Hardware Components and Information Processing Cycle
📌 Hardware refers to the physical components of a computer that can be touched and seen, fulfilling roles in the information processing cycle (Input, Processing, Output, Storage, Communication).
⚙️ The CPU (Central Processing Unit) is the hardware responsible for processing data, working on sorting, formatting, and transforming data.
💾 Permanent storage ensures that files and folders are not lost when the computer is switched off, utilizing devices like flash drives and hard drives.

Input Devices and Data Entry
⌨️ The keyboard is identified as the most commonly used input device for providing instructions and data entry.
🖱️ The mouse functions as an input device supporting actions like click, double-click, and right-click.
📸 Scanning devices convert hard copy content (like documents or barcodes) into a digital version readable by the PC.
➡️ QR codes (Quick Response Codes) are two-dimensional and increasingly popular for reading via smartphone cameras, differing from the one-dimensional lines of barcodes.

Output Devices and Display Technology
🖥️ Monitor specifications include size (measured diagonally in inches) and resolution (number of pixels), where a higher number indicates better image quality.
⏳ Response time for monitors is the time taken to change a pixel from one color to another; lower times (e.g., 0.1 milliseconds) are preferable, especially for gaming.
🔗 HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) cables transfer both video and audio through a single connection, unlike VGA which transfers only video.
💡 LCD/LED monitors are preferred over bulky CRT monitors because they are smaller, lighter, use less electricity, and offer better image quality.

Printer Technology Comparison
💧 Inkjet printers spray microscopic dots of ink, are cheap to buy but expensive to run due to cartridge replacement, and produce good quality color prints.
🔥 Laser printers use toner magnetically attached to a drum and melted onto the paper via a laser beam, making them faster, cheaper to run over time, but more expensive initially, often printing in black and white.
🖨️ The default printer setting on a PC is the device that automatically receives the print instruction when a user initiates a print command.

Storage Media and Hierarchy
🗄️ Storage capacity is significantly larger than memory and retains data when powered off; capacity units follow the hierarchy: 1 terabyte (TB) = 1,024 gigabytes (GB); 1 GB = 1,024 megabytes (MB); 1 MB = 1,024 kilobytes (KB); 1 KB = 1,024 bytes.
💿 Traditional hard drives use physical discs (platters) and actuator arms to write data, while flash drives utilize electronic memory powered via USB.
⚡ RAM (Random Access Memory) is temporary and volatile storage used by the CPU for active processing, wiping data when the power is off.
🛑 ROM (Read-Only Memory) is a chip soldered onto the motherboard containing permanent, non-volatile information necessary for startup, such as device loading instructions (e.g., BIOS).

System Control and Power
🧠 The CPU (brain of the computer) controls all hardware/software and measures its speed in Hertz (Hz); modern computers typically run above 3 GHz.
🔋 The Power Supply Unit (PSU) converts wall electricity to the specific voltages needed by the motherboard and supplies power to various components via connectors.
📈 The motherboard is the main circuitry board to which all other essential components (CPU, RAM, peripherals) are connected.

Health, Safety, and Green Computing
🧘 Ergonomics is the study and design of the workplace and equipment for comfort and safety, aiming to prevent issues like RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury).
📏 Health tips include using ergonomically designed equipment, ensuring adequate lighting and ventilation, maintaining correct monitor height/distance, and taking regular breaks.
♻️ Green Computing emphasizes environmentally friendly usage by switching off unused devices, avoiding paper waste (e.g., printing double-sided), and prioritizing the repair, upgrade, recycling, or refilling of hardware and cartridges.

Key Points & Insights
➡️ Memorize key hardware shortcuts and understand the distinction between input, output, processing, and storage hardware components.
➡️ When purchasing monitors, prioritize low response time and understand that HDMI transmits both audio and video.
➡️ For high-volume printing, the laser printer is generally more cost-effective for running costs despite a higher initial purchase price than inkjet.
➡️ Always verify storage measurement conversions, remembering that $1 \text{KB} = 1,024 \text{bytes}$ in this computing context.
➡️ Apply ergonomic principles to your workstation setup to promote long-term health while using computers.

📸 Video summarized with SummaryTube.com on Nov 22, 2025, 16:15 UTC