Datasheet

19
Chapter 1: A Screwdriver Is All You Need
You can point and click with things other than a mouse, such as a trackball,
a touchpad, or a drawing tablet. A mouse is practically a requirement for Windows
(although you can still navigate strictly from the keyboard if necessary).
Even the traditional keyboard has changed. Ergonomically shaped keyboards are
designed to make typing easier on your hands, wrists, and forearms. And both
Windows XP and Windows Vista recognize two or three Windows-specific keys to
activate the Start button and display menus in an application. (Thank goodness
Bill Gates can’t add new letters to the alphabet.)
Your computer also needs at least one universal serial bus (USB) port to use many
external devices. For example, most digital cameras connect via USB ports, as do vir-
tually all printers on the market today. (Need the complete rundown on ports? Jump
to Chapter 5.)
Oh, and don’t forget your Ethernet network port. Just about every motherboard
available today has a built-in Ethernet card, and some even include built-in wireless
network hardware. For all the details on building your own network (or connecting
your new PC to an existing network), swing by Chapter 12.
You might also see a FireWire port. Although these are more common on a Mac than
on a PC, you could run into them from time to time.
As a quick and handy primer, Figure 1-4 shows what the three ports look like in com-
parison. Even if the shape throws you, they’re typically marked with a symbol.
Figure 1-4: Ports ahoy: USB, FireWire, and Ethernet.
The data warehouse
Earlier in this chapter, I mention that your RAM modules act as your computer’s
memory while the computer is running. However, when you switch off your com-
puter, it forgets the data in RAM, so you need a permanent place to store Uncle
Milton’s Web page address or your latest stock report. This permanent storage
comes in three forms: hard drive, removable storage drive (for example, a DVD/
Blu-ray recorder or a USB Flash drive), and (maybe) a floppy disk drive.
Some PCs still include one floppy drive. (You know the one. It still uses a 3
1
⁄2-inch
disk that holds a paltry 1.44MB.) If you like, you can skip the installation of a floppy
USB
IEEE 1394
FireWire Ethernet
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