Posts Tagged ‘Computer Hardware’

A Windows system is a classified collection of component parts from several manufacturers. These components or devices have to communicate with each other and with Windows PC. The electrical links between components are through wires and electric circuits on the motherboard, but the link to Operating systems is managed by something called a software driver or, to mention it in full a device driver, named by Microsoft.

Device driver is a ingenious innovation that grants Microsoft to keep its Window systems up to date. It also allows manufacturing businesses to produce new computer hardware parts independently. Imagine that one of the superior sound card manufacturing businesses produces a new model that is not accepted by any of the existing versions of operating systems. If Windows were an inflexible operating system, the company would not be allowed to sell the card until it had persuaded Microsoft to revise the operating system to support it, and even after this they can only sell it to people with the modern version of operating system. The elegant resolution to the problem of constantly evolving hardware and package is the driver. This is a little, renewable segment of software that addresses the communication between a computer hardware part and Windows operating system. The device driver is expected to tell Windows what’s going on, Windows operating system doesn’t care how the component is doing. A great many device drivers are developed into Windows operating system covering most of the common hardware devices from senior manufacturers. If a business produces a new component or makes changes and betterments to an existing item, a new driver is added to substitute the one built into Windows operating system.

Original manufacturer drivers
Device Drivers used to be issued on diskettes but these days they’re always on DVD and CD media. When you buy a ready-to-run personal computer, the PC maker pre-installs Windows and whole of the required device drivers, however you may still need the device drivers in case Windows becomes unstable. These may be supplied on a handful of CD-ROMs, but sometimes the computer manufacturer amasses them onto a single CD for your convenience, and if you’re really fortunate there’ll be a menu and help system to help you set up them. If your PC system apparently came without device drivers, it could be that they are set up in a folder on the hard drive of your computer system. This is a inexpensive alternative for the supplier and it might be convenient for you. It’s impossible to misplace your device driver CDs under a bundle of newspapers, for example but it can lead to problems if you ever so have to reinstall or replace the hard drive. In this case, you will lose all the drivers unless you first replicate them onto some form of backup disc. Its popular to misplace device drivers like letters and socks. They have the habit of disappearing whenever they are needed.

Amended drivers
It’s not merely drivers you’ve lost that need to be put back. Verifying that all your hardware drivers are up to date is an crucial aspect of tuning up your computer. Hardware manufacturing businesses often re-script their drivers to fix glitches in the master copies and to make betterment, so changing over to the virtually recent drivers might make your computer system quicker and add to its capabilities. The least, you recognize you are running with the drivers near promising to work reliably with the rest of the system. As to how often you should see for new device drivers, it depends whether you are experiencing problems with the old ones. If not, a fast check every eight months should be ok, but make sure not to leave it longer than twelve months and constantly update drivers as a preliminary to tuning up your computer. To make it less complicated to keep you knowledgeable of the handiness of updated drivers, some manufacturing businesses ask you to supply an electronic mail address when you download recent device drivers, with the promise of contacting you when substitutes become available.

It is well know whenever a computer is moved from one owner to another, by the time it reached the 3rd individual it has usually lost all of its device driver CDs it ever had.

Copyright Jo M Williams

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Author: Jo M Williams
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Unlike other electronic devices, computer is the sum of its parts. Nobody cares about the specifications and make of the picture tube of a particular brand of television. But in the case of computers, more than the brand name the specifications of its components like processor, motherboard, RAM, hard disk, and suchlike are the things that a knowledgeable consumer first asks about. Here is computer hardware terminology in a nutshell.

Processor or microprocessor is a powerful IC chip on which a number of functions are incorporated. It is the heart and brain of the computer rolled into a chip. Its efficiency depends on its speed of processing, which is specified by its frequency and it is denoted using gigahertz. The higher the speed, the better will be its functioning. Also, there are several types of processors such as 32-bit processor and 64-bit processor. The bit rate is not actually a yardstick of speed. The larger bit rate means the processor will be able to efficiently do several computing processes at the same time.

Another main item in computer hardware terminology is motherboard. In simple terms, it is the platform on which all the other components are electrically fitted in. Over the years, a number of additional functionalities such as sound card, graphics card, and networking card are slotted on to the motherboard. When selecting motherboard, one should make sure that the motherboard is compatible with other components such as processor, hard disk, and RAM.

