Central Processing Unit (CPU)

• Brain of the computer
• Preforms the actual computation and controls the activity of the entire computer.
• In current computers, a CPU is an integrated circuit
  • Consists of a tiny chip of silicon with millions of transistors imprinted onto it.
  • Capable of carrying out simple arithmetic and logical operations

Primary Storage: Memory

• Type of storage device: a piece of hardware capable of storing and retrieving information
• Storage device used while the program is actively running
• Current computers use RAM (random access memory).
  • Random access means that any location can be accessed at any time. (Like a DVD as opposed to a cassette tape.)
  • Built from a special integrated-circuit chip
  • Very fast, but relatively small
  • Data is lost when the computer is turned off.

Secondary Storage

• Hardware device that stores permanent data.
• Slower than RAM.
• Current computers use disks for storage: circular spinning platters coated with magnetic material to store data
• Examples:
  • Hard drive
  • Floppy disk
  • CD or DVD

I/O (Input/Output) Devices

• These devices are how the computer communicates with the user
• Examples of input devices:
  • Keyboard
  • Mouse
  • Touch screen
  • Scanner
• Examples of output devices:
  • Screen
  • Printer
  • Speaker

Bus