Learning to use a computer can be intimidating and frustrating. The following is a introduction to computers, their components and the basic knowledge you need to understand how your computer works and how you can improve its performance.
We will also provide information on commonly used software, printing, connecting to the Internet and email.
You can read through all of the information or click on a link below
to jump to a specific topic:
1. Computer basics
2. Memory
3. Software Basics
4. Why Computers Run Slow
5. Windows Vista Tweaks
6. Printers and Printing
7. Connecting to the Internet
8. Surfing the Internet
9. Email
10. Troubleshooting and Repairs
11. Future topics and requests for information
Computer Basics
The basic computer hardware configuration consists of the following:
- Keyboard
- Screen
- Mouse
- Hard disk
- Central Processing Unit (CPU)
- internal memory (RAM - see next page for more details)
- Motherboard
- Disk drive (floppy disk, CD, or DVD)
- USB ports
- SD card slots
- Modem and/or Wireless adapter
- Printer / Scanner
Terminology
Here is a description of some of the common terms you will see in computer
store advertisements:
Motherboard - Internally your computer has a motherboard which is a large circuit board that houses the CPU, the RAM and connects to the hard disk, other disk drives and USB ports.
USB - Universal Serial Bus. This is a slot in your computer that allows the connection of various input devices. Many printers have USB connections and plug into USB ports. Other common uses for USB ports are Digital Cameras, MP3 players, Memory Sticks and External Hard Disk Drives. Laptop computers usually use USB connects for the mouse and external keyboards. It is preferable to have at least 2 or 3 USB ports on your computer to allow multiple USB devices to be used at any one time.
Kilo, Mega, Giga and Tera - A lot of confusion around computer
terminology centers around size and speed. Hard disk size, Memory size
and File size are measured in bytes.
1KB = 1,000 Bytes
1MB = 1,000 KB (or 1,000,000 Bytes)
1GB = 1,000 MB (or 1,000,000,000 Bytes)
1TB = 1,000 GB (or 1,000,000,000,000 Bytes)
Because computer technology advances so quickly, Hard Disk sizes have
grown from hundreds of Mega Bytes to Giga Bytes in just a few years and
disks are now available in Tera Bytes. Advancements in technology also
mean that while the physical size of the disks are getting smaller their
capacity is getting bigger all of the time.
Computer processor (CPU) speed is measured in Hertz (hz). Current CPU
speeds are around 1.5Ghz to 3.5Ghz. Generally the faster the speed of
your processor, the better the performance of your computer. (See Slow
Computers for other factors that influence speed and performance.)
Disks
There are various types of disks available for use with computers. Hard
disks can be Internal or External. There are different types of Internal
hard disks, so if you want to upgrade your disk and don't know what type
you have, you should take it to a computer store to make sure you get
the right kind for your system. External Hard disks have advanced significantly
in recent times, Most now come with a USB interface and some of the disks
with larger capacity require external power. Smaller external disks and
memory sticks will plug directly into a USB port and do not require any
additional power to work. Floppy disks are almost obsolete now as their
small capacity (1.44MB) is a limiting factor. Most computers have a CD
or DVD disk drive. ROM means Read Only Memory, but most computers these
days have read/write functions on their disk drives and these are know
as CD burners or DVD burners.
More information is covered on the following screens:
Computer Memory (RAM)
Printers, Scanners and Printing
Computer Software
Connecting to the Internet
If you are looking to upgrade your computer, visit our purchase assistance page to see how we can help you or enter your location (city, state and/or zip/postal code) here to find a computer store near you:
