"The Computer"

A computer is a machine which manipulates data according to a list of instructions.

Computer

The computer is one of the most powerful innovations in human history. With the use of computers, people are suddenly able to perform a staggering amount of computations at dazzling speeds. Information can be crunched, organized, and displayed in the blink of an eye. As technology continues to advance, the computer will no doubt become even more pervasive — and in many cases, likely even less recognizable.

What is Computer?

A computer is a device that accepts information (in the form of digitalized data) and manipulates it for some result based on a program or sequence of instructions on how the data is to be processed. Complex computers also include the means for storing data (including the program, which is also a form of data) for some necessary duration.

Windows Vista: Better designed than OS X?

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Welcome to Modern Life



As you might guess from the headline, I quite liked it. I would go as far to say that Vista is better designed than OS X. A bold statement? Perhaps. You may debate this, but how one approaches a discussion like this largely depends on the semantics and definitions of words such as 'better'- and indeed, it's hard to state one design is 'better' without some context. But bear with me, we'll get to that.

The ongoing struggle between OS X and XP has never been about raw functionality - surely there's no debate that you can do more with a PC? There's several orders of magnitude more software available for Windows platforms, and the same goes for third party hardware - Microsoft's dominant market position means Windows is the most economically sound platform to develop for.
What we can clarify, then, is that the lack of increase of raw functionality in Vista is a non-issue, assuming that quality and productivity gains can be made. And it's the extra polish and niceties in Windows Vista that do improve on quality, rather than quantity, of the functionality and usability of the OS.
Microsoft has spared no expense in the production of its new OS. Everything is designed. Deliberated over by a no-doubt expansive panel of testers and developers. From the startup sounds engineered by Brian Eno to the gorgeous default wallpapers selected and commissioned very carefully, they've gone for top-brand production all the way. Whilst you could argue that some of the stuff was over-designed (Who really needs Brian Eno to create a startup sound, anyway?), the scope and amount of effort that went into Vista really is incredible.

Explore the features of Windows Vista

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Explore the features: Accessibility

Accessibility

Windows Vista includes built-in accessibility settings and programs that make it easier for you to see, hear, and use your computer. The accessibility settings and programs in Windows Vista are particularly helpful to people with visual difficulties, hearing loss, pain in their hands or arms, or reasoning and cognitive issues.
Major accessibility improvements in Windows Vista include:
  • The new Ease of Access Center to help you find the settings and tools that make it easier for you to see, hear, and use your computer.
  • Improved magnification capabilities in Microsoft Magnifier.
  • Improved text-to-speech capabilities in Microsoft Narrator.
  • The new Speech Recognition experience that lets you interact with your computer by voice.

Ease of Access Center
Ease of Access Center The new Ease of Access Center in Windows Vista provides a convenient, centralized place to locate accessibility settings and programs to make your computer easier to use. The Ease of Access Center includes quick access to common tools, a questionnaire to get recommendations for accessibility settings and tools, and the ability to explore all accessibility settings in seven categories. The Ease of Access Center can be found in the Control Panel in Windows Vista or by selecting Windows logo key+U. The Ease of Access icon is also available when you are logging into Windows Vista. The Ease of Access Center replaces the Accessibility Wizard and Utilities Manager in previous versions of Windows. 
Ease of Access Center
Make your computer easier to use with the Ease of Access Center.
Gain quick access to common tools
Start Narrator, Magnifier, On-Screen Keyboard, and High Contrast quickly from Quick access to common tools in the Ease of Access Center. When you start these tools from the Quick Access section, the tools will turn off after you log off or shut down. If you want these tools to start automatically every time you log on, turn them on under the Explore all settings categories.
Get recommendations for settings
The Ease of Access Center includes a new, optional questionnaire (that replaces the Accessibility Wizard found in previous versions of Windows). Based on your answers, a custom list of recommended accessibility settings is provided so you can choose which options you want to try. You can take this questionnaire and adjust your settings as often as you like. This new questionnaire takes the guesswork out of selecting settings.
The questionnaire includes questions about performing routine tasks, such as whether you have trouble seeing faces or text on TV, hearing normal conversations, or using a pen or pencil. Based on your answers, Windows Vista provides a personalized recommendation of the accessibility settings and programs that are likely to improve your ability to see, hear, and use your computer.
The questionnaire asks questions that relate to:
  • Eyesight
  • Dexterity
  • Hearing
  • Speech
  • Reasoning tasks
You can find the questionnaire in the Ease of Access Center (in the Control Panel) by selecting Get recommendations for settings.
Explore all settings by category
Instead of looking for accessibility settings in various places on your computer, Windows Vista brings all those settings together and organizes them into categories that you can explore in the Ease of Access Center.
You can explore seven different categories of accessibility settings and programs:
  • Use the computer without a display.
  • Make the computer easier to see.
  • Use the computer without a mouse or keyboard.
  • Make the mouse easier to use.
  • Make the keyboard easier to use.
  • Use text or visual alternatives for sounds.
  • Make it easier to focus on tasks.

