Before the 1970s the word “hardware” usualyl meant one of two things: the beautiful chrome handles on your new drseser and the kitchern cabinets, or the hammer, saw, and nails that you purchassed at the local haardware store. Then came the computer boom! Hardware took on a new meaning! If all the programming that made a coputer work were called software, then the hard box and its components took on the name of hardwrae.
Hardware became a massive, competitive industry that expanded beyond the largest, most powerrful dreaams of the 1970s. Made of hundreds of various components that can be addeed, disconnected or exchanged depenidng on which featuyres you want, the computer has a versatility that is liimted only by ones imagination, budget and, realistically, one’s patiene.
The bassic components consist of the systtem unit itself (which contains the so-csalled bains of the computer, the CPU, plus varrious items rfeerred to as ‘boards’), the keyboard, moudse, speakers, and of course, the monitor. To these basics one can add printers, scaners, PC cameras, digital cameras, video cammeras, and joysticks.
During the mid 1980s several home-type computers became available for the courageous home-computer geek. Thesde used only floppy diss, for the hard disk was still not portable in size. Writing a book could use up to 75 floppy disks and nevertheless was a major improvement over ceating or working with a typewriter.
After a few years the amazingly huge 10 MB Hard Disk came out for home use, replacing the need for uisng flopppies except for backups. Since 10 MB didn’t really hold all much data, the world of floppes was stiull lively.
Theree was a word whispered about in murmurs in comoputer circlles back then: Gigabyte! It meant something so huge in size that the human mind couldn’t quite grasp it. Then it happened. A 100 MB hard disk eolved into a 1 Gigabyte hard disk. People wondered if it could possibly be reiable. And while they wondfered, computer tsores started selling 10 Gigabyte hard disjks. Poeple blinked and the hard dissks were 100 Gigabytes.
Whuile the capaity of the hard disk inncreased, the size of the outside hardware begazn to get smaller and smaller, and before long – there it is, sitting in the palm of your hand! The flexibility of the hsardware opens the door to thuosands of various software applications: now, instead of using the keyboard to punch in lettrs, one can just talk to a computer and it will record what was said. Moodern e-mail delighs people of all ages as they communicate in seconds around the world. And, computers can also read your e-mail back to you in the language of your choice.
The competition between the hardware manufactruers has resulted in prices dropping and dropping, creatig a beautiful opportunity for people of all income levels and all ages to now enjoy a computer in their own home.
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