Jargon Buster

The desktop computer comprises a standalone base unit connected to a monitor, mouse and keyboard. The computer base units come in various sizes. Most common being an ATX type case, shown in the picture. ATX is the case type not a brand.

The different sized base units can share the same type of hardware inside. Bigger doesn’t mean better. It's easier to upgrade a bigger case due to space inside.

A tablet is a handheld computing device. There are two main types you will hear about. Andriod and IOS. IOS is owned and developed by Apple. Andriod was originally founded by a group of developers in California. The software is classed as Open Source. This means that anyone around the world can use it and make it their own. Big companies such as Google, Samsung & Lenovo use it on their Tablets and SmartPhones.

This is the software Laptop, Desktop, Tablets and other computing devices use to enable them to work.

There are many to choose from including Microsoft Windows, Linux, Chrome OS & Apples Mac OS. All have pros and cons.

The latest from Microsoft is Windows 10. This will come with 99% of all laptops or desktops you would buy in the shops. 

You will find Andriod and Apple's IOS on tablet and mobile phone devices. 

This is the Compact Disk drive you will find on desktop and most laptop computers. There are different types you will see, they all look the same but the writing on the front will differ slightly. 

Most computers will have a DVD-ROM - for reading DVDs and CDs. A CD-RW - for Reading CD and writing to CDs. And a DVD-RW for reading CDs, DVDs and writing to DVD \ CD disks.

If you wish to write files to a CD or DVD there are different types of the disk to buy. There is CD-R or DVD-R and CD-RW and DVD-RW. The disks with -R can only be written to once. The disks with -RW can be used again.

USB is the most common port which you will find on all modern computers. This is a standard which is used industry-wide. All manufacturers use USB to connect devices to computers. Whether you are connecting a desk fan, a mobile phone, a mouse or a keyboard. They will all use USB as a form of connectivity. 

USB is currently used for power and data transfer. The most common USB port now is USB 3.0. 

Usually, the ports are coloured blue if they are USB 3.0. This indicates they are capable of the faster transfer speed.

You will usually find multiple USB ports on laptops and certainly on desktop computers. This enables multiple devices to be connected.

RAM (or (Random Access Memory) is essentially a stick or sticks of memory in the form of microchips installed inside the computer. 

These help the computer run faster and be more responsive. Measured in GB (Gigabytes) the higher the number the better.

The memory modules or sticks of RAM memory come in different physical sizes. The picture shows RAM memory for a desktop computer. Memory for laptops will be half the physical size.

If you are buying a Windows 10 computer, try to get one with a minimum 8GB of RAM. This will help make your investment last longer.

if you need more. Upgrading the RAM memory is one of the easiest upgrades you can do.

A hard drive (or HDD or Hard Disk) is where all your files and programs are stored. The storage size of a hard drive is measured in GB (Gigabytes) and again the larger the number the more files you can store.

The traditional hard drive has a spinning disk inside. These are becoming cheaper to buy due to advancing technology however they can also hinder the performance potential of your computer. 

There are two main types of drives now. There is the traditional hard drive which has a spinning disk inside. These are cheaper to buy but will end up slowing down your computer.

The hard disks come in two sizes (measured in inches) 2.5 and 3.5. You will find 2.5 in laptops and 3.5 in desktop computers.

A Solid State Disk (or SSD) is another type of hard disk. The storage capacity is measured in GB (Gigabytes). The higher the number the better. The Solid State Disk has no moving parts inside. The drive consists of micro memory chips, just RAM memory or other devices such as mobile phones.  This means they are super responsive and are  x10+ times faster than a traditional hard drive.

The Solid State Disks come in two types: the usual 2.5 inches and M.2. The M.2 looks like a circuit board. And the 2.5 inch looks like the picture.

All that extra speed means that startup and shutdown times for your computer will be vastly improved. Also, the computer will use less power and produce less heat and vibration. If you are buying a new computer lookout for an SSD on the spec.

Big brands are Samsung, Crucial, Kingston and SanDisk.

