Using a Laptop Computer

What are the basic parts of a laptop computer?

The basic parts of a laptop computer are the screen, keyboard,touchpad, speakers, battery, and AC adaptor. Beyond these basic parts are the hardware items located inside the laptop, and the peripherals, which are optional pieces of hardware that enables the computer to accomplish additional tasks.

Basic Parts of a Laptop Computer

Let's take a look at the basic laptop components.

Laptop Parts Labeled

1. Monitor
   The monitor, which resembles a television screen, is where the computer displays text and pictures.
2. Keyboard
   The keyboard is a piece of hardware that resembles a typewriter keyboard. It is one of the primary ways you communicate with the computer and enter data.
3. Speakers
   Speakers are usually small and built into the screen or the body of the laptop. In the image, the example laptop has speakers in the body, or laptop casing. The speakers allow you to hear computer sounds, audio streamed from the Internet, CDs and DVDs, and more.
4. Touchpad
   On a laptop, a touchpad is a substitute for the mouse. Move your finger on the touchpad to move around the screen and select text and objects. The buttons below the touchpad operate like mouse buttons.

Touchpad

Using the Touchpad:

• Click. Select an object on the screen by pressing the left button down with your index finger and then release the button.
  
• Drag an object on the screen by pressing and holding down the left button with your index finger while moving another finger on the touchpad. When the object is where you want it, release the button.
  
• To double-click, rapidly press and release the left button with your index finger.
  
• To right-click, press and release the right button with your middle finger.

Basic Parts of a Laptop Computer (cont.)

Laptop Battery Removed from CasingBattery
The battery on a laptop serves as its life-line. A laptop will work without a battery if it is receiving power from a power adapter.

The battery allows you to be more mobile without having to be near a power outlet for an extended period of time. Most laptop batteries will last for about 1.5-2 hours before needing to be recharged. If your battery dies or has a defect you can buy a new one from your computer’s manufacturer or a local computer or electronics store.


AC Adaptor
The AC Adaptor is the source of electric power for a laptop. The power adapter does two jobs when it is plugged in. It powers the laptop and charges the battery.

Challenge!

• Think about the laptop computers you've seen at work, school, the library, a store, or a friend's house.
• Did all the laptops look the same?
• What did they have in common?

What are All the Buttons, Sockets, and Slots Used For?

Take a look at a laptop and count the number of buttons,sockets, and slots you see. You probably counted more than 10. There aren't quite as many as you'll find on a desktop computer, but still, all of these can be overwhelming for a new laptop user.

Each laptop computer is different, therefore the buttons, slots, and sockets will vary from computer to computer. However, there are certain features that are common and you can expect to find on most laptop computers.

Laptop Buttons, Drives, and Ports

Power Button
Power Button
The power button is used to power the computer on and off. It is usually directly above the keyboard, but can also be located on any of the four sides of the laptop casing. In addition to turning the computer on and off, you can use the power button on some computers to place the computer in different energy-saving modes such as hibernate, sleep, and standby. It is a good idea to read your manual to learn how these features work on your computer.


CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read-Only Memory) Drive
A CD-ROM drive, also known as an optical drive, allows you to play a CD-ROM , just like a CD player allows you to listen to music. With a CD-ROM drive you can listen to music (if your computer is sound-enabled), view files, andinstall software that is located on a CD.

Example Optical Drive -- DVDA CD writer is a device that can be used in conjunction with a CD-ROM drive and allows you to copy or burn information onto specific types of CDs called CD-RW (Compact Disk ReWritable) and CD-R (Compact Disk-Recordable) discs.

DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read-Only Memory) Drive
A DVD-ROM drive, also known as an optical drive, reads DVD discs, all types of CDs, and can display movies from digital video discs. DVDs can hold more data than a CD, so they are a good storage option. A DVD burner is a device that can be used in conjunction with a DVD-ROM and allows you to copy information onto DVD discs. It is considered a type of storage.