Hard disk and RAM are the next items in the hierarchy of computer hardware terminology. A computer has two types of memory. Permanent memory is stored magnetically on hard disk and it will be stored in the disk even after the computer is shut down. On the other hand, RAM or random access memory will be off once the computer is shut down. It is the kind of memory on which the functional information while running a computer, like running programs and unsaved data, are kept when computer is running. When you save a file, the data is stored to hard disk from RAM.

Nowadays the memory capacity of hard disk is skyrocketing. It is all set to break the upper limits of gigabytes. Comparing to that, RAM was a slow starter. It is still ambling along the lower middle part of gigabytes. Lay users do not need a RAM with a large capacity. The price of RAM increases with the rise in memory capacity.

Computer peripherals like keyboard, mouse, monitor, CD or DVD drives and writers, speaker, and webcams are all part of a large list called computer hardware terminology. There are other hardware items also such as graphics card, sound card and video card for sound recording and video editing facility, and internal and external modems for browsing the internet.

Candis Reade is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about Computer Hardware Terminology [http://electronicsoftwaretoday.info/computer-hardware-terminology], please visit Electronics Software [http://electronicsoftwaretoday.info] for current articles and discussions.

Author: Candis Reade
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The computer is a combination of hardware and software that works together to give output from the input. It is a very common definition of the computer but the entire science of computer is hidden in it. Hardware is the components that are easily connected with the PC. But the software is difficult to view from the outside.

To know about the software some technical knowledge about it is necessary. Though through this article I will be unable to provide you practical knowledge or application of the software but I can assure you that the next time you listen to the names you can at least know what purpose it is serving.

There are many forms of software. One of them is the utility software. Let us discuss more on this and on the other associated software. If anyone has ever heard about this software then you must know it is a type of computer software. It is intended exclusively to direct, administer, supervise, manage and tune the computer hardware, application software or the operating system. It either performs a single task or performs a small range of tasks. In this aspect it is different from the application software which is considered as the software suites.

Let me give you some examples of it that will help you to understand it better. Disk defragmenters are one of the types that can detect computer files that are stored in the hard disk. These are actually stored in some disjoint fragments of the hard disk. System profiler is the second example of utility software. It can offer comprehensive information about the software that has been installed and the hardware that has been attached with the computer.

Virus scanners are the next type that scans for computer files and folders for computer viruses. Binary/Hex/Text editor is another type that modifies text or data of a file. Archive is the next type that helps in finding out a single file or a folder from a directory or a set of files.

Compression is also a type that gives a shorter stream of path for the smaller files. Some more of these software are access control utilities, anti-virus utilities, automation utilities, back up and copy utilities, clipboard management tool, command shells, disk analysis utilities etc. Some of these utilities may even be downloaded without any charges.

Utility software is made for easy access to the computers. There are many freeware ones that are easily found if you search the online directory. Freeware allows you to download the desired utility software free of cost. Even for the freeware software, you do not need to be a licensed holder of the software that other commercial software demands. You can even download these as a shareware. This kind of software allows you to try the software for a limited period before you buy it.

If you find it worthy then you need to pay for its further use. You can explore the various utility software over different web sites and then buy the one that would best suit and serve your purpose.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for computers, laptops and software. When shopping for used computers, used laptops and used software, we recommend you shop at only the best online stores for used utility software, used utility software, used utility software.

Author: Victor Epand
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Have you encountered frequent crashes of your computer? Or have you seen the “blue screen” frequently lately? Be aware that this can be caused by outdated drivers. Outdated drivers, when not paid attention to, can cause a series of mishaps to your computer hardware. It can do one or all of the following: damage your device, corrupt your computer’s memory, or even cause damage to your motherboard. Here are the explanations.

When we neglect to update our drivers despite the fact that we have newer devices, the computer will force the use generic drivers just to be able to communicate to them. However, some computer codes of the driver may not be compatible anymore with such devices. Using the generic drivers will not always synchronize with them and if this happens, hardware failure will occur. Computer codes require an amount of electricity when executed. Older codes often require more electricity than the newer ones. It also follows that latest hardware require lesser electricity to function. If we use old or outdated drivers to new devices, we will be forcing higher amounts of electricity to a hardware that really requires less. This will cause a short circuit, which in turn will almost always damage your device or lead to the next problem which is a corrupted memory.

