HARDWARE AND SOFWARE by danilomatias bustos vinces

Computers are not intelligent; they are tools that follow instrucsions perfecly and quickly. They follow instructions from the user and from the computer programmer

bustosdanilomatias — 2025-10-03 09:47:49 UTC

Hardware is the part of the computer that we can touch. The hardware is the components that are interconnected.

bustosdanilomatias — 2025-10-08 09:30:34 UTC

The CPU (Central Processing Unit) is a big, green, plastic board with a lot of chips and many other electronic components mounted on it.

bustosdanilomatias — 2025-10-08 09:42:06 UTC

The central processing unit is also called "the processor". It is the "brain" of the computer; it looks at the information and takes decisions based on logic.

Memory. Memory stores information.There are various types of memory in the computer:

bustosdanilomatias — 2025-10-08 09:46:20 UTC

Fixed memories

bustosdanilomatias — 2025-10-08 09:51:04 UTC

They normally stay inside the computer.

1. Hard disc: Also called "hard drive", it is a set of rigid discs with a magnetic surface.

It stores all your programs and files.

Advantages:

It can store a large amount of data (today around 1 TB).

We can save and erase the information when we want.

Disadvantages: It is relatively slow: compared to other types of memory, it takes longer to read and write information.

2. RAM (Random Access Memory): This is a green plastic card with chips.

The RAM is installed in a slot on the mother board.

Mother boards have empty slots so that we can add more RAM if we want.

The RAM stores the applications and files that we are using.

Advantages:

It stores (writes) and retrieves (reads) quickly.

Disadvantages: We lose the work if there is an electrical power cut.

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Portable memories

bustosdanilomatias — 2025-10-08 09:53:15 UTC

They are easy to connect and disconnect from the computer. Also, they are easy to carry.

CDs, DVDs: We call them "optical memories" because they use light to work.

Advantages:

Cheap.

Disadvantages:

Not good to rewrite.

Pen drives, memory cards: They store the information in chips.

Advantages:

Rewritable.

Quick.

Disadvantage: More expensive than a CD or a DVD.

Software is the part of the computer that we can't touch.

bustosdanilomatias — 2025-10-08 09:59:02 UTC