By: Andrew Johnson
Republished by: A1 PC Repair Co-Op
Non-technical people who have very limited experiences with computers may have a tough time purchasing one because they simply do not know what all of the technical terminology means. Luckily, this short guide will introduce you to some of the most important terms that you'll encounter when looking at the technical specifications of a computer.
The word PC is commonly used as a synonym for the word computer. PC is short for personal computer and though this phrase can describe pretty much any computer, it is more commonly being associated with machines that run the Windows operating system.
The operating system on a computer is very important. This is the major piece of software that determines which applications you can run and how you communicate with the computer itself. Some popular operating systems currently are Unix, Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X.
There are different types of PCs that you can choose from. For example, there are now towers, netbooks, and laptops. Each type has different advantages and disadvantages, and each may come with its own pre-installed operating system depending upon the computer brand.
A tower is a computer that has been designed to stay in one location. They range in size, but they are larger than both netbooks and laptops. To use a tower, you will need to purchase additional equipment, such as a screen, keyboard, mouse.
Laptops and netbooks are all-in-one machines that are highly mobile. This means that you will not need to purchase additional equipment to work with them. They should work right out of the box.
When purchasing a computer, some of the more technical terms that you should notice include RAM (random access memory) and processor. The RAM denotes how much memory the computer has access to for running applications. Typically the more RAM you have, the faster your machine will be, but the overall speed will also depend upon the other components within the computer. The processor also determines how fast the machine will run and how many applications it will be able to run simultaneously.
When looking at computers, you should also pay attention to the size of their hard drives. The hard drive is where all of the software and files are stored. This includes your music, videos, and word documents. Larger hard drives will be able to accommodate more files than smaller hard drives.
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Andrew Johnson is an expert in computer consumables. If you would like more information about varieties of computers or are searching for a trusted computer retailer please visit ebuyer.com
Source: http://www.PopularArticles.com/article281434.html
