It is quite well known that the working of the computer is pulled by hardware and software. One can define computer hardware as the electronic, magnetic, and electric devices that carry out the computing functions. Hardware is the physical components of the computer like microprocessor, hard disks, RAM, and motherboard. The peripheral devices such as monitor, mouse, keyboard, printer, and speakers can also be included in the list of hardware parts. The programs that run on the computers like Windows, C++, and Photoshop are the software parts of the computer. A good example for an easy understanding of hardware-software definition is music CDs. The actual compact disk is the hardware, while the songs and music in the CD are the software parts. There is another way to define computer hardware. Hardware devices are the executors of the commands provided by software applications. For example, let us see what happens when you click the print button of the web browsing software. The software application provides a command to the processor, which is the central part of all computer hardware. Processor in turn checks for an attached printer. If the printer is ready, the software will get a positive response from the processor. Then the software application provides instruction to the printer via the processor to print the web page. In that sense, hardware parts are the foot soldiers and software applications are the commanders in the digital operation that takes place within a computer. The main player of computer hardware is undoubtedly the microprocessor. It is the sun in the solar system of computer hardware devices. It is the central component and all other components work around it. It is an integrated chip on which a number of functions are incorporated. Two specifications determine its efficiency. One is its processing speed, which is measured in gigahertz. The other is its bit rate. Commonly available processors are 32 bit and 64 bit. The bit rate is a measure of the efficiency of a processor to carry out multiple operations at the same time. One cannot define computer hardware without mentioning the two types of memory used in computers. One is permanent memory. It refers to the magnetic storage capacity of hard disk. It is measured in gigabytes. The second is RAM or random access memory. This memory is able to store data only when the computer is switched on. The memory will lose all the data when the computer is switched off. Another important product that one should mention when one defines computer hardware is motherboard. It is the electric and electronic circuit board on which all the other components are inserted. There are several other kinds of products such as sound card, video card, network card, and modem that complete the hardware spectrum. By Candis Reade Candis Reade is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about Define Computer Hardware, please visit Electronics Software for current articles and discussions. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Candis_Reade
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Define Computer Hardware
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Discovering Your Local Area Network
In the late 1960's as large college universities and several research labs gained an ever increasing amount of computers, the need for interconnections that worked at high-speed was great, and the pressure was on. It was not until the mid 1970's that an answer to the demand was created, they called it LAN.
LAN stands for Local-Area Network, with the ability to cover small areas, such as a home or office or group of buildings (schools, warehouse, etc.), LANs have higher data-transfer rates, smaller range and do not require licensed telecommunication lines as opposed to WAN (Wide-Area Network). ARCNET and Token Ring were two LANs that were widely used in the past. Ethernet and Wi-Fi are two of today's most common LANs.
A LAN is an important component to gamers. By setting up a LAN, gamers can link together their computers and play with or against their friends. Games, such as "Diablo II" and "S.O.C.O.M.", allows gamers to cooperate together in a team while either on line or while their computers are connected by LAN.Games, such as "Unreal Tournament" and "Starcraft", allow gamers connected by the internet or a LAN to work as a team or to compete against each other.computers are usually linked by what is known as a Cat-5 cable to a HUB; and the HUB acts like a mediator. The Cat-5 cable connects to the back of the computer through the Ethernet port on the Network card, network adapter, LAN adapter or NIC (Network Interface Card). A network card operates on both the physical layer and the data link layer; it allows a low-level addressing system, using Mac Addresses, also known as an IP address, and physical access to the networking medium (the HUB). Not all LANs are the same; some use cables while others are wireless.
While other network technology exists, since the mid 1990's, the Ethernet network card has been leading the crowd, due to low cost and easy integration and use. A unique 48-bit serial number is on every Ethernet network card, stored in the ROM; the serial number is your computers Mac address. The Mac address for every computer must be unique; otherwise only one computer with a given Mac address could be on line and connected to the LAN at a time. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers is responsible for each unique Mac address getting assigned to vendors of interface controllers; this is so no two network cards share the same Mac address.
At one point network cards were expansion cards that had to be plugged into the motherboard. Most new computers have the network card built into the motherboard; some may even have two ports built in so the computer can be connected to multiple networks. Some companies have started using optical fiber instead of Cat-5 cables or USB cords, because optical fiber is immune to electromagnetic interference. Optical fibers are made of glass or plastic, instead of metal, and carry light along their full length. The electrical signals sent along the optical fiber degrade less during transfer than signals sent along metal wires (Cat-5 cables and USB cords).
Victor Epand is an expert consultant for computer memory, PC supplies, and computer games. When shopping, we recommend the best online stores for PC supplies, LAN, computer memory, RAM.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Victor_Epand
Read More..Friday, August 15, 2008
ASUS EEE Vs HP Mini
The reaction I seem to get from most people when I mention ASUS is "Who are they?" The same cannot be said of Hewlett Packard. In the years since Mr Hewlett and Mr Packard started making high quality electrical test equipment in a commercial garage, the company has grown and grown. They still manufacture the world's best electrical test equipment, but they also are major computer manufacturers both in the mini/server and desktop/notebook arenas. You cannot go to many major computer stores without something from HP even if it is only a printer.
