Saylor.org BUS206: Dr. Davd Bourgeois' "The Hardware Component"
Summary
TLDRThis educational video script delves into the history and components of personal computers. It starts with the introduction of the first PC, the Altair 8800 in 1975, and the pivotal role of the microprocessor in miniaturizing computer parts. The script explains the digital nature of computers, using binary code, and identifies the 'killer application' that drove early PC sales—spreadsheet software. It covers the basics of computer hardware, including the CPU, memory, motherboard, power supply, and hard disk, and touches on the challenges of increasing processor speed and the concept of Moore's Law, which predicts the doubling of computing power every two years.
Takeaways
- 💻 The first personal computer mentioned is the Altair 8800, released in the year 1975.
- 🌐 The technological innovation that made personal computers possible was the microprocessor, which miniaturized circuits onto a single chip.
- 🔢 The term 'digital' refers to data represented in binary form, consisting of ones and zeros, which is the fundamental language of computers.
- 📈 A 'killer application' is software so useful that people buy a PC just to use it, such as the early spreadsheet programs VisiCalc or Lotus 1-2-3.
- 🧠 The CPU (Central Processing Unit), also known as the microprocessor, is the brain of the computer, responsible for processing data.
- 🏭 Companies like Intel and AMD are leading manufacturers of PC microprocessors, with AMD being a competitor that develops similar or improved chips.
- ⏱️ Microprocessor speed is measured in gigahertz (GHz), indicating billions of cycles per second, which is a key factor in computer performance.
- 🔥 One of the main challenges in increasing microprocessor speed is managing the heat generated, which is addressed through cooling solutions like fans and heat sinks.
- 🔩 The motherboard is the central circuit board in a computer, connecting all other components including the CPU, RAM, and hard disk.
- 💾 Memory, or RAM (Random Access Memory), serves as the computer's short-term memory, providing quick access to data and programs while the computer is on.
- 🔌 The power supply unit converts and distributes power from the wall to all components of the computer, with requirements varying based on the system's needs.
Q & A
What was the name of the first personal computer?
-The first personal computer was called the Altair 8800.
What year was the Altair 8800 released?
-The Altair 8800 was released in 1975.
What technological innovation made the personal computer possible?
-The microprocessor, which is a chip that shrunk down thousands of circuits, made the personal computer possible.
What is meant by the term 'digital'?
-Digital refers to data made up of binary code, which consists of ones and zeros.
What is a 'killer application'?
-A killer application is a software program so useful that people buy a computer just to use that specific software.
What was the killer application for the first personal computers?
-The killer application for the first personal computers was the spreadsheet, particularly the software called VisiCalc.
What is the CPU in a computer?
-The CPU, or Central Processing Unit, is the brain of the computer. It processes data and runs instructions.
Which companies are known for making PC microprocessors?
-The two main companies known for making PC microprocessors are Intel and AMD.
How is the speed of a microprocessor measured?
-The speed of a microprocessor is measured in gigahertz (GHz), which represents billions of cycles per second.
What is Moore's Law?
-Moore's Law states that computing power doubles every two years at the same price point.
Outlines
💻 Introduction to Personal Computers and Technology
The script kicks off by setting the stage for a three-part video series, focusing on the first segment about the SEC. It poses questions about the history of personal computing, specifically asking for the name of the first personal computer and the year of the internet's inception. The video aims to compare these historical milestones. It then delves into the technological innovation that enabled the creation of the PC, the microprocessor, and explains its significance in miniaturizing circuits. The term 'digital' is explored, emphasizing the binary nature of computer data. The concept of a 'killer application' is introduced, exemplified by software like VisiCalc and spreadsheets, which were so compelling that people purchased PCs just to use them. The segment concludes with a basic explanation of how PCs work, comparing them to mainframe computers and directing viewers to 'howstuffworks.com' for further reading.
🔥 Processor Speed and Cooling Challenges
This paragraph discusses the importance of microprocessor speed, measured in gigahertz, and the historical progression from megahertz to gigahertz, indicating the rapid increase in processing power. The discussion highlights the challenge of heat generation as processors become faster, and how this has driven innovations in cooling technologies such as fans and heat sinks. The key to increasing processor speed is identified as reducing the distance electrons have to travel, which has led to the miniaturization of circuits. However, as physical limits are approached, a shift towards multi-core processors is described, where multiple processing units are integrated onto a single chip to enhance performance. The concept of Moore's Law is introduced, which predicts the doubling of computing power every two years at a constant cost, and its profound implications for the future of technology and accessibility are briefly touched upon.
