Computers & Smoke
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
It's a little known fact, closely hidden by Computer Techs, that computers actually RUN ON SMOKE! It's true, believe it or not. Most people believe that computers run on electricity. There are those very highly technical people who will argue that computers run on binary codes, using a series of 0's and 1's. And somewhere in between these two extremes, are the people who feel that computers run on programs or on operating systems, but the truth of the matter is that without the smoke that is built into them, computers CANNOT and WILL NOT run.
One of the most difficult parts of designing a new computer system is knowing just where and how to hide the smoke that gives each and every computer it's life. Putting in the transistors, and the capacitors, and the resistors... the memory chips, and the processors and printed circuit board are tedious, but all of them are in plain sight where you can see them. But the smoke has to be hidden because it's so vitally important to the basic functionality of the various computer systems, that if it could be seen, it wouldn't work. In fact, if you let the smoke out of the computer from where it's hidden, the computer will NO LONGER WORK.
Most people think that when they take their computer into a repair shop to be fixed, that they replace components such as the mother board, or this chip or that transistor, but the most important thing that they do there is hide the smoke once again that gives the computer it's basic ability to function.
If you doubt this... try letting the smoke out of your computer and you'll find that it no longer functions!!! If you see a computer with the smoke escaping from it, chances are pretty good that this computer will not work any longer, because it's lost it's smoke.
So next time you take your system to the repair shop, don't go in telling them, "I think it's the mother board." or "I think the video board circuitry has gone bad." Just tell them.. "I let out the smoke!" and they'll know exactly what they need to do to fix it then!!
One of the most difficult parts of designing a new computer system is knowing just where and how to hide the smoke that gives each and every computer it's life. Putting in the transistors, and the capacitors, and the resistors... the memory chips, and the processors and printed circuit board are tedious, but all of them are in plain sight where you can see them. But the smoke has to be hidden because it's so vitally important to the basic functionality of the various computer systems, that if it could be seen, it wouldn't work. In fact, if you let the smoke out of the computer from where it's hidden, the computer will NO LONGER WORK.
Most people think that when they take their computer into a repair shop to be fixed, that they replace components such as the mother board, or this chip or that transistor, but the most important thing that they do there is hide the smoke once again that gives the computer it's basic ability to function.
If you doubt this... try letting the smoke out of your computer and you'll find that it no longer functions!!! If you see a computer with the smoke escaping from it, chances are pretty good that this computer will not work any longer, because it's lost it's smoke.
So next time you take your system to the repair shop, don't go in telling them, "I think it's the mother board." or "I think the video board circuitry has gone bad." Just tell them.. "I let out the smoke!" and they'll know exactly what they need to do to fix it then!!
