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... ou enter in to it (Lauckner 7). Then you have the parts of the computer that deal with the results of computation back to the user, and these are called the output units (Lauckner 7). The next important piece of the computer is the memory, which makes it possible for the computer to keep the programs and information ready and available. All of these computations are done in the central processing unit, or know as the CPU. This is the primary operation of your basic computer and shows how a computer use and processed the information that you send and receive from it.
Now that the basic operation of a computer system has been covered, it is time to look at some of the computers on the market today and the features that most of them have. The new trend in the computer industry is having a computer custom built to suit you individual needs. There are some major companies that are providing this service to customers, they are Gateway, Dell, and now you can even buy Apple directly from the factory. The computers of today are much more advanced then those of the past. To better understand the computers of today you need to really dissect them and see what they are made of. The first item you need to look at when dealing with the modern computer is the memory.
There are two main types of memory, the first one is RAM and then next is ROM. RAM stands for random-access memory and is the computer's working memory, and is some times called read-and-write memory (Computers 18). The RAM chip in a computer only retains the data as long as the microprocessor needs it for the job at hand (Computers 19). Many people compare RAM memory to a blackboard, when the information is no longer needed it is discarded or wiped off. The second type of memory is ROM, which stands for read-only-memory. When the computer is turned on and begins to boot up it use the special instructions in this type of memory to run the program that are needed (Computers 19).
The computers of today use both types of memory and generally, the more memory that the computer has the faster it is able to process and store data. The next important feature of computers today is a modem. A modem is a device used to convert the output of a computer into a form suitable for transmission by a telephone line (Meadows 125). A modem is used primarily to connect a computer to the Internet of another computer. The normal computer of today contains a 56 k modem. The modem transfers the information that is sent by the computer, which is in ones and zeros, into a type of information that can pass over a phone line (Meadows 65).
The modem in turn transform that digital data sent from the computer in to a high and low note that can be sent. Modems are also important because they can be used to send information back and forth from one computer to another. Those just a few basic parts make up the computers of today. We live in a society in which we can watch the computer industry grow right befor our eyes. There has been much advancement made in the last few years and we will continue to see many more. It is exciting to see how the computer begins to change to meet the needs of a new generation.
To better understand this it is best to take a good look at the future of the computer and take a gimp at where it be going. In a recent article in Smart Computing magazine the reader is introduced to the new Intel chip called the Pentium 4. In that article, it states that "the pc's three most important components, RAM, CPU's, are undergoing changes." The user should expect dramatic improvement is the computer's performance. It continues to talk about in the near future the new Pentium 4 chip will be released on to the market. The hopes for this chip are very high because it is said that it will be able to handle a computer with 2 GHz of memory (Chips 46). The makers of this chip are hoping that it will improve the speed of the average computer dramatically, and increase the ability to perform multitasking, the using of one or more programs at the same time.
In recent years, the live of the average American have changed a great deal and this is from a phase in computer history called the "digital age." The leader of this revolution has come in effect with the Internet and the expansion of e-commerce. The average American either is using the Internet or has some knowledge of how to use it. As cable and phone companies continue to expand high-speed cable modems and digital subscriber line Internet access (Petelle 57). In a recent report by eMarketer shows that a dial-up connection is still used for around 81. 3 % of all the user connection to the Internet (Petelle 57). The reason that this number means so much is that many users in today's market are not utilizing the technology that is out there. In turn, you will see a large growth in the Internet access companies trying to sell to the user a faster and better way to connect to the Internet.
Many phone companies are starting to sell bundled broadband services to it customers (Petelle 57). These services will include both their Internet connection fee, which will be most likely digital, and their basic telephone service. Therefore, there are special modems in the making that will be able to handle and accomplish this task of serving both the Internet and still allow the user to access his or her phone line at the same time. The Internet is going to be leader into what ever is going to come next in the future of the computer and will be the next real wave that computer will be designed for. In a age where cell phones are everywhere and everyone seems to be on the move computer manufactures have been able to take advantage of that. Not until recent months have palm sized and handheld computers really begin to store the market.
With the invention of such items as palmpilot's and notebook computers, there has been a desire to have a computer that can travel with the user and still be able to perform a vast number of tasks. The first area that needs to be looked at is the notebook and how it has become one of the crazes in recent days. No that notebook computers can almost perform the same tasks as a regular desktop computer it has been really sought after (Poor 30). Notebook makers have been able to combine many factors in the notebook that really attract the consumer. By using there size and working with different combinations of features they have been able to come up with notebooks that are both very reliable and affordable (Poor 32).
Many notebook manufactures have also stared to design notebooks for certain fields and esceppily for photo editing (Poor 32). While the demands remain high for notebooks the companies have been able to meet the needs of the consumers and will continue meet their needs in the future. The next big player of the computer future will be in the are of handhelds, which give the user a small, compact unit that can perform many tasks. They have become so popular because they meet the needs of consumers that are looking for some of the basic uses of a notebook but with out all the size and weight. Since the average handheld is only about the size of you average wallet it can be taken with you at all times and can be used for many daily tasks.
Many companies have decided to continue to work or the speeds of the handhelds since they have become such a success (Denton 44). In about a year or so the manufactures will be coming out with a handheld that will be much faster and will be able to handle more data then those of today with a new processor that is in the works (Denton 44). This is one of the greatest revolutions in the computers future because it will be similar to a notebook but about a third the size. Now that we have looked at the past and some of the history of the computer, one can have a better understanding of where it came from.
When someone understands the past, they can look into the future and see a glimpse of where things are going because they know where they have been. Computers have revolutionized the age we live in and have done so much for us, if it was not for computers many of use would not be here today. The future of computers only offers more hope in many areas of life and will change the future in drastic ways. Bibliography:
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Research essay sample on Types Of Memory Notebook Computers
