Are you like me and do not know much about computers.

Hello jj. I don't know much about computers, but I am getting to know more and more about computers. When I bought my new laptop, I asked my friend for help. Now my laptop is 250 gigabytes and it is one that I like. It works perfectly for me.

I don't know much which is why I try to read a lot about repairs and reviews of any thing computer related. I would not be able to answer a repair question but I can sometimes figure out what might be wrong and be able to describle it so some one can diagnose it and fix it.

You have already had a few strange and slightly inaccurate answers! I know that getting your head around all the technical terms can seem very daunting (and scary) for many people. I used to be an IT Support person and IT Trainer for many years, so I have much experience in helping people to be less afraid of all the jargon! A computer consists of several basic parts. The kind that you can physically handle are called 'hardware' (just as you can go into a hardware store and buy a lock for a door or a packet of screws, so you can go into a computer store and buy the bits that go together to make a computer). Because 'hard' and 'soft' are opposites, the operating system and the applications that you run are called 'software' (they only exist as files on your computer). The things that you most often hear quoted and compared are: RAM (which stands for 'Random Access Memory'). This is the amount of space available for a computer to run the programs. It is the 'workspace' of the computer, just as your desk is your 'workspace'. The more there is, the more efficiently your computer will run. Every program that you run needs some temporary storage space to hold the details of the program and also the data it is using as it runs. If you buy one of those self-assembly pieces of furniture, you need space to put the instructions that you follow and space to store all the bits so that you can find them quickly (as well as space in which to work). Once you have put everything together, you no longer need that space and it can be used for something else. This is very much like what RAM is. It is a temporary workspace which is used only when a program is running. It is different from the ... Hard Disk. The hard disk is storage that is built into your computer and is used to hold all the files that you might want to use. Something like the bookcase (which you just self-assembled!), it mainly stores things which you aren't using at the moment but want to keep. Unlike RAM, the things stored on the hard disk are there whether the computer is switched on or not. They can be of two kinds - programs (like instruction manuals) and data (the documents, photos and other data that you keep to be used or modified by the programs/applications). As you probably know, computers can only count in twos. They only understand two basic numbers - 1 and 0 (or 'on' and 'off'). Just as when you look at the number '10' you understand that there is 1 ten and no units, when a computer sees the number '10' it can only count to two, so it understands it as 'one two and no units' (in other words, what we call the number two!). The number ten in computer terms is actually written '1010' ... or one eight, no fours, one two and no units (add them up - eight plus two makes ten!) Since just the number ten takes four storage spaces (called 'bits'), you can see that computers need a massive amount of 'boxes' in which to store the large numbers which it can handle. In the early days of computers, these 'boxes' were grouped in eights (to make it easier to find where the numbers started) and the name given to eight bits is a 'byte'. A thousand of these units is called a kilobyte (kB), a million is called a megabyte (MB) and a thousand million is called a gigabyte (GB). A thousand Gigabytes is called a Terabyte (TB)! Both RAM (volatile memory) and things like hard disks, CDs, DVDs and 'memory sticks' or 'thumb drives' all store data in a similar way, so the amount they can store or hold is measured in bytes (or thousands or millions of them). Such huge numbers are really incomprehensible to a human which is why we tend to measure things in larger units as they get larger - think of measuring a piece of paper in inches or centimetres and a field in yards or meters. With the common measurements, we don't need to think twice about the relative size or converting from one to another often: if someone tells us that it's a mile to the next gas station, we don't need to know how many yards or feet it is! Understanding kB, MB and GB is really just a matter of familiarity, in the same way that we very early on learned what a foot or a metre 'meant' in terms of length. Once we know that a program needs, say, 3MB of hard disk space, we can begin to gauge how large a hard disk we need just to install it and if it says that it needs a minimum of 2GB of RAM to run, then that is the smallest amount of temporary storage space the programmers have determined it needs to keep all its instructions and data handy for quick access. In fact, you don't usually need to know (or calculate) things exactly. You usually know without measuring when you go to the furniture store whether that nice leather sofa will fit in your room! Of course, there are two issues: (1) Will it fit in the room? and (2) Will it come up the staircase? With a computer, there are also two separate issues: the size of permanent storage (for programs and data) and the size of temporary space (for running Windows and applications and holding the data while it is being processed). Usually storage space (the hard disk) is measured in gigabytes (GB) while the working space (RAM) is of the order of a thousand less (MB), though, these days, many computers come with 1GB or 2 GB of RAM (about one or two thousand MB) and hard disks are beginning to be supplied in TB (about 1000 GB). All you really need to know is that 1GB of RAM (actually 1024 MB) is sufficient for most people but if you need to edit photos or movies (rather than just view them) you may need 2GB RAM (which is usually quite easy to add and will cost not a great deal more). If you use the computer for the Internet and, perhaps, to write letters or articles in a word-processor, you will not need a very large hard disk. Many laptops come with 120 GB which would be quite enough for that but would very quickly fill up if you store photos or download movies and you ought to think more in terms of a 500 GB hard disk (and a good DVD writer ... can the CD/DVD drive also write/create DVD disks? Many still can read DVDs but can only write CDs.) When buying a computer, it is always a good idea to go with a fairly clear idea of what you want to use it for (and of course, with an approximate budget). The assistant will be better able to help you choose the right machine if you can tell him or her what you intend to use it for! If you find that the sales assistant is 'blinding you with science', don't be afraid to ask them to go slowly and talk in terms that you understand. If they can't, then find one who will! Apart from RAM and hard disk space, there are some other things to compare. The speed (measured in GigaHertz or thousands of millions of cycles per second) is the rate at which the central processor can execute instructions. Obviously a 2.4GHz processor is likely to be twice as fast as a 1.2GHz one, though, in fact, you might not notice that much difference because, compared to computers, we are VERY much slower than them! A fast processor is of most use if you use it for watching videos, editing photos or even listening to music - anything that is likely to be doing a lot of complicated stuff in the background. If you are just surfing the Internet or typing a document, the computer itself is often spending most of the time waiting for the Internet connection to send some data or for you to press a key (even if you are a whiz typist!).

