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Chapter 2
QX-10 Components
If you’ve worked with computers before, much of the informa-
tion in this manual probably comes as no surprise. If, on the other
hand, you are new to computers, you may wonder if you have
what it takes to master the QX-10. Relax, and rest assured that you
do. In fact, it will be fun to look back in a week or so, after you’ve
begun working on the QX-10, and amaze yourself with the pro-
gress you’ve shown!
The Microprocessor
When you sit down and begin working on the QX-10, you are
facing a compact machine that only a few years ago would have
been much larger.
The
Chip
One of the reasons for the QX-10’s compactness is that the com-
puter’s brain-called a microprocessor-is remarkably small. It’s so
small, in fact, that you’d need a pair of tweezers to pick it up. Con-
sisting of a tiny chip, this little integrated circuit, a product of the
modern technological boom, can process thousands of instruc-
tions in a fraction of a second. Electrical current speeds through
the chip’s microscopic electronic circuits and is translated into video
images on the monitor or a variety of other actions, both visible
and invisible. The QX-10’s microprocessor, the 780C, enables your
QX-10 to operate with great speed and accuracy, without taking
up much desk space.
Bits and Bytes
A computer’s operation and capacity is expressed in terms of
bits
and
bytes.
The concept of bits and bytes is quite technical, but
it can be generally understood as follows.