Book description
Having sold more than 2 million copies over its lifetime, How Computers Work is the definitive illustrated guide to the world of PCs and technology. In this new edition, you’ll find detailed information not just about every last component of hardware found inside your PC, but also in-depth explanations about home networking, the Internet, PC security, and even how cell phone networks operate. Whether you’re interested in how the latest graphics cards power today’s most demanding games or how a digital camera turns light into data, you’ll find your answers right here.
Ron White is a former executive editor and columnist for PC Computing, where he developed the visual concept behind How Computers Work. Founder of one of the
earliest PC user groups, he has been writing about computers for 25 years and is known for building wildly extreme computers.
Timothy Edward Downs is an award-winning magazine designer, illustrator, and photographer. He has directed and designed several national consumer, business, technology, and
lifestyle magazines, always infusing a sense of “how it works” into every project.
A full-color, illustrated adventure into the wonders of TECHNOLOOGY
This full-color, fully illustrated guide to the world of technology assumes nothing and explains everything. Only the accomplished Ron White and award-winning Tim Downs have the unique ability to meld descriptive text with one-of-a-kind visuals to fully explain how the electronic gear we depend on every day is made possible. In addition to all the content you’ve come to expect from prior editions, this newly revised edition includes all-new coverage of topics such as:
• How tablet PCs put the power of a PC quite literally in your hands
• How Windows Vista makes your Windows desktop translucent and makes your PC more secure
• How advances in optical disc technology such as dual-layer DVD, HD-DVD, and Blu-Ray discs continue to push the envelope
• How Apple’s new iPhone is revolutionizing what cell phones can do
• How BitTorrent technology enables anyone to share information with everyone
For a decade, How Computers Work has helped newbies understand new technology, while at the same time hackers and IT pros have treasured it for the depth of knowledge it contains. This is the perfect book about computing to capture your imagination, delight your eyes, and expand your mind, no matter what your technical level!
Category: General Computing
Covers: PCs/Hardware
User Level: Beginning–Intermediate
Table of contents
- Copyright
- About the Author
- About the Illustrator
- Acknowledgments
- We Want to Hear From You!
- Reader Services
- Introduction
- Before You Begin
- 1. Boot-Up Process
-
2. How Microchips are the PC’s Brain
- 5. How Transistors Manipulate Data
- 6. How a Microprocessor Works
-
3. How Software Works
- 7. How Programming Languages Work
- 8. How Windows Works
-
9. How Software Applications Do Your Work
- Database Managers
- Spreadsheet Software
- Word Processors
- Graphics Software
- How a Database Organizes Information
- How a Database Stores Records
- How Databases Make Connections
- How Spreadsheets Solve Formulas
- How Bitmaps Save Artwork
- How Art is Squeezed to Save Space
- How Vector Graphics Change Shape
- How Software Uses Numbers to Correct Photos
- How Photo Editors Restore Old Pictures
- How the Digital Darkroom Pokes Fun at You
- How Word Processors Format Text
- 4. Data Storage
- 5. Input/Output Devices
- 6. Games and Multimedia
-
7. How the Internet Works
- 24. How Local Area Networks Work
- 25. How PCs Connect to the Internet
- 26. How the Internet Moves Data
- 27. How We Reach Each Other Through the Net
- 28. How Wireless Sets PCs Free
- 29. How the Net Provides Video and Audio on Demand
- 30. How the World Wide Web Works
-
31. How Internet Security Fights Off PC Invaders
- How Computer Hackers Break Into Your PC
- How Spyware Reports Everything You Do
- How Internet Firewalls Keep Out Hackers
- How Computer Viruses Invade Your Computer
- How Viruses Travel in Your Email
- How Antivirus Software Fights Back
- How Spammers Find You
- How Antispam Software Sniffs Out Phony Email
- How Prime Numbers Protect Prime Secrets
- 8. How Printers Work
Product information
- Title: How Computers Work, Ninth Edition
- Author(s):
- Release date: November 2007
- Publisher(s): Que
- ISBN: None
You might also like
book
IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software Companion Guide, Fifth Edition
IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software Companion Guide, Fifth Edition IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software …
book
Operating System Forensics
Operating System Forensics is the first book to cover all three critical operating systems for digital …
book
Online! The Book
Online! The Book "If you go online, see how much more you can gain, without the …
book
How the Internet Really Works
The internet has profoundly changed interpersonal communication, but most of us don’t really understand how it …