Desktop PC's are becoming increasingly more common in houses accross the UK, allowing you to go on-line,
create text documents, play games, print and much more, all from the comfort of your own home. However, if
you haven't bought one yet, with all the technical jargon, it can seem at little daunting.
In the sections below we will describe some of the areas which may be confussing you.
Monitor, Mouse and Keyboard
All PCs have a mouse and keyboard. A mouse is used to navigate around your PC and a keyboard is used
for typing.
Monitors come in two different types TFT and CRT:
- TFT- monitors are thinner, stylish and space saving
- CRT- monitors are larger and more traditional
All monitors are measured diagonally and can range from 14" to over 21".
Hard Drive
The hard drive is where all permanent applications and files are stored. Hard
drives are measured in gigabytes (GB). Keep in mind that it can be harder to upgrade the hard drive on a
notebook than on a laptop.
Processor
The speed of the processor is measured megahertz (MHz). In general, a higher number indicates a faster
speed. Although this number is a good reference for gauging how fast the computer operates, it's important to
note that different with processors, a computer with the same processor rate will actually run at different
rates. Note that 1000 MHz is equal to 1 GHz.
RAM (Random Access Memory)
Holds all running applications and open files on your computer. If you want a computer for basic
office tasks, email and surfing the web, then a lot of RAM is not that important. If you plan to use alot
of multimedia features such as computer games, for example, than you'll want as much RAM as possible.
DVD/CD-RW Drive
All CD drives can read CD-ROMs. Other CD drives are as follow:
- CD-ROM- an internal CD-ROM for playing CDs, including many program files
- CD-RW combo- Able to read and write CD-RWs and CDs
- DVD-ROM- a drive for playing DVD discs
- DVD-RW- a drive that can read and write DVD discs
Graphics Card
Measured in (MB) graphics cards can control the user's interface, which you see before you. Many computers
have a built in Graphics card and for many tasks such as word-processing, browsing the internet etc this will
be fine. If you intend to play 3D computer games etc, the more MB your graphics card the better the game will
look.
Speakers
You will speakers to hear anything from a multimedia PC.
USB
USB is a type of connection used to attach other devices to your computer. Literally plug them in and use
them. Most new peripherals, such as printers, scanners, digital cameras and web cams now come with a USB
connection. Portable hard discs and MP3 players are also a common use for USB.
It comes in two different versions USB and USB 2.0. The latter operates at a much higher speed. They are
both forward and backwards compatible, eg a USB 2 external CD-Writer will work on a computer that only has
USB 1 sockets.
Modem
If you would like to connect to the internet so you can browse, send receive emails etc, you will need a
modem. Your existing telephone line connects to this.
FireWire
This is a similar connection to USB and will be found on the back of your pc. It is a plug and play device
so will not require any installation. Firewire is faster than USB and is often used for transferring large data
files such as digital video.
PS/2
These ports can connect your mouse and keyboard to your computer. All computers have these although you can
also get USB mice and keyboards.
Ethernet Network Port
If you intend to connect your computer to a network you will need an Ethernet network port on your computer.
It is measured in Mbps from 10 - 100.
Bluetooth
Turns your computer into a virtual multimedia centre. It’s an international standard in wireless data
transmission so you can send information to and from bluetooth devices without needing to connect them to your
computer with a wire.
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