Computer Jargon

Techie Lingo for the Lay Person

by BRIAN KORTE

Does this make any sense to you? If you said no, don't be afraid. Below, I will go into detail about what all of this means, and take you gently through the world of computers.

This will benefit you in two ways. First, you will be able to know what these are, and what they do. The second benefit is that after reading this, you won't have to whip out a dictionary on the sales floor.

So you want a computer. You're a student looking for a fast computer for email, word processing, and web browsing. Maybe you like games too. Let's look at the breakdown and see what's available.

Processor:
Think of a processor as the brains of your computer. In the computer industry, we have different kinds of processors. I'll go through the history briefly with you now.

• 286- You don't need to know what this is, but just know it is old. Old as dirt. If someone offers this to you, turn them down.
• 386- Moving along the age of computing is the 386 processor. Faster than the 286, the 386 is still old as dirt. Don't be deceived.
• 486- How smart of you to guess. Yep, the one after 386 is 486. The 486 machine was top of the line for a good long time, capable of running DOS very quickly, and even the early 3.0 and 3.1 versions of Windows.
• Pentium- The highly advanced relative to the 486. Pentium is a brand name, owned by Intel (a computer company that makes these) If you are looking to have Windows 95 or Windows 98, you will definitely want at least a Pentium.
• Pentium 2- (P2) Pentium 2 is a newer, and much faster processor than the Pentium. Right now, this is becoming the industry standard.

Megahertz:
Megahertz (MHz)is a unit of measurement that rates how fast the processor works with the rest of the computer. We've talked about a Pentium, but in a store they'll say "Pentium 300." What does that mean? Without getting too technical, it means that the Pentium 300 can handle 300 million cycles of electricity in a second. (Yes, that is very fast.)

Common speeds of Processors are 90, 100, 150, 166, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, and now 450. Anything 200 MHz or higher is going to be more than enough speed for the average user.

Memory:
Every computer works its calculations, as every good little computer should. Just like people, computers do their math in their head. Think of memory as the pad of paper we use to help us remember all the junk in our head while figuring out a problem. We use note pads to temporarily store our knowledge on paper, and to refer to it moments later to get the final result. That's memory in a nutshell.

Computer Memory is measured in units known as megabytes (MB). The more memory your computer has, the faster it can come up with information. Memory works in pairs of 8. You may have seen computers being advertised with 16 MB of RAM. RAM stands for Random Access Memory. You really don't need to know what this means, so I won't go into it any further than to say that it is more like a note pad that you can't take with you after you leave the restaurant.

Speeds of 16, 32, 64, 128, 256 are the most common with memory. If you plan to run Microsoft Windows 95 or 98, you should have at least 32 MB of RAM (memory) on your system. Storage:
So what is a hard drive anyway? Is that like my floppy disk? Yep. Kind of. Like your floppy disk, the hard drive stores data (like your documents and pictures). The two main differences though are that: 1) The hard drive is inside your computer at all times, and 2) Your hard drive is faster and holds a lot more stuff than a little floppy can.

Hard drives are the heart and soul of your computer. It is there that the computer goes for information about what it is supposed to be doing, what programs it has, and all of that.

Storage units are mainly measured in Megabytes (MB). A Megabyte is 1 million bytes of data. Hard drives used to hold 200 MB, and even 540 MB. After you get 1,000 Megabytes, you have a Gigabyte. (Yea, I know...this sounds stupid.) Really...it's a Gigabyte. Hard drives these days are measured in Gigabytes (GB). Anything above 2 GB is good for the average user. Anyone into gaming, graphics, or anyone who loves to hold onto junk and never throw it away should get at least 5 GB. That'll give you plenty of space to store anything you want to store.

Recently, there has been a surge of storage in the computer market. Hard drives that used to be astronomically expensive can now be bought for hundreds less. My computer's hard drive was purchased in 1996. It is a 2 GB Hard drive, and I bought it for $400. You can get the same hard drive now for a little more than $115. That's progress!!

CD ROM / DVD:
The music industry boomed with the arrival of CDs, and when computer engineers realized they could store data on them, a new medium was born for the computer industry as well. CD-ROMS are cd players for a computer that can read CDs with data, not just music. A CD-ROM can contain up to 650 MB of data.

New to the market, and surely soon to rise in popularity is the DVD. This Digital Versitile Disc is capable of running programs, games, and movies at CD quality, faster, and more compressed. Where a normal CD-ROM can hold 650 MB of data on only one side, DVDs are capable of storing data on both sides of a disc (like a record player) for a total of 17 GB of data! That's more than 25 times the space of a traditional CD-ROM! DVDs are increasing in popularity, and may be included in a computer package. If you are a gamer or a movie fan, go ahead with the DVD. Average computer users shouldn't spring on this just yet.

Modem:
Somehow or another, you are now online. If you can read the words in front of you, someone has gotten online. Most RU students living on-campus are accessing Whim though an ethernet connection. Ethernet is a high-speed connection format. To connect with ethernet, you first need a provider with ethernet (in our case, Residential Life.) Then you need an ethernet card and cable.

Too much hassle for you? Dial-in to a server using a modem. Modem is a term derived from what it does. Modulator / demodulator means that the card turns information from computer language to vocal (analog) information to be sent over the phone lines. A modem is then required on the other side to demodulate (transform the voice back to digital). If you're looking to buy a modem, get a 57.6. That's 57,600 Bits per second. (BPS is the unit of measurement...describes how fast the modem works).

Computer jargon is all over the place. You'll find it in any catalog. Feel confident that you can walk into a store and get what you want. Print this article out if you must. Just don't let anyone screw you over by talking over your head. This lingo is everywhere. You'll hear it babbled from the mouths of our nation's youth. Now at least, try holding a conversation with them.

YOU: "Really? You have a 486, 250 with 64 Megs of RAM?"
THEM: "Yup."
YOU: "Bitchin."

Name:   

E-Mail: 
Year:   

Major:  

Comments:

Name: James Andrews
Major: CS
Comments:
DVD does stand for Digital Video Disk. But resently this definition of it has changed with DVD's implementation into computers. It is no longer just a way to store video you can put software on it. So the first definition of DVD no longer applies.

Name: J e f f
Major: I S
Comments:
Great article! It mega-hurts to think how dumb I was about this stuff all along!

Name: Dub
Comments:
I thought DVD stood for Digital Video Disc..what's the deal?

Name: Linda
Major: Elementary Education
Comments:
Brian, Thank you for the lesson. Maybe someday all that data will stay stored in MY memory!!! Then again, I am lucky enough to have YOU to consult before buying a computer !!! MOM

Name: Bep
Major: theatre
Comments:
This was a very well done spread, ezy to follow,and grasp. Thanx