Chapter Introduction

Hardware is any physical component of a computer, and anything you can touch is considered hardware.^[1] External things like keyboards, monitors and printers, as well as internal things like hard drives, CPU and RAM are all computer hardware. A hard drive for example is basically a magnetic disk, which permanently stores data. When saving a file, your operating system tells the hard drive where on the disk to save the file. Hardware along with system software and application software form the basic building blocks of any computer, and are responsible for all the wonderful things computers can do.

While it may be impossible to know every detail how hardware works, it helps to know at least some. Much like your car, it is handy to have a general idea about how your computer works. This knowledge is especially handy when purchasing a new computer, software, or upgrading your old computer. CPU speed, hard drive capacity and RAM size are three important benchmarks to consider before purchasing a new computer or software. You can see the components of your computer by removing the side walls of your case. Before you do some caution is advised, opening your computer case will void your warranty. To safely open your computer, make sure you unplug your computer and touch some metal on the case to release any static shock before touching anything inside your computer.