Drivers also consume part of your computer’s memory. Because drivers are sets of instructions used to communicate to devices, much of these instructions are queued to the computer’s memory and the processor’s cache. Outdated drivers often require more memory than newer ones because these drivers are not yet fully optimized. Again, newer versions of computer hardware require more optimized drivers that often require less memory usage. If we continue to use outdated drivers, then we would be using more memory than what is required. Continuous usage of a computer’s memory even if it’s not necessary will cause it to increase its temperature. This is because a lot of electronic current passes through the memory’s circuit. If we are not careful, and we don’t have a cooling system for your computer, then it will eventually damage the memory or even cause a third problem which is a damaged motherboard.

With the first two issues that are unaddressed, expect further that it will also cause heating of the circuitry of the computer’s main board-the motherboard. All electronic current passes through the motherboard, to the memory and processor, and to the devices. If excessive usage of memory and device is encountered, it will always result to excessive usage of electricity. When this happens, it will exhaust the connectivity between the motherboard and the devices. It can even cause the main board’s capacitors and other ICs to bloat and be rendered useless. When this happens, you will not be able to use your computer anymore.

Now you should understand that having an outdated driver can increase the risk of having a hardware failure. It can either damage your device, corrupt your memory, damage your motherboard, or do all of them. Updating your computer’s driver is not too costly. It is a cost that is worth incurring rather than having to suffer a larger cost of damaged computer hardware. It is also fairly easy to update your drivers. You can update your drivers manually, or you can use driver update software that automatically does everything for you.

Author: Curt Clemence
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The term “TCO” (total cost of ownership) is common and especially misleading for most proprietary or closed-source software users. Users of closed-source software often don’t own the software, they are fundamentally renting or leasing the software. Unless the business arranges to have a software program’s copyright transferred, the business does not actually own the software – the business only owns a license to run the software in certain limited ways. That’s an important distinction; in particular, with proprietary software the business typically does not have the rights associated with ownership.

When businesses pay to own a physical product (say a building or computer hardware), you typically have nearly unlimited rights to modify and resell the product purchased (subject to legal limits that prevent harm to others like zoning laws and limits on electromagnetic emissions). Furthermore, with nearly all proprietary software, companies, and individuals, do not have the right to modify the software to suit functional needs. Proprietary licenses typically forbid reverse engineering the product to understand what the software does, forbids publishing benchmarks and reviews without approval by the vendor. And the manufacturer of the software usually forbids (sub)leasing, reselling, or redistributing the product. These kinds of limits make proprietary software users more like a renter of a building, who can occupy a space but cannot modify or sublease the space. Some proprietary software programs are sold for use only over a period of time, and thus the analogy to renting is especially easy to see. Many proprietary software programs being sold with a one-time cost giving the user a “perpetual” license. These applications also impose recurring fees, known as upgrade costs to continue to use the programs on newer hardware and operating systems.

Proprietary vendors make money from the sale of licenses, and are imposing increasingly complex mechanisms on consumers to manage these licenses. “Customers who cannot later prove they paid for every installed copy of proprietary software (e.g., due to copying by an employee or losing the license paperwork) risk stiff penalties (Wheeler, 2007).” In short: by using proprietary software, the business, or individual, runs the risk of having the vendor sue. To counter these risks, organizations must keep careful track of license purchases. This means that organizations must impose strict software license tracking processes, purchase costly tracking programs, or pay for people to keep track of these licenses and perform occasional audits.

In contrast, there’s no license management or litigation risk in simply using open-source software. Open-source software users have no fear of litigation from the use and copying of open-source software. Licensing issues do occur when open-source software is modified and then redistributed. In this circumstance, redistributing modified open-source software generally requires following only a few simple rules (depending on the license), such as giving credit to previous developers and releasing modifications under the same license as the original program. Additionally, most small businesses will not be modifying code unless the code is being re-used in a product.

