what is a dvd drive/what have they been replaced with?DVD drives are basically a slot for CDs to be put in that are combined within a computer, allowing for easy data transmission. As CDs can can range from maths help disks to added applications on computers, DVD drives are an important part of most computers. However, their modern day replacement seems to be either the USB drive or the external DVD drive, providing the same amount of versatility with their use without requiring to be inbuilt within the computer. THENDVD drives in old computers were CD slots where blank disks, or already written disks can be inserted into the computer to allow them to be either 'read' or 'burned'. When a disk is read, it means that the data installed on the disk is transmitted onto the computer, be it an application or a document. When a disk is burned, it means data is transferred from the computer to the disk. Internal DVD drives are installed within the frame of the computer, making them more practical to use than an external drive. NOWNowadays, external disk drives have replaced their internal counterparts. They perform exactly the same tasks as the internal DVD drive, but they are outside the computer and connected via a USB cord. This makes them less practical, but more portable for use. The other replacement for the DVD drive is the USB stick, which is much smaller and easier to use than the large disk drives. It often has less storage, as it can only carry a finite amount, while disk drives can keep taking new disks in and out when they fill up. TOUCH SCREENTouch screen devices are obviously too small to carry their own individual USB ports or DVD drives, and so they can be connected via a USB adaptor to either a USB, a computer that carries a DVD drive or an external disk drive.
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What is a cpu?The CPU (central processing unit) of a computer is essentially the brain of the whole device. Whilst the design, form and implementation of the CPU has changed over the years, their general function has not evolved in any particular way. The function of a CPU is to perform a series of tasks (a program). THENAs you can see, older CPUs had a very different shape to their modern counterparts, as they are much smaller and more rectangular. Earlier CPUs were often custom designed for their computer. As previously mentioned, the hardware inside the CPU has not changed very much throughout the years, as it is meant to perform the same tasks. NOWNowadays, the appearance of the CPU has certainly changed. Some modern computers also carry dual-processors (two CPUs) or refer to their CPU as a microprocessor, the state of most modern CPU. The name microprocessor implies that the CPU is running on only one integrated circuit, which also means that it is more efficient than its older replacements. Touch screenIn mobile phones, the CPU once again performs essentially the same tasks as a computer CPU, except it's a lot smaller. The purpose of the phone's CPU (such as the apple A4 chip, shown below) is once again to perform a set of tasks which are triggered by the user of the phone pressing certain things.
WHAT IS HD AND SSHD?HD and SSHD stand for a hard drive and a solid state hybrid drive. Each one has its own set of positives and negatives. A hard drive is the standard storage system used on older PCs, while newer PCs are migrating into SSDs and SSHDs. THENOn older PCs (as previously mentioned) a Hard Drive is the primary form of non-volatile storage, made of a set of one or more platters on which data is written by a magnetic spindle head. It is used to permanently store data, and hard drives can be very large or very small - some ranging up to one terabyte. This form of storage is a very effective method, but it also takes up a lot of space within the computer itself. Like any storage system, it can become overcrowded, and slow down the computer in general. NOWIn modern PCs, the most optimal form of storage seems to be an SSD or an SSHD. An SSHD has a few benefits, such as the fact that it doesn't need any new software configurations to be able to work, and can hold very large amounts of data at any given time. However, most recent PCs come with an SSD rather than an SSHD. This is because SSHDs have slightly worse performance (in terms of speed) than their HD and SSD counterparts. Touch ScreenMobile phones (as they have to fit all aspects of a computer into very small casing) cannot hold a hard drive, and instead have small storage chips, similar to the formatting of RAM inside these phones. This means that mobiles have significantly less storage than the average computer (except for particular models, such as Apple's 256 gB iPhone 7) as they cannot fit all the required components of the average hard drive into the mobile phone's outer shell and motherboard.
What is RAM?RAM is a form of computer storage which is temporary. All documents and data on the monitor at any given time are stored in RAM before they are 'saved' and transferred to a hard rive. If the computer is turned off without transferring things from RAM, anything which is open and temporarily stored in RAM is deleted from the device. Computers have a set amount of RAM storage, ranging from kB to gB and everything in between. THENThere are a few major differences between old RAM cards and new RAM - size and speed. If you investigate the amount of RAM contained in older PCs, you will see that there is often less, around the 60 kB to 2 or 3 gB range. This means that the computer can not run nearly as many documents or applications at the same time. This leads to the second point of speed. As the RAM can't run as many documents at the same time, running an excess amount of documents could lead to a severe impact on the speed of your computer. Overall, the technology used in RAM really hasn't changed an incredible amount, but there are certainly some things to consider as the technology used in our modern world develops. NOWAs the previous paragraph detailed, the technology in RAM really hasn't changed for the better or for the worse. It is more important that there is more RAM or less RAM, as this can impact the speed and quality of the computer. Many modern computers have around 6 to 8 gB of RAM, allowing for many documents and apps to be used. This also means that the computer runs faster and is able to perform more tasks at the same time without its speed being impacted. TOUCH SCREENMobile phones also have RAM chips inside their motherboard, but the RAM inside a mobile phone is also much smaller, as the phone doesn't require as many documents, windows and apps to be open at the same time. However, it also has a similar impact on the speed and function of the phone - no one wants a slow phone with less RAM.
