The parts of computer can be divided into two main components, hardware and software:

1. Hardware

Your computer's hardware is comprised of the devices that are part of your computer system- like the monitor, the speakers, and the motherboard!

• Motherboard
  

The motherboard is one of the most important parts of your computer system! It is a complex array of wires, cables, and transistors. The most vital parts of your computer are located on your computer's motherboard.

• Storage Devices

Your computer needs to have a place to store all of the data and information it is given. Your computer won't have enough space in its random-access memory for all of this information. That is why there are additional storage devices!

The types of storage devices that we will touch upon are:

a. Hard Disks:

Hard disks, or hard drives, are your primary storage devices. It is built right into your computer, and most of your files will be saved here.

b. Floppy Disks:

Floppy disks are a portable storage device. They are plastic disks that can store a small amount of information. These disks can be used on different computers, making them portable!

c. CD-ROMs:

CD-ROMs look just like regular CDs... but they can be used to store things like applications or programs. They are portable, like floppy disks, but they can store a lot of information!

d. DVDs:

DVDs are extremely popular. They are primarily used to store movies or music, and can be played back on your computer as well as on your television screen!

e. MP3 Files:

MP3 files are files that can hold music! As you know, you can download music off the Internet. MP3s compress the music so that it will take up less space and so that it will only take a few minutes to download.

f. ZIP Drives:

ZIP Drives look just like floppy disks- they are both small rectangular plastic disks. The major difference between the two is that while floppy disks can only store a small amount of information, ZIP drives can store a LOT of data!

• Input/Output Devices

To let you, as the user, communicate with your computer, there are special input/output devices. Input devices let you input data into your computer, while output devices take your computer's computations and send them to you!

Input Devices:

a. Keyboard:

I'm sure that you all know what a keyboard is. A keyboard is what you use to type in letters, numbers, and other characters. You can type instructions in to your computer, or you can use the keyboard to type up documents and other papers.

b. Mouse:

Mice have been around for some while now. Mice are used to manuever the cursor on your computer screen to give instructions to your computer and to run programs and applications.

c. Scanner:

Scanners let you put pictures and images onto your computer. They convert pictures and iamges to digital form so that you can edit them by using the computer or put them on the Internet!

d. Digital Camera:

Digital cameras are somewhat similar to regular cameras. You can take pictures of people, places, or things. However, digital cameras convert these pictures to digital form so they can be used on the computer.

Output Divices:

a. Monitor:

Your monitor is a fancy term for your computer screen. It displays the programs and applications you are running.

b. Liquid Crystal Displays:

LCDs, or liquid crystal displays, are similar to monitors. They, too, are screens that display information, programs, and applications! LCDs are generally used on laptop computers.

c.Printer:

Printers let you take documents, pictures, and other files and "print" them out. They create a hard copy of these files on a piece of paper.

• Audio Devices

There are a few special hardware devices that are specifically designed to work with sound. These devices can take sound waves and manipulate them in many ways.

There are a few devices that make this possible:

a. Sound Cards:

Sound cards are devices that can record sounds, play back sounds, or even manipulate sounds! They are a very important audio device.

b. Speakers:

Once you have recorded a sound file, you can use your speakers to listen to the music or other sound! Speakers change the electrical signals from your sound files and converts them into sound waves that we can hear!

• Modems

One of the major reasons why people use computers is to access the Internet. Modems let you connect your computer with the millions of other computers in the Internet!

• Connecting Cables:

With so many different devices that can be connected to your computer, there'd have to be connecting cables. These cables connect devices like your printer or scanner to the computer system.

2. Software

Software is the term used to describe the instructions that are given to your computer so that it will know what operations to carry out. There is no tangible form of software!