Kids Domain Computer Connections
Computers Inside & Out
Lesson 1: Outer Hardware
Take a look at the computer in
front of you. No, not just the screen. Look at all of the other parts. Do you
know what they are? Do you know what they do? If you already know - great! Give
yourself a big pat on the back! But if you don't know about all the gadgets
surrounding your computer, then read on and find out!
The Basics
Lets start with the center of any computer
system. Do you see something shaped like a box nearby? It will have a power
switch and a light or two. It should also have a place or places to insert
disks. This is the case that houses all of the important computer components.
If it stands up tall, it is a tower case. If it sits flat, it is a desktop
case. Ask your parents to let you look at the back of the computer (never
do this without permission, because there is a lot of dangerous electricity
back there!). You will see lots of cords and cables coming out of the back of
the case and going to other computer parts like the monitor.
Your computer case probably has a place to
insert floppy disks or CDs. These are called the floppy disk drive and
the CD-ROM. The floppy disk drive reads information from a very thin disk
that is inside a flat, square plastic case. You can also write information to these disks and 'save' it.
CD-ROM is short for Compact Disk - Read Only Memory. A compact disk is a shiny,
circular disk that stores information. A CD-ROM can only read information from
the disk. Many new computers have a CD-RW (RW stands for ReWrite)
instead of a CD-ROM. CD-RW allows you to write information to the disk as well
as read from it. Also, some new computers have a DVD (Digital Video
Disk) drive instead of a CD-ROM or CD-RW. A DVD looks just like a CD, but it
holds much more information. You can watch movies, listen to music, or play
computer games from DVDs. One important thing to know is that you can play CDs
in a DVD player, but you cannot play DVDs in a CD player!
Input Devices
There are several ways to get new
information or input into a computer. The two most common ways are the keyboard
and the mouse. The keyboard has keys for characters (letters, numbers and punctuation marks)
and special commands. Pressing the keys tells the computer what to do or what
to write. The mouse has a special ball that allows you to roll it around on a
pad or desk and move the cursor around on screen. By clicking on the
buttons on the mouse, you give the computer directions on what to do. There are
other devices similar to a mouse that can be used in its place. A trackball
has the ball on top and you move it with your finger. A touchpad allows
you to move your finger across a pressure sensitive pad and press to click.
Other types of input devices allow you to
put images into the computer. A scanner copies a picture or document
into the computer. There are several types of scanners and some look very
different, but most look like a flat tray with a glass pane and a lid to cover
it. You can input photographs into a computer with a digital camera.
Photos are taken with the camera away from the computer and stored on a memory
chip. Then the camera is plugged into the computer, so that the images can be
downloaded. Another input device is a graphics tablet. A pressure
sensitive pad is plugged into the computer. When you draw on the tablet with
the special pen (never use an ink pen or pencil!), the drawing appears on the
screen. The tablet and pen can also be used like a mouse to move the cursor and
click.
Output Devices
Output devices display information in a way
that you can you can understand. The most common output device is a monitor.
It looks a lot a like a TV and houses the computer screen. The monitor allows
you to 'see' what you and the computer are doing together.
Speakers are output devices that allow you to hear sound from
your computer. Computer speakers are just like stereo speakers. There are
usually two of them and they come in various sizes.
A printer is another common part of a
computer system. It takes what you see on the computer screen and prints it on
paper. There are two types of printers. The inkjet printer uses inks to
print. It is the most common printer used with home computers and it can print
in either black and white or color. Laser printers run much faster
because they use lasers to print. Laser printers are mostly used in businesses.
Black and white laser printers are the most common, but some print in color,
too.
Go to Lesson 2: Hardware on the Inside
Curriculum by Carol Welch. Send comments and suggestions to: Feedback.
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