| Introduction to Personal Computer History, Parts and Repair Concepts |
| Bits - Short for “Binary Digits” | |
| In 1959 Texas Instruments invented the IC (Integrated Circuit) | |
| In 1973 MITS introduced the “Altair” featuring an 8080 processor and 256 Bytes of memory for $395. |
| In 1975 IBM introduced the”Model 5100” with 16 Kilobytes of memory for $9,000. | |
| In 1976 Apple introduced the “Apple I” for $666. | |
| In the 1980’s, Apple was the primary dominating force behind PCs. |
| Wednesday, August 12th, 1981, IBM changed the face of computing by releasing the “IBM PC” | |
| Digital Research was originally contacted to write the OS (Operating System) but balked. A small, fledgling company named Microsoft eagerly took up the task |
| The definition of “IBM Compatible” or “Clone” | |
| Who controls Hardware and Software? | |
| Microsoft was free to sell their OS (DOS) to anyone, making IBM clones seemingly identical to their competition |
| 8 Bit | |
| 16 Bit | |
| 32 Bit | |
| 64 Bit | |
| PC/XT systems | |
| AT systems |
| Motherboard | |
| Processor | |
| Memory (RAM) | |
| Case | |
| Power Supply | |
| Disk Drives | |
| Keyboard and Mouse |
| Processor Socket | |
| Chipset | |
| Level 2 cache | |
| Memory Sockets | |
| ROM BIOS | |
| Bus Slots |
| CPU “Central Processing Unit” | |
| The “Brain” or “Engine” of the Computer | |
| Reads Instructions (commands) from memory then executes them | |
| One of the most expensive, yet smallest components |
| RAM (Random Access Memory) | |
| Requires power to maintain storage | |
| ROM (Read Only Memory) | |
| Doesn’t require power to maintain storage | |
| SIMM (Single Inline Memory Module) | |
| DIMM (Dual Inline Memory Module” |
| The shell of your computer | |
| Protects and directs air flow | |
| Different “Form Factors” | |
| Power Supply converts AC into DC | |
| Important yet often over looked |
| Hard Disk (Fixed Disk) - primary storage area for computer. Analogous to a filing cabinet | |
| Floppy Disk- used for storing and exchanging small files | |
| CD-ROM Drives- Holds greater amounts of data and are faster than floppies, yet slower than hard disks |
| Video Card | ||
| Sound Card | ||
| Monitor (Display) | ||
| Must be matched to the Video Card Used | ||
| Speakers | ||
| Internal PC Speaker…beeps | ||
| External Powered Speakers using the sound card | ||
| Other Devices, e.g. Modems, SCSCI, etc. | ||
| Devices which allow data to be put in or taken out of the PC | |
| Video, Sound, Keyboard, Printer Port, Serial Port, USB, Firewire |
| Many kinds of keyboards | |
| Only input device available prior to the invention of the GUI (graphical user interface) | |
| After the GUI, mice followed | |
| “Point and Click” |
| Early PC’s had Mono, Color, EGA cards and monitors. | |
| Now Standard on VGA, but many resolutions and speeds | |
| Can be separate card, but frequently on the Motherboard | |
| Chipset | |
| Video Ram | |
| DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) | |
| BIOS | |
| Popular upgrade component, especially for gaming |
| Also popular upgrade components | |
| Popular for home recording | |
| Game Port | |
| Many high quality home PC speaker systems. Can rival home stereos |
| Similar to a high quality television | |
| Digital vs Analogue.. | |
| Video card send its memory contents to monitor | |
| DAC chip |