(c) Drives. There are three different types of drives: (1)
hard disk, (2) floppy disk, and (3) tape. Both the hard disk and floppy
drive are mass data storage devices for microcomputers and are input and
output devices. Usually the hard disk drive mounts permanently in the
computer and can store in excess of 105 megabytes of information.
Like the hard disk drive, the floppy disk drive usually mounts in the
computer, but uses floppy disks (either 5 1/4 or 3 1/2inch) to store
information.
External drives, both hard disk and floppy, present a means of increase
to the storage capacity of the computer without a major reconfiguration.
External drives have a separate power supply and connect to the computer
via cables.
Originally, only large computers used tape drives. However, advances in
technology have developed them to the stage where occasionally you find
them in use with the microcomputer. The cassette tapes come in a wide
variety of storage capacities, 20 megabytes to 8 gigabytes.
(d) Printers. Printers are computer output devices. Printers
provide a way of taking a permanent record of the computer output, known
as a hard copy. The printers used with today's computers are more than
just glorified typewriters. Most printers now have the ability to
create graphics, such as charts, graphs, and pictures.
(6) The system. This term includes all the computer's components
and peripherals. The system includes all the input and output devices,
in many different forms. The system is all the components required to
take the operator's input, process it to the desired form, and have a
permanent record of the finished form, either a hard copy and/or stored
on a hard or floppy disk.
b. Software. Software is the individual program that allows the
computer operator to create the graphics presentation. The are many
software programs available for an illustrator to use to create charts,
slides, and line drawings.
c. Floppy Disk/Diskette. Floppy disks serve as a form of lowcost
data storage. Currently there two sizes of floppy disks in use, 5 1/4
and 3 1/2inch. Depending on the size and characteristics of the floppy
disk, it can hold anywhere from 360 kilobytes to 1.4 megabytes of data.
The 5 1/4inch floppy disk is a thin, flexible magnetic disk stored in a
thin, square, cardboard casing. To ensure you do not damage the floppy
disk and lose the data on it, use the following safety precautions
(figure 178):
1-84
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