The parts, and what each one does
Name every important part of a computer and say what its job is in one sentence.
Everything a computer does is shared between about six parts, and each of them has one job. There is no seventh part that quietly does the mysterious bit.
The comparison that holds up best is a kitchen. The cook is the processor. The counter is the memory. The cupboards are the storage. Nothing gets cooked without all three, and each of them runs short in a different and quite recognizable way.
Key points
- The processor does the working out, the memory holds what is open, the storage keeps what you save
- Graphics draws the screen, the power supply feeds everything, the network talks to your router
- Slow when a lot is open means memory, not a worn-out machine
- Phones and tablets have all the same parts, soldered together
What to remember
- Every computer has a page like this. Reading it, and knowing which row a complaint belongs to, is most of what an expert is doing.
- How much you can keep — storage. How much you can have open — memory. How fast each job finishes — processor.
- How many at once — memory. How fast each one goes — processor. How much you can keep — storage. Three sentences, and most computer advice becomes readable.
- When somebody has told you your computer needed something, which words came up?
Try this
Find out what is in your own machine. On Windows, press the Windows key, type About your PC and press Enter. On a Mac, click the apple at the top left and choose About This Mac. Write down the processor, the memory and the storage — the next few lessons will make sense of all three.
Practice: The parts, and what each one does. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.