What Does The Hard Drive Do

Hard drives are at the center of computers and countless other products. Nowadays, camcorders, music players, camcorders and many other types of personal electronic devices store information on hard drives too. Although manufacturing hard drives is a precise and exacting process, the basic principles of hard drive function are surprisingly simple.

Function

-A hard drive is a device used to store data in a semipermanent state on your computer. Computer memory is a series of small packets of data called bits. Each bit is a 1 or a 0, and each bit is stored as a small magnetic charge on the hard drive. A read/write head moves over the hard drive to retrieve or rewrite the bits as needed.

Hard Drive Structure

-The hard drive contains several smooth, metal-coated disks called platters. Each platter is divided into a number of narrow, concentric circles called tracks, which run from the the inside of the platter all the way to the outer edge. Each track is further subdivided into small sections called blocks. To retrieve a piece of information, the head moves to the exact track and sector on the correct platter.

Hard Drive Mechanics

-Hard disk platters spin at a constant speed of several thousand revolutions per minute (the exact speed depends on the drive). The read/write head is also very quick, and some can move from the outer to the inner edge of the disk 50 times per second. The head is located on an arm that is actuated by a device called a voice coil. The voice coil has both an electromagnet and a permanent magnet. When the electromagnet turns on, it pushes against the permanent magnet, moving the head arm across the disk. The more power, the farther the head moves. When the electromagnet is turned off, a spring pulls it back across the drive.

Reading and Writing

-The read/write head is actually two devices in one--a read head and a write head. The read head contains a small coil or some other device that is sensitive to magnetic flux. When the head moves past a charged part of the hard drive, the magnetic field creates a small charge in the read head, which the head registers as a bit. The write head has a small electromagnet in it. As it moves past a part of the platter where it wants to write data, it produces a small magnetic field. The sensitive platter picks up and stores this magnetic field as a bit.


Considerations

-Many people assume that a hard drive will last forever, but actually hard disks are extremely fragile pieces of hardware prone to sudden failure. The head sits very close to the high-speed platter. A sharp jolt can make it bump into the platter, scratching and ruining the hard drive. Any dust or debris leaking into the hard drive can also damage the platter. The data on the drive can also be ruined by a magnetic field, which will overwrite the store bits.

What does RAM do?

RAM - Random Access Memory, or volatile memory, is used by the system to store data for processing by a computer's central processing unit (CPU), also known as the processor. RAM stores the data in memory cells that are arranged in grids much like the cells are arranged in a spreadsheet, from which data, in the binary form of 1's and 0's, can be accessed and transferred at random to the processor for processing by the system's software.

The data stored in a hard disk drive (HDD) cannot be accessed at random. Whole sectors, containing blocks of data, are transferred from a hard disk drive, placed in a large swap file on the same drive, and only then are selected files transferred to RAM for random access by the processor, which is itself only performing the instructions of the system's operating system (usually Windows), and its application software.

When the computer is turned off, all of the data in the RAM memory is lost, hence its alternative name of volatile memory, whereas all of the data on a hard disk drive is retained permanently until it is intentionally erased. The motherboard (or mainboard) manual (that should be provided with a new or a second-hand PC) will provide all of the details about the different types of supported RAM, and the various combinations of modules per bank for each type that can be successfully installed.

What do processors do?

In this first of many i am going to try and show how different parts of the computer works. I hope that this will help some of you to understand whats happening under your desktop or laptop.

First of all is the processor:

http://homepage.cs.uri.edu/faculty/wolfe/book/Readings/Reading04.htm

Look out for the next installment coming soon.
Laters people.

Combat Arms, a free FPS????

In the video game industry today, we look for a game with the best graphics and the best gameplay. There are some major contenders who bring home the bacon with a combination of both but there are many companies who are lacking it all. Nexon America, a sister company to Nexon Korea, has released their latest game called Combat Arms. With many free games on their list, how can a small company who makes their money with item shops possibly make a game where it combines depth, action, and sheer fluidity to a game and still be free? No one knows the answer, nor is it ever asked and it shouldn't. Combat Arms definitely does deliver what all FPS gamers need and shows potential with where it can go.

You start the game with a basic setup. You choose how your soldier looks and then name him. Where it gets tricky is the weapons you start with. They consider the M16A1 Automatic rifle to be the weakest by today's standards and therefore offer it as its "free" weapon. You also start with standard military issue camo and a combat knife as well as some basic frag grenades. As for now, customization is very limited but the developers have stated that you will be able to "purchase" looks in the future, which leads me to the best part. EVERY gun, grenade, armor vest, helmet, uniform, or anything else that can be used to punish your enemies will never EVER cost you any real life money. Thats right. You can be just as powerful as the highest killer on the servers and never have spent a penny. The ingame money, known as GP, is what you use to buy your gear with and is only earned by winning matches. Depending on how many kills you get determines what place you come in on the leaderboards for that match and thus, determines how much experience and GP you earn.

Experience? Why is there experience points in an FPS? Actually, this is nothing new. In the Battlefield games, your soldier earned experience to unlock weapons and to earn rank. The same is true in Combat Arms. You earn rank to unlock certain weapons and gear. You also have to be a certain rank to join a clan and start one. This leaves an incentive to playing the game and really pushes the player to rank up instead of creating multiple accounts. There is also a KDR (Kill/Death Ratio) which is available for all players to see. Naturally, the higher your KDR is, the better you look to other players, and believe it or not, determines whether opposing clans will fight you in clan matches or even play in the same match with you in normal matches. Rank does not determine how good a player is however. Rank is merely an indication on how much that player has played and there are definitely some people on there with a rank so high that it looks as if they have no life. Which is probably true.

So how is the gameplay? The gameplay is the next best thing about Combat Arms. The gameplay feels a lot like Counterstrike meets Unreal Tournament. There is blood and lots of it as well as tactical espionage action. There is four gameplay modes and each are unique in their own way.

Elimination: Players are put on two teams: Alpha and Bravo and are pitted against each other in a deathmatch. The team with the most kills wins.

One Man Army: Exactly as it sounds. You are your own team in the ultimate of deathmatches.

Search and Destroy: Players are again placed into two teams: Alpha and Bravo. Each member of Alpha has control of a bomb and must reach locations A or B (Marked by Chevron's on the HUD) and must plant the bomb. Bravo team must either destroy all of Alpha teams members or disarm the planted bomb. Players have one minute from the time the bomb is planted to disarm it.

Capture the Flag: Ah, ye olde Capture the Flag. Probably the most common of game modes for any FPS on the market. Capture the Flag consists of yet again, two teams. Alpha and Bravo. The rest is pretty self explanatory, each team must try to capture the opposing teams' flag.

One of the major concepts about Combat Arms that makes its gameplay unique, is the sense of "reward" you get from killing your enemies. For every kill you get, it flashes how many kills you have in front of your face. And it is even more rewarding if you can kill two to three players in less than five seconds. It boldy states "Double Kill!" or "Multi Kill!". And it is also seen by other players. Very rewarding indeed.

There are some flaws to this game however. (Which games doesn't have flaws?) The game is really laggy during peak times, no matter which server you choose. There is also an ever increasing amount of hackers, and the game has several glitches. Like falling into the world and and knifing everyone. But all in all, it is a very good game with montly updates/fixes that will be sure to have you playing more and more as time goes by. For more detailed information on Combat Arms you can visit their site directly at combatarms.nexon.net. If you can read Korean or are Korean, combatarms.nexon.com.

Get in there and blow your enemies away...FOR FREE!