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The pride and joy of any computer system is the console, the main box into which all the other pieces plug. Because of the console’s importance, and its surplus of interesting buttons and such, consider reviewing this section to better familiarize yourself with the typical computer console.

There is no typical console

Thanks to major conspiracies and a wicked sense of humor in the computer industry, not all PC consoles look the same. To keep you confused, manufacturers like to shake it up a bit when it comes to PC design. So while all the consoles do feature the same basic components and connections, no single prototype or base model exists for me to show you. Instead, I offer Figure 2-2, which illustrates six common PC configurations.

Figure 2-2: The gamut of PC console configurations.

Mini-tower: The mini-tower is the most popular console type. It can sit on top of a desk, right next to the monitor (refer to Figure 2-1). It can also be tucked away out of sight, below the desk.

Desktop: The desktop console type sits flat on the desk. The monitor usually squats on top of the console in the traditional PC configuration.

Mini-desktop: The mini-desktop console is just too cute and tiny, about the size of a college dictionary. That makes it ideal for places where space – and money – is tight. The downside is that these consoles lack internal expansion options.

All-in-one desktop: A popular and trendy computer design combines the console and monitor into a single unit. From the front, the console looks like a monitor, though it’s thicker. On the sides, you find the myriad of connectors and other computer doodads.

Two-in-one tablet: This ultrathin, portable PC comes in two pieces: screen and keyboard. The keyboard detaches, allowing you to use the tablet PC’s touchscreen for input.

Laptop: The traditional portable computer, the laptop is a handy, lightweight package, ideal for slowing down the security checkpoints in airports. Laptop PCs work just like their desktop brethren; any exceptions are noted throughout this book.

Choosing the proper PC configuration depends on your needs. Power users love the expandability of the tower. Those on a budget may go for a mini-desktop. Folks on the go love laptops.

✔ No matter how big your computer, the amount of clutter you have always expands to fill the available desk space.

✔ The two-in-one model is also called a tablet PC. It features an optional digital stylus for input, which is another handy and expensive thing to lose.

✔ More laptop, two-in-one, and tablet PC information is in my book Laptops For Dummies, 6th Edition (Wiley), available at fine bookstores wherever fine bookstores still exist.

✔ Not shown in Figure 2-2 is the tower console configuration. A taller version of the mini-tower, it boasts more internal expansion options. I’ve not seen this model for sale to the general public in a few years, but it’s still a confirmation option from some computer manufacturers.

✔

The amount of space a PC console occupies is often referred to as its footprint. Smaller consoles are small footprint PCs.

Major points of interest on the console, front

After many years, PC manufacturers discovered that it works best to put those items designed for you, the human, on the front part of the console. I’m not joking: Nearly everything you needed to connect to an early PC required that you pull the console away from the wall, crane your neck, and hope for the best. So consider yourself blessed and use Figure 2-3 as your reference as you go hunting for the following items:

Figure 2-3: Items of note on the front of the console.

Optical drive: Don’t worry if your PC lacks one of these storage devices; they’re being phased out. You can use the optical drive to read optical discs, CDs, and DVDs. The problem is capacity: These discs don’t store as much information as is needed for a modern computer.

Future expansion: Most consoles feature blank spots. They may look interesting or useful, but they’re not! They simply cover holes used for adding new hardware to your PC.

Media card slots: Use these slots to read media cards, such as those used by digital cameras and other portable electronics. Your PC may have only one media card reading slot. In Figure 2-3, you see the common 19-in-1 card reader, which accepts all media card formats.

Power button: No longer a plain on–off button, the power button can do more than just turn the computer on or off. See Chapter 4 for the details.

Lights: A staple of computers in the movies, the PC console may not have any lights. Some PCs have a power lamp, which illuminates when the system is on. A hard drive lamp may flicker as the mass storage device is accessed. That’s pretty much it.

Air vents: Air vents aren’t impressive, but they’re necessary. They keep the console cool by helping air circulate inside. The thing’s gotta breathe.

I/O panel: Your PC most likely features a clutch of various connectors somewhere on its front, covered by a door or not. Nestled in that area are places to connect joysticks, microphones, headphones, thumb drives, or other handy gizmos you may need to plug and unplug from time to time.

