Computers

This is the forum where we can talk about computers, from what kind you have, to the kinds that are out there, to how to actually build a computer.

Discuss!

Now, the first thing you want to take into consideration when building a computer is what kind you want. This is generally limited by your budget. If you want a bare-bones computer, a general-purpose family computer, or what I call the Batcomputer( a high-power machine, suitable for hard-core gaming, video and image editing, programming, etc). I was one of those people who aimed high, and thanks to my awesome dad,I built the Batcomputer type.

Many people in our church seem to be Mac people, but my family is Toshiba. :)

Ok, whoa whoa whoa! You're falling into a common mistake here. People call Macs "Macs", because they run the Mac operating system. The operating system(OS) is basically the fabric of the computer, its what all the programs need to have there to run, its sort of the foundation of the computer. Tobisha is the name of the company who made the computer, and they use the popular Microsoft Windows OS, used by pretty much every other computer company than Apple, like Acer, Dell, Compaq, etc.I like Windows personally because its easier to use( in my opinion) than the Macs out there. And its better for programmers like me as well.

By the way, all you HRBCers, where are you?

I use Apple and i think it is the best.

Right now I am sitting in my house at the computer, if you must know. ;)

I only know how to use computers (and that only slightly), but I have no idea whatsoever what is in them or how they work.

And I'm not REALLY excited to figure out either of those… :P

I love electronics! I might soon get a iPod Touch or a Nook Touch or a Kindle Touch……but time will tell. But I know practically nothing about what is in them.

Hey What'sYerName, you just answered one of my long-standing questions about what in the world the OS was on our computer. Thanks.

You're welcome Octavius! ( don't let it go to your head that I used your actual username, it won't happen often)

By the way, I would like to explain how I buillt my computer, but I would appreciate it if you guys could ask me stuff, I explain things better that way for some reason.

@ZacharyB~ iPod Touch? Sweet! I want to get one, but I have to save, since the cheapest one is $200, the 8gb one.

Did you just get all the parts and then put a computer together, or did you make the individual components?
(I think I know the answer, but you told us to ask questions ;-)

Nah, I didn't make the individual components, I got them from a store,and assembled them. Here's an explanation of the computer case for you.

Case: The case is the plastic or metal container that houses all of your components. Most cases are black these days, but you can find a variety of cases, from white, to red and other colors, to completely transparent, to the old beige cream color, to customized cases with lights or chrome accents. There are different types of cases:

() Small Form Factor (SFF)

SFF cases are small, as the name suggests. The aren't much bigger that two dictionaries stacked on top of each other. They are good if you want the portability of a laptop with the power of a desktop.

() Mid-Tower

Mid-Tower cases are the most common cases, the kind you think of when you hear the word computer.

() Full Tower

Full Tower cases are the biggest cases, the kind used by those who like space to expand and add things to their computers. I chose a Full Tower gaming case for my computer.

And….what did you put in your case?

Actually I didn't, but I will explain to you about pretty much the most important piece in a computer: the mother board.

The motherboard is where all the components of the computer plug into to make it work. This also has the main USB, audio, Firewire, Ethernet, VGA, and occasinally eSata ports. I'll try to explain each of these:

USB: USB is the most commonly used port today, used in connecting cameras, printers, mice, keyboards, and others to the computer.

Audio: These are the ports used for speakers and microphones. They are circular in shape.

Firewire: Firewire is basically a high-speed version of USB, just with a different shaped port. It's most commonly used in Macs.

Ethernet: Ethernet is what you use to connect to the Internet. Most computers these days have Wi-Fi cards in them, but you can use Ethernet to form a Local Area Network (LAN) to link up multiple computers and devices.

VGA: VGA is the port that you use to connect your computer to your monitor. Withous this, you can't see anything on the screen.

eSata: eSata is another form of the USB, another high-speed wire port. You really don't see it that much, but it is used for digital cameras.

There are multiple types of motherboards, ATX is the most common and widely used. The type of motherboard determines the type of case you get, as some are designed for certain motherboards and some are not, as the size and shape are different from motherboard to motherboard.

So… you bought a motherboard, all the different things you described hereabove, and put it together?

No, the motherboard comes with all those ports. They're mounted on it. Next time you come to my house I'll crack open my computer for you guys to take a look inside. The motherboard is just a piece of circuit board with the ports and slots for components on it.