As I am moving on in my life, and buying more and more new computer equipment every day, I am learning more about computers. My husband is the real computer brain in our house, and he answers any questions I might have, but I'm learning more every day. I have bought computers on my own before, and things have turned out very well.

The term RAM stands for Random Access Memory. This is the memory that holds your programs while they are running and interacts with the processor. If you have too little RAM Windows tries to compensate for that. They have what is called virtual memory. If you are running too many programs for the RAM you have they begin swapping in and out, as needed to the disk drive. If you see your disk drive is running all the time even when you are not doing anything, or very little....this is what is happening. So the more RAM you have the better off you are. No more swapping. A gigabyte stands for 1 billion bytes of storage and that is true for RAM or disk space. A megabyte, or MG, stand for 1 million bytes. Sounds like a lot but in todays world the more the better. If you are buying a new computer never settle for one that has less than at least 1 GIG memory and 350 GIG disk drive. If you can make it bigger. This should run anything you need to and be good for a number of years. However when I bought my computer, a short 4 years ago, 80 GIG was considered big. I am constantly having to juggle things. Do a search on the web for all of this. Plenty of information out there you just have to find it.

I'm a lot like you as well. My husband is the computer guru in our family. He has built his own computers for years, such as he had built the computer that we was using when we met on the internet eight years ago. Since I've known him he has built a couple more computers for himself as well as two for me and some for friends as well. When he built my newest computer, he asked me what I wanted and I told him that I'd take whatever he thought was the best.

No i am not like you , i know about computers hardware and basically before buying computers i will write down what i need and the budget and price that i want .

I don't alot about computers. I do know enough to run a computer and do some work on it. Some of the information means something to me but if I don't use it all the time I lose track of its meaning. I have a good warranty on my computer and when I call a tech if I don't feel I have a good repore with them I hang up and call another one until I do so they can explain things to me in a way I will understand. I also keep notes.

I've been online for nearly 11 years now and I've picked up a trick here and there. Plus, I belong to this great site that gives you all kinds of tips in your e-mail everyday. I've learned a lot from this site. It's really incredible. Let me know if you want the link. Purrs, Catwoman=^..^= & Mija

No, I'm not like you, my friend. I know what is ram (random access memory) This is what they called a volatile memory or dynamic memory because this can replace from the memory slot. GIG is a short terms of giga where the is a prefix means billion of bytes store in the hard drive or in a memory or this is also prefer on the speed of the processors where they say 2.6 GHz...Meaning this is refer to a speed of frequency travel along that core of the micro processors

Is very simple , ram means the computer will "work" faster , if you have more ram is better . But on a notebook you don't realy need ram or video board you need just a few thinks because notebook is not for games or other stuff is just for internet and making your job

i haven't got a clue,when they go on about that sort of stuff , i just say, i haven't got a clue what you're talking about,can it do this,that and the other,,that's how i decide if it's any good

I don't know much about computers compared to some people I meet, who give me a headache and make me all dizzy with how intense their knowledge of all things PC actually is. All I know is that the more gigabites something has, the more powerful its memory. And whenever somebody starts blabbling on about terrabytes, I just accept the fact that this is one hell of a colossal amount of memory and data storage. For me, when buying a computer / laptop / noteboook or whatever, I just base my purchasing decision on reviews, reccomendations and what one packs the most coolest-sounding features and capabilites. But, at the end of the day, as long as the computer is reliable, has internet access, word processor and enough memory to save the odd piece of junk here and there, you'll find no complaints from me. Until the cursed thing breaks down on me, which seems like one of the favourite past-times of a computer, along with freezing and losing connection to the internet.

I'm not really a person who doesn't know much about computers, if you asked me to rate my skills on computers then I would reply with "I'm intermediate". And really, that's the truth. Happy myLotting! ~Jordan

Well at that start I was just like you. I never understood those things. But after about a year of using my computer and upgrading, I was able to understand a little bit about them and even have learned how to reformat and install applications and many other things. I think we will certainly learn and understand this things as time passes by for as long as we continue to use them.

I do not know much about computers and when a saleperson tells me how much gig or ram a computers has I have to ask what they mean. Even after they tell me I am not sure what they just said to me.

I don't have the knowledge about computers, rams etc when buying a computer or ram etc i prefer to have a experienced person with me.

just like you, jugsjugs, i don't know anything about computers...if there's a problem with my computer, i call my niece who knows about this and that. even downloading, she's doing it for me...she taught me some like scanning, updating but that's all i know...

Ram is for processing data. The bigger ram meaning the more efficient it is to handle data and files that you ask. The gig is for the hard disk meaning that how much files can you put in your computer. For playing game certain game in your computer, you must have this graphic card. There are many things you can learn about computer and it is important because today is the era of information and technologies. Happy learning.

I am amazed in the world of technology. However, i am like you before. I was already oriented with computers when i was in highschool. Fortunately, during those years where computers and some other technologies were coming out and rising we have computer classes already. Amazed by computers, i was having fun in learning. Nowadays, lifestyle of every people has been changed because of computers, i think almost all people are using computers already, from small establishments to big companies they are dependent with computers. Even the old people are now oriented with computers.