HP has a little machine with an 8.9" screen. Sounds good so far. They have been marketed as Vista machines with an option to downgrade some versions to Windows XP. I was in a local electrical store, and at last they were offering an ASUS Eee for sale, but next to it was a display for this little HP 2133 with a price tag that was exactly the same as the ASUS. So for $499 you get this little machine, but it has a 120GB hard drive. What is missing? The webcam is an optional extra and you will have to research the price. I am also finding out if there is a microphone in the machine and speakers.
The Linux operating system of the HP2133 is from Novell. The difference between this and the majority of other Linux-based operating systems is that they offer commercial support. This will be very helpful to anyone who gets into problems with Linux.
You should note that the specifications for these HP2133 sub notebooks seem to be varying dramatically from one country to another. So check on www.hp.com and select your own country from the dropdown list where you see "United States - English" and see what is on offer to you. That way you won't get angry with me or HP if the local specification does not match what is on offer locally for you.
So look at the specifications and make your choice. I will wait to find out if the HP 2133 has a microphone and speakers and how much the webcam is. These may be decisive factors. Maybe we will need to get both the HP and the ASUS to test them out.
You might be wondering what the asus eee computers is, and why you would make money from promoting it. When you go to Amazon, you will see Kindle, and many people will click wanting to buy one. But, there is a problem...find out what it is here at: asus eee computers
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Henry_Chan
Read More..ATI 4800 Series Vs NVidia 9900 Series
The new ATI 4800 series is nearing its release, and more and more information is leaked on the whereabouts of the new NVidia 9900 series GPU, so the issue now is: which one will be better? Well, unfortunately, there are no credible benchmarks on either of these cards, so I will have to talk from the perspective of a business man.
The RV770, also known as the ATI Radeon 4800 series, is supposed to be released this month.Shortly afterwards, nVidia will release its 9900 series GPU's in response to ATI. Now, this will be a very interesting show. First of all, ATI's been steadily regaining its momentum. With the huge success of the ATI 3800 series GPU's, ATI can use its recent success as a push toward the top of the hill.
While ATI pushes forward with its recent success, NVidia is now in a somewhat tense situation. With the disappointing debut of the 9800series GPU's, NVidia must lick its wounds and push forward again to recreate the gains they had on ATI. Now that ATI is starting to build momentum, NVidia will have to work its butt off polishing the 9900series GPU's as much as possible so that both GPU's will not turn out to be the second 9800 series. Although they're being released as replacements of the 9800 series GPU, NVidia will nonetheless have to do some serious work in the area of performance and price-to-performance ratio on their 9900 series GPU's, because ATI will no doubt use their price-to-performance success on their ATI 3800 series GPU's on their Radeon 4800 series GPU's.
This is indeed a tight situation for NVidia; but an extremely valuable chance for ATI. This may bring back ATI to its former glory, and give ATI the chance to compete against NVIdia neck-to-neck, as an equally-polished GPU company once again.
Another side of this situation is that the pressure on NVidia might actually turn out to be favorable for NVidia, because the pressure might actually make NVIdia churn out an excellent GPu. Either way, both GPU's, the NVidia and ATI GPU's, will go neck to neck, and fight its way for the king of the hill.
To read more articles on computer hardware, go to http://www.ImIcarus.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Aki_Horie
Read More..Best Laser Printers
If you find yourself in the situation where you have to buy a new laser printer, you want to enter the market as an informed buyer so you can buy the best laser printer possible. New and improved laser printers are being developed and hitting the market every day, and there are so many options it can be very dizzying. Due to the rapid development of technology, even the cost of the best laser printers are getting lower and lower. Expensive toner is still an issue, but with a little research you'll find you have access to some of the best laser printers ever made at low prices.
Some of the best laser printers you can buy include Brother HL-4040CN, Dell Color Laser Printer 1320c, and the Konica Minolta Magicolor 2540DL. These all have great options and performance and many are available for lower than $400. The above printers are considered some of the best laser printers around because of all the great reviews they receive. The best decision you can make when looking for shopping for a printer is to consult reviews from real customers. These are the experts on how these machines work in day-to-day business and personal use. You can find great reviews about the best laser printers on some great websites.
What to Look For in a Laser Printer
When in the market for a printer, you want to make sure you are shopping for one that fits your needs. Often, even if you only intend to print black and white documents, color laser printers are the best laser printers for the job, because the black contrasts are much richer and easier to read. You might want to consider buying a color printer if you really need professional looking documents. If you don't need your black and white pages to be spectacular, then you should check out some of laser printers with only black ink. These can turn out to be more economical, if that's one of your priorities.
