(^4) PC Hardware: A Beginner’s Guide
T
oday’spersonalcomputer,liketheoneshowninFigure1-1,isamuchmorepowerful
computer than the PCs of just five years ago. Not to mention how different the PC is
from computers way back in the early days of its development. Remember that the
whole of the computer’s history is compacted into a little more than 50 years and the
personal computer has only been around for a little over 20 years. In fact, the PC’s most
spectacular development has probably been made in just the past five to ten years. It is
also safe to say that the computer of today will be nothing compared to what we’ll have in
five to ten more years. The one bit of good news in all of this is that the PC will most likely
continue to have the same basic hardware components.
A BRIEF LOOK AT THE EVOLUTION OF COMPUTERS
Twenty-five years ago, it was virtually unthinkable that somebody would want to have
a computer on their desk. Many of the “big” thinkers of the time could not even conceive
of what anyone would possibly do with such a thing. It was a time of mainframes and
minicomputers, which served the needs of corporations, companies, and departments.
The idea that a single person could possibly have use for a computer all to themselves
was just unthinkable.Figure 1-1. Personal computers come in several styles