Make things on the screen larger with Magnifier
Magnifier is a magnification program in Windows Vista that enables you to enlarge a portion of your computer screen in a separate window to make it easier to see. The magnification quality has improved from previous versions. Now you can choose magnification levels up to 16 times the original size, and you can choose to track the mouse, the keyboard, or text editing.
In Magnifier, you can choose to:
  • Invert the colors for better screen legibility.
  • Move the Magnifier window anywhere on your screen.
    Choose a docking position which places the magnifier window at the left, top, right, or bottom of your screen.
  • Adjust the tracking focus so that it follows the movement of the mouse cursor, keyboard focus, or text editing.
You can find Magnifier in the Ease of Access Center.
Magnifier in the Ease of Access Center
Magnifier can enlarge a portion of your computer screen.

Hear text read aloud with Narrator
Narrator is the text-to-speech program in Windows Vista that reads what is displayed on your screen, including the contents of the active window, menu options, or the text you have typed. Narrator reads menus without leaving the active window and includes a pleasant, natural-sounding voice.
Narrator has a number of options that allow you to customize the way screen elements are read. You can:
  • Read Narrator menus without leaving the active window.
  • Move around the desktop with the number keys using virtual focus, which allows you to move through the objects on the desktop and read aloud any content they contain.
  • Move around the desktop with the arrow keys using virtual menus.
  • Use bookmarks to find commonly used programs.
You can choose the type of text Narrator reads aloud, such as keystrokes, system messages, and scroll notifications, and you can choose voice settings. Plus, Narrator is compatible with any SAPI-compliant voice for users who can use a different voice.
You can find Narrator in the Ease of Access Center.
Microsoft Narrator
Narrator will read aloud what is on your screen.
Type with On-Screen Keyboard
On-Screen Keyboard in Windows Vista displays a visual keyboard with all of the standard keys on the screen. Instead of relying on the physical keyboard to type, you can select keys using the mouse or another pointing device, a small group of keys, or just one key. Several keyboard layouts are available in On-Screen Keyboard, and views are available to promote faster typing or to give access to the maximum number of keys. You can choose the typing mode that works best for you—clicking mode, hovering mode, or scanning mode. To make the On-Screen Keyboard keys easier to see, you can change the font, font style, and font size from the Settings menu.
You can find On-Screen Keyboard in the Ease of Access Center.
On-Screen Keyboard
On-Screen Keyboard in Windows Vista displays a visual keyboard with all of the standard keys on the screen.

