A processor determines or computes new values from entered values and from other previously computed values. Storage elements retain entered and computed data values. Finally, output devices send entered and computed values to a printed page, an electronic display, a telephone line, a loudspeaker, or wherever they can be used by people or other machines.
In today's personal computers, the input devices may include a keyboard, mouse, joystick, trackball, light pen, touch screen, infrared detector, telephone line, microphone, scanner, magnetic diskette, and CD-ROM* disk. Input can take several forms—audio, video, text, numbers, and graphic images. New input devices are also continually being developed.
*CD-ROM stands for Compact Disk–Read-Only Memory.
Processing reflects the computer's ability to combine and manipulate data to convert it into useful information. The main processor is an integrated circuit (IC) chip or set of chips, often called a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Other IC chips do some processing as part of the input and output devices.
Storage, either on a short-term or long-term basis, is provided by IC chips that only store data and by magnetic disks (hard or fixed disks and removable diskettes), magnetic tapes, and writeable compact disks. Output, or the results of data manipulation, is provided by means of data terminal screens, printers, telephone lines, infrared ports, and loudspeakers.
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