Top Ten Terms Every Computer Users Should Know
1. Video Refresh Rate: The speed at which the computer replaces the image on the screen. This is measured in Hz per second. The higher the rate the smoother the image on the screen the lower the rate the image will flicker and we all hate flickering.
2. Gigabyte: This unit of measure is 1,024 megabytes, the higher the Gigabytes the more stuff the beholding can hold.
3. Software Compatibility: This is the ability of an external software program to interface with your current operating system. The best thing to do is to read the package before you find out that you need 9 Gigs of memory to run a print program.
4. Device Driver: This is a program that is used to couple an external device to your current operating system. You know, like that plastic wrapped CD that comes with a new electronic gadget.
5. Static Electricity: This is the tiny electrical current that changes your multi-media desktop or notebook into a 1000-plus dollar paperweight if the spark is happens anywhere inside of the case. I could go into detail about the positive and negative, amps and voltage but it would still hash out to be bad for computers and your bank account.
6. USB: Universal Serial Bus is a universal connector that allows external items to attach to the computer i.e. digital cameras, printers, and yada, yada, yada.
7. File Extensions: This is the .wma, .rar, .vxd that you find at the end of computer file. These extensions tell what the file does as well as where it can be found on the hard drive. The most well known and often spoke about is the MPEG Audio Layer 3 or the MP3.
8. DRM: Digital Rights Management or the software that prevents you from copying a song from your computer, even if you own it, to some MP3 players and other PC's.
9. Router: A device that routes a signal forward. The most common kind is a wireless router or that box with the antenna that sits in the corner somewhere.
10. VOIP: Voice Over Internet Protocol or the ability to speak over the internet. Most cable companies are offering this package for a really low price but if you look hard enough you could probably find it for free. Did I type that out loud? VOIP has been around since the era of bell-bottoms, butterfly collars and H.R. PufnStuff.