AMSTRAD CPC464 User Manual page 193

Appendix I
The Art of the possible
The newcomer to computing frequently starts by establishing some
points of reference that will help give an impression of the computer' s
capabilities and limitations. This section sets out to give a broad guide
as to what happens and why.
Zap the wotsit!
Even if the only reason you bought your CPC464 was to take advantage of the sophisticated
computer games available to run on the ' hardware' , you may still probably be wondering about
several aspects of the computer that come under the heading of ' hardware' .
The hardware is what you can pick up and carry around: the main computer keyboard, the monitor,
the connecting leads etc. In fact, it' s about everything that isn' t specifically the software - programs,
manuals, and cassette based information.
Certain features of the way the computer behaves are produced by courtesy of the hardware - things
like the coloured display on the TV set (or monitor) - and then it' s up to the software to make use of
this hardware capability to produce specifically designed characters and shapes on the screen.
The hardware actually directs the beam of electrons at the electro luminescent surface on the inside
of the screen of the TV tube to make it ' light up' - the software adds order and intelligence by telling
the hardware when and how to perform. It adds timing, control and sequencing to produce the effect
of a spaceship taking off, or something more mundane like a letter appearing when you type at the
keyboard.
Q So what makes one computer better than another?
Hardware without software is worthless. Software without hardware is equally worthless - the value
of the computer begins when the two come together to perform various tasks. There are some very
basic considerations that can be used to grade performance of both hardware and software.
The generally accepted reference points for personal computers are now:
1. The screen resolution - the smallest discernible item on the display.
This is a combination of factors, including the number of different colours available to the
programmer, the number of different areas that can be resolved on the display the pixels and the
number of text characters that can be displayed on a single screen area.