You might be lucky and find other fun and unusual items living on the front of your PC’s console. They’re probably particular to a certain computer brand or model. Consider them a bonus.

✔ Some newer computers have stickers that show the secret Windows code number or proclaim such nonsense as “I was built to run Windows Optimus Prime” or “An Intel hoohah lurks inside this box.”

✔ For more specific information on the connectors lurking behind a secret panel, see the section “The I/O panel,” later in this chapter.

✔ Don’t block the air vents on the front of the console. If you do, the computer may suffocate. (It gets too hot.)

✔ The all-in-one type of PC features all its holes, switches, and slots on its sides or back.

✔ A hard drive lamp can be red or green or yellow, and it flickers when the mass storage device is in use. The flickering is not an alarm, so don’t let it freak you out! The PC is just doing its job.

Stuff found on the console’s rump

Just like an exotic dancer, the console’s backside is its busy side. That’s where you find various connectors for the many devices in your computer system: a place to plug in the monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, and just about any other gizmo you desire to have in your computer system.

Use Figure 2-4 as a guide for finding important items on the back of the PC’s console. Note that some things may look different and some may be missing; not every console is the same.

Figure 2-4: Important doodads on the back of the console.

Power: The console needs power, and the power connector is where you plug in the power cord. The other end of the power cord plugs into the wall.

Fan: Air gets sucked in here. Or it might be blown out. I forget which.

On-off switch: This isn’t a power button, it’s an on/off switch. Don’t use it to turn off the PC! Its purpose is to disable the power supply for troubleshooting or repair. Keep the switch in the On position. Not every PC features this switch.

Voltage selector: Use this switch to change power frequencies to match the specifications for your country, region, or planet. This switch is part of the power supply.

Expansion slots: These slots are available for adding new components on expansion cards to the console and expanding your PC’s hardware. Any connectors on the expansion cards appear in this area, such as the video connectors on a graphics adapter (refer to Figure 2-4).

Vents: The breathing thing again.

I/O panel: Aside from the power cord, and anything attached to an expansion card, the rest of your PC’s expansion options and plug-in-type things are located in a central area that I call the I/O panel. Details of what you can find there are covered in the next section.

The I/O panel

To either help keep all connectors in one spot or just create an intensely cable-crammed location, your PC’s console features an I/O panel on its rear. That location is where you add various expansion options to the PC as well as plug in the standard devices shown way back in Figure 2-1.

Use Figure 2-5 as your guide for what’s what. The items you find on your PC’s I/O panel may be labeled with text or may include the symbols listed later, in Table 2-1. Also keep in mind that Figure 2-5 is only a guide; your PC console may have a different layout and sport more or fewer items on the I/O panel.

Figure 2-5: Stuff to find on the I/O panel.

Table 2-1 Shapes, Connections, Symbols, and Colors

Here are some of the things you may find on the I/O panel:

USB: Plug snazzy devices into these Certs-size Universal Serial Bus (USB) slots. See Chapter 10 for more information about USB.

Video: Your PC’s monitor can plug into one of the video adapters on the I/O panel. You may find a traditional VGA adapter, a digital video adapter, an HDMI adapter, or a combination of all three. See Chapter 8 for more information on computer video.

Network: Plug in a local area network (LAN) connector or attach a broadband modem to the PC.

The good news? You connect all this stuff only once. Then your PC’s butt faces the wall for the rest of its life and you never have to look at it again – well, unless you add something in the future or you just enjoy looking at PC butts.

✔ Connectors for a microphone and headphones are also found on the PC’s front I/O panel, illustrated earlier, in Figure 2-3.

✔ Older PCs may sport ports not shown in Figure 2-5. These ports include separate mouse and keyboard ports, the IEEE port, and even the ancient COM, printer, and joystick ports. The functions of these ports have been replaced with USB ports, which are plentiful on modern PCs.

Helpful hints, hieroglyphics, and hues

Even though most PC connectors are different, manufacturers have relented and agreed upon a set of common colors and symbols used to label the various holes, connectors, and ports on the console’s hindquarters. They’re listed in Table 2-1 to help you find things, in case the need arises.