The History of the Computer

As man evolved into a more intelligent being, the storage of information became more important to him in order for this life to be more rewarding.

Modern information technology would be just a coined phase if it were not for the invention of the computer. The computer as we know it is an electronic machine that processes data via a set of instructions, to perform a specific task and store and recall information at the touch of a button. It can be fun, especially with all the exciting features and games on it. It also helps, in many ways, to solve complex problems on its own. It is used in almost everything we do, for commercial, medical, science, the arts and personal uses.

The abacus was the most popular manual calculating device in the world. It is a mechanised pebble counter, the squire like structure has on beads strung on wires, and the beads are slid along the wires when counting or adding. The Abacus dates back over two thousand years. And it is still being used by some parts of the world today. The storage of information in that time era was evolving into a more efficient system as the business world was growing rapidly.

In 1944 the first computer hardware was born, which was known as the Mark 1. It was power off vacuum tubes and consume a lot of energy, especial been very large in size.

The second generation of computers was ushered in by the invention of the transistor. This was from 1959 to 1964. The development of the integrated circuits in 1963 "ruled the roost" until 1975 where they made further advancement by placing the entire circuit on silicon chip along with other computer components.

Advancement in computer technology

Micro Chip

Robert Noyce, a scientist who found Intel Corporation, developed the microchip. He created the chip by putting thousands of integrated circuits on a minute silicon chip. The chip is actually a microelectronic "system" capable of performing various tasks. It is not only the computer that uses the microchip but also pocket calculators, radio, television and cell-phones.

The improvement in the integrated circuits has made it possible for scientist to pack a large number of computer components on a single chip. The complexity that this combination produces on the digital circuit is due to the number of transistor or logic gate that is installed on the tiny chip. This makes it possible for large-scale integration. This allows multiple processing of jobs at the same time. For example, you can be playing music CD, while running excel or word.

These very small computer parts, which are not larger than the size of a baby's fingernail, are extremely powerful. It carries the main processing power in the computer hardware and is referred to as the microprocessor or the central processing unit. The CPU is made up of the control unit, the arithmetic/logic unit and the register. These elements are held on the integrated circuit or the silicon chip. Because of the microchip, more complex mathematical and very large amount of data can be processed. Since the advent of the silicon chip, science and technology has grown by leaps and bounds. No other advancement has made such a significant contribution to the industry.

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The History of the Computer

The History of the Computer

Personal Computer

The personal computers have become very popular all over the world. These computers can be seen in offices, in the home and entertainment centres. The first personal computer was available to the public in 1974 by Miroc Instrumentation Telemetry Systems (MITS) of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The personal computer was called the Altair 8800 and was retailed for $400. It had no keyboard and no permanent storage space, in fact it was a built it yourself kit.

The personal computer kit had a tremendous demand and so small manufacturing computer companies started to pop up to satisfy this demand. One such company that improved on the personal computer by adding computer parts such as a keyboard and display terminal was Tandy Corporation (Radio Shack), Tandy's model computer in 1977 could be programmed and stored information by using cassette tapes.

Today personal computers are more complex in its computer software architecture, in which you have multiprocessing of jobs. That means you can listen to a CD while working in Excel or word, as I had mention earlier. Thanks to a computer components known as the microchip.

Intel, who is the developer of the microchip, has dominated the PC market, in term of computer hardware, and has launched their new low-price Poulson chips. It has a speed of 10 GHz. computer companies such as Dell and Compaq have already begun to offer the new chip on their processors. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) who is a computer supplier of integrated circuits and communications software with their home page provides links to product and information, is saying that AMD Athlon 3Dnow! Chip is needed on the Pentium to run some application properly. But they also believe that Intel, who is the trailblazer, will continue to "rule the roost ", because, before the year-ends, they will be coming out with the chip with processing speed up to 1THz. This new advancement is expected to roll out Intel Pentium. This move will send the price of personal computers further down. Intel is hoping that Microsoft new Windows Operating System; Windows 7 will spur demand for their new Pentium.

Throughout the world more people and businesses are buying computers and computer parts to do their day to day routines. The development of the silicon chip reduced the size of the personal computer so it can hold on a desk and also in a shirt pocket. It has become more powerful and more affordable for the average person.