Interact with your PC by voice using Speech Recognition
Speech Recognition in Windows Vista empowers you to interact with your computer by voice, significantly reducing the use of a mouse and keyboard, while maintaining or increasing your overall productivity. Speech Recognition is particularly useful for people who have difficulty with dexterity or have limited use of their hands and arms, because it reduces or eliminates their need for a mouse and a keyboard while enabling them to maintain or increase their productivity.
With Speech Recognition, you can dictate documents and e-mail, fill out forms on the web, and command applications and the operating system by saying what you see. Right from the beginning, you are guided through an easy setup process and an interactive training application that will familiarize you with the voice commands. Whether it is starting an application, selecting a word, or correcting a sentence, you are always in control and guided toward a list of smart choices.
Speech Recognition is fully integrated into Windows Vista and is built on top of the latest Microsoft speech technologies. It features state-of-the-art voice recognition accuracy that is designed to improve as people use it, adapting to their speaking style and vocabulary.
You can find Speech Recognition in the Control Panel of Windows Vista.
Speech Recognition in Windows Vista
Speech Recognition in Windows Vista empowers you to interact with your computer by voice.
Find assistive technology products for Windows Vista
Assistive technology products are innovative technology solutions that empower people with physical and cognitive difficulties to use computers more easily and effectively. Microsoft worked closely with assistive technology companies around the world to ensure specialized products—such as voice recognition software, screen readers, screen magnifiers, and on-screen keyboards—are compatible with Windows. As a result, Windows Vista users have more choice in the types of the technology solutions they can use to meet their particular needs. Many assistive technology products are compatible with Windows. Find more information on assistive technology products for Windows Vista.
When selecting assistive technology products, it is critical to find products that are compatible with your existing software programs and that will address your specific needs. This can be challenging, but experts are available to help. A network of Microsoft Accessibility Resource Centers can help you learn more about assistive and accessible technology and determine which solutions are right for you.
These experts can demonstrate both accessibility settings in Windows Vista and specialty assistive technology products. You can try accessibility settings while you're at the center or take home a Microsoft Accessibility CD Set to explore accessibility on your own. Some centers also have lending libraries, so you may be able to try out an assistive technology product before you buy. Locate a center near you.
Accessibility features in Windows Vista
Feature
Brief description
Ease of Access Center
Provides a centralized location where you can adjust accessibility settings and manage accessibility programs.
Speech Recognition
Enables you to interact with your computer using only your voice while maintaining, or even increasing, your productivity.
Magnifier
Enlarges part of the screen while you work, leaving the rest of your desktop in a standard display.
Narrator
A text-to-speech program that reads aloud on-screen text and describes some events (such as error messages) that happen while you're using the computer.
On-Screen Keyboard
A visual, on-screen keyboard with all the standard keys that you can use instead of a physical keyboard. On-Screen Keyboard also lets you type using an alternative input device.
Keyboard shortcuts
Use keyboard shortcuts as an alternative to the mouse. Keyboard shortcuts can be found in the menus of programs, or, if a letter is underlined on a menu, it usually means that pressing the ALT key in combination with the underlined key has the same effect as clicking that menu item.
Mouse Keys
Instead of using the mouse, you can use the arrow keys on the numeric keypad to move the pointer.
Sticky Keys
Instead of having to press three keys at once (such as when you must press the CTRL, ALT, and DELETE keys simultaneously to log on to Windows), you can press one key at a time when Sticky Keys is turned on.
Filter Keys
Ignore keystrokes that occur in rapid succession and keystrokes that are held down for several seconds unintentionally.
Visual Notifications
Replace system sounds with visual cues, such as a flash on the screen, so system alerts are announced with visual notifications instead of sounds.
Captions
Get information via animations and video that some programs use to indicate that activity is happening on your computer.

Discover Windows

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Your life goes beyond your PC. So does Windows

We live a lot of life on our PCs—working, planning, playing, and connecting. But we live a whole lot more of life elsewhere. That's why we've put the power of Windows on mobile phones and the web—closer to where you live your life. Explore the possibilities.
  • Photos
  • Work anywhere
  • TV, video, & movies
  • Games

Featured downloads

Featured downloads

 

 

Discover Windows Vista

Work more efficiently

Being efficient and productive can make the difference between a hectic day and a satisfying day. With Windows Vista, Windows Live, and the 2007 Microsoft Office suite, you get technology that can help you make the most of your PC and the web every day, so you can get more done more easily.
Make life easier with Windows Aero
Making your life easier starts right on the desktop with the Windows Aero user interface. Available with genuine Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows Aero offers stunning visual effects, including helpful animations and transparent "glass" menu bars, to provide a clear view of everything on your desktop.
Windows Aero creates a translucent window that helps you focus on your content and keep track of other windows on your desktop
Windows Aero creates a translucent window that helps you focus on your content and keep track of other windows on your desktop.
With two Windows Aero features, Windows Flip and Windows Flip 3D , you can get a comprehensive view of everything you're working on. You can find exactly what you're looking for, with less hunting and clicking.
Use Windows Flip and Windows Flip 3D to dynamically flip through your open windows
Use Windows Flip and Windows Flip 3D to dynamically flip through your open windows.
Page through open windows using the arrow keys on your keyboard or the scroll wheel on your mouse, and easily select the one you want. Live thumbnail previews give you another way to see what documents you have open. Watch this video to see how you can work more efficiently.
Get more, faster with Windows Sidebar
You can see the information you care about right away with Windows Sidebar , which brings real-time information like weather and news directly to the desktop as an easy-to-use gadget.
Keep your gadgets organized and visible with Windows Sidebar
Keep your gadgets organized and visible with Windows Sidebar.

