Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

A suprisingly lucid volume of text-supported illustrations describing how computer devices do what they do. From mouse to CD-ROM, the treatment manages to convey "how it works" without being simplistic or overly complex. A very good overview for those curious about how computers make their magic. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Introduction
• I Boot-Up Process
• 1 Getting to Know the Hardware
• 2 How a Disk Boot Works
• 3 How an Operating System Controls Hardware
• II Microchips
• 4 How a Transistor Works
• 5 How RAM Works
• 6 How a Microprocessor Works
• III How Software Works
• 7 How Programming Languages Work
• 8 How Windows Works
• 9 How Software Applications Work
• IV Data Storage
• 10 How Disk Storage Works
• 11 How Disk Drives Work
• 12 How Disk Drives Increase Speed and Storage
• 13 How Optical Storage Works
• 14 How Removable Storage Works
• V Input/Output Devices
• 15 How Energy Turns into Data
• 16 How a Bus Works
• 17 How Computer Ports Work
• 18 How a Computer Display Works
• 19 How a Keyboard Works
• 20 How Pointing Devices Work
• 21 How Game Controllers Work
• 22 How a Modem Works
• 23 How Light Input Works
• 24 How Portable Computers Work
• VI Multimedia
• 25 How Multimedia Sound Works
• 26 How Multimedia Video Works
• 27 How Virtual Reality Works
• VII How the Internet Works
• 28 How Local Area Networks Work
• 29 How a PC Connects to the Internet
• 30 How Wireless Works
• 31 How Email, Chat and Messaging Work
• 32 How Internet Video and Audio Work
• 33 How the World Wide Web Works
• 34 How Internet Security Works
• VIII How Printers Work
• 35 How Basic Printing Works
• 36 How Color Printing Works
• Index

Excerpt provided by Syndetics

ml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?> Introduction "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." --Arthur C. Clarke SORCERERS have their magic wands--powerful, potentially dangerous tools with lives of their own. Witches have their familiars--creatures disguised as household beasts that could, if they choose, wreak the witches' havoc. Mystics have their golems--beings built of wood and tin brought to life to do their masters' bidding. We have our personal computers. PCs, too, are powerful creations that often seem to have a life of their own. Usually, they respond to a wave of a mouse or a spoken incantation by performing tasks we couldn't imagine doing ourselves without some sort of preternatural help. But even as computers successfully carry out our commands, it's often difficult to quell the feeling that there's some wizardry at work here. And then there are the times when our PCs, like malevolent spirits, rebel and open the gates of chaos onto our neatly ordered columns of numbers, our carefully wrought sentences, and our beautifully crafted graphics. When that happens, we're often convinced that we are, indeed, playing with power not entirely under our control. We become sorcerers' apprentices, whose every attempt to right things leads to deeper trouble. Whether our personal computers are faithful servants or imps, most of us soon realize there's much more going on inside those silent boxes than we really understand. PCs are secretive. Open their tightly sealed cases and you're confronted with poker-faced components. Few give any clues as to what they're about. Most of them consist of sphinx-like microchips that offer no more information about themselves than some obscure code printed on their impenetrable surfaces. The maze of circuit tracings etched on the boards is fascinating, but meaningless, hieroglyphics. Some crucial parts, such as the hard drive and power supply, are sealed with printed omens about the dangers of peeking inside--omens that put to shame the warnings on a pharaoh's tomb. This book is based on two ideas. One is that the magic we understand is safer and more powerful than the magic we don't. This is not a hands-on how-to book. Don't look for any instructions for taking a screwdriver to this part or the other. But perhaps your knowing more about what's going on inside all those stoic components makes them a little less formidable when something does go awry. The second idea behind this book is that knowledge, in itself, is a worthwhile and enjoyable goal. This book is written to respond to your random musings about the goings-on inside that box you sit in front of several hours a day. If this book puts your questions to rest--or raises new ones--it will have done its job. At the same time, however, I'm trusting that knowing the secrets behind the magician's legerdemain won't spoil the show. This is a real danger. Mystery is often as compelling as knowledge. I'd hate to think that anything you read in this book takes away that sense of wonder you have when you manage to make your PC do some grand, new trick. I hope that, instead, this book makes you a more confident sorcerer. © Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Excerpted from How Computers Work by Ron White, Timothy Edward Downs All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Booklist Review

Ever wonder what the guts of those familiar PCs look like? If you're curious but fear computerese might get in the way, this book's the answer. Although not entirely without technical terminology, it's an accessible, informative introduction that spreads everything out for logical inspection. Carefully sequenced captioned diagrams do most of the work. Scattered throughout the book, they conduct readers on a visual tour of PC terrain that begins with the bootstrap--the permanent coding that launches PC operations--and ends with explanations of how different kinds of printers handle the information PCs send. In between comes information about such things as RAM, a mouse, CD-ROM, and tape backup. To make everything even clearer, White introduces the explanatory diagrams with a few concise, lucid paragraphs of text. Readers will come away knowing not only what everything looks like but also what it does. ~--Stephanie Zvirin