What is Ethernet

   Ethernet is simply a network standard for data transmission that uses twisted pair or coaxial cable. It connects your computer to the internet or to a network. Though Ethernet is still the most widely used, wireless technologies are increasingly taking over the networks because it offers greater user flexibility. Data transmission is faster with Ethernet than wireless technologies. All modern computers should come with an ethernet

What is Motherboard

   Most of the time you won't see this listed on the sales page for a new computer. However, when talking to someone you may hear them talk about one of these. The name motherboard really does fit well with the functionality of it. In essence, this board is what every other component (CPU, hard drive, RAM, etc.) will plug in to. It is the base of your computer. This allows information to be run from one component to another. It also is what transfers electricity to some of the components. All motherboards are not created equal. Better (and pricier) motherboards may allow for more upgrades in the future, better onboard sound, and the ability to overclock your computer.

What is Ram

   RAM memory is used to actually run the software on your computer that is currently being used. When looking for your new computer, again, you have to evaluate what you will be doing with it. Still though, RAM is extremely important in how your computer will function. It is called memory for a reason. Basically, memory will actually store tasks that are to be done by the programs running on your computer. For example, when you open up Word, a lot of what Word needs to run is loaded into memory. However, loading all of your documents into memory would overload the memory. So, these are not stored in memory and are only loaded into memory as they are opened. Software has become increasingly demanding on RAM over the years. By today's standards, I wouldn't buy a computer even for surfing the internet that had less than 1GB of memory. If I was going to play games, I would recommend 2GB.

What is Video Card

   Video Card produces the visual output that you see on your screen. It simply takes virtual output from programs running on your computer and tells the monitor which of the tiny dots on your computer screen to light up for you to see.

   If you are a gamer, your type of video card really matters a lot. Usually modern games require the latest graphics/video cards for smooth animation. To put shortly, the type of video card you have on your computer determines the quality of image you can see on your computer.

What is Server

  This term is use to explain a process in which a client makes a service request from a server; simply put, it is a technology that provides a superb way to interconnect programs that are distributed over a network. When you check your mail, a client program on your computer forwards your request to a server program at your internet Service Provider (ISP). Your server retrieves your email, it then forwards it to the client on your computer, which makes it available for you to read. The Client/Server relationship is the central idea of network computing. Many business applications use the client/server model.

What is Client

   This term is use to explain a process in which a client makes a service request from a server; simply put, it is a technology that provides a superb way to interconnect programs that are distributed over a network. When you check your mail, a client program on your computer forwards your request to a server program at your internet Service Provider (ISP). Your server retrieves your email, it then forwards it to the client on your computer, which makes it available for you to read. The Client/Server relationship is the central idea of network computing. Many business applications use the client/server model.

what is bios

  The BIOS is simply a boot firmware which is the first code the computer runs when you power it on. The BIOS ensures that the machine hardware is set so that software stored on a compatible media can be loaded in a process known as booting. BIOS programs are built to work with system devices. The BIOS provides the basic input and output functions that let you operate and control computer peripherals such as a Mouse, a keyboard and so on. Some peripherals come with their own BIOS that gets installed immediately when they are linked to a computer.

What is WiMax

WiMax is an acronym for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access. This is a communication technology that uses the radio spectrum to transmit tens of megabits per second in bandwidth between digital devices. WiMax is a far better technology than Wi-Fi because it could transmit over far greater distances and could also handle much more data.

WiMax technology was developed by the joint efforts of service providers, software companies, and equipment manufacturers who wanted to design a technology that would allow all equipment, regardless of who manufactured them, to be interoperable. In the US, telecommunication companies such as Verizon provide WiMax radio spectrum services.

What is Hardware

Hardware is any of the electrical and mechanical parts of a computer. Examples of computer hardware include memory chips, monitors, CPUs, the computer hard drives, and so on. Hardware is useless without a device driver that lets your operating system communicate with that piece of hardware.

Optical Drives

Optical Drives are what you would place items into, for example, DVD's or CD's. These optical drives can be CD burners, DVD burners, Blu-Ray Players, etc. Every computer today, except for Netbooks, should have some type of optical drive available on it. Optical Drives are important because they allow you to install software from them, listen to music, watch movies, and store data.

What is Hard Drives

Hard Drives are simply where items are held even when they aren't being used. You could consider it like a storage closet. You will store a lot of things in this closet, even things that you don't use often. This is how hard drives are used. They store everything on your computer, even stuff that isn't being used often. Generally, people view hard drives from a capacity standpoint, the bigger the better. Up until the last five years or so, it was very important to look at this feature. However, as of now, almost any computer you buy that is new will have more than enough space. To give you some perspective, one large game (generally one of the largest types of software) can take up 1 or 2 gigs (the unit of measure) of space. You probably wouldn't be able to find a new computer with less than a 160GB hard drive today. That would personally be my limit for the minimum size of a hard drive for a new pc.

What is CPU

     CPU is a short name given to the words, "central processing unit". In essence, this would be the brain of the computer. Think of your GHz (the number assigned to a cpu) as an IQ of your brain. The lower that number that number is the longer it will take for things to process. Therefore, the other short name for a CPU is a processor.

The CPU is without a doubt one of the most important aspects of a computer, regardless of what you intend on doing with it. However, what you actually need is dependent on what you intend on doing with the computer itself. If you are only going to surf the internet, it is not quite as imperative to get a high-end processor as it would be if you were gaming. The latest games require a lot of resources and will work your processor to its limits a lot of time by having it process as much information as possible.