In many of the computers you can purchase today, the CD and DVD-ROM or burners are combined.

SD Port
Memory Card Port
This port is for placing memory cards that are associated with your digital camera or PDA device. It is usually located on the left or right side of the laptop When a memory card is placed in the port, you can view the material on that card using your laptop.

Laptop Buttons, Drives, and Ports

On the sides of the laptop computer are connection ports that are made to fit specific plug-in devices, as well as assorted drives and buttons. The arrangement of these vary from computer to computer, and many companies have their own special connectors for the specific devices. Some of the ports are color coded to match a color on the device, which will help you determine which port is used with a particular device.

View of Back Laptop Ports

Back of Laptop Labeled

1. Power Cord Connector
   This is where you connect your AC power adapter.
2. Ethernet Port
   This port looks a lot like the modem or telephone port but it is actually wider. You can use this port fornetworking and also connecting to the Internet.
3. PS/2 Port
   This port is the mouse and keyboard port.
4. Composite Video Port
   Some laptops include a composite video port that allows you to connect your laptop to a television. This port may look familiar to you because many home electronic devices, such as television sets and camcorders, include this port. The composite video port is seen less on new laptops as other ports become more popular for the same tasks.
5. Audio In/Audio Out
   Every computer has a bank of audio ports where you can connect various devices, including speakers, microphones, headsets, and more.
6. USB Port
   Almost every laptop computer on the market today comes with two or more Universal Serial Bus (USB)ports. These USB ports let you attach a variety of devices such as mice, printers, keyboards, web cameras, USB/flash drives, and digital cameras to your computer quickly. Almost every peripheral made comes in a USB version, and installing the devices using USB ports is much easier than connecting devices using parallel and serial ports.

Back of Laptop Labeled

1. Monitor Port
   An external monitor can be connected to this port. Even though the laptop comes with a built-in screen, some users like to turn their laptop into a desktop unit by connecting external parts such as a monitor, keyboard, and printer.
2. Serial Port
   The serial port is the other original port on the first personal computer. On recent computers, the serial port has been replaced by the USB port, as both ports can be used to plug in external devices such as a mouse or keyboard. Most peripherals use the USB drive because USB drives do not require you to reboot your computer when a new device is added, whereas serial ports do.
3. Parallel Port
   The parallel port is one of the two original ports on the first personal computer. It is commonly known as the printer port since this port is used to connect your printer to your computer; however, with the rise in use of the USB ports, you can expect to see a decrease in the use of this port. Currently, a large number of parallel port printers are still manufactured and used on older computers that don’t have USB support.
4. FireWire Port
   FireWire is actually the Apple brand name for the IEEE 1394 port, but the term caught on and it is commonly referred to as the FireWire port. It is the standard port used with digital video cameras and high-resolution scanners. It is commonly used to upload audio/video from the device to the computer using a FireWire cable. FireWire ports are not on every computer; however, you can buy an adapter card to add them. The laptop in the image does not have a FireWire port.

Peripherals You Can Use in Various Ports

Printer

• Printers: A printer is a peripheral that is used to print, or produce, a version of what appears on the screen in a hardcopy format. There are many types of printers available including ink-jet, laser-jet, and photo printers. Also, combination printers that include scanners and copiers are increasing in popularity.
• Scanners: A scanner allows you to copy an image or document and save it in electronic form onto your computer. While you can purchase a hand-held and flatbed scanners, you are more likely to purchase a scanner as an all-in-one option that combines a scanner, printer, and copier into one product.
  
  Scanners vary in resolution, or sharpness, so when shopping for one, be sure to compare the resolution of the products. A scanner is connected to the computer via a parallel port, a USB port, or a SCSI connection. No matter which connection is used, the images are stored on your PC's hard drive in a digital format.

