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oib111
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 Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 11:35 pm Post subject: how hardware works |
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I really want to know how hardware works. Like how you can these little physical things address memory or hold memory or perform basic I/O or display graphics and output audio. How does everything go from the electricity through your wall to your computer and get all these little physical things going. For example, the hard drive, it's just physical. How is it yo ucan perform I/O with it and that it has memory of files and that it's "written" to the drive.
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oib111
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| Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 11:49 pm Post subject: Re: how hardware works |
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| elpacco wrote: | | oib111 wrote: | | I really want to know how hardware works. Like how you can these little physical things address memory or hold memory or perform basic I/O or display graphics and output audio. How does everything go from the electricity through your wall to your computer and get all these little physical things going. For example, the hard drive, it's just physical. How is it yo ucan perform I/O with it and that it has memory of files and that it's "written" to the drive. |
its all electricity, it goes into your wall on an electric cord. |
I already know that  But I want to know how it all works. On a side note, why do computers use hexadecimal as their base (i.e Memory).
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FullyAwesome
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hcavolsdsadgadsg
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| Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 2:50 am Post subject: Re: how hardware works |
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| oib111 wrote: | | elpacco wrote: | | oib111 wrote: | | I really want to know how hardware works. Like how you can these little physical things address memory or hold memory or perform basic I/O or display graphics and output audio. How does everything go from the electricity through your wall to your computer and get all these little physical things going. For example, the hard drive, it's just physical. How is it yo ucan perform I/O with it and that it has memory of files and that it's "written" to the drive. |
its all electricity, it goes into your wall on an electric cord. |
I already know that But I want to know how it all works. On a side note, why do computers use hexadecimal as their base (i.e Memory). |
While hexadecimal (and it's other variants, like octal) may be the 'natural' language of the computer. Either way, it boils down to bits, which like a switch, can be either on or off.
Binary is base 2.
Hex is base 16.
As you might know, eight bits is to one byte.
11111111 would be equal to FF, or 255.
... and there you have the idea behind data. I'm sure you could find information on exactly how a harddrive works it's magic, but think about it this way. Hopefully it makes a bit more sense now; flip a few bits here and there, and you're well on your way to those wonderful bytes that make up your favorite goodies.
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iTz SWAT
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| Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 3:28 am Post subject: |
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Pc contains.
CPU/Processor
Motherboard
Ram/ Memory
Video Card
Hard drive/HDD
Monitor
Power Supply
Case
Those are the essentials.
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Last edited by iTz SWAT on Fri Jul 25, 2008 7:00 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Will Smith
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| Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 3:42 am Post subject: |
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| bioshocked wrote: | Pc contains.
CPU/Processor
Motherboard
Ram/ Memory
Video Card
Hard drive/HDD
Monitor
Those are the essentials. |
Oh yes, the power supply is completely useless.
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Tofu
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| Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 4:56 am Post subject: |
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| Volcom's Ston3d wrote: | | bioshocked wrote: | Pc contains.
CPU/Processor
Motherboard
Ram/ Memory
Video Card
Hard drive/HDD
Monitor
Those are the essentials. |
Oh yes, the power supply is completely useless. |
Case wouldn't matter, right?
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iTz SWAT
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| Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 7:00 pm Post subject: |
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I said I wouldn't go in depth.
Yes i forgot the case and power supply.
I was in a rush yesterday.
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oib111
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| Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 7:08 pm Post subject: |
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You guys are thinking about this in a totally computerized way. I understand whats in a computer, how it boils down to 1 and 0 (binary, base 2), I know hex is base 16, ETC. I know that you think about the hard drive as "flipping bits here and there", but I mean seriously just PHYSICALLY. You take this little physical thing, and electricity powers your computer but somehow you can store data on that thing. And you can keep things intact with it. And you have other things that handle memory when they're just made out of chips and transistors. I mean how does of any of this stuff actually work?
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| 8D wrote: |
cigs dont make people high, which weed does, which causes them to do bad stuff. like killing |
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hcavolsdsadgadsg
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| Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 10:21 pm Post subject: |
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| oib111 wrote: | | You guys are thinking about this in a totally computerized way. I understand whats in a computer, how it boils down to 1 and 0 (binary, base 2), I know hex is base 16, ETC. I know that you think about the hard drive as "flipping bits here and there", but I mean seriously just PHYSICALLY. You take this little physical thing, and electricity powers your computer but somehow you can store data on that thing. And you can keep things intact with it. And you have other things that handle memory when they're just made out of chips and transistors. I mean how does of any of this stuff actually work? |
What else is there to explain?
The platter is a giant array of bits. The head goes around and does it's thing, and there's your data. It's stored on a physical platter. Of course, the actual science behind how it TRULY works in the sense that you are talking about is likely beyond both of us.
Obviously this is beginning to show it's limitations, not to mention it requires moving parts, and thus we enter the realm of: Solid-state storage devices.
Look up:
Solid state
Volatile memory
Non volatile memory
as they will likely be points of interest.
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oib111
I post too much
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| Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 10:28 pm Post subject: |
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| slovach wrote: |
Of course, the actual science behind how it TRULY works in the sense that you are talking about is likely beyond both of us.
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Is there a class I can take to learn that? Because that's really what I want to know?
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| 8D wrote: |
cigs dont make people high, which weed does, which causes them to do bad stuff. like killing |
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hcavolsdsadgadsg
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| Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 10:32 pm Post subject: |
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| Hmm, take a look at electronic engineering.
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FullyAwesome
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| Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 10:34 pm Post subject: |
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| oib111 wrote: | | slovach wrote: |
Of course, the actual science behind how it TRULY works in the sense that you are talking about is likely beyond both of us.
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Is there a class I can take to learn that? Because that's really what I want to know? |
did you read through those links that i posted? i think one of them was a course in pdf files.
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