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8. A. A simple follow-up builds good will and trust. This is a very important step to take after completing a job.

9. C. An anti-static wrist strap keeps you at the same electrical potential as the computer.

10. C. Avoid putting magnets near computer gear to help prevent EMI.

CHAPTER 3

The Visible PC

In this chapter, you will learn how to

Describe how the PC works

Identify all the connectors and devices on a typical PC system unit

Discuss the major internal components of a PC

Mastering the craft of a PC technician requires you to learn a lot of details about the many pieces of hardware in the typical PC. Even the most basic PC contains hundreds of discrete hardware components, each with its own set of characteristics, shapes, sizes, colors, connections, and so on. By the end of this book, you will be able to discuss all of these components in detail. This chapter takes you on a tour of a typical PC, starting with an overview of how computers work, and then examining both external connectors and internal components.

Remember the children’s song that goes, “Oh, the leg bone connected to the thigh bone…?” Well, think of the rest of the chapter in that manner, showing you what the parts look like and giving you a rough idea about how they work and connect. In later chapters, you’ll dissect all of these PC “leg bones” and “thigh bones” and get to the level of detail you need to install, configure, maintain, and fix computers. Even if you are an expert, do not skip this chapter! It introduces a large number of terms used throughout the rest of the book. Many of these terms you will know, but some you will not, so take some time and read it.

It is handy, although certainly not required, to have a PC that you can take the lid off of and inspect as you progress. Almost any old PC will help—it doesn’t even need to work. So get thee a screwdriver, grab your PC, and see if you can recognize the various components as you read about them.

Historical/Conceptual

How the PC Works

You’ve undoubtedly seen a PC in action: a nice, glossy monitor displaying a picture that changes according to the actions of the person sitting in front of it, typing away on a keyboard and clicking on a mouse. Sound pours out of tiny speakers that flank the screen, and a box whirs happily beneath the table. The PC is a computer: a machine that enables you to do work, produce documents, play games, balance your checkbook, and look up the latest sports scores on the Internet.

Although the computer is certainly a machine, it’s also programming: the commands that tell the computer what to do to get work done. These commands are just ones and zeros that the computer’s hardware understands, enabling it to do amazing actions, such as perform powerful mathematic functions, move data (also ones and zeros), realize the mouse has moved, and put pretty icons on the screen. So a computer is a complex interaction between hardware and computer programming, created by your fellow humans.

Ever heard of Morse code? Morse code is nothing more than dots and dashes to those who do not understand it, but if you send dots and dashes (in the right order) to someone who understands Morse code, you can tell the recipient a joke. Think of programming as Morse code for the computer (Figure 3-1). You may not understand those ones and zeros, but your computer certainly does!

Figure 3-1 Computer musing that a string of ones and zeros makes perfect sense.

There’s more to the ones and zeros than just programming. All of the data on the computer—the Web pages, your documents, your e-mail—is also stored as ones and zeros. Programs know how to translate these ones and zeros into a form humans understand.

Programming comes in two forms. First are the applications: the programs that get work done. Word processing programs, Web browsers, and e-mail programs are all considered applications. But applications need a main program to support