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When it comes to buying a computer or laptop, understanding the specification can be very confusing. Here is a brief guide to the technical details:
Desktop or Laptop
When deciding whether to buy a desktop or laptop, think about what you want to do with the computer.
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If you want to use it for general use, and for different people around the house, then a laptop is probably better. You will also need wireless internet so you can use your laptop around the house. |
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If you want to do serious work, particularly with lots of typing or requiring fine mouse control (i.e. for design), or you are a serious gamer and want the best graphics, then a desktop is probably better. |
Screen Size
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Screens are measured diagonally. There are two shapes of screen: normal and widescreen, just like there are two types of TV screen. Widescreen laptops tend to be a little more expensive. |
Processor (also called CPU)
The Processor or CPU is the "brain" of the computer. The more powerful processor your computer has, the faster it will work. The Processor is sometimes called "the chip".
Processors are made by two companies: Intel and AMD. They are both equally good.
The speed of both types of processor are measured in Gigahertz (GHz). The higher the speed, the faster the processor.
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The current Intel processors are called i3, i5 and i7. Most standard computers will come with an i3 processor. High performance computers will have an i5 processor. If you need a very powerful computer, then the i7 processor could be the correct one for you. |
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The current AMD processor are called Athlon II and Phenom. AMD uses x2, x4 and x6 as the subtypes of each processor family. x2 is for standard computers; x4 for high performance computers; x6 for the most powerful computers. |
Memory
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Memory of RAM is the "thinking space" or "short term memory" for your computer. Think of it like a kitchen worktop... the more worktop you have, the more you can do. Memory is measured in Gigabytes. The minimum you should have in your computer is 2 gigabytes. If you like to do lots of things with graphics or run several programs at once, then consider 4 gigabytes. If you need a very powerful computer, you may need more memory. Call us for advice. There are a limited number of slots inside your computer to fit new memory, and there is a maximum amount of memory which each computer can have. |
Hard Drive
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Your hard drive is the storage for your computer: it is where your programs, documents, photographs, music, videos etc. are stored. Think of your hard drive like your kitchen cupboards: the more cupboards you have, the more you can store. The size of a hard drive is measure is Gigabytes (Gb) and Terabytes (Tb). 1 Terabyte = 1024 Gigabyes Most computers will come with a hard drive from 250Gb to 1Tb. Laptops tend to have smaller hard drives than desktop computers. A second hard drive can easily be added to a desktop computer. A laptop usually requires a larger hard drive to be swapped with the smaller one. |
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Games, photographs, music and videos will take up a lot of space on your hard drive. Documents do not tend to take up too much space.
Remember that your computer programs will also take up a lot of space on your hard drive. |
Backups
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If something were to happen to your computer, you could lose all your data! Having a second place to store your data is a very good idea. A lot of people buy an external hard drive, which you can connect to your computer and make a copy of your data, so you can be assured that you have another copy, just in case the worst happens. Remember to backup your data regularly and keep the copy in a safe place. Some Internet Service Providers also offer free backup services over the Internet. |
Networking
"Networking" a computer means connecting it to another computer, either in your own home or office, or to the Internet. There are two ways of networking, and it is possible to have a mix of both, so you could enjoy the benefits of both.
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A wireless network is the more versatile way of connecting computers in the home, particularly if you have a laptop and move from room to room with it. Your laptop will have an in-built wireless aerial. To prevent other people accessing your computer and Internet connection, your wireless system will have a secret security key. To connect to another computer or to the Internet, you will require a wireless router, which is the transmitter. The router is normally provided by your Internet Service Provider and is located near to the main telephone socket. (If you have cable TV, your TV box will also be your router and wireless transmitter.) Main advantage of wireless: portable Main disadvantage of wireless: connection gets slower, the further you are from the transmitter. Walls and electrical interference also reduce the speed of your connection. |
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A wired network is a fixed cable method of connecting computers in your home or office, and is best if you have a desktop computer. The speeds offered by a wired solution are far higher than with wireless and they are not subject to interference. Main advantage of wired: faster, stable speeds Main disadvantage of wired: installing cables neatly in the home can be messy and costly. |