What to Avoid
Reading reviews can help you find the exactly what you need and avoid all the duds that may stop performing on you after only a few print jobs. You also don't want a printer that will leave streaks on your paper, or is too difficult to use. By reading the reviews of customers with real, tangible experience with the laser printer you're looking at, you can be sure that you're really buying on the more reliable and best laser printers around. Real world evidence is better insurance than even the most reliable warranty because it can save all the time you might lose with repairs. You want to only buy proven printers to ensure that your business and life run as smooth as possible.
Make sure you save your time and money and check out all the great reviews from experienced customers who can help you make an informed shopping decision. If you're goal is to save yourself a world of hassle, then educate yourself before you make a big purchasing decision.
If you need more tips and information about laser printers you may want to have a look at my printer website
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Randy_Letter
Read More..5 Basic Tips to Selection of a Motherboard
Motherboard is one of the important parts of the computer. The entire computing process is based on the motherboard.
The technology of the motherboard are always upgraded frequently in a year. The system is getting more compact and the capacity of the motherboard is increasing. People always love fast speed and they are always in search of higher version of the CPU.
1. System upgradation includes change in capacity of the processor. The new versions of processors are available from many companies. If you are looking for upgraded version of the processor, you must have to select the processor based on the present system configuration.
2. Apart from the processor, it is essential to select the proper upgraded processor as per your budget. You must have to consult the system engineer to get the suitable version of the processor to replace the current processor. In the earlier years the Celeron mother boards were installed in most of the system and in laptop or notebook.
3. In the present era, Pentium grade and new version of processor are available with higher capacity of the processing the database. Similarly you must have to upgrade the BIOS as per your configurations.
4. If you install the faster processor than it carry more power load and if you install old version of motherboard than it does not work so it is better to select the proper motherboard that suits to your requirement.
5. The motherboard is available around $100 pr more. You must have to select the proper version of the processor based on the motherboard. If you want to install the motherboard you must have to get the details about the capacity of the motherboard that suits to your needs.
It is better to select the motherboard that suits to your existing needs.
Alex Bellweather is a writer for Best Motherboards, the premier website to find motherboards, motherboard upgrade, motherboards reviews, best motherboards, PC motherboard, motherboard industry, Motherboard Designed, Motherboard Guide and many more.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alex_Bellweather
Read More..Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Web 2.0 - What it Is
Web 2.0 is a term that has been around the computer industry for the past few years but what it actually is seems to still be somewhat illusive in nature. Web 2.0 is not a single technology but a set of technologies used in the design, development, creation and use of web pages that aims to enhance creativity, information sharing, and, most notably, collaboration among users.
The technologies encompassed by Web 2.0 include, but are by no means limited to blogs, RSS, Wikis, rich Internet applications using Ajax, and mashups. The philosophy of Web 2.0 focuses on the idea that the people who access the Internet and use the Web should not just be passively involved in what they are doing but rather should be active contributors, helping customize media and technology for their own purposes, as well as those of their organizations.
Short for "Web logs," blogs are online journals created by an individual or an organization and cover topics ranging from human rights to fashion, and everything in between. Blog postings, typically updated on a daily basis, can include images, photos, links, video, audio, or simple text. The postings are archived by date and sometimes by category or by author. Permanent links allow other bloggers and Web site owners to link directly to a specific post on a blog and encourage inter-blog dialog.
Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds include the delivery of the latest headlines and updates from favorite Web sites to one's desktop without the need to visit the web site, open a browser or check email. It is a tool that is easy to set up with little cost. To start receiving feeds from one's favorite sites, the user downloads an aggregator, the software that delivers the content to the desktop. The RSS can then be customized to search for content on specific keywords or information, as well as content that is tailored to one's individual tastes.
A wiki is a collection of web pages designed to enable anyone who accesses them to contribute or modify content, using a simplified markup language, like HTML. Wikis are often used to create collaborative websites and run community websites. For example, the encyclopedia Wikipedia is one of the best known and popular wikis. Wikis are used in businesses to provide affordable and effective intranets and in education for collaborative student projects and communication.
AJAX, which is an acronym for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML, is a set of technologies for writing code for Web pages that is used to create rich Internet web applications. The fundamental characteristic of Ajax that differentiates it from other web programming languages is that it enables the exchange of small amounts of data with the server in the background so that entire web pages do not need to be reloaded every time there is a request to get data from the server. This asynchronous design increases the speed, interactivity, functionality and usability of web pages. Ajax does not change web pages themselves, but rather how programmers present the data to users. Ajax is considered to be a cross-platform technology in that it can be used on different operating systems, computer architectures and web browsers due to its being based on open standards and open source frameworks and libraries.
A mashup is a web application that combines data from many sources into a single integrated web page. A mashup web application consists of three parts: the data source, which can be any provider of information or content; the mashup web site itself which is the application that combines the data; and the web browser which is the end-user interface for the mashup.
Web 2.0 tools are important, but their impact goes much deeper than their novelty might suggest. Individuals and organizations alike are finding new and increasingly effective ways of connecting through Web 2.0 technologies from building movements for social, environmental, economic, and political change to increasing business through sales and marketing exposure.
Visit http://www.OCRuggedLaptops.com for more information about the rugged laptop industry.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mack_Harris
Read More..