Computers are categorized in three categories, main frame, micro and minicomputers. Mainframe computers were with us since the first computer but the inception of the microchip made it possible for a computer to hold in a shirt pocket and 100,000 times faster than the first generation of computers!

Information systems development

Computers are helping to teach handicaps, disadvantage and gifted children. It also uses voice synthesizers to talk to them. Space travel, weather prediction and designing productions for the market, also construction of skyscrapers, would be impossible without supercomputer. You can be a thousand miles away and communicate information to a computer system, via a small device attached to your computer known as modem. Networking of computers makes it possible for management to make on the spot decisions. All these things are possible through systems known as the expert system and artificial intelligence. Software information system development in areas like transaction processing systems, Management information systems and decision support system are used in the commercial arena.

The Internet can make information that is found in a library, be available to you at the push of a button, when your computer is connected to it. In addition, it has revolutionized the communication industry. Advancement in computer technology allows for larger storage system by using honeycomb structure, which can store up to 40 petabyte of data and can be available in less than a second. Laser technology has further expanded the storage capacity making the computer possible to store up to a 1 million terabytes of data in a space the size of a post stamp. Furthermore, scientists have predicted that the beam of the laser has the potential of carrying all the conversation going on at once on the earth!

In addition to storage capacity, the flash drive can store up to 256 gigabytes or an equivalent of 1,000,000 textbooks. All this information on a stick 1/4 the size of a pencil, that is Incredible!

The future

The only intelligent computers that we have experienced are what we see in science fiction movies. Yet what you are seeing is what scientists have in mind. That is why the Americans and the Japanese are in a "rat race" to see who can first come up with the first thinking computers. If this breakthrough occurs, it will require major changes in construction and programming of the computer.

Scientists have just scratched the surface with virtual reality. What they hope to achieve is for the computer to reason, to learn from experiences, to reflect, and to make its own choices. Although computers have been programmed to learn from experience, such as playing games, it cannot think on its own. Scientist first has to understand and fully define the thinking process before they can make a breakthrough in common sense reasoning.

Conclusion

Computers have become a vital tool in the business world, because it allows faster processing of information, therefore greater productivity at the work place.

Whether we like it or not, computers are here to stay, it's what we call the computer age. The speed at which information is processed frightens many workers, fearing it will put them out of jobs. Rest assures that computers are not here to take over. They are here to assist man to get ahead faster.

Computers have helped us tremendously in every facet of life, for example doctors use computers in term of AI, to help disabled patients to walk and hear better and perform operation when he is 4000 miles away from the patient! It also helps in the education of emotionally impaired and both gifted and disadvantaged students. It is a vital tool to scientific research and advancement. The results are all around us. You just have to stop and think where all those wonders of technology came from.

The industry that has benefited tremendously from computer technology is the business industry. It has revolutionized how business activities are conducted all over the world. The computers have become a part of the business structure and operation procedure; in fact, it has become second best to the human resources.

black

All pictuer Computer

All pictuer Computer

HP Compaq Presario CQ2312L (NY744AA#AKL, No Monitor)

Intel Atom 1.6 GHz
แรม 1024 MB, ฮาร์ดดิสก์ 320 GB
จอมอนิเตอร์ -

฿ 7,393 ราคากลาง

Acer eMachine ET1300-161G3200M/9004 (NAK09004, No Monitor)

AMD Athlon 2.7 GHz
แรม 1024 MB, ฮาร์ดดิสก์ 320 GB
จอมอนิเตอร์ -

฿ 9,523 ราคากลาง

Dell Inspiron 400 (T261025TH)

AMD Athlon 1.8 GHz
แรม 2048 MB, ฮาร์ดดิสก์ 500 GB
จอมอนิเตอร์ -

฿ 10,593 ราคากลาง



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Computer Repair Basics for Beginners

Is it possible for regular Joe's to fix their own computer without needing to call a specialist in to do the computer repair? Yes! You can do it easy, and you can learn these computer repair techniques easy in the article I have written. You will be told exactly what you need to do and know, in order to get your computer repaired and working how you want it!

