How Personal Computers Work

By Mike Miller
Oct 25, 2022

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This chapter is from the book 

Computer Basics Absolute Beginner's Guide, Windows 11 Edition, 10th Edition

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Don’t Worry, You Can’t Screw It Up—Much

I don’t know why, but a lot of people are afraid of their computers. They think if they press the wrong key or click the wrong button, they’ll break something or will have to call an expensive repairperson to put things right.

This isn’t true.

The important thing to know is that it’s difficult to break your computer system. Yes, it’s possible to break something if you drop it, but in terms of breaking your system through normal use, it just doesn’t happen that often.

It is possible to make mistakes, of course. You can click the wrong button and accidentally delete a file you didn’t want to delete or turn off your system and lose a document you forgot to save. You can even take inadequate security precautions and find your system infected by a computer virus. But in terms of doing serious harm just by clicking your mouse, it’s unlikely.

So, don’t be afraid of the thing. Your computer is a tool, just like a hammer or a blender or a camera. After you learn how to use it, it can be a very useful tool. But it’s your tool, which means you tell it what to do—not vice versa. Remember that you’re in control and that you’re not going to break anything, and you’ll have a lot of fun—and maybe even get some real work done!

THE ABSOLUTE MINIMUM

Here are the key points to remember from this chapter:

There are five main types of computer systems available today: traditional desktops, all-in-one desktops, laptops, tablets, and 2-in-1 models.
Regardless of type, all personal computers are composed of various hardware components; in a traditional desktop or all-in-one PC, they’re separate devices, whereas laptop, 2-in-1, and tablet PCs combine them all into a single portable unit.
You interface with your computer hardware via a piece of software called an operating system. The operating system on your new computer is probably Microsoft Windows 11.
You use specific software programs or apps to perform specific tasks, such as writing letters and editing digital photos.
The brains and engine of your system is the system unit, which contains the microprocessor, memory, disk drives, and all the connections for your other system components.
To make your system run faster, get a faster microprocessor or more memory.
Data is temporarily stored in your system’s memory; you store data permanently on some type of disk drive—either a hard disk or solid-state drive.

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