The next most important part is the CPU (Central Processing Unit). This is the brain of the computer, where is makes all its calculations and performs its tasks. It looks like a shiny silver square, about an inch and a half long, about as thick as two paper plates stacked on each other. The power of it s determined by the cores inside. The cores are the circuits within the square package that makes up the CPU. Most computers have 2 cores, called a Dual-Core Processor,which gives pretty good general performance. Some old or low-end computers have only on core, while higher-end computers have a powerful 4 cores. I chose a 4 core, a Quad-Core Processor.

I understood about half of the words you just spoke. ;P

blinks stares incredulously blinks

uh….. wow. Yeah, did not get that, like at all. :)

Pretty much all I know about computers is how to get on Memverse. :)

What was so difficult about that?
So once you have your CPU, which is a super-power 4-core CPU, you hooked it up with the motherboard, and there's your computer. Right? Wrong?

Almost. Next, you need your RAM.

RAM stands for Random Access Memory, and your computer needs it to function. Memory it sort of like the desk where the CPU works. The larger your RAM, the more space your CPU has to work, and the more programs and functions it can accomplish. Most computers have 2-4 gigabytes of RAM, I have 8, because of some of the high-performance programs I run.

Nope. Still can't understand it. :P

But of course, you aren't exactly writing this for my benefit… :D

Aww, cummon! Am I so hard to understand? How about this, you tell me what you don't understand, and I'll try to re-explain it with better terms.

How many ghz is your cpu?

So first you need something to keep your computer all in one spot (a case). Then you need something to which everything attaches and to which you can plug in other devices and necessaries for the proper function of the computer (the motherboard). Then you need something to give you power to actually compute and do stuff (the CPU). Then you need something to store programs on and which provides viable capabilities for your computer (the RAM).
Is that right? Is that all?

You need a hard drive.

Yes, and an optical drive, and a video card.

A hard drive is what stores data in your computer. Without this, no matter what else you have, your computer ain't gonna work. The amount of space a hard drive has is expressed in gigabytes and terabytes today. All data is composed of bytes, and the prefix before the word bye tells you how many there are. A kilobyte is 1000 bytes, a megabyte is 1000 kilobytes, a gigabyte is 1000 megabytes, and a terabyte is 1000 gigabytes. Only recently in the past one or two years have we seen commercially available hard drives with up to a terabyte. I chose a 500 gigabyte hard drive.

The minimum amount of hard drive space on a hard drive you're going to use to build a computer should be around 120 gigabytes, otherwise you'll fill up your computer with data faster than you can say Microsoft.

Whoa… a terabyte is a trillion bytes???? Did I calculate wrong???

My dad has a laptop with 2 terabytes of hard disk, 8 ghz, 8 gigabytes of RAM, (memory) amd 8 CPUs!

yep, a terabyte is a trillion bytes. A regular picture file usually takes up between 1 and 3 megabytes. Videos can vary a LOT, based on size, the videos my camera takes use about 6 megabytes per second of video.
I'm in the ballpark, right?

My laptop is pretty old, so my CPU is only 1.6 ghz

I'm kinda totally lost here too, but I LOVE computers! That is, working on them - I don't know much about what they're made of and I've never heard of a terabyte! We have an HP, and I like it. My Dad's getting a new laptop this fall (probably), and I think he was looking at HP but I'm not sure what he's getting yet. Wow, Sparkly, you sure know a LOT about computers!!!

Thanks, but like I said, anything you guys don't understand, let me know and I'll try to rephrase it so you can grasp it!

@Adian B.

Okay, wow, 2 Terabytes! You'd NEVER run our of space with something like that! Did you say 8 CPUs? Like as in 8 cores, or 8 processors?

Any other things that you need to get a working computer?

That is crazy! 2 terabytes?!?!

Okay, I have been hearing requests for a PC vs. Apple debate, so I will allow it on this forum. However, I will still be giving my how-to on building computers. So, what do YOU think? Is Apple better, or is Microsoft better?

Discuss!

I have never personally owned a Mac, but I do like Apple's format. I do think the $1,000 plus price tag is a bit steep though

Yeah, which is one of the reason's why I am a Windows man.