 

 

Latest Computer Technology

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Latest Computer Technology
Each year it is crucial to some computer owners to examine the latest computer technology to keep their PC’s up to date. There are an immense amount of options to look into each new year. The important part is to research as much as possible. Make sure you know exactly what is necessary and what is not. One might not even have to go out and buy a brand spanking new system it could just be as simple as upgrading your current system with the latest computer technology. With internet shopping on the rise you don’t even need to leave your home to find the latest computer technology. Just search for it on the internet, depending on the type of latest computer technology you are looking for depends on where you can find it. In some cases the upgrade could be as simple as a free download available on a specific website. Such examples of easy downloadable computer technology are Adobe Acrobat, different types of Instant Messaging programs, and a variety of music downloading programs are available for free online. These music programs involve different users from all over the globe who download and share music, this program is not only available as a free download online but in some cases the actual music download is free! This has caused a great deal of controversy in the past. Napster, a free music downloading program, caused a heated debate a couple years back. The United States bred Metal Band, Metallica, decided to sue Napster for the proceeds connected to their music. In their minds Napster was stealing money away from them.
The latest computer technology is not always downloadable from the internet. Sometimes you actually have to add hardware to your computer and install it with a CD-rom. This hardware can be bought either in the convenience of your own home on the internet or a visit to your nearest computer store. Some of the latest computer technology involving the installation of hardware are these little devices known as the digital cameras. The digital camera could be something such as a web-cam, recently known for its contribution to the porn industry. The Web-cam is basically a small video camera, most often attached to the side of the computer monitor, which captures your image and activity. This video recording can be used to communicate with family and friends across the globe or even posted on a website, often at a price. Nonetheless, the latest computer technology is always right at your fingertips!

Computer Components

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Computer Components

Computers come in all types and sizes. There are primarily two main sizes of computers. They are:
  • Portable
  • Desktop
The portable computer comes in various sizes and are referred to as laptops, notebooks, and hand-held computers. These generally denote different sizes, the laptop being the largest, and the hand-held is the smallest size. This document will mainly talk about the desktop computer although portable computer issues are also discussed in various areas.

Computer Components:

 

Computers are made of the following basic components:
  1. Case with hardware inside:

    1. Power Supply - The power supply comes with the case, but this component is mentioned separately since there are various types of power supplies. The one you should get depends on the requirements of your system. This will be discussed in more detail later


    2. Motherboard - This is where the core components of your computer reside which are listed below. Also the support cards for video, sound, networking and more are mounted into this board.
      1. Microprocessor - This is the brain of your computer. It performs commands and instructions and controls the operation of the computer.
      2. Memory - The RAM in your system is mounted on the motherboard. This is memory that must be powered on to retain its contents.
      3. Drive controllers - The drive controllers control the interface of your system to your hard drives. The controllers let your hard drives work by controlling their operation. On most systems, they are included on the motherboard, however you may add additional controllers for faster or other types of drives.


    3. Hard disk drive(s) - This is where your files are permanently stored on your computer. Also, normally, your operating system is installed here.


    4. CD-ROM drive(s) - This is normally a read only drive where files are permanently stored. There are now read/write CD-ROM drives that use special software to allow users to read from and write to these drives.


    5. Floppy drive(s) - A floppy is a small disk storage device that today typically has about 1.4 Megabytes of memory capacity.

    6. Other possible file storage devices include DVD devices, Tape backup devices, and some others.

  2. Monitor - This device which operates like a TV set lets the user see how the computer is responding to their commands.

  3. Keyboard - This is where the user enters text commands into the computer.

  4. Mouse - A point and click interface for entering commands which works well in graphical environments.

Parts of a Computer

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A computer can be defined broadly as any of a class of man-made devices or systems that can modify data in some meaningful way.



Data is a collection of distinct pieces of information, particularly information that has been formatted (i.e., organized) in some specific way for use in analysis or making decisions. Information can be broadly defined as any pattern that can be recognized by some system (e.g., a living organism, an electronic system or a mechanical device) and/or that can influence the formation or transformation of other patterns.