💾 Understanding Computer Memory and Storage
The focus of this section is on computer memory and storage. It explains the role of RAM (Random Access Memory) as the computer's short-term memory, where active data and programs are stored for quick access. The importance of memory in the computer's performance is emphasized, and the distinction between RAM and long-term storage on the hard disk is made. The paragraph also covers the function of the motherboard as the central circuit board that connects all components, the power supply that distributes electricity, and the hard disk drive as the long-term storage medium. The discussion touches on the evolution of storage media from floppy disks to hard disks and the impact of disk size and speed on computer performance. The goal is to provide a basic understanding of these hardware components and their roles within an information system.
🛠 Components of an Information System
The final paragraph wraps up the discussion by summarizing the key components of an information system's hardware. It reiterates the importance of understanding the microprocessor (CPU) as the brain of the computer, measured in gigahertz for speed, and its role in processing data. The paragraph also highlights RAM as short-term memory and the hard disk as long-term storage. Additionally, it mentions the motherboard, power supply, and other components like the floppy drive. The speaker encourages viewers to familiarize themselves with these components, as they are fundamental to the architecture of computers. The paragraph concludes by setting up expectations for a reading assignment that will delve deeper into these topics, potentially including video resources for a more visual understanding.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Personal Computer (PC)
💡Microprocessor
💡Digital
💡Killer Application
💡CPU (Central Processing Unit)
💡Gigahertz
💡Heat
💡Moore's Law
💡RAM (Random Access Memory)
💡Motherboard
Highlights
The first personal computer was the Altair 8800, which was significant in the history of computing.
The year 1975 is pivotal as it marks the birth of the personal computer era with the Altair 8800.
The internet was activated later than the first personal computer, prompting a comparison of their historical precedence.
Microprocessors, or chips, revolutionized the PC industry by miniaturizing thousands of circuits onto a single chip.
Digital technology is fundamentally based on binary, consisting of combinations of ones and zeros.
A killer application is a software so indispensable that it drives the purchase of a PC.
VisiCalc, the first spreadsheet software, was a killer application that defined the PC's early utility.
Basic understanding of computer hardware is essential, starting with the CPU as the brain of the computer.
Intel and AMD are leading manufacturers of PC microprocessors, dominating the market.
Microprocessor speed is measured in gigahertz, indicating billions of cycles per second.
Heat management is crucial as microprocessors become faster and denser.
Technological advancements have led to the development of dual-core and quad-core processors.
Moore's Law predicts the doubling of computing power every two years at the same price point.
The implications of Moore's Law are vast, influencing the accessibility and evolution of technology.
RAM is likened to a computer's short-term memory, essential for quick access to data.
The motherboard acts as the central circuit board, connecting all components of a computer.
The power supply unit is vital for distributing electricity to all parts of a computer.
Hard disk drives are the long-term storage medium, with speed and size impacting computer performance.
Floppy drives were once a primary storage medium, highlighting the evolution of data storage.
