confused by all the computer jargon?
read through our glossary of commonly used computer terms
boot
starting up your computer is booting it. if the computer is already running, you may need to "re"-boot or restart.
desktop
a desktop system is a computer that sits on your "desktop" coincidentally and is made to not be moved around. most home computers are a desktop system.
drive
a device for storing and/or retrieving data. some drives (eg. a hard drive- see below) can have new data (like photos or word processing) put onto them. others (like CD-ROMs or DVD-ROMs) you can't, these are used for retrieving data only.
GHz & gigahertz
one gigahertz is equivalent to 1000 megahertz, or 1,000,000,000 hertz (see below)
hard drive
the hard drive stores all your data. A typical hard drive is only slightly larger than your hand, but it can hold alot of data depending upon the size of your hard drive. they range from 80gig to over a Terabyte (laymans terms- a heck of alot of data!!). a terabyte drive could hold well over 200,000 digital photos or 250,000 mp3's!!!
hardware
the internal physical parts of your computer- the parts you will probably never see!
ISP
an Internet service provider is a company that provides you your internet- dial-up or broadband. A good example of this is iinet.net.au or telstra.com.au
memory
computer memory is used to temporarily store data. The most common types of memory are RAM, ROM, and flash (see below)
MHz & megahertz
one megahertz is equivalent to 1000 kilohertz, or 1,000,000 hertz. The speed of the computer is measured in MHz, and is sometimes used to represent the overall speed of a computer.
newbie
a newbie is a novice to the online world or computers in general- we all have to start somewhere.
netbook
a netbook is a small laptop with similar price, performance, and battery life to a standard laptop just smaller and cuter!
OS
the operating system is what tells your computer what you want it to do. Examples of OS's are Windows or Linux programs.
peripherals
a computer peripheral is any external device that provides input or output of information for the computer. For example, a keyboard and mouse are input (inputting data) peripherals, while a monitor and printer are output peripherals. Some peripherals, such as external hard drives, provide both input and output for the computer.
processor / cpu
the processor (also called central processing unit, or CPU) is the part of the computer that works with the data and runs the programs- in basic terms it is the computers brain. some computers have more than one processor and are called "multiprocessors". the cpu is the director of the traffic. it tells the computer what to use to fulfill the users needs. for example- if you plug in your digital camera, the cpu sends power to that USB port. joondalup computer repairs
RAM
random access memory is the short-term memory of a computer. the RAM is like the freeway- the more lanes you have (or more RAM) the more traffic that goes through to the casino! or in this case- to your monitor or other peripherals.
software
software is non-physical and is basically all your data. something that you can never physically see- unless you count the cd! examples of software are MYOB, Windows, Adobe or Office.
USB
a USB port enables you to "plug and play" alot of different computer peripherals. for example- some keyboards or speakers. you can plug them directly into your USB ports (most computers have multiple) and start playing with them.
you can also buy a USB Flash or Thumb drive (They are the size of your thumb!). this basically is a small portable hard drive that you can carry photos, for example, on to take into your favourite printer to have your photos printed directly from the USB drive. They come in a variety of sizes and colours. we love the hot pink 4gig one!!
VoIP
VoIP means "Voice over IP" and basically is a way of using the Internet for telephone conversations- more often than not for free! you need a seperate modem router. you can use your same telephone provider and include the same features a normal telephone line would have. The main benefit is often you don't pay line rental or pay for phone calls!