There is always the option of calling upon a company like Geek Squad, from Best Buy, if you have the extra $350 to repair your computer. Let's also state here their idea of computer repair is not what you need at all, unless you are looking for someone to come to your home with the intention of selling you software you don't need, instead of repairing your computer. Later I will indulge all of you reading, my experience with this company, and how it brought amusement into my world

Going through only the computer repairing techniques we need to know, I will not waste your time with confusing nonsense about how a computer works, or how did the computer get broken in the first place where it is in need of computer repair? Who cares right? What's done is done, lets just fix the darn thing.

I will show you how to do computer repair the easiest, most simplest way possible. We care about making our current computer situation better as it exists at this exact moment, ridding it of needing computer repair.

The computer repair basics presented here and the articles that follow will be more than enough to eradicate 90% of your home computer repair problems, completely resolving them all so you don't have to search the internet anymore for "computer repair" and how to fix your computer problems.

You could be thinking, as I at one time did when I knew very little about computers or repairing them, that it will be near impossible to understand these square mysterious beeping towers or how they work none the less. It is a lot easier then you might think! You just need to know the what information is important about computer repair, discarding all the unnecessary stuff that most computer repair companies say in order to confuse you so you hire them. We do not need them! We have ourselves and by gosh darn it, we have this helpful article to guide you thought basic computer repair.

Computer repair steps are all the same.

Let's repeat, computer repairing steps are all the same, no matter if it is you doing it or a computer engineer doing it. The computer engineer goes though the basic steps while repairing a computer system, the same steps we are going to go over in this article. He might know what to do in that chance of 10% when a computer is more damaged then normal, but we are not going to worry ourselves with that odd chance.

There are not hundreds of computer gurus that develop new and innovative ways to repair computers. Computer repair techniques have already been mapped out for us, and proven, so lets just utilize other peoples work and findings about computer repair, after all its free and legal!. Think of the same situation where you look up a recipe online to cook a fancy meal, it is the same idea!

Now, I have been prepping you for too long telling you why I think you can do it. You know you can do it, you just need to believe in yourself and take computer repair one step at a time. I cannot stress that enough. Computer repair has to be done in steps...1) before 2). Yes it sounds obvious but be strict on yourself about his, especially while learning how to do computer repair, you will make it easy on yourself.

Usually when we fix something in life we have identify the problem.. blah blah. Skip identifying the problem! (not how you learned it in school huh?) Lets not even try to pinpoint a problem that needs repairing with our computer yet!

We are going to first do a few very easy computer repair basics that will solve almost all computer issues (shhh overpriced Geek Squad doesn't want you or anyone to know this).

First Guide in Computer Repair

1) Click the Start Menu, a button that is visible while hovering over the start menu is the "run" button. Click the run button and a small window in the bottom left of your screen comes up.

2) Type "msconfig" (with no quotation marks) in the box that is within the window.

3) Another window comes up, now go to the tab to the right called "start up"

4) Near the bottom of the window is a button called "disable all" click that button

5) Then click the "apply" button just below the "disable all" button.

6) X out of the window (close the window) and another window pops up. Click the "restart now" option.

And there you have it! You just taught yourself how to do a very easy computer repair technique which will solve alot of your computer repair issues.

Buying a Desktop Computer

REMOVABLE MEDIA

You will want to have a CD-R or (CD-RW) drive installed in your computer, and or possibly a DVD or DVD-R. For reading a CD ROM, all that is required is a CD drive and for watching DVD movies, a DVD ROM drive. However with a CD-R drive, you can record your own data and music CDs, and with a DVD-R drive, you can burn files in a DVD format, allowing you to store movies and data in far greater quantities. The CD-RW (DVD-RW) drives allow you to use re-recordable media. Your decision will depend on what you want to use your media drives for and what you want to store.

Other removable media will possibly include flash card storage, which is usually plugged in via the USB ports on the computer.

MONITORS

For a detailed explanation of monitors, please see the article on Myshopping.com.au dedicated to Monitors.