Headphones

• Speakers/Headphones: Speakers andheadphones are output devices, which means that they are devices that communicate information from the computer to the user. They allow you tohear sound and music. Both speakers and headphones connect to a computer; however, some computers are designed with speakers built into the monitor.
• Microphones: A microphone is a type of input device, or a device that receives information from a user. You connect the microphone to the computer and use the computer to record sound or to communicate with another computer user via the Internet. Many computers come with built-in microphones.

Web Camera

• Web Cameras: Web cameras, or web cams, are devices that connect to a computer and display a video image of whatever it is recording. This video image can be transmitted over the Internet, allowing a user in another location the ability to see the video in real-time. Web cameras are used often in business for video conferences, and are also a great tool for families to use to stay connected from different parts of the world.
• Joystick or Game Controller: A joystick is a lever used while playing a computer game.
• Digital Cameras: A digital camera lets you capture a picture in digital (computer-readable) form. You can transfer that image directly from the camera to the computer. When you use a digital camera, you can also preview your pictures before printing them. If you don't like what you see, you can edit or delete them.

Personal Digital Assistant

• Personal Digital Assistant (PDA): A PDA is ahandheld computer that can have a variety of features including a calendar, Internet access, video recording, word processing, email access, phone, media player, and more. Most PDAs can be synchronized with a PC to allow up-to-date contact information stored on software such as Microsoft Outlook, RSS feeds, or other web updates.
• MP3 Players: An MP3 player is a portable device that stores, organizes, and plays audio files. The player can read files that are recorded from a CD using a computer, or downloaded from various sites via the Internet.

Challenge!

• Find out what types of drives are on your computer (e.g, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM).
• Count the number is USB Ports there are on your computer.

What is Inside a Laptop Computer?

Have you ever looked inside a desktop computer case before? There is a lot of extra room in there. That is not true with laptops.Laptops are smaller, so there is less room for parts. Everything is smaller and grouped tightly together so it fits into the notebook-sized case.

Laptop parts are basically the same as desktops, often just smaller. Let's take a look.

A Look Inside a Laptop Computer

Central Processing Unit (CPU)CPU/Processor
The Central Processing Unit (CPU), also called aprocessor, is located inside the laptop on the motherboard. It is often called the brain of the computer, or the computer's engine. Its job is to carry out commands. Whenever you press a key, click the mouse, or start an application, you're sending instructions to the CPU.

The processor determines how fast a computer can execute instructions. A processor's speed is measured inmegahertz (MHZ), or millions of instructions per second, and gigahertz (GHZ), or billions of instructions per second. So, the higher the hertz, the faster the computer can process instructions. The power of the processor is measured in bits. The more bits a processor can handle, the more data it can handle, and therefore, the more powerful the processor. The CPU is generally a 2 inch ceramic square with a silicon chip located inside. The chip usually about the size of a thumbnail.

There are many processor manufacturers for personal computers including Intel, Cyrix, VIA, and AMD. 

• Many processor chip designers include funny or interesting hidden artwork, such as images, phrases, initials, and logos on the chips. This artwork is only visible when the chip is open and magnified, so it's really a joke among the chip developers, rather than something intended for everyone to see.

A Look Inside a Laptop Computer (cont.)

Random Access Memory (RAM)RAM
RAM (Random Access Memory) is your system's short-term memory. Data is temporarily stored here until you save your work to the hard disk. RAM is used by the system to store data that is processed by a computer's CPU.

The computer's work takes place in RAM. This is where programs run when you are using Word to create a letter, or Excel to produce a company spreadsheet.

This short-term memory disappears when the computer is turned off, so always save your file before turning off the machine. When you save a file, you are saving it to long-term storage that does not disappear when the computer is turned off.

RAM on motherboard
The more RAM you have, the more things your computer can do at the same time, and the faster your computer performs certain tasks. RAM is measured in megabytes (MB) or gigabytes (GB).

To understand megabytes and gigabytes, you need to know about bits and bytes. A bit is the smallest unit of data in computer processing. A byte is a group of eight bits. A megabyte is about one million bytes. A gigabyte is 1,024 megabytes.

