Everything you need to know about PCs

Brief Summary and History on Personal Computers

The computer, when first introduced was essentially a device that can be used to carry out sequences and arithmetic and logical operations automatically. Nowadays modern computers have the ability to follow generalized sets of operations called programs, these programs allows it to perform a huge number of tasks. There are many theories about who actually created or conceptualized the computer, but in this case we’ll go with Charles Babbage. Wikipedia states Babbage is known to many people as the man who conceptualized a programmable computer. One of his early inventions was the first mechanical computer used to aid in navigation calculations. He eventually realized that an analytical engine was possible which would have included an arithmetic logic unit, control flow in the form of conditional branching and loops, and integrated memory. In short, this concept was a design for the first ever computer. However, every part for his machine had to be handmade which was a problem because a single machine had thousands of parts. Eventually the British government stopped funding the project and dissolved it completely. The next revolutionary computing machine wasn’t introduced until 1942 by physicist John Mauchly called the ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer) to calculate complex wartime ballistics tables. According to computerhistory.org this was the first large scale computer to run at electronic speed without being slowed down by mechanical parts.

Skipping forward to 1975, the first ever Personal Computer, the MITS Altair 8800 was released to the public which had no keyboard. Instead, it had a couple of switches for people to operate with. Eventually Apple released their first Personal Computer as well and called it the Apple I. The most notable features in the Apple I was that it had a keyboard, power supply, and an enclosure to the motherboard. Bill Gates and Paul Allen also had a strong presence in the personal computer world as well by creating a BASIC compiler for the Altair which inevitably led to the creation of Microsoft.

Common Uses for PCs Nowadays

After years and years of innovations regarding personal computers, we have now reached a point where almost everyone owns one or has knowledge in how to use one. There are currently numerous companies who have claimed their stake in the market for computers. As of Q1 of 2017 HP owns the largest share between companies at 21.8%, Lenovo at 20.4%, Dell at 15.9%, Apple at 7%, and Acer at 6.8%. Leaving 28.1% to the category of ‘Other’ which is a mix of individuals who built their own PCs and small unknown companies. PCs are constantly used in businesses, schools, and are even portable now(AKA laptops). The average person uses it for leisurely activites such as gaming, video streaming, and social media. However for the workplace, personal computers can be very helpful and lucrative in certain industries. For example, common workplace activites with computers include programming, word processing/typing, spreadsheet development, video and picture editing, and register transactions.

PC Parts and its Importance

The PC has evolved over the years, losing and gaining parts along the way. We have now reached a point in where we have several core computer parts that a modern personal computer is now comprised of, which is the motherboard, Central Processing Unit (CPU), Random Access Memory (RAM), Power Supply(PSU), Video/Graphics card, Hard Drive/Solid State Drive, and the optical drive.

The motherboard’s purpose is to link all of the parts of a computer together. Most notably the CPU, memory, hard drives, and cables. Some may consider it the backbone of a computer. However, the motherboard much like the rest of the components are sensitive to heat. If exposed to extreme heat for prolonged periods of time it can cause damage to the motherboard and ultimately become useless.

One of the most important and expensive pieces of a computer is the Central Processing Unit (CPU). It is usually a small square electronic chip with metallic connectors on one of its sides. It attaches directly to te motherboard at the designated CPU socket. The CPU in PCs is a complex instruction set computer that interprets and executes most of the commands from the computer’s hardware and software. As a result, the CPU tends to get very hot quickly, luckily there is usually a cooler fan attached directly onto the CPU for immediate cooling. Some CPUs have multiple core inside of it which enhances the management of instructions, making the computer itself much more faster. There are also CPUs that can virtualize two more cores for every one physical core, this type of process is called hyper threading and very common in laptops. The two biggest and most well known manufacturers of these CPUs is Intel with a huge market share of 79.30% and AMD with a market share of 20.70%

Essential for the modern PC is the RAM, short for Random Access Memory. This short stick that resembles a ruler is actually a piece of hardware that temporarily stores data, serving as the computer’s “working” memory. Typically more than one stick of ram can be installed onto a motherboard. The more RAM you have the more information your computer can process. RAM provides quick read and write access to a storage device. Computers use RAM to load data instead of hard drives because it is much quicker. This kind of data is different from the one in your hard drive because whenever you shutdown you computer, all of the data in the RAM is wiped clean.

Ever wonder what powers each component in your computer? That would be your power supply, also known as a PSU. The power supply is typically a block with a built in cooling fan and extruding bundles of cables and connections that connect to various parts of your PC. It usually mounts onto the chassis of your PC case. This hardware converts alternating current into continuous form of power called direct current and also regulates overheating by controlling voltage.

Next up is one of the most talked about computer components to this day, the video/graphics card. Most of the talk revolving this hardware during these days is about how it can help in mining cryptocurrency, but generally its original purpose in a PC is to send graphical information to a video display such as monitors, TVs, and projectors with lightning fast speed, smooth frame rates, and crisp quality. This component isn’t always useful to an average user who only surfs through websites, but for 3D programmers, video/photo editing studios, and the gaming community, this piece of hardware is a godsend. There are three main companies who currently produce graphic cards; NVIDIA having most of the market share at 58.26%, then AMD at 19.53%, and lastly Intel at 18.94%.

Lastly, one of the many important components in a PC is the Hard Drive or Solid State Drive. They both store huge amounts of data such as programs, memory, files, history, and etc. However the difference between the two types of drives is that hard drives are mechanical and run by using a magnetic tape and stores data with it, while on the other hand a solid state drive stores data electronically and has quicker access speeds. So why not choose the solid state drive over the hard drive? Because it is substantially more expensive and has less amounts of memory for a slighly faster load speed.

The Death and Future for PCs

With so much advancement in personal computers and its ever expanding knowledge amongst people, there is nothing that can stop it…right? Well unfortunately there is, the rise of the mobile devices are now taking huge chunks of market share from the PC world as well as causing a decline in PC sales. The reason for this is because of the advancement in technology for mobile devices such as increased battery life, portability, computing power, increased storage, and minor programing ability. PCs are still relevant because they still have more computing power, a bigger screen size, huge storage, and a better optimized operating system for business activities. In time however, many theorize PCs will become extinct and be replaced by mobile devices. Currently there a new features being created and tested that we may see in the near future such as holographic displays, flexible frames, eco-friendly designs, and increased raw computing power. It is only a matter of time but in a way, mobile devices are still technically computers. So one can say that it is just that personal computers evolved into something totally different.

Summary

So in conclusion, we have covered much of the aspects of a PC starting from the history of how it came to be, what it has evolved into in this modern age, what they are commonly used for, its main core components that is important for it to run effectively, and how the demise of the traditional PC can come into play by giving birth to a new form of a personal computer. The information I have covered was only scratching the surface of the Pc’s history. I recommend you to research more about PCs through credible sources to grasp en even better understanding.