Transcripts
a
three-part video and this is just part
one on me SEC let's just go over these
questions what was the name of the first
personal
computer alter 8800 or alter will be
good enough um what
year 75 that's going to be important
because I'm also going to ask you in
this other one what the what year the
internet was turned on I want you to be
able to tell me which came first um what
was the technological innovation that
made the PC
possible microprocessor he calls it the
chip better word is microprocess
remember what it did it took all those
circuits which were first on tubes and
transistors shrunk them down thousands
of them onto one
chip um what is meant by the term
digital anybody get that he actually
used the term binary
yeah yeah that's basically what it is
one it's made up of ones and zeros
that's what digital means and believe it
or not every computer communicates and
processes only ones and zeros so all the
things you see on a computer actually at
the very bottom line it's just ones and
zeros being processed because all a
computer knows is is it off or is it on
zer1 and he uses combinations of those
to make everything you see uh what is a
killer
application it's a software application
that's so useful you buy a PC just to
use it in other words you're not the
nerd buying the PC just to use the PC
you're buying the PC you don't really
need the computer you want to use the
software which for for uh the alt or for
the I guess it was for the PC what was
that
software visaal or spreadsheet either
one um so the killer application of the
PC was the spreadsheet or if you want to
say visal that was actually the brand
name of that very first
spreadsheet I want to talk with you a
little bit about how PC works and this
is this is very basic you don't have to
get too worried about all the
terminology and everything but I think
everybody should have at least a basic
basic understanding of how the computer
hardware Works um as the video said
these PCS are really just miniature
versions in many ways of the big
mainframe computers from the 50s and 60s
and 70s um but everything's been
miniaturized um there's a website called
howstuffworks.com and I actually going
to have you read this as part of your
assignment tonight but I just thought
what I'd do is go through one of the
pages in there list some of the
different parts of the computer and what
I'm going to do is we're going to go
through some of those right now the main
thing inside a computer the number one
thing probably need to know about is
What's called the CPU or the central
processing unit which is listed right up
there at the top that is actually the
microprocessor or the brains of the
computer the what do you guys know the
names of the companies that make PC
microprocessors what's the main the the
number one company probably we've
visited it in the movie Intel and now
there's another company that's out there
um cloning their chips I suppose or you
could say developing their own chips and
that is AMD right so those are the two
now there's other companies that make
microprocessors but when you buy a PC
it's either going to have an Intel
processor or a um AMD processor now
before we even go any further let's talk
a little bit about the speed of a mic
microprocessor has anybody in here built
a computer recently oh
yes in class yesterday what was the
speed of your microprocessor do you
remember one point
what all right well the the key thing I
wanted to get out of him is speed in
microprocessors is measured in gigahertz
these days what does a gigahertz stand
for what does that mean what does the
term gigahertz
mean it's a good term to know because
you hear these megahertz gigahertz terms
all right let's even go back just the
term Hertz without worrying about car
rentals the term Hertz means one cycle
per second so you think of it as a
circuit being completed in a second one
Hertz is a cycle per second now when I
was working in it our most of our
computers were in the megahertz I
remember we were excited at 100
megahertz that processor is 100 mehz wow
okay a
megahertz let's see if I can get this
right now megahertz would be a million
no thousand thousand right anybody know
their Latin million it is million
because I know gigahertz is billion so
million cycles per sec second oh
kilohertz would be thousand there that's
why I got it okay so we have kilohertz
but megahertz is million cycles per
second so a gigahertz is billion cycles
per second so processors today run in
the three usually two to three I don't
know if there's any four there might be
some four
gigahertz processors billions of cycles
per
second now that's pretty incredible if
you think about it you have electrons
running through silicon circuits billion
times per
second what do you think is going to be
one of the main problems when that
happens what's the main byproduct of
that heat so one of the biggest problems
in making PCS faster is controlling the
heat if you think about it if you have
elect is running in there faster and
faster and faster it's going to melt the
thing if you can't control the
heat
so the way that they make these things
so that they can not be so hot is they
come up with different ways of cooling
these computers so when you open these
things up you're going to see fans you
guys all know about fans all these
computers have fans laptops have fans
but they also have heat sinks a heat
sink is just usually metal that's placed
on top of the processor that absorbs the
Heat and dissipates it um but you're
going to see fans you're going to see
heat
sinks so before I even go further on
this again with the processors is how do
you think they can make a processor go
faster what is the key the key thing you
need to do to make a processor go faster
any
idea in other words how do they get from
thousands to Millions to billions
that's the correct answer if they
electron doesn't have to travel as far
it can do it faster right so one of the
