| Ø Introduction to BIOS |
| Ø BIOS One of the most common uses of Flash memory is for the basic input/output system of your computer, commonly known as the BIOS (pronounced “bye-ose”). On virtually every computer available, the BIOS makes sure all the other chips, hard drives, ports and CPU function together. |
| Ø Every desktop and laptop computer in common use today contains a microprocessor as its central processing unit. The microprocessor is the hardware component. To get its work done, the microprocessor executes a set of instructions known as software (see How Microprocessors Work for details). You are probably very familiar with two different types of software: |
| Ø • The operating system – The operating system provides a set of services for the applications running on your computer, and it also provides the fundamental user interface for your computer. |
| Ø Windows 98 and Linux are examples of operating systems. (See How Operating Systems Work for lots of details.) |
| Ø • The applications – Applications are pieces of software that are programmed to perform specific tasks. On your computer right now you probably have a browser application, a word processing application, an e-mail application and so on. You can also buy new applications and install them. |
| Ø It turns out that the BIOS is the third type of software your computer needs to operate successfully. |