The open-source principle is what sets the open source model apart from the existing competition. Rather than paying for a year’s worth of support up front when purchasing the software, using open source, the business can use the software first and pay for the cost of supporting and maintaining the software later after you understand what is involved. As long as the business is kept running as close to 99.999% as possible, the users should be satisfied with the solutions.

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Mike Millslagel
Security System Consultant
B.S. Information Systems, MBA, MCSE, CNE, CCNP Security Specialist
http://www.oss4win.com

Author: Mike Millslagel
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Unix inter-process communication (IPC)

Internet services and computer processing are two very important aspects of daily life for most people. If these processes don’t function properly or too slowly, it can greatly hinder your ability to complete daily tasks. Therefore, it is important to understand some basic core functions of all computers, so that troubleshooting errors and slow speeds is possible. One of the basic elements of computer processing is your software and its relationship to your computer system.

Your computer is made up of hardware and software. The hardware is the physical pieces and parts, both inside and outside of your computer. Your software is the display, the controlling and moving force that enables your computer to do, well, everything. Everything that displays on your monitor and allows you to make changes, create projects, and perform tasks is software.

There are many ways that software is necessary and beneficial. The majority of the software on your computer (especially that which came with your computer) is probably necessary for your hardware to function, and for you to perform tasks. It is possible though, that “good” software can go bad or not be right for your computer.

For example, every piece of hardware in your computer system needs software, usually called a driver, in order for it to operate and work with the rest of your computer system. Sometimes, hardware (like your printer or modem) performs poorly or not at all because the software has become corrupted or is out of date. This is most likely the case, especially since software is constantly being improved over time. It is also the easiest and least expensive issue to fix. For these reasons, the first suggestion to fix a problem is almost always to reinstall or upgrade the software program or the software driver of the hardware that is giving you trouble.

Another way that software can be problematic is if it is not compatible with your current system software, like your operating system. As software improves, changes are made in the way they run and display that were not even invented when your computer was built. Often, adaptations can be made, but constant upgrades are almost inevitable when it comes to computer systems. Compatibility issues are usually quite simple to identify. You will get an error message or some other clear indication that the software will not work. Sometimes, on websites offering software downloads, you will be notified before you download that your computer is not compatible, or you will see a list of versions of that software in order to choose the one that will work with your computer.

Software can also cause your computer to function poorly if it is too advanced for your hardware, and vice versa. New and improved software often takes up more space and uses more system resources than there primitive predecessors. This means that slower, older hardware can have trouble keeping up. On the other hand, newer computers are constantly being built with nearly a hundred times more speed or capacity than those of 5 or so years ago, which means that software is constantly having to be upgraded that will be able to take advantage of that speed and space, otherwise, the improvements cannot be used!

Understanding what software you have, and how it works with your computer is the first step to keeping your computer up-to-date. Knowing how to find, upgrade, and install software will help you troubleshoot your computer and save money.

Written by Hannah Miller, Director of Online Marketing and Customer Service Rep, Copper.net.

Copper.net is a nationwide Internet Services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online. Check out my blog for this and more great articles! http://www.copper.net/wire

Author: Hannah Miller
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Netbook, Tablets and Mobile Computing

Over the years computers have definitely moved from being a luxury to being a necessity. Companies and citizens rely on these machines to be able to so their jobs. This technology is responsible for the innovations that have proliferated in past and recent years and that will continue to flourish in the future. It is not necessary to know the inner workings of your computer in order to use it successfully. If you want to know what it is comprised of, below is an overview of the topic.

You should be careful however, since some of these parts could damage your computer hardware.

Along with RAM and Hard Disk Drive, the CPU(Central Processing Unit) will determine the speed of your system. Single Core processors were the standard previously, but now you’ll want to get Dual or Quad cores, as they’re much faster.

The motherboard will be the most expensive part of your computer. This is what the essential components are connected to. Including the Hard Disk drive, RAM, CPU and there are add-on components with some kind such as sound and graphics card and the LAN port. It is not worth saving a couple dollars to buy lower quality and unknown brands on key components for the system.

Not many people are aware of the hard drive. Especially when they are using it intensively installing programs, and storing media files The more storage that a drive has, the greater number of files and programs can be saved on it. The files are yours to keep for as long as you want. Just for your peace of mind that your memory will still be able to take it. Delete files you don’t use any longer to create more disk space. If you want, you can upgrade your hard drive or use an external storage device such as a flash drive or memory card.

