Computer Basics

Outside of your Computer

The Front of the Computer

• Power Button: This turns the power to the computer on or off. Please note: When your computer is on and you must leave for a short time, it is best to leave it running.

Front View

1. USB ports

2. Power button

3. Power indicator

4. Removable optical drive front panel (Bay)

5. CD-ROM Drive

6. Headphone connector

7. Microphone connector

4.

5.

2., 3.1.

6., 7.

The Front of the Computer

• Bay: Computers often have “bays” or spaces for additional drives to be added. Bays allow the user to add extra hardware such as CD, DVD, floppy drives and card readers to the computer.

The Front of the Computer

• CD/DVD-ROM Drive: CD/DVD-ROM is an abbreviation for Compact Disk/Digital Video Disk-Read Only Memory. These drives come standard on most computers and CDs can store large amounts of data.

Back ViewPower Plug

Line Out

Line In

Printer Port(Parallel Port)

Monitor Port

Serial Port (com port)

NIC (Network Interface Card)

USB Ports

Display Port

eSATA Port

Parallel Port• A parallel port is an

electrical connector that is used to send information on many wires side by side at the same time. Line Printer or LPT1 is an example of a parallel port.

Network Interface Card Cable Connection

• The device a computer uses to connect to a computer network.

Serial Port• Serial ports are used to connect older or

specialized devices to the system. Serial ports are used to send parts of a message, one after another, on the same wire. Examples include mice, bar code scanners and three-dimensional architectural or drafting mice. Serial ports are often labeled COM ports due to DOS-based technology.

Power Plug• Sometimes there are two power plugs on the

back of a computer. One plug is used to provide power in to the computer and the other is to provide power out to the monitor. Make sure that the voltage selector switch located close to the power plug is set at 110-115V (volts).

Universal Serial Bus• Universal Serial Bus

or USB is an external bus that can transfer between 12 Mbps and 24 Mbps. Up to 127 peripheral devices can be connected to a single USB port.

Display Port and eSATA PortA Display Port is a digital display interface. It defines a new royalty-free, digital audio/video interconnect, intended to be used primarily between a computer and its display monitor, or a computer and a home-theater system.

• A eSATA Port is Short for External Serial Advanced Technology Attachment. Connects external hard drives. eSATA can provide faster transfer rates than USB or FireWire, however it requires its own power connector.