The monitor for your computer is integral to its function and aesthetics. If you are working in graphics you may want to stay with a CRT monitor. However most bundle offers these days are supplied with LCD monitors, which have the advantages of smaller space requirements, use lower energy and offer wider screen images. However they generally are more expensive (although prices are dropping everyday), can frequently be not as bright, have limited viewing angles and sometimes require a digital interface connector.

For graphics intensive work, LCD screens do not have the same capacity to render colours in gradients as CRT monitors. Once again, size matters. Bigger screens cost more than smaller ones.

VIDEO AND SOUND

For a detailed explanation of video cards, please see the article on Myshopping.com.au dedicated to Video Cards.

The interface between the CPU and the Monitor is provided by the video card. One of the basic decisions you need to make is whether you require a 3D or 2D card. Video cards come in two different types: those that use an AGP (accelerated graphics port) on the computer motherboard and those that use the PCI bus. Data transfer rate is critical to video performance. Faster video cards use an AGP, and this proves a faster data transfer than PCI cards. Most video cards also have their own video memory installed on the card, a feature that increases a computer's memory performance. Today, these memories are often 128M or 256M, and can be more in the higher-end cards dedicated to sophisticated video work or gaming. Video cards performance is also affected by what is known as clock speed or clock rate, cards with a faster speed offer faster performance.

Cheaper computers, and laptops and notebooks, have an integrated graphics chip included in the motherboard instead of a discrete video card. This type of configuration is not as powerful or as fully functional as having a separate video card, which can allow more comprehensive gaming, the use of multiple monitors and faster and better rendering of images.

For a computer to reproduce the sounds recorded in games, movies and music products it requires a sound card. Quality of sound can be affected by the sound card your computer has installed. It's important that you know how you want to use the sound reproduction processes of your computer. If you are a musician and want to record audio, then you will want to be sure that you have excellent connectivity, good midi access and at least 16-bit (CD quality) audio reproduction. Sound cards give you the possibilities of full cinema surround sound, and the many subtle effects employed by high-end games.

Nearly every computer comes with a set of stereo speakers. However it pays to have a good listen to what you're buying. Make sure you listen to program that you are familiar with (take your own CD along) and compare the sound in a quiet environment. Many speaker systems for computers have poor frequency response and are underpowered. For desktop use that does not involve a quality listening environment this may be satisfactory. But if you want to listen to music and watch movies for the full effect, then you need to consider buying a good quality set of speakers. Use the search facility of Myshopping.com.au to compare specifications and prices of different speaker systems.

KEYBOARD AND MOUSE

The choice of keyboard and mouse are personal choices. Sometimes it depends on what you do on your computer, whether you have formal typing skills or whether you're a two-finger hack. Serious writers may prefer an ergonomic keyboard. Keyboards frequently have different clicks and responses to others. You may prefer an infrared cordless keyboard and mouse. You may prefer an optical mouse on which you don't have to clean the rollers. Optical mice have no rollerball, and can be used on most flat surfaces, but they are more expensive.

CONNECTIVITY

Today, connectivity is everything. Your computer can have wireless connections to all of your peripherals: printer, scanner, and other computers. Having an onboard modem will only be really important if you are using a dial up internet connection. Broadband modems tend to be peripherals and you can connect via USB, wireless or firewire. It does pay to consider how you will connect to the internet and other peripherals. It's not always convenient to get behind your computer to plug something in or unplug it. Some sound cards have a front face panel with all the connections you need. The USB ports on Macs are conveniently located. Many PC manufacturers haven't caught on to the fact that it's important for some people to easily access the connections to their computers.

To compare the different bundle offers from different brands, and to compare the different components by their specifications, search the Myshopping.com.au database for exactly the specifications you are seeking. You can compare prices and vendors, and order what you need online with a few clicks.

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Buying a Desktop Computer

With the rapid pace of technological developments, nothing has become as ubiquitous as the computer. Everyone's got one. And they are used for all manner of endeavour, by people of all walks of life. So, do you simply buy the computer that someone's selling? Or do you do some homework and figure out what detailed specifications are going to make some difference to you?

At Myshopping.com.au you can compare the prices of a wide range of different computers from different vendors and of different specifications. This guide will help you find what you're looking for.

