circuitry for testing the accuracy of data as it passes in/out of memory
Memory
Recommended Memory:
128 MB - 256 MB for all new computers. Look for SDRAM or RDRAM with ECC.
Hard Disk(Permanent Storage)
With Hard disk, both size and speed matters.
Today the amount of information a hard disk can store is measured in Gigabytes (GB)
The speed at which the platter in the hard disk spins is measured in Revolutions Per Minute (RPM)
The speed at which a hard drive finds data is the “Average Access Time” or “ Seek Time.”
Hard Disk
Average Access Time or “Seek Time” is measured in milliseconds (MS). One millisecond equals 1/1000 of a second. Seek time is important to the overall performance of the computer
Most hard drives have an average access time between 8 to 15 ms.
The lower the average access time, the faster the hard drive.
Hard Disk
Types of hard disk interfaces: EIDI SCSI Firewire
(SCSI and Firewire need a separate interface card, are more expensive but faster than EIDI)
Hard Disk
Types of EIDI drives:
Regular EIDI DMA Ultra ATA
Hard Disk
DMA and Ultra ATA hard drives runs faster faster than regular EIDI
SpeedDMA 5400 RPMATA 7200 RPM
Hard Disk
Recommended Hard Disk:
20 - 40 GB Ultra ATA 7-9 ms seek time, 7200 RPM
Video Card
The video card is the interface between the CPU and the monitor.
A video card has its own memory chip which stores information before sending it to the monitor.
Most computers require at least 2 MB of video card memory (VRAM).
Video Card
An Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) video card uses an AGP bus to communicate directly with the computer’s main memory.
This allows quicker display of complex images on the monitor.
AGP is specially designed to meet the high demands of displaying 3D images.
Video Card
Recommended Video Card:2X - 4X AGP, 16-64 MB RAM, 3-D
card with a good brand name.
Some good brand names are:ATI, Creative and Voodoo
Sound Card
The sound card is the interface that allows you to listen to sounds on your PC
The sampling rate of a sound card determines the quality of the sound produced. The higher the sampling rate, the better the sound quality
Look for a sampling rate of at least 44.1 KHz
Sound Card
Full-duplex A full-duplex sound card lets you
talk and listen at the same time. When using a computer to have a
conversation over the Internet, a full-duplex sound card lets people talk at the same time.
Sound Cards
Recommended Sound Card:
Diamond MX 300, 400, 600 or the family of SoundBlaster Live Cards.
Drives (Portable Storage)
Floppy CD-ROM CD-RW DVD DVD-R
Drives
Floppy Drive A floppy drive is a storage device
that magnetically stores data. Floppy drives use 3.5 inch floppy
disks. A floppy disk can hold 1.44 MBs of
information.
Drives
CD-ROM Drive CD-ROM means Compact Disc-Read-
Only-Memory. Read-only means you cannot change
the information stored on the disc A single CD-ROM stores up to 650 MB
of information (that’s over 400 floppy disks)
Drives
CD-ROM Applications
Install Programs Play Multimedia CD-ROM Discs Play Music CDs
Drives
CD-ROM Speed How fast the CD-ROM disc spins
determines its speed The higher the speed, the faster
information can transfer from the disk to the computer.
You should buy at least a 48X (7,200 KB/s) CD-ROM drive.
Drives
CD-RW Drives A CD-RW means Compact Disc-
ReWritable. CD-RWs allow you to write, and re-
write, data on CD-RW discs. CD-R discs allow you to write BUT
NOT re-write data to the disk.
Drives
CD-RW Applications
Store and Transfer Data (Up to 700 MB)
Record Music (Up to 74 minutes) Play Music CDs Play Multimedia CDs
Drives
CD-RW SpeedCD-RW drives operate at several
speeds. Example:Write 12XRewrite 10XRead 32X
Drives
Write speed refers to how fast a CD-RW can record data on a CD-R disc
Re-Write speed refers to how fast it can write to a CD-RW disc
Read refers to how fast data transfers from a disc to the computer
Drives
DVD-ROMStands for Digital Versatile Disc-Read-
Only Memory. You cannot change the information stored on a DVD-ROM.
A DVD-ROM is similar in size and shape to a CD-ROM, but can store much more information (4.7 to 17 GB)
Drives
DVD-ROM Applications
Play DVD Video (w/MPEG2 decoder) Play Music CDs Play Multimedia DVDs or CDs
Drives
DVD-ROM Speed
The speed of a DVD-ROM drive determines how quickly data can transfer from a disc to the computer.
Current drives commonly have a speed of 6X
Drives
Recordable DVD Drives A recordable DVD allows you to
record data on rewritable DVD discs. Recordable DVDs are also known as
DVD-RAM and DVD-R. DVD-Ram can play CD-ROMs, CD-Rs,
CD-RWs music CDs and DVD Video.
