How Computers Work
Search in google:
Having sold more than 2 million copies over its lifetime, How Computers Work is the definitive illustrated guide to the world of PCs and technology. In this new edition, you’ll find detailed information not just about every last component of hardware found inside your PC, but also in-depth explanations about home networking, the Internet, PC security, and even how cell phone networks operate. Whether you’re interested in how the latest graphics cards power today’s most demanding games or how a digital camera turns light into data, you’ll find your answers right here.Ron White is a former executive editor and columnist for PC Computing, where he developed the visual concept behind How Computers Work. Founder of one of theearliest PC user groups, he has been writing about computers for 25 years and is known for building wildly extreme computers.Timothy Edward Downs is an award-winning magazine designer, illustrator, and photographer. He has directed and designed several national consumer, business, technology, andlifestyle magazines, always infusing a sense of “how it works” into every project.A full-color, illustrated adventure into the wonders of TECHNOLOOGYThis full-color, fully illustrated guide to the world of technology assumes nothing and explains everything. Only the accomplished Ron White and award-winning Tim Downs have the unique ability to meld descriptive text with one-of-a-kind visuals to fully explain how the electronic gear we depend on every day is made possible. In addition to all the content you’ve come to expect from prior editions, this newly revised edition includes all-new coverage of topics such as:• How tablet PCs put the power of a PC quite literally in your hands• How Windows Vista makes your Windows desktop translucent and makes your PC more secure• How advances in optical disc technology such as dual-layer DVD, HD-DVD, and Blu-Ray discs continue to push the envelope• How Apple’s new iPhone is revolutionizing what cell phones can do• How BitTorrent technology enables anyone to share information with everyoneFor a decade, How Computers Work has helped newbies understand new technology, while at the same time hackers and IT pros have treasured it for the depth of knowledge it contains. This is the perfect book about computing to capture your imagination, delight your eyes, and expand your mind, no matter what your technical level!Category: General ComputingCovers: PCs/HardwareUser Level: Beginning–Intermediate BookList Ever wonder what the guts of those familiar PCs look like? If you're curious but fear computerese might get in the way, this book's the answer. Although not entirely without technical terminology, it's an accessible, informative introduction that spreads everything out for logical inspection. Carefully sequenced captioned diagrams do most of the work. Scattered throughout the book, they conduct readers on a visual tour of PC terrain that begins with the bootstrap--the permanent coding that launches PC operations--and ends with explanations of how different kinds of printers handle the information PCs send. In between comes information about such things as RAM, a mouse, CD-ROM, and tape backup. To make everything even clearer, White introduces the explanatory diagrams with a few concise, lucid paragraphs of text. Readers will come away knowing not only what everything looks like but also what it does.
Ch. 1Getting to know the hardware10Ch. 2How a disk boot wakes up your PC22Ch. 3How an operating system controls hardware28Ch. 4How transistors manipulate data44Ch. 5How a microprocessor works52Ch. 6How programming languages work86Ch. 7How Windows works96Ch. 8How software applications do your work106Ch. 9How a computer's long-term memory works140Ch. 10How disk drives save information152Ch. 11How the little things make disk drives faster and store more162Ch. 12How PCs use light to remember data170Ch. 13How removable storage works180Ch. 14How energy turns into data196Ch. 15How computer ports work208Ch. 16How a computer display works218Ch. 17How data gets into your PC228Ch. 18How scanners capture images and words238Ch. 19How portable computers work246Ch. 20How digital cameras work254Ch. 21How multimedia sound works268Ch. 22How multimedia video works280Ch. 23How games put you in the action286Ch. 24How local area networks work312Ch. 25How PCs connect to the Internet322Ch. 26How wireless sets PCs free332Ch. 27How the Internet moves data340Ch. 28How we reach each other through the Net346Ch. 29How Internet video and audio work356Ch. 30How the World Wide Web is a-changing362Ch. 31How Internet security fights off PC invaders376Ch. 32How black-and-white printing works402Ch. 33How color printing works412
