[hurdlebeast]

Well, i was looking around in here and was surprised i didn't see one of these yet. so here it is, the ultimate computer thread. Purpose of this thread is to hopefully get as much info about computers out there as possible so whenever someone needs help, they can check here quick. Basics first, then the more in depth stuff later. Feel free to correct any errors (I'm bound to make at least one ) and post, as long as it is relavent. if you post a question, please delete the post after your question is answered.

First off, what is a computer? Computers can be defined in many different ways, but a basic computer has these critical parts:
1)processor-brain of the computer

2)motherboard-spine of the computer: almost all parts (except case) attach to this.

3) Memory- kinda like highway lanes. If there are 100 cars (data) on 2 lanes (gigs) of highway (memory) then it will move faster than 100 cars (data) on 1 lane (gig) of highway (memory). More on this later.

4)Hard Disk(s)- Storage bins for almost every piece of data on your computer. ALMOST every piece.

5)Chipsets- There are many different types of these, including graphics and audio chipsets.

6)Input/Output panel- Without this, there wouldn't be any thing the user (you and me) would be able to do with a computer.

7) Cables- You gotta connect the pieces somehow.

8) Screen-This is what you look at, like the screen right in front of you right now.

These are all the hardware pieces. Hardware is pieces of machine that you can actually touch. hence hardware. Some hardware parts, like graphics cards, can be bought off the shelves from different places (walmart, best buy, etc,) and pretty much dropped into special slots in your computer. This makes computers awesome, because when you want more power, you can just buy an upgrade, drop it in, download the software (talk about this later) and you are good to go. Some major add-in hardware pieces are:

1) Graphics cards-used to run the graphics for your computer, which are seen on the screen. Great for gaming, because games require better graphics than most other programs.

2) Memory- Another popular upgrade is memory. the higher the memory, the faster your computer goes (usually). they are measure in either megabytes (256, 512, 1024, and 2048 are the norm today: notice how each is double of the one before it) and more commonly for bigger sizes, gigs (1 gig, 2 gig, 4 gig).

3)NIC cards- stands for Network Interface Cards. these are used to connect your computer to other computers in a network. The most common network that most people use is the world wide web, AKA the Internet.

4)Sound Cards- These are used to, you guessed it, play sounds through your computer. usually overlooked by most people, a good sound card can really enhance your computer experience.

5)Processor- Surprisingly, the processor can sometimes be swapped out for a faster version. this can greatly increase the speed of your computer, but more often than not will not work (more on this later).

6) Other peripherals- Hard disks, CD Drives, DVD Drives, Card readers...they can usually be added on without any problem. with any add on, there exceptions to the case, however.

So we know about hardware. But what about software? Software is the programs that are run on your computer, like Internet Explorer (or Mozilla, my favorite), both of which are used to explore the internet; Music players, which allow you listen to music through your computer; games, which are really fun to play; Operating Systems, like Windows and Linux, which pretty much organize all the other programs; and many, many more. There is a plethora of programs to use, so i'm not gonna list too many here.

1) Operating Systems- Windows (which is more popular) and Linux are the most well known examples of these. to be technical, they are the most well known GUI's but let's not get into that quite yet, ok? good. These programs organize all the hardware and software on your computer, among other things. If you don't have an operating system, it makes it very, very hard (if not impossible) to run today's high end programs.

2) Web browsers- Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox are the two big contenders in this contest. Both allow you to connect to server computers to access a multitude of information. This information comes from other people's computers (just like yours!) if they decide to upload data onto the net. long story, tell you about it later.

[hurdlebeast]

So looking at all the parts of a computer, you might start wondering, what are some examples of computers in everyday life? you might be surprised: in addition to the computer that you are sitting at right now, video game systems, calculators, DVD players, T.V.'s, even microwaves can be considered computers, to an extent. Anyways, let's take a closer look at the processor

Processor's are made now by two major companies: Intel, maker of the Pentium and Core Duo, as well as the Celeron family of processors. Intel is older than AMD (Advanced Micro Designs) but AMD is very comparable to Intel.

The basic processor is setup as thus:



If anyone is more knowledgeable about processors, please pick up on this

[hurdlebeast]

speaking of computers, mine's in spontaneous reboot right now... so i might not be able to post 4 a while.

[Strikr]

This might be confusing for a few people. I still cannot go to a store and buy a Network Interface Card.
Also t still sounds weird hearing someone say Linux has a GUI. :P

You finish the hardware part on the computer and I will do the software.
I can also give courses if anyone is interested.
This includes computer hardware, software, repair, installs, Microsoft XP and 2003 courses.

Here is a nice CPU

[DJS2]

Great concept, but i think the definitions should be a little more detailed... the first and only thing that i really saw was "screen". Should throw "monitor" in there as well.

[hurdlebeast]

thanks guys will do

[hurdlebeast]

thread is not dead. computer is. will finish over summer, hopefully no money right now to fix said computer, else i would be