Technology has been advancing at an extraordinary pace; this is mainly due to innovation, brilliant people, and a lot of investing. The tech industry is one of the sectors with the fastest expansion rate. No wonder less than a hundred years ago, it was impossible to watch a tv series as TVs didn’t exist at the time. The first commercial advertisement in the US was aired in 1941. Less than half that time back, computer motherboards and hard drives were stored in rooms larger than the modern-day person’s apartments.
1801: Joseph Marie Jacquard invents a loom that uses punched wooden cards similar to early generation computers.
1822: Englishman Charles Babbage invented the steam-driven calculating machine, which the English Government funded. This project had no success, and the first computer was only more than a century later.
1890: Herman Hollerith invented a punch card system that calculated the 1880 census and saved the Government more than $5 million. He founded a company which is better known as IBM today.
The need for these intelligent machines back then was mainly for the calculating census as the older, more traditional methods could take up to seven years to tabulate and accomplish. More than 90% of people hold more technology within their pocket in the modern era than what was invented in those years.
As the dawn of the tech era began to grow, with one of the biggest influencers being Steve Jobs, who launched the first Apple 1 computer, the tech industry was flooded with investments and dreams of becoming more affordable and efficient. The Apple 1 was the first single-circuit board computer; according to Stanford University, as we are in an era where our calculators can do more than the computers of that era, let’s look at the most critical components of our computers.
#1 Motherboard
Perhaps one of the most critical aspects of your computer, the Motherboard. The purpose of your computer’s Motherboard is to allow every part of your PC to work together. Without the Motherboard, your computer’s components won’t communicate and work together to give the end-user the most comfortable experience. The Motherboard, in many instances, is referred to as the glue that holds everything together. Attached to your Motherboard, you’ll find components including the following; CPU, ROM, Memory RAM expansion slots, PCI slots, and USB ports. It also includes controllers for the hard drive, DVD drive, keyboard, and mouse. The Motherboard is by far the most significant component of your computer, and so too, when you open up your laptop, the most significant piece of silicone will be the Motherboard.
#2 Printed Circuit Board
This is a component that is regularly missed when considering what is essential and whatnot. A printed circuit board is the component to which all the other components are attached to communicate with one another. The fact that these printed circuit boards’ size was shrunk to less than a thousand of what they were before, is the main reason we can jampack our small phones and computers with more tech than ever before. From a room full of wires to a slab smaller than an average book but with 100 times more advanced technology. A great example of this would be a PCB Design from MIS Electronics, this piece of technology allows us to use such small devices full of technology.
#3 Central Processing Unit
This part of the computer is regularly referred to as the brain of the computer. The reason behind this is because of the fact that the CPU is directly connected with the Motherboard and due to communication with all the computer’s other components. The CPU is the component that allows you to code on your computer and for your computer to decode and execute your instructions. The CPU conducts any processes that you expect of your PC; this also makes the CPU one of the most important aspects of any suitable computer. The CPU in your computer contains at least one processor, which is the chip inside your computer that conducts calculations; it is common for modern computers to come out with more than one processor referred to as dual-core. In many instances, your pc can contain up to eight processors, referred to as octo-core.
#4 Random Access Memory
Random Access Memory, RAM, in short, is commonly found in devices such as PC’s laptops, smartphones, and tablets. In computers, you can install ram as memory modules, but ram is part of the device and can’t be removed in cell phones. The amount of ram in your device determined how much memory your device and applications on the device can use. A device that holds enough RAM could efficiently run various applications simultaneously without any disruption. The less RAM you have, the less your computer can operate at the same time. Buying a device with sufficient RAM is one of the best ways to increase efficiency in your device.
#5 Storage
The storage device on your computer is the component that allows individuals to store data and have access to that data immediately upon request. Most computers use a state of storage referred to as the Hard Drive. Your computer’s primary hard drive stores applications, the operating system, files, and folders for the interface user. The hard drive is not the only form of storage available; storage in the form of flash memory devices such as USB keychain drives is also an effective and easy way of storing small amounts of data and retrieving it once needed again. Other means of storage, such as SD cards, are great ways of storing images taken by digital cameras.
Irrespective of which components are used, if all your components don’t seamlessly integrate and work together. The idea of a personal computer would never have been possible. Yet again, the only reason for it being possible is due to years of research and millions in investments by some of the most influential people across the globe. Most of our jobs would never be possible without this technology, and it’s safe to say that the sacrifices of the individuals who developed computers to this stage changed the world forever.
