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A computer can be thought of as follows:
Consider what, primarily, a computer has replaced – a human being, working at a desk, reading and writing on paper.
The CPU
The serial bus
The RAM
- The Random Access Memory is the data that is stored while the computer is switched on, and while the human is working and writing and reading.
So it can be considered as the human’s scribble pad or their book or their newspaper.
Once a human has stopped working, the item will either be safely stored away or be disposed of (thrown into the trash or recycling).
Similarly the data in the random access memory can be saved onto the disk or be destroyed once the computer has been switched off.
The motherboard
- The motherboard is where all the peripherals plug into. This can be considered as your body and your study or office.
The hard drive
- The hard drive can be considered as your book shelves or your drawers, where you store your books and paperwork.
Keyboard and mouse
- The keyboard and mouse can be considered as the pen or pencil or similar scribing vice.
The Power Supply
- The Power Supply Unit (PSU), where power is brought in to power the computer, can be considered as the food you eat and again the electricity that is supplied to illuminate the study.
Summary
- A tutor once described the above to me and it helped me to understand better, as I approached my studies during my engineering degree.
Further Reading
- Please also look at the OSI Network Model which examines “computing:computing from a networking point of view, but helps encapsulates all aspects of computing and ”computer networking":networking
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