How Computers Work: Millennium Edition (How Computers Work, 5th ed) (Paperback)

by Ron White (Author), Timothy Downs (Illustrator), Stephen Adams (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
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.

Product Description
How Computers Work, Millenium Edition, shows you how chips, software, memory, and hardware work using detailed four-color drawings. An animated, full-color CD-ROM takes you directly inside your computer. This book is completely updated and revised to include the latest technology developments including the Internet, multimedia sound and video, Pentium III/ Xeon// Celeron processors, DVD drives, digital cameras, color printing, Y2K, and ebooks.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 421 pages
• Publisher: Que; Bk&CD Rom edition (September 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789721120
• ISBN-13: 978-0789721129
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (88 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,088,445 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

73 of 75 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Completely Updated and Expanded Edition!, November 8, 1999

By A Customer

Ron White has written an expanded of edition How Computers Work. The Millennium Edition offers readers a totally updated and refreshing view of computer technology that will take them into the next century. Readers are treated to new graphics, new insight into computer operations, new developments in the computer industry, and new technology to incorporate into their personal and business computing!

This new edition of How Computers Work is a beautifully illustrated and designed book that clearly and concisely explains the overall operation of computers. Readers will learn how individual computer components work, how the Windows operating system and a number of software applications work, how various audio, graphics, and video technologies work, and how a number of essential peripheral accessories work. Readers will also pick up on some helpful information about the Y2K phenomenon.

Readers are taken on a breath-taking journey through the operation of the bios, cache, chips, memory, ports, hard drives, CD's, diskettes, zip drives, graphics boards, sound boards, modems, monitors, mouses, joysticks, printers, surge protectors, back-up power supplies, digital cameras, scanners, and much more. White includes discussion of cutting-edge Pentium technologies and how Web browsers, e-mail, networks, virtual reality, multimedia, and data compression work.

This book is perfect for company employees, for students who may be using computers for the first time, and beginners starting out with just an interest in computers. This book is great for classroom use and will also make a fine gift for the first-time computer buyer! It is must reading for anyone wanting to learn more about the computing scene. The CD included with the book offers a cool multimedia interactive tour no one should miss out on!

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This Book WILL Answer Your Questions, July 6, 2000

By	Shawn Weil (Columbus, OH) - See all my reviews

Some people are content to spend their lives not knowing or caring what is under the hood of their car, inside their watch, or in their TV sets. To them, the end product is all that matters. Other people are not content with that - they want to know how things work. What magic is taking place that allows them to watch events thousands of miles away or toast their bagel.

There are few inventions as imposing as the personal computer to understand. Integrated Circuits, ISA connections, Hexadecimal code, and many other seemingly complex words float around in descriptions of hardware and software. This book demystifies the PC - with flare.

Each component of the PC - CPU, drives, printers, mouse - is described with a down to earth, step by step description and exceptional illustrations. It is just technical enough to allow the power user to be satisfied, but easy enough to understand so us non-Computer Science majors can gain some knowledge.

My only criticism involves the CD - the layout was good, but it only included some of the information in the book. Had it been more comprehensive, I would have enjoyed it more.

This is similar in quality to "The Way Things Work" by David Macaulay. "How Computers Work" will answer the questions you've had about computers, and many that you haven't thought of. It is the perfect mix of information and illustration. Highly recommended.

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful overview of internal Computer components, et al, November 9, 2002

By	Graham Douglas Lincoln "The Truth is Absolute... (Louisville, KY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How Computers Work (6th Edition) (Paperback)

I work in the IT / Computer Repair industry, and I personally feel that this book is very helpful to most individuals, especially those who have little familiarity with computer systems, internal structures, gadgets and whatnots.
I found the detailed and heavily-illustrated sections regarding chipsets, processors, memory buffers, etc. to be very helpful. Most computer manuals are very technical and assume you know a computer inside and out, already (despite constant development in the industry and the fact that by the time a computer hits the shelves it is out-dated).
These "How Computers / Internet," etc. books are wonderful manuals for those who just want to know "how the heck does this crazy thing work, anyway ?!?!"
You won't be able to pass your A+ Certifications with this series of books, but you will understand much of the jargon people throw-around in the office, and you will see flow charts of "How Computers Work."
I sincerely appreciated the diagrams of a Techtronix Printer!
Suffice to Say, if "a picture is worth a thousand words," this book is pricesless for the novice and very helpful for the beginning (uncertified) Techs in the computer repair field. The usual Black & White Illustrations in computer manuals aren't exactly condusive to really getting a feel for the stuff you might be yanking out and replacing. However, this book is full of numerous full-color, full-page illustrations.