The Hardware
Let's take a closer look at each part of the computer.
The TravelMate 2000's hardware consists of a system board, keyboard, liquid crystal display (LCD) screen, hard disk
drive, I/O (input/output) ports, and other electronic circuits needed to control the display and externally connectable
options.
System Board
The system board carries integrated circuits that make up the microprocessor and memory. The system board also
contains hardware that controls the screen and keyboard. The optional RAM cards, CRT Adaptor, Internal Modem,
and 80C287 coprocessor plug into the system board.
Microprocessor
The microprocessor is the "brain" of the computer. It processes data-or information-at speeds so fast, its performance
is measured in millionths of a second. The microprocessor handles information in binary code, using the digit 0 or 1.
Any piece of information (e.g., a number or character) is represented by a string of 0's and 1's. For example, the
number 23 in binary is 1 0 1 1 1. A 0 or 1 in the binary system is referred to as a bit, the smallest piece of information
handled by the processor. A byte is a group of eight bits, and represents a single character or number, such as "H" or
"9". The microprocessor in the TravelMate 2000 is a high-speed 80C286 microprocessor, running at a clock speed of
up to 12 MHz.
1-4 Taking a First Look