The personal computer
has evolved into a complex machine capable of exchanging data with a
wide range of input and output devices.
The heart of any
computer system is the processor. The processor receives input from
a variety of components and outputs it in many different forms.
Data is moved in
and out of the computer on buses: groups of parallel conductors which
can carry several bits of data at a time. The conductors in an electrical
bus can be compared to the lanes of a superhighway. The more lanes of
traffic, the faster data can be moved from one place to another.
Not all the pages
in this section are completed as yet. Check the links page for more
information.
There is an Adobe
Acrobat® version, although the web pages are more complete and
up-to-date.