Explore personal computers
A popular Disney movie from the 1980s, TRON, attempted to explore the inner workings of a computer system by putting a human explorer in the computer itself. Though dated today, the movie enabled people to see inside a computer in a fun way.
This unit will cover what makes up a personal computer (PC) without all the hassle of having to become digital and fly around inside of one.
Basic Items
There are certain items that a computer must have and those things that most computers in fact do have. When you think of a personal computer, you may think of a laptop or desktop computer. These types of things generally get the label "PC." In this module, we'll use the term "computer" to include a laptop or desktop but also things like a mobile phone, tablet, and even a gaming device.
The Must-Haves
All modern computers, in order to fit the name "computer," include at least two things: a processor and memory. We'll talk about these items in more detail in the next unit. When you think about the name "computer," the main thing it does is compute. In order to compute, it has to have a "brain" that does the thinking and somewhere to keep the facts it uses to compute. This is what the processor and memory do in computers.
The May-Haves
Most computers these days also have long-term storage (a place where the device can access data over time) and a network adapter for talking to other computers. As the parts that make up these things have gotten smaller, these additional parts can be made to fit into things as small as a light bulb.
Putting It Together
These four parts make up the basic parts most modern computers need. The processor does the thinking. The memory remembers items to help the processor think. The storage keeps things around for later. And the computer uses network adapters to talk to other computers.
Now that you have the basics, let's dig into each of these items a bit more.