From the course: Working with Computers and Devices

What parts make up a computer?

From the course: Working with Computers and Devices

What parts make up a computer?

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- When we use the term computer, we're usually referring to a collection of various hardware components that make up the computer as a whole. Even though there are many types of computers available today, they're all comprised of a similar set of primary hardware parts, like the base unit, the monitor, the keyboard, the mouse, and speakers. What we refer to as the base unit contains all the hardware components that are necessary for the computer to function. For example, this is where you'll find the hard drive, which is your computer's storage device. Kind of like the filing cabinet where everything on your computer is stored, from programs, to documents, to videos. Basically anything that's stored on your computer is stored on the hard drive. You'll also find the RAM or memory in the base unit. Think of your computer's RAM as the desk in your office. In order to work with the files from my filing cabinet, I need to have space on my desk to pile and organize my files. The smaller the desk, the fewer the files and other items I can work with at a time. Similarly, the less RAM you have, the fewer documents and applications it can have running at once on your computer. That's why RAM is one of the most common upgrades people have done to their computers. Also found the base unit is the CPU, or central processing unit. The CPU is the computer's brain. And it's the item that carries out all the functions of the computer, from processing instructions from the programs you're running to keeping the operating system working. The base unit is also where you'll find the various ports that allow you to connect additional hardware to your computer, like printers, external hard drives, and so on. For some computers, the base unit is a separate component. While on devices like laptop or tablet computers, all the items I mentioned, like the hard drive, the memory, and so on are built into the computer. Similarly on laptops and tablets, the monitor is built into the computer, while with other computers, the monitor is a separate device that you connect to the base unit. The monitor, sometimes referred to as the display, is what allows you to see what's being displayed by the computer, whatever that may be, from text documents, to videos, to photos. But to actually interact with and use a computer, you need a keyboard and a mouse. The keyboard lets you input text, numbers, and other characters into the applications you're using. And the mouse is a pointing device that allows you to operate the computer by pointing at and interacting with the elements that are on the screen. Again, on some computers, the keyboard and the mouse are separate devices that you need to connect to the base unit's ports in order to use them. On laptops, the keyboard is built in. And most laptops generally use a pointing device called a track pad for moving the mouse cursor on the screen. On tablet devices, you generally don't use a mouse, but instead tap or slide your finger on the screen to interact with the device. And the keyboard is often virtual. Meaning it appears on screen when you need to input text or other characters. Other important hardware components that make up computers these days include speakers, which allow you to hear audio from the apps you're using. This could be music, or the soundtrack from a video you're watching, or what people are saying in a video conference. Without speakers, you won't be able to hear the sounds your computer is making. And similarly, you'll need a microphone if you want to be able to be heard through your computer, whether it's in a video conferencing app or other program where you may need to record your voice. Again, laptops and tablets usually have speakers and microphones built in, while other computers require you to connect external speakers and microphones. Now of course, there's a lot more that can make up a computer. But the components we covered here, the base unit, the monitor, the keyboard and mouse, and speakers and microphone, are the most essential parts needed to interact with and operate most of the apps you'll commonly use on your computer.

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