I am going to continue to explain the inner workings of your computer this week by explaining a bit about CPU’s and motherboards. It should help in our understanding of how the computer does what it does. We all know that when a new computer user sets up their system fresh from the tore, they often refer to the big main box as the computer, or sometimes the tower. Most don’t realize that this box contains the real computer which is the CPU in conjunction with the “motherboard”, the heart of any PC.
The motherboard is also known as the system board, the main board, or the logic board. Commonly abbreviated as MoBo, the motherboard contains the central processing unit, or CPU, a microchip that is truly the brain of the PC. This CPU is part of a circuit board located on the motherboard, with also contains the main memory of the computer. This main memory is called RAM, or random access memory. Many people just refer to RAM as “memory” but this can be misleading because the motherboard of the computer will contain other types of memory as well. For instance, the video display card attached to the motherboard will have memory of its own, as will the sound card. As their names imply, the video card processes video images and the sound card processes audio. Both are vital motherboard components.
The motherboard will be connected to other parts of the computer system via ribbon cables and other connection devices. These parts include external data storage and retrieval such as the hard drive, the CD ROM (or CD reader writer), the DVD unit (which may be a player or a player writer), the floppy drive, though less common these days, and even connectors to tape backup systems.
The motherboard also connects through ports and cables to such devices as scanners and printers. Many units these days are combination printer fax and scanner in one package. They usually connect to the motherboard via a USB cable.
The most common peripherals, or outside connecting units, that the motherboard is attached to are the keyboard, monitor, and mouse. These are the parts that the user uses to see the program he or she is working with and to manipulate it and input data. In fact it has been said that the fastest upgrade that can be made to a motherboard as far as inputting information is simply in teaching the user to touch type, rather than hunt and peck.
Most people want to connect to the Internet. This is also accomplished by connecting to the motherboard. It is done by connecting a dial up modem to the motherboard directly or by using external cables to connect with a cable modem or DSL modem if high speed internet access is needed. Some users attach a network card to the motherboard and connect directly to a T1 for the ultimate in high speed Internet use. 
Motherboards vary in size and construction. Many lower-end desktop models try for compact size and connect all of the common cards usually attached to the motherboard in a space saving way by building them directly onto the motherboard. Some laptop or notebook computers do this as well. With a notebook computer a smaller motherboard is essential to keep size where it should be.
Since the computer revolution of the early 1980’s, motherboards have become smaller and smaller in size. The first computer built by Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, was an Altair, a kit computer that was enormous in size compared to today’s PC’s. Early home and small business computers were not compatible with each other. Most small business computers used CP/M as an operating system, which stood for control program microcomputer. Today’s users would hardly call them micros because they were larger than what we are used to now, but compared to the mainframes of the day they were micro. All of these CP/M computers from different manufacturers have different styles and sizes of motherboards. Then home computers from companies like Apple, Commodore, Radio Shack, Texas Instruments, Timex and Atari came into the picture, all with good products for their design, but totally lacking in compatibility with each other and the rest of the world. There was no way in the world an Apple motherboard would fit into a Timex case or run software for a Radio Shack or TI computer. Compatibility and the current computer, most using a Microsoft operating system called Windows, with similar motherboards, changed all that.
What Is A CPU?

The guts of your computer shouldn’t scare you, especially to all the hunters out there that are used to looking at real guts. The insides of a computer, equals some circuit boards, wires, drives and cards. That’s about it. Many people never bother to think about what is actually inside their computer. The nuts and bolts of what’s in a computer, they think, could baffle them, but it really isn’t that complicated when you just open it up and look inside at it. That little box on your desk isn’t magic, it is technology, and technology can always be explained. So let me do a little explaining.

by Nathan W. Hull

It seems as if everyone is talking about online auctions. And

why not. There are thousands of online auctions on the

internet with more popping up everyday. People love them

because they can usually find great bargains. Businesses are

now also seeing the benefits of online auctions. Below are

five ways your business can benefit from online auctions.

1. Get Rid Of Excess Inventory

You could sell your excess or discontinued products at an

online auction. Your unsold inventory is doing you no good

sitting around, collecting dust. It’s an effective way to make

extra income and it won’t be a total loss for your business.

You could even get lucky and make a profit depending

on how much people will bid for your excess inventory.

2. Test Pricing For New Products

Today I am going to be talking about something that I have procrastinated about up until a couple of weeks ago. Now that I have finally broken down and made the purchase, I could not be happier with my decision. The amount of fun to be had with this little gadget is almost beyond words. I will touch on a few of the reasons why you should stop procrastinating, and go out and make the purchase for yourself today.

There never seems to be enough hours in the day to get everything done. Well, this year’s laptop computers may be the answer to getting back a few of these valuable hours each week.

A recent study showed that notebook computer users report an average of 10.8 hours each week of additional productivity over users of desktop computers. Those who travel frequently, reported almost 15 more, productive hours, weekly.

Laptops increase productivity because they free the worker from network cables. Time once wasted commuting, waiting at airports or during those “can’t sleep” hours at home, can now be a chance to stay in touch with customers, finish projects, check e-mail or share files.

This year’s lines of laptop computers can deliver most, if not more, of the power and benefits of desktop computer but in a portable package. The computers link effortlessly to wireless networks at the office, home and on the road.