Technologies or one of the things that
they've been doing to make these
processors faster and faster is figuring
out ways how they can etch these
circuits smaller and smaller and smaller
down so they're basically the size of an
electron and so I used to work for Texas
Instruments and one of the things we
made chips there we didn't make the
microprocessors necessarily we made
other kinds of chips and so every time
they came out with a new version of a
chip they would talk about the size of
the circuit and the smaller it was meant
the more efficient you were of course
you're going to get hotter when you do
that too so they keep shrinking these
chips smaller and smaller and smaller to
make them faster and faster well at some
point you can't really keep shrinking it
right at some point it's there's no way
to make it any smaller and they've
realized that and the Technologies to
make it smaller are so expensive but
there's something else they're doing
instead now when you you buy a computer
chip now those of you who have bought
chips or bought computers lately you've
bought a dual core computer or a quad
core anybody know what that means what
does that mean a quad core processor
what do you think that
is it's actually Four processors on one
chip so all these new computers I'm
guessing I'm not sure if this is a dual
or a quad this this Mac but all the new
computers now you're getting two 3 48
processors on one chip so instead of
shrinking the circuits they're putting 2
three four process cessors on one chip
so in theory you get four times the
power it doesn't quite work out that way
cuz the software has to know how to make
use of that um but you can see the
problems is they're trying to figure out
they want to make them faster and
smaller all of this the reason I'm
telling you about all this stuff about
making computers fasters is you're going
to be reading in your tic one of your
articles tonight about Moore's Law and
you guys remember maybe briefly Gordon
Moore was interviewed in the video he
was one of the founders of Intel he was
the CEO that had the office that didn't
have a door on it if you remember that
little part in the video he coined a
phrase or he created a term called mors
law and the basic concept behind mors
law is that computing power doubles
every two
years at the same price point so what
that means is whatever the current speed
is today you know laptops run what $500
say for a new one 700 for a Windows one
at least in two years for that same
price you'll get one that's twice as
powerful that's Moore's Law and if you
think about it and you think think back
to the laptop you bought two or three
years ago or the one PC you bought 5
years before that or whatever you'll
think it's roughly been doubling in
power the original Moors law was
actually every 18 months it's slowed
down to every two years but the concept
is the same now the implications of that
are powerful we're not going to discuss
those today but when we get back into
kind of the the social side of computing
the impact impact of computers on the
world the fact that computing power for
the same price point doubles every two
years has a huge impact things that were
considered the highest end today will be
just normal in two years and they'll be
what everybody has two years after that
that's pretty amazing um I look at it
this way when I was writing an article
uh for a magazine I talked about think
about um the the poorest people in
Africa in 10 years they they will all
probably have access to something that's
like the best iPhone we have today and
you think about the implications of that
now that may not be exactly true but the
concept's the same is is what we
consider kind of the high end what
everybody has today or what the the top
of the line is today is what everybody's
going to have in a few years that
changes everything and so we'll talk
about that when we get into social stuff
um and cultural things on computers but
I just want you to be thinking about
that impact um okay so the CPUs that's
the brain behind the computer it's the
thing that processes everything the data
goes in it gets processed it comes out
um memory is the next thing I want to
talk to you about when you buy a
computer you always do do two things
usually there three things you know want
to know how fast the processor is you
want to know how much memory it has and
how big the hard disk is those are kind
of the things you you kind of help you
decide what your computer's going to be
and maybe for some people the graphics
is important too so
memory when it comes to memory memory is
is uh the working storage of the
computer so for instance when you turn a
computer on and it boots up and it loads
the
software and it starts running programs
it puts those programs into memory so
you can quick access them I like to
think of what they call memory here what
we usually refer to as RAM random access
memory as the shortterm memory of the
computer it's sort of like you guys when
somebody says something to you and they
say repeat back to me you can repeat it
back to them right away right because
it's in your short-term memory you
immediately have access to
it Ram is important because everything
that you see on the screen everything
that you're working with the computer
has to be loaded into that memory in
order for the computer to work properly
now again I'm being very general here
I'm not getting into all the specifics
of how memory management works on a
computer but if you think about it when
you turn your computer on and you like
I'm looking at the one here in front of
me I have a web browser loaded I have
Windows 7 loaded those are in memory
right now so that I can use it and
quickly access it it's very fast but
when I turn the computer off whatever is
in memory gets lost right if I don't
save it to the hard disk it's gone so
think of ram as short-term
memory the motherboard is next the
motherboard is the main circuit board in
a computer when you open these things up