All computers make use of both hardware and software and utilize some form of energy. Hardware refers to the physical components of computers, both those that are directly involved in processing the data, such as the CPU (central processing unit) and memory chips, and peripheral devices, such as storage devices (e.g., hard disk drives) and devices for human-computer interface (e.g., display monitors and keyboards).


Software can be divided into two broad categories. One is data, and the other is programs, which are sequences of instructions to manipulate data. Programs, in turn, can likewise be divided into two broad categories: application programs, which users work with directly to manipulate data, and operating systems, which are collections of programs that manage all the other programs as well as the allocation and use of hardware resources.


Computers can be designed for various levels of specificity of applications, from just a single application through a class of applications to general purpose. The type of data that can be accommodated depends on the type of computer: computers designed for a specific application might only be able to accommodate one type of data, whereas general purpose computers can accommodate a wide range of data types, including text, numeric, image and audio.


General purpose computers are programmable; that is, programs can easily be entered into them, stored in them, created and modified within them, and removed from them by users. This is in contrast with some highly specific computers that contain only a single program that cannot be modified or replaced without great difficulty.


Electronic computers process data by breaking it down into the smallest practical units, which are bits (short for binary digits), and manipulating them at extremely high speed with simple arithmetic calculations such that it can seem that some sort of magic is taking place.


Although nearly all computers today perform their operations on data via electronic circuits, this was not always the case. For example, early computers were mechanical, such as the abacus, Charles Babbage's uncompleted difference engine and early calculators. Even the first electronic computers, such as the Z3, which was completed in Germany in 1941, made use of non-electronic parts (i.e., electro-mechanical relays) for their operation.


The first fully electronic computer was the Colossus, which was completed in 1944; however, it was designed only to perform a single task (i.e., code breaking) and was not programmable. The first fully electronic computer that was programmable was ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer), which began test operation in late 1945.
Tremendous progress has been made on improving performance and reducing the size of cost of computers subsequent to the development of ENIAC. For example, whereas ENIAC measured some 2.4m by 0.9m by 30.5m and weighed roughly 30 metric tons, today the same amount of computational power can be accommodated on a single chip of silicon about the size of a grain of rice. Moreover, whereas ENIAC cost approximately a half million dollars just for construction (and much more when operation is included), computers with superior performance are available today for just a few cents and are even used in wristwatches and cheap toys.


The term computer originally referred to a person whose profession was spending all day at the tedious task of doing calculations with a pencil and paper. A major use for such calculations was producing trajectory tables for ballistics for the military. The desire to speed up such calculations was the driving force behind the development of ENIAC.


The term today is no longer used to refer to such human computers. Now it generally means the electronic device that does the data processing together with the peripheral hardware for input, output and storage, such as a display screen, disk drives, a keyboard and a mouse. But it can also refer to a single chip which performs the basic computer functions, referred to as a computer on a chip. Such chips can be used in conventional, general purpose computers, such as desktop or notebook computers, but their largest application is in embedded systems, which are products into which computer functions are built (e.g., aircraft, electronic medical equipment, industrial production controls, communications equipment, elevators, locomotives, and test and measurement instruments).

Parts of a computer



 

This page adds "extra" information about some of the computer parts we've studied. Click here to see the lists of definitions you need. 

A term you want not listed? Go here.









 








    Everything inside the computer is connected to a circuit board called the 'motherboard'. The motherboard has sockets for low-level programming (BIOS), the computer's brain, called a CPU; the computer's memory (RAM, ROM and CMOS); and for add-on cards to control the video (picture), audio (sound), printer and anything else that might be connected to the computer. You may also find a modem inside on an add-on card.
 


CPU: stands for 'Central Processing Unit' and is the 'brain' of the computer. Most CPU's today are made by Intel and bear such names as 'Pentium', 'Pentium Pro' and 'Pentium II'. Older Intel CPU's include the 80486 and 80386 families. Other manufacturers also make CPU's: Motorola for the Macintosh, AMD and Cirrus for PC's and others. The 'speed' of a CPU's processing is measured in megahertz. The CPU is the place that holds info about the operating system (DOS or Windows, for example).



RAM: RAM is what you know as “Memory”, as in how much memory does your computer have? It is not permanent memory - the RAM is erased when the computer turns off. Permanent memory is stored on the hard drive. Memory is measured in increments of bits and bytes. Generally the least memory you should ever have with a Pentium computer is 64 MB (megabytes: look up kilo-, mega-, and giga- for more info), and more is much better. There are places on the motherboard (called “slots”) for memory modules. The memory modules are small printed circuit boards with memory chips on them and are usually either SIMM’s (Single Inline Memory Modules) or DIMM’s (Dual Inline Memory Module).
Don't confuse this with ROM.


