How Computers Work (How It Works Series (Emeryville, Calif.).) - Softcover

Sometimes you have to take a step back from "choose this, click that" computer books and survey the technologies that underpin the personal computers we use every day. We all know how to connect to the Internet, but few of us really know how a modem works. It's broadly understood that data written to a hard disk sticks around when the power goes off and data in RAM is lost--but why? Author Ron White and illustrator Timothy Edward Downs explain these and hundreds of other aspects of PC tech in How Computers Work. A typical spread tackles a single PC detail, such as uninterruptible power supplies or scanners, with one or more large, full-color drawings of the equipment in question and a series of detailed callouts that explain what different parts do. Where there's a process (such as the one behind optical character recognition), White and Downs present a series of illustrations and sequential bits of explanatory text. Plus, there's lots of historical information and speculation on technologies to come.

Will it help you get more work done with your computer? No. Will it enable you to do things you couldn't do before? No. Rather, How Computers Work will help you understand in a broad sense what's going on when you tap the keys, click the mouse, and set software to work. Reading White's sharp prose and examining Downs's sparkling illustrations won't make you qualified to work as a computer repair technician (refer to detail-laden tomes like Scott Mueller's Upgrading and Repairing PCs and Mark Minasi's The Complete PC Upgrade & Maintenance Guide for that). This book will, however, make you a more informed computer user. You'll have a better idea of what's going on inside the beige enclosure. --David Wall

Topics covered: Processors, random-access memory (RAM), expansion cards, modems, persistent storage devices (such as hard disks and Zip disks), digital cameras, printers, networks, and the basics of the Internet.

How Computers Work shows you how chips, software, memory, and hardware work using detailed four-color drawings. An interactive game-like CD-ROM takes you directly inside your computer. This book is completely updated and revised to include the latest technology developments.

An updated introduction to the workings of the computer explores the basics of microchips, hardware, software, and computer memory, providing an entertaining and informative tour of every part of the computer, from hard drive and processor to mouse, monitor, and keyboard. Also takes you through the workings of digital cameras, ebooks, Bluetooth, and much more.