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Griffon Consulting has put together a list of terms that you may run across while trying to pick out a computer or networking system. We understand that the terms can become overwhelming and be difficult to figure out. Please use this list to help you understand some of the touchy points of picking out a computer or network.
Here are a few computer terms that you may have heard, explained using an analogy we’re all probably more familiar with - Cars.
CPU (Central Processing Unit)
This is like the engine in a car. The size, number of cylinders and make all determine pretty much how fast your car will go. Here is a rough breakdown...
486
2 Cylinder Volkswagon Engine - Tough, reliable, but outmoded and slow.
Pentium/K6
4 Cylinder Older, not quite up to a tough task any more. Used to be top of the line.
The Pentium is manufactured by Intel (think Ford) and the K6 by AMD
(Chevy)
Pentium-II/Pro, K6-2
6 Cylinder - Pretty much does whatever you ask it to do.
Pentium-II MMX, K6-2 3D
8 Cylinder - The workhorses of the CPU world.
RAM (Random Access Memory)
This would be the equivalent of the cargo capacity of your car. How much can it
carry? After all, if you’re driving a Beetle, you aren’t going to be hauling lumber! As with cargo capacity, more is better. One difference from our analogy here is that increasing RAM can actually speed your computer up, whereas in cars, increasing cargo capacity usually decreases your speed.
There are several types of RAM - RAM, DRAM, SD-RAM... SDRAM the best - Think ‘Super Duper RAM’...You will hear terms like KB, MB, or sometimes GB attatched to this...KB means ‘thousand’, MB means ‘million’, and GB means ‘billion’.
Cache (L2, Burst, Pipeline, L1, etc.)
This is a special type of RAM that your CPU can use. Think of it like a Turbocharger. The bigger the better is again, usually the rule. It allows your computer to keep the items that you use a lot very close to the CPU and so they run faster.
Hard Drive
This is sort of like your garage. It’s where you keep everything that you’re going to put in or on your car. Again, the larger the better!
CD-ROM (Compact Disc- Read Only Memory)
A CD-ROM is sort of like an extra hard drive for your computer, but one that you can’t write on. It will only play information that someone else has written. Now that isn’t entirely true any more as there are Read-Write CD-ROM’s and a zillion other options as well. But think of it as your neighbor’s garage space - You can only put things there that he lets you!
Modem (Modulator/De-Modulator)
A Modem is a gadget that lets your computer talk to other computers. In our analogy, it would be like your car’s horn. Again, the larger the number, the better. The number refers to the speed - ‘Baud’ (bits per second). So, 56.6K (K means thousand) would be a diesel air-horn and 9600 would be that little horn on a Beetle.
This is the gadget that helps determines how fast your work on the Internet will be. Reality is though that there are many other factors - The speed of the place you’re getting the information from, how many other people are online at the same time you are, and how fast you are connected at. The number refers to the maximum speed you CAN connect at. Usually the actual speed is a lot lower due to noise on the phone lines interfering with the data transfer.
If you have a term or question that you would like us to post and answer, please send us a message Thank you!
Tucson, AZ 85742 