BORRES, JUSTIN DAVE N.

DIT 1 - 7
Basic Computer Hardware Servicing Reviewer • ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and
Calculator) – The first general purpose electronic
History of the Computer - can be traced back from
digital computer which was developed by a group
“tools that counts”. The first computers were the
of engineers, headed by Dr. John W. Mauchly and
human fingers, pebbles, stones, marks in a rock, which
J. Presper Eckert (1946)
is made by the cave mans during ancient times. Then,
o Was designed to calculate artillery firing
the tally sticks used as receipts were invented.
tables for the United States Army’s
Throught they year there have been a lot of
Ballistic Research Laboratory, but its first
improvements on computing devices, such as:
use was in calculations for the hydrogen
• Abacus – used by Greeks as early as 5000 BC. It bomb.
was developed by Romans, Egyptians, and • EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic
Japanese. This device appeared in China in 12th Computer) – the modified version of ENIAC in
century (1150 AD). (Abacus means calculating 1964. The first computer circuitry.
board)
Basic Structure of Computer
• Logs and Bones – Computing device for
multiplication and division purposes. Consisted • All computers have a common basic structure
of a set of sticks with number printed on them. regardless of their classification. Whether they
Invented by John Napier, a Scottish are microcomputer, minicomputer, or
mathematician. The sticks were called bones mainframe.
because they are made of bone or ivory. • Input – refers to a set of data being fed to the
• Arithmetic Engine – first mechanical calculator computer for processing
capable of adding and subtracting. Invented by • CPU – the brain of the computer where all the
Blaise Pascal (1623 – 1662). A French philosopher processing takes place. It contains
and mathematician. o Control Unit (CU) – directs every activity
• Stepped Reckoner – known as cash register. A being done by the computer
four-fraction machine that can perform division o Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) – w/cis being
and multiplication. Invented by Gottfried activated whenever mathematical and
Wilhelm Leibniz (1646 -1716). logical operations will be performed.
• Loom – a weaving machine used to control the • Output – refers to the information which is the
raising and lowering of treads. Invented by a actual finish product
French Inventor, Joseph Marie Jacquard (1752 –
Basic Elements of Computer System
1834).
• Analytical Engine – Worlds first general-purpose • Hardware – the physical component that
computer. It was based on the difference engine. performs the function of data preparation, data
Invented by the father of the computer, Charles input, data manipulation, data storage, and
Babbage, an English inventor and mathematician. output of information.
• Adding Machines – The first commercialized • Software – refers to the collection of programs
successful adding machine that can perform and operating aids associated with computer that
different operation and can print the numbers facilitate its programming capabilities.
and total. Invented by William Seward Burroughs • Know ware (Procedure) – refers to how things
(1842). can be done or accomplished in efficient and
• Tabulating Machine – a punch card tabulating effective manner
machine which was developed by Herman • People ware – refers to the people that performs
Hollerith in 1887. numerous activities like programming, computer
• Mark 1 (Automatic Sequence Controlled operation, etc. People ware are the people who
Calculator) – This machine has the capability to keep the hardware, software, and know ware
construct a machine. Developed by Howard efficiently coordinated and effectively
Aiken (1937 – 1948) functioning.
BORRES, JUSTIN DAVE N. DIT 1 - 7
COMPUTER - An electronic device that can accept data • Fourth Generation – use of microprocessors, and
(input), process it, and output the results in a personal computer become widespread.
meaningful way. o Examples: Apple II, IBM PC, Macintosh
o Improvements: Vastly increased
• Input – accepting data from the user through
processing power, development of user-
input devices
friendly interfaces, networking
• Processing – performing calculations and
capabilities.
operations on the data.
• Fifth Generation – present and beyond. Artificial
• Output – presenting the processed results
Intelligence
through output devices.
o Characteristics: Focus on AI, parallel
• Storage – Saving data for future use (Hard drive,
processing, supercomputers, quantum
memory)
computing.
Classification of Computers o Examples: Deep Blue (Chess-playing
computer), Watson (AI system)
• Personal Computers – Desktop computers designed o Goals: Develop computers than can
for individual use reason, learn, and solve problems like
• Laptops – Portable computers with integrated humans.
displays and keyboards.
• Tablets – Touchscreen devices with limited
processing power.
• Smartphones – mobiles phones with advanced
computing capabilities
• Servers – Powerful computers that store and
manage data for multiple users
• Supercomputers – used for complex scientific
calculations