Mac or Windows (PC)

At the outset, you need to decide what you are going to use the computer for. This will help you make the fundamental decision of whether you should go Mac or PC. Although, with the advent of the dual core processor (an Intel chip now used by Mac) the differences are narrowed a little, there are still some choices that can help you favour one system over another. Historically, Mac computers have a reputation for greater stability that comes from a more robust operating system than Windows based computers. Largely for this reason, Macs have been the computer of choice for the graphic design industry, the music production industry and the video production industry. This has prompted the software manufacturers to make professional software packages for these disciplines that favour the Mac operating system. Although they have packages supporting the Windows operating system, they are often less capable.

Consequently, if you are engaged in these industries and need your computer for this type of work, you should consider Mac. Mac computers appear to attract fewer viruses and software malfunctions than do Windows based PCs. On the down side, there has always appeared to have been limited software support for Mac systems.

Another decision that may guide your choice is the aesthetics of the computer. If you have limited available space, there is nothing quite like the iMacs or the mini Macs for space saving. iMac's all-in-one desktop units are compact and complete with all the connectivity you need. However, the look of other brands may be more to your taste, with many models available in compact packages and modern colour schemes to suit practically all dйcor. Now that you've made that basic decision, you can start comparing the apples with apples.
Mac
Windows XP Home
Windows XP Professional

The Components of Your Computer

The two factors that determine the price of your computer are size (yes it does matter) and speed. Either or both of these two dimensions are a factor of practically every component that makes up the machine. Naturally the highest price tags go with the combination of biggest and fastest.

CPU

The heart of the computer is the CPU (central processing unit). You need to decide which CPU you want driving your computer. These come from different manufacturers, and the current development of the technology is called Dual Core, which means that there are two processors on the one chip. Dual Core technology delivers more performance with less energy requirements. Intel and AMD are the two leading CPU manufacturers, and they offer different products under different names.

Current processing speeds range from about 1.4 GHz (gigahertz) through to 3.46 GHz. But it is not simply just a matter of speed. There are other considerations. Mac Operating Systems have a different architecture to Windows and will perform many functions faster with a slower speed CPU. A dual core chip at 1.4 GHz will deliver a better performance that a Pentium 4 chip at 1.8 GHz. A 1.4 GH dual core chip running a Mac with OSX Tiger, will perform better than a 2.0 GHz Pentium 4 processor running Windows. You need to decide what you want your computer to do, what your major software requirements are before you decide on the CPU processor.

However, for everyday use, a processor faster than 1.8 GHz will deliver excellent performance. As a rough rule of thumb, choose a Celeron for low cost computing, a Pentium 4 for mid-range budgets, or an AMD Athlon for bigger budgets. You can compare computers based on Pentium, Celeron, Athlon or Dual Core CPUs by searching those specifications on Myshopping.com.au and finding different vendors and brands using different processors.

RAM

This is where bigger definitely means better performance. RAM is the system memory that enables the computer to use its programs and swap data between the hard drive and the program functions. It's important to match the speed of the RAM of your computer with the speed of the CPU. The more RAM you have available for your programs to work, the faster will your computer run. Most computers today come with at least 256 M (megabytes) of RAM. But memory is a relatively cheap component, and it costs little extra to upgrade to 512 M or greater.

HARD DRIVE

For a detailed explanation of hard drives, please see the article on Myshopping.com.au dedicated to Hard Disc Drives.

The hard drive of the computer stores your program files and your data. As computers have advanced, so has the need for more capacity to operate programs and store data. People working in media fields tend to work with very large files and require large storage space. Most computers in today's market come with a minimum of 40G of hard drive space. However, this can be upgraded (usually in 20G chunks) to as much as 200G or more. The effectiveness of your hard drive also can depend on its physical speed (5400-7200 RPM) and the speed at which it can transfer data between the computer's RAM and the hard drive. Faster means better performance.

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Buying a new Computers

Buying a new Computer

Buying a new PC can be a daunting task for some people, the average home user will not know what the different options mean and when faced with these decisions might end up making the wrong choice and end up with a computer that won't do everything they need it to do. This guide will help you understand the different options so you can choose the correct PC that meets your needs to ensure you are getting the best value for your hard earned money.

