This ten-chapter tutorial will help develop your hardware architecture skills. As each chapter progresses, you wil know how computers are used on a day-to-day basis. Also, you will know more about the components which make up the hardware of each computer system, including information about processors, motherboards, memory and storage, input/output/networking devices and servers.

In This Guide:

01 - Introduction

How did the invention of computers impact the human race in general? What should we expect with the science of computing in the near future?

02 - Computers in Our Daily Lives

This chapter will give you a brief insight into the effect of computers in our daily lives. What are its uses? How do you define client-server architecture?

03 - Personal Computer

In the second chapter, you learned about the impact of personal computers on our daily lives. In this chapter, you will be given a more thorough definition of personal computers. In the section for the basic parts of the PC, you will have an insight into the Von Neumann architecture.

04 - Processors

This chapter deals with the brain of the computer which is the processor. Learn about the Central Processing Unit, its operation, parts and evolution.

05 - Motherboards

The motherboard is another essential part of a computer system. In this chapter, you will be taught what a motherboard is, how to choose the right brand for your computer and the parts of a motherboard will also be discussed.

06 - Memory and Storage

One of the things that define a computer system is the memory. This chapter enumerates and defines the types of memory, and gives you an idea of how much memory you need.

07 - Input

In this chapter, you will know about the various inout devices used on a PC. What are pointing and text inputs? What are multimedia inputs and how do they relate to video, sound and gaming?

08 - Output

This chapter is all about output, including printers, displays and sound.

09 - Networking

Networking may sound complicated but this chapter will make it easier for you to understand the concept. Learn about modems, routers and wireless networks which include WiFi, Bluetooth and Infrared.

10 - Servers

Way back in the first chapter, you learned about the client-server architecture. In this chapter, we will have a review of the concepts and define what a server is and where the difference lies between a server and a PC.

11 - Sample Applications

This chapter will test your hardware architecture skills.