To put this into perspective, consider that a printed page of single-spaced text contains about 3,000 characters. One MB holds about 400 pages of single-spaced text.

Motherboard
The motherboard is the computer's main circuit board. It's a thin plate that holds the CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory, connectors for the hard drive and optical drives, expansion cards to control the video and audio, as well as various external ports and peripherals. The motherboard connects directly or indirectly to every part of the computer.

• If you decide to open the computer case and take a look, be sure to touch a grounded metal object to discharge any static buildup. Static electricity can be transmitted through the computer circuits and ruin them.

A Look Inside a Laptop Computer (cont.)

Hard Disk DriveHard Disk Drive
The hard disk drive is the data center of the computer. All of your programs are stored here. The hard disk drive islong-term storage where information is stored permanently. When you use a word processing program, the computer loads the instructions from long-term storage (your hard disk) into short-term memory.

Hard disk speed determines how fast your computer starts up and loads programs. The hard disk is called the C drive on most computers.

Optical Disc Drive
An optical disc drive is a peripheral device that reads data stored on optical discs. Some drives can only read from discs, but often drives are both readers and burners. CD and DVD drives are common optical drives. From inside the computer, optical drives look very similar to hard disk drives.

Video card
The video card is responsible for what you see on the monitor. If you like playing graphic-intense games on the computer, a good video card is important to you. The main function of the video card is to generate and output images to the computer screen. Better graphics card equals better performance when playing games or working on a high resolution monitor.

Sound Card
The sound card, also called an audio card, is another type of expansion card. It lets the computer play sounds through speakers. Some motherboards feature integrated sound, and do not require a separate sound card..

Network card
The network card allows your computer to communicate over a network. With the network card you can set up a home network with a few computers and connect them by via Ethernet cords or wirelessly.

Expansion Card
An expansion card is a card which you can install to expand a computer's capabilities. For example, your computer's sound card is an expansion card which plugs into the motherboard.

Challenge!

• Review the parts of the computer identified in this lesson. Make sure you know the function of each part.
• Think Creatively! In the lesson and videos, we compared the CPU to a brain, the hard drive to a closet, and the motherboard to a blue print. Can you think of any other good analogies, or comparisons? Do any of the computer parts listed remind you of something else?

How Do I Connect to the Internet?

You have all the basic parts of your computer set up and want to start surfing the Internet. You might even see an Internet Explorer icon on your desktop. You may be wondering if getting online is as simple as clicking that icon. Well, yes and no. There are basically three things you need to use your computer to become active online -- an Internet Service Provider (ISP), a modem, and an Internet browser. Before you can connect to the Internet, you have some decisions to make about these three topics.

Types of Internet Access

Before you can connect to the Internet, you need to determine the type of Internet access you would like, and which Internet Service Provider (ISP) you want to provide you with this access. An ISP is the company that provides you with your connection to the Internet for a fee. Often ISPs offer different types and tiers of access, so it is a good idea to consider the common types of service before exploring specific companies.

Dial-up Access

Dial-up access is usually the least expensive way to access the Internet; however, it is also the slowest. With dial-up service, you need a phone line and PC modem to dial-up and be connected to the Internet by your ISP. A modem ties up the phone line so can't use the phone and computer at the same time.

While dial-up access can be an affordable option, the web pages load slowly due to the limitations of the modem. Some websites with a lot of videos or graphics may have a difficult time loading, if they load at all. Additionally, with dial-up access, your Internet connection isn't immediate. Since you have to use the telephone line to dial into a server, it can take from several seconds to minutes before you can access the Internet.

If you only use the Internet to check your email and occasionally view other websites, a dial-up connection may serve your needs. If you are going to spend any significant amount of time online, you should consider another option. Keep in mind that some ISPs have increased the fee for dial-up access in an effort to transition more people to broadband access.

