All are based on the microprocessor technology that enables manufacturers to put an entire CPU on one chip. Personal com­puters are used in business for word processing, accounting, desktop publishing. At home, the most popular use for personal computers is for playing games.

Personal computers first appeared in the late 1970s. One of the first and most popular personal computers was the Apple II, made in 1977 by Apple Computer. Then, in 1981, IBM (International Business Machines) made its first personal computer, known as the IBM PC. The IBM PC quickly became the most popular personal computer.

Computer programs are called software. Software is instructions for hardware (the machines) to do work. Software is often divided into two categories:

Systems software: the operating system and all the utilities that en­able the computer to function.

Applications software: programs that do real work for users. F or ex­ample, word processors, spreadsheet programmes, and games are appli­cations software.

Hardware: hardware are computer components that you can touch, like disks, disk drives, monitors, keyboards, printers, boards, and chips. But you cannot touch software. Software exists as ideas, concepts, and symbols. A computer without software is dead — you need software to make the computer work.

Peripheral Devices: peripheral devices are computer devices, such as a CD-ROM drive or printer. Peripheral devices can be external, such as a mouse, keyboard, printer, monitor, and scanner. Peripheral devices can be internal, such as a CD-ROM drive or internal modem.

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individual — индивидуальный, личный

user — пользователь

microprocessor = chip — микропроцессор

CPU (central processing unit) — центральный процессор

word processig — электронная обработка текста

accounting — бухгалтерское дело

desktop publishing — настольные издательские средства

software — компьютерные программы, программное обеспече­ние

instructions — команды

hardware — оборудование, «железо»

systems software — системное программное обеспечение

applications software — прикладные программы

utility — обслуживающая программа, утилита

word processor — текстовой процессор (программа подготовки и редактирования текста)

spreadsheet — программа, работающая с таблицами

disk drive — дисковод

monitor — монитор

printer — принтер

board — плата

chip — процессор, микросхема

peripheral device — периферийное устройство

CD-ROM drive — дисковод для компакт-дисков

 internal modem — встроенный модем.