PARTS
OF A COMPUTER
The basic parts of computer are the hardware and the
software.
Hardware is the physical parts of computer that you
can feel and touch. Examples are; monitor, CPU, mouse, keyboard, speaker,
motherboard etc.
While software is the parts of computer that you can
see and use but you cannot touch. Examples are: Windows, Microsoft Office,
CorelDraw, Adobe Photoshop etc.
TERMS
TO REMEMBER
Data: The raw facts or
figures entered in a computer.
Input: Data entered in
a computer.
Processing: Working (by
a computer) on the input data according to the instructions.
Storage: Recording or
saving data entered in a computer. You can retrieve (get back) this data
whenever you need it.
Output: Information
generated by processing data, which is displayed by a computer screen or
printed by an output device like a printer.
Program: A set of
instructions (ordered) given to a computer to perform.
Hardware: All the
computer devices and equipment such as the mouse, CPU box, keyboard, printer, monitor,
microchips, wires, etc. which you can see and touch.
Software: Information or
program stored in a computer.
Operating System: The software
that is used to run a computer.
THE
KEYBOARD
The keyboard is an input device. It is
used to enter data or give instructions to the computer.
The keyboard has keys for letters (A B C),
numbers (1 2 3), symbols (= / >) and punctuation marks (, . ?).
Besides, there are Cursor keys, Function keys and Special
keys.
Parts of the keyboard
are:
LETTER
KEYS
The keys are used to
type text. All the letters on these keys are in upper case (capital letters).
If you press a letter
key, that letter is displayed on the screen in lower case (small letters).
NUMBER
KEYS
The number keys display
numbers on the screen. These keys have symbols above the numbers.
SPACE
BAR
The Space bar is the
longest key on the keyboard. It is used to put spaces between characters
(letters) or words while typing.
ENTER
If you press the Enter
key after typing a word or a sentence, the cursor moves to the next line.
CAPS
LOCK
The Caps Lock key is
used to type all the characters (letters) or words in upper case (capital
letters).
When you press the Caps
Lock key, the Caps Lock Indicator (top right hand side) will glow to indicate
that the Caps Lock key is ON. All the characters (letters) or words that you
type will be in upper case (capital letters).
If you again press the Caps
Lock key, the indicator will go off to indicate that the Caps Lock key is OFF.
Now all the characters (letters) or words that you type will be in lower case
(small letters).
SHIFT
The Shift key indicates
a shift or change in case.
The Shift key is
pressed along with a letter key to type the letter in capital letter (upper
case).
Ø For
instance :
Shift + T
: T (T is in upper case)
The screen displays the symbol
given above that number after you have pressed the Shift and number keys.
Ø Examples:
Shift + !
1:! (Exclamation
mark)
Shift %
5: % (per cent)
If a particular key has
two options on it, the Shift key is used along with that key to type the option
given at the top of the key.
Ø Examples:
Shift + ?
/
: ? (Question mark)
Shift + +
=
: + (addition)
BACKSPACE
The Backspace key
is used to erase a character (letter) to the left of the cursor. It erases one character
at a time.
DELETE
The Delete key
erases a character (letter) to the right of the cursor. It erases one character
at a time.
CURSOR
KEYS
The four keys
with arrows are the Cursor keys or Arrow keys.
The Up Arrow key
moves the cursor to a line above the current line.
The Down Arrow key
moves the cursor to a line below the current line.
The Left Arrow key
moves the cursor to the left of a character.
The Right Arrow key
moves the cursor to the right of a character.
HOME
The Home key brings
the cursor to the where the sentence begins.
In Windows
programs like WordPad and MS-Word, when you press Ctrl + Home, you can go to
the beginning of a document.
END
The End key
moves the cursor to the end of a line.
In Windows
programs like WordPad and MS-Word, when you press the Ctrl + End, you can go to
the end of a document.
PAGE
UP
The Page Up key is used
to move across the previous pages or screens of a long document.
PAGE
DOWN
The Page Down key is
used to move to the next pages or screens of a long document.
TAB
The Tab key is used to
move the cursor to the right along a line. It is also used to set or adjust the
margin of a paragraph. It moves the cursor faster than
the Space bar.
CTRL
The Ctrl (Control) key
is always used with some other key to give certain commands.
Ø Examples:
In WordPad’
Ctrl + N = opening a new document.
Ctrl + O = opening an existing document.
Ctrl + S = saving a document.
FUNCTION
KEYS
The key labeled from F1
to F12 are called Function keys. These keys are used as shortcuts to some
special commands in operating systems like Windows.
NUMERIC
KEY PAD
The Numeric key pad
includes Number keys, Cursor keys, the Enter key, Page Up key, Page Down key, End
key, Home key, Delete key and keys for mathematical operations like division(/),subtraction
(-),addition (+) and multiplication (*).
Press the Num Lock key to
make use of the numbers on the numeric key pad, The Num lock indicator will
glow which indicates that an make use of numbers displayed on the Numeric key
pad.
Pressing the Num lock key
again puts of the indicator indicating that the key is locked and cannot be
used. But if u press the number keys now, the Home key, End key, Page Up key, Page
Down key and the Cursor keys on them will be effective.
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