there's going to be one big circuit
board attached to it physically attached
that's the
motherboard this is what a motherboard
will look like and it's pointing out
some other things but think about this
the motherboard is the bridge between
everything else on the computer
okay the microprocessor goes on it the
memory goes on it um it has places for
other thing to connect including this
sat is where the hard disk would connect
to it
okay so everything connects into it so
you can think of it as the the main
circuit board of the
computer power
supply when you plug a computer into the
wall it plugs into the back and there's
usually some sort of you can see it if
you if you got the back of it to you
there's place for the the plug to go in
when you open your computer on the other
side of that is going to be a metal box
sometimes with a fan in it that's a
power supply what that does it takes the
power you're pulling in from the wall or
from the electricity company and it
distributes it to all the parts of the
computer everything needs power
motherboard needs power the hard disk
needs power um sometimes different
graphics cards and things need power the
DVD drive needs power they all need
power so its job is to take and
distribute power depending on the
computer you've got it may have a very
high-end power supply or a very low-end
power supply um I built a computer for
myself a few years ago and I was
thinking about making it a gaming PC cuz
I got kids I thought well you know let's
see maybe I can go get this graphics
card that's a little bit nicer and then
they can play you know the games will
look a lot nicer and I went up to the
the counter and told the guy I think I
want to get this he goes well you're
going to need need a new power supply if
you get that and all of a sudden the $50
card was going to be another $100 in
power supply and I didn't do it I know
I'm a bad father right because I
wouldn't do it but um the idea though is
that you need a power supply that's
equivalent to all the different things
on your computer the more power that it
draws the higher the power Supply needs
to be the bigger it needs to be uh the
other things that I'll talk to you about
we don't really need to go into some of
these um it's interesting these parts
that it lists like a sound card and a
graphics card most motherboards include
those on the motherboard when you open
it up you'll see that the ports for the
graphics the video okay the monitor or
the plug for the sound are actually
attached right to the motherboard when
you build a PC now you can just get a
motherboard that has all those things on
it but for those of you that are into
gaming you probably also know you need
high-end Graphics which was my
experience when I was looking for my
son's so you buy a separate graphics
card most of the time it has its own
microprocessor dedicated just to
Graphics processing so you'll depending
on the the machine you have you may have
different sorts of
Graphics okay so I told you ram is like
short-term memory right anything you
load anything you do is pulled up into
that memory it's the working storage of
the
computer but when you need to save
something for long term you save it to
the hard disk drive C you know if you're
using Windows it's usually labeled Drive
C if you're using a Mac it's usually Mac
hard disk or Macintosh hard disk or
something like
that and that is the long-term storage
generally a hard disk is actually a disc
you know why are they called disc you
look at them in here you're just going
to see these metal boxes but if you open
one of them up you'll see inside are
these little discs that spin and they're
magnetic so they have um little magnet
like needles that read and write from
them and they can be fast or slow and
they will slow down your computer if
they're not very fast most of the time
um the bigger the hard disk the slower
though not always now I'm not an expert
on some of this Hardware stuff but I'm
trying to give you just kind of the
basics um okay so I want you to be able
to identify a processor a motherboard a
hard disk
Ram what else did I say power supply and
then if it has it a floppy Drive did
anybody use a floppy Drive in here few
of you have used the floppy Drive they
are called floppy drives they're the
little 3 and 1/2 in discs that actually
aren't very floppy they're just little
discs about like that it's called a
floppy drive because before that we used
5 and a/4 inch discs which were bigger
and you could hold them like this and
flop them and they'd go up and down and
before that I think they were 8 in disc
that was before my time but when I first
started using computers it was 5 and a/
qu in these black discs about that big
and there were no hard discs in the PCS
I first used you would just put these
floppy discs in so what I want you to
know about Hardware you know it's one of
the components of an information system
it's the physical tangible part of an
information system actually the
architecture hasn't changed that much in
years so it's the ones we buy today
though generally smaller pretty much are
set up the same
inside um but the key things to know is
I want you to be able to know what a
processor is the microprocessor which is
the reason we can get a computer to work
today um so know what it is it's the
brains behind the computer it's measured
in gigahertz the speed um what Ram is
okay the short-term
memory what uh the hard disk does
purpose of the hard disk is the
long-term storage and power supply and
motherboard and all of those things will
be in your reading so if you're kind of
like whoa we just went through that
really quick you'll have a reading
assignment tonight again where you can
look at that they even have a video on
there if you want to like take a video
of the inside of a computer
microprocessor the ram the memory the
hard disc if you can identify some of
these different components
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