 

This is an add-in or expansion board such as a video card, sound card or modem. On every motherboard there are places to add circuit boards to extend the capabilities of the computer. The most common circuit boards used are the internal modem,  sound card, and the video display adapter. There are various types of expansion slots that may be on the motherboard. The ISA (Industry Standards Association) expansion slot is the older type and most of the older circuit boards used this type of slot. A more sophisticated type of slot is the PCI and the newer modems, and more sophisticated sound cards require this type of slot. The newest type slot in a PC is the AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) slot, which is specifically designed for a video display adapter. The AGP port enables high performance graphics capabilities, especially for 3D graphics.


The video card controls what you see on the monitor. It determines how many dots across the screen and down the screen the computer can look after. The more dots, the more information or the more detail you can see. The video card also controls how many colors you can see. Most computers today can show anywhere from 256 colors to many millions of colors. The sound card controls the sound. Most computers come with pretty cheap speakers, and the sound card can probably produce much better sound than the speakers can. With good speakers, today's sound cards can make your computer sound as good as a stereo!




 The hard drive uses disks that are made of aluminum or glass (and therefore 'hard'). Each disk can store much more information than either a floppy or CD-ROM. Sometimes, there may be several disks in a hard drive. However, the disks in a normal hard drive can not be removed or replaced. Today, hard drives are measured in gigabytes. That's one thousand million bytes. 1 gigabyte is about 11/3 CD-ROM disks. Sometimes a special cache is used for quick retrieval of often-used information (such as web pages). This is just a separate directory on the hard drive.




 Generally when we talk about a floppy disk drive we are talking about the drive that uses the 3.5 inch 1.44Mb floppy disk in it. There have been other types that have  come and gone.








CD-ROM stands for Compact Disk – Read Only Memory. The original name was WORM drive, which meant Write Once Read Many. So the term CD-ROM is not really very accurate, but it is the name that has stuck.


At one time there was the PC keyboard, the AT keyboard, and the 101 key enhanced keyboard, which had F9 through F12 keys and a separate numeric keypad. Now the 101 key enhanced keyboard is the standard type and keyboards are named according to the type of connection it makes to the computer. The two common types of connectors that go from the keyboard to the computer motherboard are the AT and the PS/2.  The AT is the larger older type, and the PS/2 is a newer type and communicates better with he computer.



 A modem allows your computer to connect to another computer using the normal telephone line. It converts data from a computer format, which requires many wires, into a format that can be sent using only the two wires of a telephone line. At the other end of the telephone wires the process is reversed. Data transfer rates from the modem vary from 14.4Kbs to 56Kbs. (14.4Kbs, 28.8Kbs, 33.6Kbs, 56Kbs) There are special types of modems such as cable modems that can communicate at much higher data rates.




USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector is the newest type port (connector) on the PC. It is extremely easy to use. You just plug in a USB compatible device and the computer automatically configures itself to use the device. The computer does not have to be turned off or rebooted. As many as 127 USB peripherals can be plugged into a computer at one time. At 12Mbits per second it is more than 100 times as fast as a serial port. The next generation USB motherboards will communicate at 480Mbits per second.

Laptop Videos

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Laptop Battery Hack! Don't Buy A New One! - The best free videos are right here


COMPUTER

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Technically, a computer is a programmable machine. This means it can execute a programmed list of instructions and respond to new instructions that it is given. Today, however, the term is most often used to refer to the desktop and laptop computers that most people use. When referring to a desktop model, the term "computer" technically only refers to the computer itself -- not the monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Still, it is acceptable to refer to everything together as the computer. If you want to be really technical, the box that holds the computer is called the "system unit."

Some of the major parts of a personal computer (or PC) include the motherboard, CPU, memory (or RAM), hard drive, and video card. While personal computers are by far the most common type of computers today, there are several other types of computers. For example, a "minicomputer" is a powerful computer that can support many users at once. A "mainframe" is a large, high-powered computer that can perform billions of calculations from multiple sources at one time. Finally, a "supercomputer" is a machine that can process billions of instructions a second and is used to calculate extremely complex calculations.
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