All About Computer

POWER-ON-SELF-TEST
When power is turned on, POST (Power-On Self-Test) is the diagnostic testing sequence that a
computer's basic input/output system (or "starting program") runs to determine if the computer
keyboard, random access memory, disk drives, and other hardware are working correctly.
If the necessary hardware is detected and found to be operating properly, the computer begins to boot.
If the hardware is not detected or is found not to be operating properly, the BIOS issues an error
message which may be text on the display screen and/or a series of coded beeps, depending on the
nature of the problem. Since POST runs before the computer's video card is activated, it may not be
possible to progress to the display screen. The pattern of beeps may be a variable numbers of short
beeps or a mixture of long and short beeps, depending on what type of BIOS is installed.
The patterns of beeps contain messages about the nature of the problem detected. For example, if the
keyboard is not detected, a particular pattern of beeps will inform you of that fact. An error found in the
POST is usually fatal (that is, it causes current program to stop running) and will halt the boot process,
since the hardware checked is absolutely essential for the computer's functions.
RAM If your program is large, such as Word or Photoshop, you might notice that it takes a while to load.
This is because it is being brought from your computer’s hard drive (where it is stored) into RAM. From
here the processor can rapidly respond to instructions, as the program is immediately accessible in RAM.
ROM retains its contents when the power is switched off.
A computer is an electronic device that manipulates information, or data. It has the ability
to store, retrieve, and process data.
A computer is a device that accepts information (in the form of digitalized data) and manipulates it for
some result based on a program or sequence of instructions on how the data is to be processed.
Complex computers also include the means for storing data (including the program, which is also a form
of data) for some necessary duration. A program may be invariable and built into the computer (and
called logic circuitry as it is on microprocessors) or different programs may be provided to the computer
(loaded into its storage and then started by an administrator or user). Today's computers have both
kinds of programming.
Most histories of the modern computer begin with the Analytical Engine envisioned byCharles
Babbage following the mathematical ideas of George Boole, the mathematician who first stated the
principles of logic inherent in today's digital computer. Babbage's assistant and collaborator, Ada
Lovelace, is said to have introduced the ideas of program loops and subroutines and is sometimes
considered the first programmer. Apart from mechanical calculators, the first really useable computers
began with the vacuum tube, accelerated with the invention of the transistor, which then became
embedded in large numbers in integrated circuits, ultimately making possible the relatively low-cost
personal computer.
Modern computers inherently follow the ideas of the stored program laid out by John von Neumann in
1945. Essentially, the program is read by the computer one instruction at a time, an operation is
performed, and the computer then reads in the next instruction, and so on. Recently, computers and
programs have been devised that allow multiple programs (and computers) to work on the same
problem at the same time in parallel. With the advent of the Internet and higher bandwidth data
transmission, programs and data that are part of the same overall project can be distributed over a
network and embody the Sun Microsystems slogan: "The network is the computer.
A computer is a programmable machine. The two principal characteristics of a computer are: It responds
to a specific set ofinstructions in a well-defined manner and it can execute a prerecorded list of
instructions (a program).
Modern Computers Defined
Modern computers are electronic and digital. The actual machinery— wires, transistors, and
circuits — is called hardware; the instructions and data are called software.
Computer Classification: By Size and Power
Most people associate a personal computer (PC) with the phrase computer. A PC is a small and
relatively inexpensive computer designed for an individual use. PCs are based on the microprocessor
technology that enables manufacturers to put an entire CPU on one chip.
Personal computers at home can be used for a number of different applications including games, word
processing, accounting and other tasks.
Computers are generally classified by size and power as follows, although there is considerable overlap.
The differences between computer classifications generally get smaller as technology advances, creating
smaller and more powerful and cost-friendly components.
 Personal computer: a small, single-user computer based on a microprocessor. In addition to the
microprocessor, a personal computer has a keyboard for entering data, a monitor for displaying
information, and a storage device for saving data.
 Workstation: a powerful, single-user computer. A workstation is like a personal computer, but it has a
more powerful microprocessor and a higher-quality monitor.
 Minicomputer: a multi-user computer capable of supporting from 10 to hundreds of users
simultaneously.
 Mainframe: a powerful multi-user computer capable of supporting many hundreds or thousands of
users simultaneously.
 Supercomputer: an extremely fast computer that can perform hundreds of millions of instructions per
second.
 A system of interconnected computers that share a central storage system and various
peripheral devices such as a printers, scanners, or routers. Each computer connected to the
system can operate independently, but has the ability to communicate with other external
devices and computers.
PCI stands for Peripheral Component Interconnect, and it used to be the most common
expansion slot standard for use on motherboards. It is the successor to the older ISA standard. It
is used to expand the capabilities of a computer.

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POWER-ON-SELF-TEST

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