Learning about 'puters...

Hey all,

No idea where to put this, so i thought i'd fire it in here and hope for the best.


I know there are a lot of people on here with computer-orientated jobs, lots of people have hobbies involving computers, etc etc.


I would like to know more about them. Ideally, i'd like to know a computer inside out. What each part does and what is the best of each. I'd like to be able to build my own computer without any hassle. I'd like to have a decent understanding of different popular programs, operating systems, and so forth.


Pretty much, i'd like to have a decent knowledge of computers as a whole.


Just wondering if anyone can recommend any ways to go about doing this? any courses, classes, etc. where you can learn this kinda thing.

I'm currently on a FAS course called "starting with computers" that focuses on different things, especially stuff like microsoft word. Like making words into bold and italics and so forth... and it's boring the crap out of me. It's an extremely basic course for people who have never sat at a computer before in their lives (although it's great fun, as it's very laid back).



So yeah.. don't know what i'm trying to achieve with this thread.. I'm a very uninformed person who would like to know a bit more about computers. Anyone got any advice?

Biggins

Start off with learning the basic components.

BIOS
CPU
Difference in ports (and why)
Input devices and output devices
Storage devices and why they are formatted in different ways
If possible, learn a little about DOS. It will help you get a further understanding the way visual GUI (graphics user Interface) "Windows" operates and why.
Start with the main box itself before going on to the additional parts you can then throw into it.

DON'T be tempted to run before you can walk firmly.
Its a mistake many have many - to their cost!

Get a good grounding in the basics before you decide/feel confident of an area you further want to look into.

StopNotWorking

I guess it all revolves around how interested you are in them in general. I pulled apart and subsequently broke my first computer when I was 13 lol. Poor gateway.. never saw it coming >.<

I'm in a computer science course in colaiste dhulaigh at the moment and that really pushed me into areas I didn't know much about, like networks, databases, web developement and programming of course. It's a full time course mind you.

Start from the bottom and work your way up, find out how a crappy old desktop computer works, once you know that you know the basis of how any modern PC works. Then you can take a look at how an operating system communicates with hardware, and how software communicates with the operating system. Fun fun

spartacus93

This book is very very good http://www.amazon.co.uk/Certification-All-One-Guide-Sixth/dp/0072263113/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238374017&sr=8-1

Well worth a read, an awful lot in it, probably some that you'll have no interest. Get it and read some. Very cheap way of learning.

Nothing beats the hands on experience tho, so just go ahead and take your computer apart. Play around with it. Be careful and it's extremely unlikey you'll do damage of any kind.

The book i mentioned could also prepare you for a computer technician certificate should you wish to go down that road

hth

calex71

+1 for the A+ cert if your a beginner its a great place to start.

Fás might actually do that one or help cover the cost if i recall.

biko

It's best to open the PC up and have a look but beware that you can inadvertently break something if you don't know what you're doing
Read me first

There's plenty of informational websites out there like this or this video

mach1982

Here is a great book on how to build a computer . These guys have been making manuals on how fix cars for years which are the mechanics bible , and now they have applied all their knowledge to computers. It explain everything basically they strip a PC and then rebuild it .

leninbenjamin

sorry for stating the obvious, but wikipedia is a great place to start. It has a lot of pretty good introductory articles for things like the cache, ALU etc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer

i was using it the other day to study for an exam in graphics hardware.

The Real B-man

I did a introduction to PC Maintainence with Fas a few years ago in Loughlinstown was very good every covered from Bulding to configuring PC's printer scanners etc, As for knowing what the Components do & how they operate i would Recommend doing A+

A Primal Nut

How Stuff Works is excellent for the hardware side of things. Very easy to understand. I done a course in Electronic Engineering and they never thought basic things like how a hard drive works or what the purpose of all the different types of memory are - cache, dynamic ram, rom. Instead there were all these real technical explanations about the mechanisms by which they work, instead of what their purpose is. There is a video on that site which shows all the different parts of a computer and what they do - watch that and then read the article on each part.

As for software, anyone I know who is good at programming was self-thought. Anything I learned was from online rather than lecturers. Starting with DOS batch or Linux bash scripts is probably a good idea.

tpotter

I would suggest opening up a computer, using a computer to identify the different parts, and see how they connect. This taught me a great deal and is an excellent learning experience.

*IMPORTANT: Use an old computer first, not your regular computer, so you don't have to worry about messing it up.*

Sometimes taking a basic course, like the one you are taking, can be good even if you know most of what is being taught, because you might still pick something up from the instructor and it can help you get more comfortable using a computer.

I would advise following it up with a more advanced course though, or finding a good book and working through it.

BopNiblets

Most stuff is available online but maybe volunteer with Camara for some work experience?
http://www.camara.ie

Hey guys.


I've read through all the posts and really appreciate everyone's help and input here.

I don't want to get over my head too soon, so i'm just gonna bookmark this thread and take my time going through it. I'll start with wikipedia (i never even thought to check there ) and then i'll go look at books and persecute FÀS.

Thanks guys. I do appreciate it.