4 Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Learning Goals After completing this section, you will be able to: • List the phases of the digital revolution. • Identify communication technologies. • List the categories of computers. • Identify the basic parts and functions of a computer. Look around. There are computers everywhere! They can be found on desks, in people’s pockets, under people’s arms, in offi ces, in stores, in banks, and in movie theaters. Some computers are located where you cannot look: inside other devices. The average person operates more than 20 computerized devices every day. Most people take computers for granted because this technology has become an integral part of our lives. The integration of computer technology into daily life makes our society a digital society. Understanding what computers are and how they function are necessities for social and professional success. Computers are used for communication, social connections, business, industry, research, recreation, and navigation, among other applications. The demand for better and new digital devices continues to grow. Introduction to Computers Section 1.1 Terms central processing unit (CPU) cloud computing computer digital revolution hard disk drive hardware input mainframe computer motherboard output peripheral device personal computer port processing random-access memory (RAM) read-only memory (ROM) server supercomputer volume label wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock.com