Saylor.org BUS206: Dr. Davd Bourgeois' "The Hardware Component"

Summary

This 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

00:00

💻 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.

05:00

🔥 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.

10:03

💾 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.

15:03

🛠 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.

Keywords

💡Personal Computer (PC)

A personal computer, or PC, is an individual's gateway to digital technology, allowing for tasks such as document creation, internet browsing, and media consumption. In the video, the PC is central to the discussion of technological advancements, with the first PC being mentioned as a significant milestone. The video also touches on the evolution of PCs from large mainframes to compact, powerful devices.

💡Microprocessor

The microprocessor, often referred to as the 'chip' or 'brain' of a computer, is a compact set of electronic circuits that perform the processing inside a computer. The video explains that microprocessors made PCs possible by miniaturizing thousands of circuits onto a single chip, which was a significant technological innovation that enabled the creation of smaller, more efficient computers.

💡Digital

The term 'digital' refers to technology that represents data in terms of discrete values, typically binary digits (bits). In the video, 'digital' is used to describe the fundamental nature of computer data processing, which is based on binary code—combinations of ones and zeros. This concept is crucial for understanding how computers operate at their most basic level.

💡Killer Application

A 'killer application' is a software program so compelling that it drives the purchase of the hardware it runs on. The video uses the example of spreadsheet software, such as VisiCalc, which was a significant reason people bought PCs in the early days. This concept illustrates how software can be a driving force in the adoption of new technology.

💡CPU (Central Processing Unit)

The CPU is the primary component of a computer that performs most of the processing inside the computer. It is often referred to as the 'brain' of the computer. The video emphasizes the importance of the CPU by discussing its role in processing data and its measurement in gigahertz, indicating the speed at which it operates.

💡Gigahertz

Gigahertz is a unit of frequency equal to one billion hertz, used to express the speed of a computer's microprocessor. The video explains that modern processors operate at several gigahertz, which means they can complete billions of cycles per second, reflecting the incredible processing power of today's PCs.

💡Heat

Heat is a byproduct of the rapid electronic activity within a computer's microprocessor. As the video points out, as processors become faster, they also generate more heat, which can damage the computer if not managed properly. This leads to the necessity for cooling solutions like fans and heat sinks in modern PCs.

💡Moore's Law

Moore's Law is the observation that the number of transistors on a microchip doubles approximately every two years, which corresponds to a doubling of computing power. The video discusses Moore's Law in the context of the rapid advancement of computer technology, noting that for a constant cost, the computing power available to consumers increases significantly over time.

💡RAM (Random Access Memory)

RAM is the computer's short-term memory, where data is temporarily stored for quick access by the CPU. The video likens RAM to a person's short-term memory, highlighting its importance for the immediate processing of information. It is crucial for the computer's performance because it allows for the swift execution of tasks.

💡Motherboard

The motherboard is the main circuit board of a computer and serves as the connection point for all other components. As the video explains, it acts as a bridge, allowing the microprocessor, memory, and other peripherals to interface with each other. It is a foundational component that determines the compatibility and connectivity of a computer's hardware.

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