what is a touchscreen/mouse?Modern computers often combine a touchscreen and a mouse - both are input devices that trigger points on the monitor (the 'click') and allows for a response in the visuals on a computer (for example, moving backwards and forwards between pages). On older computers, wired mouses are used, similar to wired keyboards. On newer computers, wireless, bluetooth mouses and touchscreens are the current trend. THENOn older computers, such as the one that we were building, wired mouses (such as the one pictured below) were used, as they are reliable - once again, the charging factor comes in - and they are sturdy, as they don't need an individual power source and can be used for an extremely long time without becoming faulty. These mouses are typically connected through the USB port. NOWModern day computers - such as the Macintosh desktop - have connection points for both a wireless mouse (e.g. the Apple magic mouse) and any other wired mouse, while other computers - such as the Microsoft Surface Windows 8 hybrids - opt for a touchscreen option. Similar to wireless keyboards, the wireless mouse requires charging, and could lead to a battery failure, making it more unreliable than a wired mouse. Touchscreen computers, similar to touchscreen phones are fairly reliable, as they don't even require a mouse unless you choose to use one. Comparing the images, you can also see that there are some differences in the design between bluetooth and wired mice. Newer designs are much sleeker and neater. As discussed in the previous paragraph, touchscreen are a very reliable substitute to a mouse, and modern phones and tablets do not need a mouse or anything similar to aid in their function. The incorporation of a touchscreen into modern devices was a very good move, and allows for much reliability in our modern world. The hardware components in both a phone touchscreen and a computer touchscreen are also very similar.
What is a keyboard?A keyboard is an input device, used for typing letters that are displayed on the monitor. A keyboard is a very important tool for many people, as without it many tasks could not be completed. THENIn the older days, and even with some more modern models, the tradition is to have a wired keyboard that plugs into the monitor. Original keyboards also had a large 'click' noise, simulated by a keyswitch and a tactical bump. This was implemented because before the computer, writers used typewriters which produced a large sound to symbolise that the key had been pressed down hard enough, and the ink had been transferred onto the page. Older keyboards were also very sturdy and reliable, with some keys being said to last over 100 million keystrokes before they failed. NOWModern keyboards have very small keys, are normally connected to the monitor via bluetooth and require charging. These modern keyboards are also much quieter than their older alternatives, as the typewriter has certainly faded out of modern day use. The use of bluetooth in the pairing of the keyboard is a relatively good decision, although the charging aspect poses a problem for some people choosing to switch between brands. The needing of charge also means that the keyboard isn't as reliable when travelling. Touch screenEvery modern, touchscreen phone comes with an integrated keyboard - it's an obvious necessity. Having they keyboard integrated like this leads to a much more practical system for calling, texting and typing in general. Unlike its older counterparts, the modern phone keyboard has single-press letters, with numbers and symbols listed on separate pages. Compared to the older alphanumeric system, which involved pressing certain numbers a certain amount of times to receive the desired letter. Having the keyboard in the phone/tablet like this also makes the device much more reliable, as the keyboard will not fail unless the phone fails.
what's a monitor?The monitor (AKA the screen) is an output device, displaying all the data fed in from input devices (such as the keyboard and the mouse). The monitor was originally used only for processing rather than entertainment, but over the years they have developed into what they are now, with technological giants such as Apple and Microsoft constantly making breakthroughs. We have also seen the development of the touch screen, used in both phones and computers. So, what was the monitor like all those years ago? thenBack in 1981, the first computer (the IBM Personal Computer, model 5150) was certainly not as incredible as they are nowadays. It had an 11-inch screen and only displayed text (no images, and text was only in one colour - green. It also came with an adapter for RGB monitors). Over the years, up to model 5153, the computer started displaying colour and could be used for simple games. It also only had 64kB of memory and two floppy disk drives. Suffice to say, it was nowhere near up to the standards that we now expect from our personal computers. NowThis computer is the Lenovo ThinkCentre edge. It has a 1TB hard drive, 8gB of RAM a high resolution (1080p) 21 inch LED back lit screen, displays in full colour and is much lighter to carry. It also comes with a wireless keyboard and mouse, and is much more portable than original PCs. In fact, it's only 2.5 inches thick! This PC has the resolution ratio of 16:9. The ThinkCentre isn't even the top of the range! There are many computers with faster processors and better graphics, but compared to the IBM PC you can see just how far both monitors and computers have come. Touch ScreenAs you can see from the above link, each brand has a very large set of resolution specs for its individual devices, and these dimensions vary immensely from phone to phone. This is one of the many reasons that its difficult to compare mobile phone models. For example, the iPhone 6 has a display of 750 x 1334, whilst the Samsung's Galaxy S7 has a display of 1440 x 2560. As you can see, the two brands differ vastly in monitor size and resolution - and thats only two brands of many.
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