DSL Access

DSL, or Digital Subscriber Line, provides high-speed, Internet access through a phone line. With DSL service, you can talk on the telephone and access the Internet at the same time. It is considered a type of broadband Internet access, which refers to high-speed Internet connections that allow for transmission of data at rates 10 to 50 times faster than dial-up service. Verizon and AT & T are two popular DSL providers.

A DSL modem and an Ethernet card are required for installation. A splitter may also be required to filter the DSL signal from the low frequency voice signal; however, this is handled by the Internet Service Provider.

Cable Access

Cable access is provided through your local TV cable company and transferred through your TV cables. Like DSL access, it is considered broadband, high-speed Internet access. If you don’t have cable TV, you may be able to purchase cable Internet service as long as it is available in your area.

With cable access, web pages load quickly and you will find it easy to download and upload files. One thing to be aware of though is that cable access is a shared service and can be affected by others who use the same cable lines. For example, if it is a holiday and everyone in your neighborhood is at home surfing the web, you may notice that some aspects of service are slower than normal. In most areas, this won’t be an issue.

Satellite Access

Satellite access can be used in locations where there is no broadband cable or DSL Internet available. Satellite access is available across the world and can provide you with a broadband connection that is equal to a high speed connection. Satellite service is the most expensive and will require costs such as installation and satellite equipment, which will cost several hundred dollars.

Choosing an Internet Service Provider (ISP)

Once you have decided which type of Internet access you are interested in, you can determine which ISPs are available in your area that offer the type of Internet access you want. Then, you need to choose the ISP best meets your needs based on their prices and service packages, and secure Internet access through that company. Talk to friends, family members, and neighbors to see what ISP they use.

Some things to consider as you research ISPs:

• Speed
• Price
• Billing
• Installation Software
• Physical Service
• Service Record
• Extras such as email accounts and web space
• Technical Support
• Remote Access
• Contract Terms

Internet Browser

A browser is the tool that allows you to view and interact on the Internet. Once you have an account with an ISP and can access the Internet, you'll need to use a browser to access web pages. Browsers can be referred to the window of the web because they allow you to view all the pages on the Internet.

Most computers come preloaded with Microsoft Internet Explorer, so you don't have to worry about purchasing a browser; however, you don't have to use Internet Explorer. If you would prefer to try another browser option, you can. For example, Mozilla Firefox is a free browser that you can download and use.

Website Viewed Through Mozilla Firefox Browser

Wireless Connections

If you want to use your laptop at home, work, the local coffee shop, or at any public place, you can do this if your computer is configured for a wireless connection and there is Internet access available.

What Does Your Laptop Need?

The first thing you need to do is make sure your computer is configured for wireless access. Most new laptops include built-in wireless adapters. If your laptop does not have the wireless adapter, you can buy and install one that plugs into a port on your computer.

Once your computer is configured for wireless access, all you need to do is turn your computer on. It should be able to automatically locate the existing networks. A couple of clicks later and you'll be surfing the web.

Where Can You Use Wireless Internet Access?

You can access the Internet wirelessly from any location that has an existing network. If you go to a public place that advertises free wireless access, or free WiFi, and turn on your laptop, the computer will display a list of existing networks, and ask whether you want to connect to one of them. If so, just click on the network name listed on the screen, and you will then be able to open your browser and surf the web.

What about Wireless Access from Home?

If you want to use a wireless Internet connection from home, you will need to install a wireless router. A wireless router is a device that receives the signal sent by your computer and decodes it. It The router sends the information to the Internet using a wired Ethernet connection. Even when we talk about connecting to the Internet wirelessly, there is a wired connection somewhere that makes it all happen.

Another benefit to a wireless home network is the ability to connect multiple computers. They allow you to easily connect multiple computers to the Internet using only one IP address.

Challenge!

• Research 2 or more Internet Service Providers and compare their service packages.
• Determine which provider and service package would be best for you, based on your needs.