Timeline of the Computer

• First Generation – used vacuum tubes for

computations.
o Characteristic: Large and Unreliable
o Examples: ENIAC and UNIVAC
o Limitations: High power consumption,
prone to overheating, limited processing
speed.
• Second Generation – used transistors instead of
vacuum tubes
o Characteristic: Smaller, Faster, more
Reliable
o Examples: IBM 1401 and IBM 7090
o Improvements: Reduced size, increased
speed, lower power consumption.
• Third Generation – used integrated circuit (ICs)
o Characteristic: Further miniaturization
o Examples: IBM System/360 and DEC PDP-
11
o Improvement: Increased speed, reduced
cost, improved reliability, and
development of software
BORRES, JUSTIN DAVE N. DIT 1 - 7
Main Components of a Computer Cooling System

Central Processing Unit (CPU) With all these components, computer system
generates heat. Cooling system ensures that the
Brain of the computer, responsible for processing all
internal temperature stays within safe limits. It
instructions from software and hardware. It performs
prevents components to overheat.
calculations, executes commands, and manages data
flow between different components. The speed of a • Fans and Heatsink dissipate heat from the CPU,
CPU is measured in gigahertz (GHz) indicating how GPU, and other components.
many cycles it can perform per second. • Liquid Cooling is used for high performance
systems to manage heat more effectively.
Motherboard

Backbone of the computer, and the main circuit board

that holds CPU, memory, and other components. It
contains BIOS/UEFI firmware that helps initialize the
hardware during boot-up and manage low-level
operations.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

Computer’s temporary memory. It stores data that is

currently being used by the CPU, allowing for quick
access and smooth operation. Data stored in RAM is
lost when pc is turned off (Volatile).

Storage Devices

Permanent data storage. There are two primary type of

storage devices.

• Hard Disk Drive – uses spinning magnetic platters

to read and write data. Large storage capacity at
lower prices.
• Solid-State Drive – uses flash memory. It has no
moving parts, making it faster, more reliable, and
energy-efficient compared to HDDs.

Power Supply Unit

Converts electricity from your wall outlet into a form

that can be used by internal components of the
computer. It distributes the correct voltage to various
parts. Measured in watts (W).

Graphics Processing Unit

Responsible for rendering images, videos, and

animations on the monitor. There are two types of
GPUs:

• Integrated GPU – built into the CPU. Handles

basic tasks like web browsing and office work.
• Dedicated GPU – separate graphics card used for
demanding tasks such as gaming, 3D rendering,
and video editing.
 BORRES, JUSTIN DAVE N. DIT 1 - 7
Peripherals (Input, Output, and Storage Devices) b) Joystick and Wheels – used in video games that
involve aircraft, boat, train, and motorcycle/driving
Any information or data that is entered to the computer
controls
to be processed is called input. Anything that is
c) Light Gun – used to shoot target and moving
displayed from the computer is output.
objects
Input - any data entered into the memory of the d) Dance Pad – a flat electronic device divided into
computer. panels that users press with their feet in response
to instructions from a music video game
Input Devices – any hardware component that allows
e) Motion Sensing Game Controller – controls the
users to enter data and instructions into a computer.
motion of some object (Nintendo Wii remote)
1) Keyboard – contains keys that users press to enter data 4) Digital Cameras – allows users to take pictures
and instructions into a computer a) Compact Camera – point and shoot camera.
2) Pointing Devices b) Field Camera – a portable camera often used by
a) Mouse – acts as a pointing device that user uses to photojournalist
choose and open program and data file. It is c) Studio Camera – most expensive, and used for
represented on the monitor by an arrow called professional studio work.
mouse pointer. Different types of mouse: 5) Voice Input – process of entering input by means of
i) Traditional Mouse speaking into a microphone
ii) Optical Mouse – uses light to detect 6) Video Input – is a process of capturing full motion
movement. images and storing them through hard disk or optical
iii) Laser Mouse – better than optical mouse, uses disk
infrared/laser to detect movement a) Webcam – same functions with the digital camera
iv) Wireless mouse – uses radio wave or infrared b) Video Conferencing – meeting between two or
lights. Capable of connecting without cables more separated people
v) Air Mouse – infrared remove control mouse 7) Scanners and Reading Devices – scans and copies data
used to operate a computer, web tv, set-top directly from a source documents like time cards, order
box, etc. A point and click device. forms, invoice, etc.
b) Trackball – Pointing device with a ball on its top or a) Optical Scanner
side. It has one or more buttons that work just like b) Flatbed Scanner
a mouse c) Bar Code Reader
c) Touchpad – a small, flat, rectangular pointing d) RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)
device found on laptops, or notebook computers. e) MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition)
d) Pointing Stick – pointing device shaped like a pencil f) Credit Card Reader
eraser that is position between keys on a keyboard. g) Biometric Input
e) Touch Screen and Touch Sensitive Pads h) Face Recognition
i) Touch Screen – Touch sensitive display device. i) Voice Verification
Users interact by touching areas of the screen
ii) Touch Sensitive Pads – an input device that
enables users to scroll through music and play
music, view pictures, and watch videos or
music. It contains buttons and wheels. (MPs)
3) Game Consoles – a video computer games use a game
controller as the input device that directs movement
and actions of on-screen objects.
a) Gamepads – help with both hands, controls the
movement and actions of a player or objects in the
computer or video games
BORRES, JUSTIN DAVE N. DIT 1 - 7
Output – any data that has been processed into useful Storage Device – used to store huge amounts of data
form/information. and information. Called secondary storage

Output Device – It is any hardware device that display Types of Computer Storage
information to the user or other people.
• Floppy Disk Drive – saves data using removable
1. Display Device – visually conveys text, diskettes
graphics, and video information. An example of • Optical Disc – flat, round, portable disc.
display device is the monitor or screen. Types • Hard Disk Drive – uses spinning disks with
of monitors: magnetic materials and a read/write head to
a. CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) – desktop store and retrieve data
monitor that contains cathode ray tube • Flash Memory – used for easy and fast
b. LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and LED information storage in such devices such as
(Light Emitting Diode) – monitors and digital cameras and home video game consoles
screens. o Memory Card
c. Plasma Monitor – uses gas plasma o USB Flash DRIVE
technology o Express Card Modules
2. Printer – produces a permanent copy on paper • Solid State Drive – non-volatile storage device
from the computer. Types of printers: that uses flash memory to store data
a. Dot Matrix Printer – striking in an ink- • Cloud Storage – services that allows users to
soaked cloth ribbon against a paper store data on servers located off-site and are
b. Ink Jet Printer – ink comes from a maintained by a third-part provider. Uses
cartridge of liquid ink and this printer internet to access
is either simply black and white or full
color
c. Photo printer – ink jet printer with
more color cartridges, and contains
special photo ink.
d. Laser Printer – produces high quality
prints or graphic on paper. Uses toner
as ink
e. Multi-Functional Peripheral – all in one
device that functions as printer,
scanner, copy, and fax machine.
f. Thermal Printer – produces prints on
thermal paper by selective heating
g. Mobile Printer – use ink jet or thermal
technology
h. Plotters – produces high quality
drawing like blueprints, maps, and
more.
3. Speaker – output device for sounds
4. Headphone – small speaker placed outside of
the ear
5. Earphone – small speaker placed inside the ear
canal
6. Headset – functions as both headphone and
microphone
7. Projectors – displays computer information on
big screen.