Chapter 2: How Computers Work

Outline:

Chapter Overview
2.1 System Overview
2.1.1 Input, process, output, and storage
2.2 The Boot Process
2.2.1 Initializing and testing the system hardware
2.2.2 Loading the operating system and hardware configuration
2.2.3 The boot sequence
2.3 Hardware Components
2.3.1 Power supplies and computer cases
2.3.2 The motherboard
2.3.3 The CPU
2.3.4 BIOS, EPROM, EEPROM, and Flash ROM
2.3.5 Bus types and expansion slots
2.3.6 RAM and cache/COAST memory
2.3.7 Video cards and monitors
2.3.8 I/O ports
2.3.9 EIDE and SCSI controllers
2.3.10 Floppy drives
2.3.11 The hard drive
2.3.12 CD-ROMs
2.3.13 Modems and network interface cards (NICs)
2.4 Portables
2.4.1 Why portables can be portable
2.4.2 Portable hardware
2.4.3 Portable computer displays
2.4.4 Docking station
2.5 System Resources
2.5.1 What are system resources?
2.5.2 Interrupt Requests (IRQ's)
2.5.3 Direct Memory Access (DMA)
2.5.4 Input/Output (I/O) addresses
Chapter Summary

Chapter Quiz