Motorola MT2000 manual Identifying Major Computer Parts, Monitor, System Unit, Keyboard

MTSX RSS GETTING STARTED

2.2.1 Identifying Major Computer Parts

Computers range in complexity and size from ones that easily and lightly fit on your lap to ones the size of a car that require air-conditioned, smoke and dust-free environments. Falling between this range is the microcomputer, which is common in many households and businesses today. Whatever their size, most microcomputers (hereafter referred to as computers) consist of a monitor, a system unit, and a keyboard.

2.2.1.1 Monitor

Monitors perform like a window into the computer, allowing us to see on a display the data inside the computer. Monitors come in a variety of sizes and colors. Some can be bigger than a 19-inch diagonal television, though a common size is 12 inches diagonally. Monochrome monitors have only one color behind the words and pictures on the display, which in many cases is either green, amber, white or black. Color monitors can display two or more colors on the display at a time, but with color monitors a slight decrease in picture sharpness or text legibility may be experienced. Colors on the RSS screen can be selected or changed by the user by using the RSS. To help users quickly find their place on the display before typing, a flashing underscore, called a cursor, typically serves as a visual place indicator.

Besides the display, a monitor usually has a power cord, an on/off switch, brightness and contrast dials, and a cable connection to the system unit.

The RSS can function with either monochrome, CGA, EGA or VGA-based monitors.

2.2.1.2 System Unit

The system unit contains a special chip that is the brain of the computer, one or more diskette drives, a hard-disk drive, a cable connection to the keyboard, one or more communications ports and an on/off switch. The system unit should be treated with care, as jarring and hot temperatures could internally damage the unit.

2.2.1.3 Keyboard

A user instructs the computer what to do by typing commands on the keyboard. The display shows the commands as they are typed. Most keyboards have letter keys, numeric keys, and a number of special keys that perform special functions. The “NAVIGATING THROUGH THE RSS MENU” section describes some of these special keys and how they perform with the RSS.

2.3 UNDERSTANDING COMPUTER STORAGE SYSTEMS

The computer can store amazing amounts of data (software programs, code, data, files) in several places. Some of these places are:

•the random-access memory (RAM),

•the read-only memory (ROM),

•the hard-disk drives, and

•the diskettes

The RAM, ROM, hard disks and diskettes all vary in function and all have certain size limits (memory). They all store data in terms of bytes, a byte equalling approximately one character as typed on the keyboard. 1,024 bytes equals one kilobyte, or 1K. For comparison purposes, one page of double-spaced, typed text equals approximately 2K.

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