CPU (Central Processing Unit) or Processor is the main brain of the computer. This is what ultimately determines how powerful the computer is. Main CPUs in computers are either made by Intel or AMD. The Intel latest range (now Oct 2020 is the 11th generation  processor family. The i5 is normally a good all round choice. For high performance you would be looking for the i7 and i9 ranges.

The latest AMD range is the Ryzen processor family.

Entry-level CPUs are Intel are the Celeron range, usually found in lower-cost computers. AMD entry-level CPUs are the Ryzen 3 range. 

These are the original connectors for Keyboards and mice. 

These are no longer used. They have been replaced by USB connectors.

The motherboard exists in every mobile and computing device. Whether it's a laptop, desktop, mobile phone or a tablet etc. 

This is the main circuit board where all the other components (listed above) are connected.

The monitor or display is the screen connected to a computer. 

For desktops, this is usually referred to as the “monitor”. For laptops and other devices, it would be the “screen”.

Both are the same thing, just for desktops its separate and connected via a cable.

The VGA port (Video Graphics Array) is a type of display cable which connects the computer to a monitor. 

This is now superseded by newer type connectors. However, the VGA port can still be found on a lot of computers. 

The port on the computer will usually be a blue colour. Because of the pins sometimes the cable is referred to as the “Male” and the port on the computer “Female”.

The DVI (Digital Visual Interface) was the first upgrade from VGA. 

The DVI transmits a digital signal meaning that the picture on the monitor will look sharper. 

DVI is not as common on laptops and desktop now again as newer type connectors have superseded them.

The HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a newer type of display cable \ connector.

This is more common on TVs. However, it can be found on some computers. HDMI is capable of transmitting visual and audio signals. 

Transmitting in High-Definition means the quality of the picture displayed on the screen is greatly improved.

The Displayport connector is very similar looking to HDMI and is the latest offering for connecting a monitor to your computer.

You will find this on most new computers. More common on desktops rather than laptops. 

A laptop would more than likely have an HDMI port to give to the opportunity to connect directly to a TV etc. 

The internet is what we access with laptops, desktops and other computing devices. 

The internet is essentially a vast collection of computers connected together across the world. A bit like the road network in the UK & other countries.

If your house represents your computer, then the roads represent the network connections and cables. When we leave our house and go to the shops, we know how to get there to complete our journey. 

If we don’t know the way we ask someone or look it up. A router (provided by your Internet Service Provider) works the same. 

If we want to visit a website say...www.google.com and we’ve not been to that site before then the router needs to ask the way. Once it knows the way it saves that information for next time.

Broadband is the service which gives you access to the internet.

This is provided by an ISP (Internet Service Provider). 

Two main types of broadband are ADSL and Cable. 

ADSL comes down a BT phone line. And cable would have its own line into the house, These are cables installed by NTL back in the 90's. 

Both ADSL and Cable providers offer Fibre Optic.

Examples of ADSL providers:

BT

Sky

Talk Talk

Plus Net

Examples of Cable providers:

Virgin Media

Cable broadband is much faster than ADSL.

A router is a device which connects you and your computers and other devices to the internet. 

This will be provided usually by an ISP (Internet Service Provider) such as Sky, Virgin, AT&T, Verizon, BT and more. 

These routers allow you to connect your computers via a wireless connection or via an ethernet cable.

Wifi is an over the air technology which uses radio waves. 

Laptops, desktops and other devices have wireless network cards inside them which can pick up this signal. 

This can give high-speed internet access with no cables required.

An Ethernet cable is also known as a network cable. 

This is what will connect a laptop or desktop to an internet connection. 

If you can connect your computer to a network cable, then use that rather than wireless.

Mpbs (Megabits per second) is the unit used to measure data transfer speed. Home broadband speeds vary depending on your location.

A good website to check how fast your broadband is - www.fast.com

If you are paying for average downloads of 50Mbps its a good idea to make sure you are getting that speed, at least most of the time. 

This is the power cable for desktop computers. 

It will connect directly to the base unit. 

Laptops and other devices will have their own charging cable.