Ports
USB and Firewire USB and Firewire ports allow you to
easily connect peripheral devices to your computer
USB and Firewire are very fast ports USB/Firewall automatically detect
and install the device
Ports
USB (Universal Serial Bus) Current version of USB can transfer
information at a speed of up to 12 megabits per second (Mbps).
USB 2.0 will be able to transfer information at a speed of 480 Mbps.
USB is often used to connect scanners, printers, keyboards, etc.
Ports
Firewire (a.k.a. IEEE 1394 or I.link) A firewire port can transfer
information at a speed of up to 400 Mbps.
Firewire is useful for connecting high-speed devices such as digital video cameras and external hard drives.
Modem
Modem A modem lets computer exchange
information over telephone lines 56 Kbps (5,600 bits per second) is the
highest speed dial-up. V.92/V.44 is a new standard promising
higher speed dial-up (300 Mbps), faster connection speed and the ability to take calls without disconnecting from the Internet
Network Adapter
Ethernet Card Is an adapter that allows you to
connect your computer to a network. Needed for Broadband connections
to the Internet (e.g. Cable, DSL)
Monitors
Monitor Size Monitor size is measured diagonally
across the screen. Common sizes are 14, 15, 17, 19, 21 inches.
Large monitors are more expensive and are good for working with graphics, video editing or large spreadsheets.
Monitors
Flat-panel A flat-panel monitor uses Liquid
Crystal Display (LCD). Flat-panels are more expensive but
are lighter, take up less desk space and use less electricity.
Monitors
Dot Pitch The dot pitch is the distance between pixels
on a screen. A pixel is the smallest element on a screen.
Dot pitch determines the sharpness of images and is measured in millimeters (mm)
The smaller the dot pitch, the sharper the image. Select a monitor with a dot pitch of 0.28mm or less.
Monitors
Refresh Rate The refresh rate determines the speed that
a monitor redraws, or updates, images. The higher the rate the less flicker on the screen.
Refresh is measured in hertz (Hz) and tells you the number of times per second the monitor redraws the entire screen.
Choose a monitor with a refresh rate of 72 Hz or more.
Operating System
Windows 98 Windows ME Windows XP (Home Edition)
Windows NT and 2000 are more commonly used for running business applications. They provide advanced networking and security features.
Operating System
Operating System (OS)An operating system is the software
that controls the overall activity of a computer.
Controls Hardware Runs Software Manages Information
Operating System
Platform A platform refers to the type of
operating system used by a computer, such as Windows, Mac OS or UNIX.
Programs designed for use on one platform will not usually work on another platform.
Operating System
Windows 98 Windows 98 is more stable than
Win95 More maintenance tools FAT 32 File system (uses hard drive
space more efficiently) More Internet Programs (Explorer,
Outlook, Frontpage express)
Operating System
Window ME Movie Maker, allows you to record,
edit and save videos on your computer
Enhanced version of Media Player to help manage your multimedia files
Home networking wizard System Restore feature
Operation System
Windows XP New visual design Digital photo features CD Burner Software Video production Instant messaging and video conferencing Recovery tools More secure, stable, reliable and
dependable
Printers
Ink Jet Laser Ink Jet Color Photo Printer
Printers
Speed The speed of a printer determines
how quickly it can print pages Speed is measured in pages per
minute (PPM) A higher speed results in faster
output.
Printers
Resolution The resolution of a printer determines
the quality of the images it can produce. A higher resolution yields sharper, more detailed images.
Resolution is measured in dots per inch (DPI). 600 dpi is good for most text documents. 1200 dpi is good for images.
Printers
Ink-Jet Ink-jets produce high-quality documents
at a low price. Ideal for routine business and personal documents
An ink-jet printer has a print head that sprays ink through small nozzles onto a page.
Speed: 2 - 10 ppm; Resolution: 360 - 2400 dpi
Printers
Laser Laser printer is a high-speed printer
ideal for business, personal documents and professional graphics
A laser printer works like a photocopier to produce high-quality images on a page
Printers
Laser Process:A tiny laser beam scans across a
rotating, electrostatically charged drum to create an image of the printed page. Toner sticks to the scanned image on the drum, which in turn rolls onto the paper, where the toner is fused at about 400 degrees to create a hard copy.
Printers
Laser Speed Most lasers produce images at a speed of
4-16 ppm All lasers have a CPU that processes
instructions and manages information flow within the printe
Laser printers store pages in built-in memory before printing. Typical laser CPU speed is 2 MB to 8MB and can be upgraded
Printers
Memory is important for laser printers that produce images at high resolutions, such as 2400 dpi.
Memory is also important for laser printers that print on larger paper sizes and process complex print jobs.
Printer
Laser Resolution
The resolution or quality of the images produced by a laser printer ranges from 600 to 2400 dpi
Printers
Color Photo Printer A color photo printer is designed to
produce photographic-quality images.
Photo quality printers can accept special types of paper and use a different cartridge from standard ink-jet printers.
Inside the Box
QUESTIONS?
Inside the Box
THANK YOU
Jeff Zaino, Systems LibrarianNew Canaan Library
Fall 2001