Before you start shopping for a new computer you need to make a few decisions to help you find the right computer suitable for your needs.

1. Determine if you want a laptop or desktop computer. See Laptops vs Desktops further down for more information.
2. Create a list all the different things you want to be able to do with your new computer - for example, browsing the internet, sending/receiving emails, word processing and storing photos, videos and music. Without this list you will find it very hard to determine which computer will be suitable for you.
3. Determine the minimum hardware specifications for your new computer, see Hardware Specifications further down for more information.
4. Determine how you are going to buy your new computer. See Where To Buy A Personal Computer further down for more information.
5. Buy your new computer. Keep an eye out for my up coming guide "Setting Up A Personal Computer", which will cover the basics of setting up your computer and maintenance tasks you should do on a regular basis to keep your computer running fast and secure.

Laptops vs Desktops
A laptop computer has a major benefit over a desktop computer, portability - you can take your laptop with you almost anywhere meaning you will have instant access to the information stored on your laptop, however this also makes it easier for someone to walk off with your laptop and your information. Desktops are not portable, but are also a lot less likely to be stolen.

A laptop is generally much more expensive than a desktop computer, and, for the same cost of a laptop, a faster desktop could be purchased.

Laptops are generally not upgradeable and are made using proprietary parts, this means that if your laptops breaks only the manufacturer of your laptop can supply parts to fix it - when your warranty runs out this can become very expensive. Desktops are fully upgradeable and do not use proprietary parts, meaning that the replacement parts are normally inexpensive and can be found in practically any computer store.

Hardware Specifications
There are a lot of different options when it comes to the hardware specifications of a computer, once you have made your list of things you want to do with your computer you will be able to determine the minimum hardware specifications of your new computer, normally the best way to do this is to talk to a specialist and give them your list of things you want to do with your computer. The main hardware components you need to look at are the CPU (processor), RAM (memory) and HDD (hard drive).

Processor - Determines how fast your computer can process information.

RAM - This is the temporary space the computer uses when accessing your programs and information stored on your computer. This can be thought of as a desk, the information you are currently working on is put on the desk and is removed when you are finished. The more RAM your computer has, the more information you can access quickly at the same time.

HDD - Determines how much information you can store on your computer.

For basic tasks, such as browsing the internet, sending/receiving emails, word processing and storing photos, videos and music, a computer with at least a dual-core processor, 2GB memory and an 80GB hard drive would be suitable, depending on how many photos, videos and music files you have - the hard drive capacity might need to be increased.

For more advanced tasks such as gaming you will need to look at a fast processor, more memory and a separate graphics card - refer to the minimum specifications for some of the games you would like to play to get an idea on the sort of hardware specifications you will need.

Where to Buy a Personal Computer
There are a few different ways to buy a new computer, below is a list of the most common ways people buy computers.

1. Buying a computer form an electronics store or department store (such as Dick Smiths or Big W in Australia). This is possibly the most common way the average user will buy a PC and is also the worst way to purchase a computer. These types of stores generally do not have staff with a good knowledge of computers, therefore they cannot really help you make the right choice and cannot offer good after purchase support. Avoid this option where possible.
2. Buying a brand name computer from a manufacturer over the internet (such as Dell or HP). This is a relatively good option however you cannot look at, apart from pictures, or test drive the computer before buying it. You can normally get good advice when buying online by calling the sales team or searching for reviews on the internet. After market support is reasonably good with this option, they will have a dedicated technical enquiry team and will normally have a local service representative who will normally do house calls.
3. Buying a custom built computer from a computer store (such as Principal Computers in Australia). This is a good option and will allow you to get great advice and buy a computer that fits your needs. You can sit down with a specialist and discuss exactly what you need your computer to do, it is also generally cheaper than buying a brand name computer and they will provide great after purchase support.
4. Buying the individual hardware components and building the computer yourself, this is only a good option for those who already have good knowledge of computers. If this option interests you please look out for my up coming guide "Building Your Own Personal Computer".