Abstract
We are going to discuss what hardware is inside your computer. We will be explaining what it is and how it words at a layman's level.



1. What make a computer work?

OK, time to pop off the cover of your desk top computer and have a look around. Most people never see the inside of the computer, but today we are going to explore it.
You don't really NEED to understand the parts of the computer to use it. Just as you do not need to be an auto mechanic to drive a car. But understanding what the parts of the computer are and how they work, might make some of the software more understandable. Besides it is sometimes useful to understand what is happening inside your computer when something goes wrong.
I should start with an apology to those of you who are viewing this on the web, and not in the class. For this talk I brought in a suite case full of hardware to examine in the class room. But it is a little hard to include that on the web page. ;-) I have included pictures and some diagrams, but it is not the same as having the object in your hand to view. So maybe it is time to consider pulling the cover off your own desktop computer. If you have a laptop, I am afraid you are out of luck for looking inside the box. With a laptop, you have the same components, and they work the same way. The difference is that they are all build on the motherboard since space and size are the reason you have a laptop.