Optical Drive:

The optical drive is the disc slot where you put your CDs in. There is usually a number next to the kind of optical drive when you look at the specs for a computer. The number is followed by an x, like 16x. This shows how many revolutions per second( if I remember correctly, someone correct me if I'm wrong!). The larger the number, the faster is gets data from discs, the faster you install your programs. Most computers have a 6x or 10x, while mine has a 24x, giving me blazing-fast transfer speeds! All optical drives use a laser to read the data, but some are equipped with Lightscribe technology, that allows you to use the laser to print on the disc, giving you professional quality printed discs without getting a disc printer! Pretty cool huh?

P.S,
An example of a printed disc is the picture side of a DVD. Although I don't think you can get color with Lightscribe, I think it's black and white.

I hope you don't mind if I join this discussion. At least it's not a controversial topic (except for Mac vs. PC). :)

So, just curious, which specific motherboard did you choose?

Also, did you get a solid state drive (SSD)?

Sorry to keep you hangin' like this, but I just finished a high school Chemistry course, and haven't had much time at my own computer. I used an ASUS P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3 LGA 1155 Z68 ATX Intel Motherboard, or at least something from the PRO/GEN3 LEG 155 line, I'm not so sure of the numbers of the one I used. Um, I'll have to check back with you on my hard drive, but would you mind explaining what you mean by solid-state? I'll have to hit my build-your-own-PC books again….

OK, thanks.

Solid-state drives: Can I refer you to the ever-trustworthy Wikipedia? Here's the first paragraph:

A solid-state drive (SSD), sometimes improperly called a solid-state disk or electronic disk, is a data storage device that uses integrated circuit assemblies as memory to store data persistently. SSD technology uses electronic interfaces compatible with traditional block input/output (I/O) hard disk drives. SSDs do not employ any moving mechanical components, which distinguishes them from traditional magnetic disks such as hard disk drives (HDDs) or floppy disks, which are electromechanical devices containing spinning disks and movable read/write heads. Compared with electromechanical disks, SSDs are typically less susceptible to physical shock, are silent, and have lower access time and latency, but are, at 2011 market prices, more expensive per unit of storage. The prices have continued to fall in 2012.

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solid-state_drive

Whoa…
I think we are in the company of two computer freaks. ;P
-Rebekah the Not-so-computer-freakyish

Wow. I just researched those and they are WICKED AWESOME!!! But they only come in Macs……………..well, that's what my Christmas list is for! But that's really cool, 'cuz they eliminate RPM, and give you faster data access instead.

Wow. I just researched those and they are WICKED AWESOME!!! But they only come in Macs.................well, that's what my Christmas list is for! But that's really cool, 'cuz they eliminate RPM, and give you faster data access instead.

Actually, they don't only come in Macs. You should be able to get a computer with an SSD from any of the big manufacturers. Alternatively, you could just order one and put it in your existing PC.

But if you're getting a Mac, then you're correct that they're standardizing on SSD's.

"WICKED AWESOME!!!" Nice phrase… :P

I like Windows too, mainly because that's all I've been aquainted with, and I think that Apple is a bit too propietary and uppish… @TheVoiceOfConnellsville Im not sure if what you said about optical dirve speeds is correct or not (because I didnt do any research on it ) but from my experience the x no. has to do with the the factor by which the speed of data transfer is multiplied. e.g. If I was ripping a 30 min audio program, than a 10x drive could do it in 3 min while a 18x drive could do it in 1.6 min etc. On the topic of SSDs this is just the same technology used in SD cards, then flash dives, now mp3 players / phones , and now full size drives for computers I believe.

I just recently read an article on this software called BootCamp. BootCamp is a software offered by Apple since 2007 I believe, and it allows you to run the Windows OS on your Apple computer. The cool thing is you can switch between interfaces, giving you the best of both worlds. At a price. :D

Yes, BootCamp lets you choose Windows or Mac when you're booting, but you can't switch simultaneously while your computer is already turned on (short of shutting down and bringing it back up in the other OS).

Parallels, VMWare, VirtualBox, etc., allow simultaneous use of both operating systems. You virtually run Windows inside Mac with a "virtual machine"…

We use virtual machines for developing Memverse; we have our normal Windows computers and then run Ubuntu (Linux distro) on a virtual machine for development.

At the request of Ms. Strang, we're starting the debate we all knew would happen here eventually:

MAC VS. PC!!!

Which is better?

Hahaah!

Mac. Period. No questions asked!

poor, Eden, poor, poor, Eden. How could she be so confused?

GO PCS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!