Data from the computer itself is stored on the Ram for a temporary period. This enables the CPU to perform at its optimum capacity. Shutting down the computer deletes any data on the RAM.

The images you see on your monitor are displayed in large part due to your graphics card. More and more changes are being made in this area of computers as well because of the number of active gamers out there.

Ian Wright can help you with your computer needs if you visit laptop computer deals and http://www.cheap-laptops-site.com.

Author: Ian E. Wright
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Buying computer hardware online can often save time and money simply by using the power of the internet to find the best deals on computer equipment such as Monitors, RAM and Disk Drives.

Most online retailers are often cheaper than high street retailers as the online stores have lower overheads they can usually offer you the equipment at a very competitive price, buying online also gives you the ability to purchase multiple products from the same retailer so you don’t have to go around ordering from multiple websites.

Often these online retailers will have sell a lot of general computer items or items that can be used together with the piece of equipment you may be purchasing which helps the buyer as they get everything they need under one roof that they need and can even buy different items of equipment from the same brand, this is helpful if they prefer a certain brand name over another.

The great thing about online retailers is that they often build computers themselves to cut down on the overheads of outsourcing it to other companies, these ensures that they know everything that goes inside your machine and should you have any problems you often get the person who actually built your machine on the other end of the phone.

After sales support is another area is which the online retailer exceeds, traditional high street chains often outsource their support to people who may be reading from a script and cant always answer your queries, the high street store nearly always gives you a support line to phone and sometimes these can get so many enquires that you have to wait for 30 minutes just to speak to anyone.

Online retailers handle support differently and give you more options to be able to comminute with them, things such as email and live support can vastly reduce your waiting time, the major advantage would be that online retailers are often smaller shops so by selling less systems you get a more personal service and your queries will be answered faster.

To purchase computer hardware from our store please visit our page, Buy Computer Hardware Online

Author: Mick Stafford
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Using these 7 steps before buying your computer hardware can save you time, money and make your computer assembly go as smooth as possible.

1. Deciding what you need versus what you want -

When building a new computer, figure out what you need a computer for, and build for that reason. Over-kill can be a big waste of money. Don’t put a $300.00 video card in a system if you are only going to be using it to surf the web or run office programs.

2. Decide on the platform to build on -

The 2 main computer platforms are AMD or Intel. Choosing a platform to build on is a matter of personal opinion. Choose whichever you like as they both have their share of good and bad points.

3. Research the motherboards of your chosen platform -

After choosing a platform to build on, you will want to research motherboards of that particular platform (AMD or Intel based), making sure the motherboard you choose will have all the options that you will need (DDR, DDR2 or DDR3 dimm slots, PCIe 2.0 slots, number of Sata connections,etc.)

4. Research the processors of your chosen platform -

Again, Over-kill can be a big waste of money, decide on a processor that fits your needs ( if you never multi-task, a single core processor may be the way to go ).

5. Research other devices needed – memory, video card, hard drive, monitor, dvd/cd, floppy, case and power supply, keyboard and mouse -

After deciding on your platform, motherboard and processor, you will want to research and decide on the other components needed, making sure everything is compatible with your motherboard and that your chosen power supply is adequate.

6. Double check and verify compatibility of all parts with motherboard specifications -

It is always a good idea to double check your motherboard specifications with each individual component to verify compatibility (ATX motherboards must mount in a case that supports ATX form factors, etc.)

7. Make a list of all parts and perform price comparisons -

After choosing the parts you are going to use to build your new computer and verifying everything is compatible, you will want to make a list of each part and start price comparing as there could be a big difference in the price of each part depending on where you shop.

These steps can seem like a lot to do, but they can save you a lot of money and headache when it comes to finding the best brand PC hardware, while at the same time you will also be learning about how to assemble a computer.

Click here for free information on how to assemble a computer.

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Author: Mike Hutcheson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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As you install and run more software on your computer, over time, the computer will start to run more slowly. This happens because the additional software is making greater demands from your hardware. You can address the problem by either reducing the software or increasing your hardware resources.

If you decide to upgrade your hardware, there are 3 parts of your computer that can be upgraded to improve your PC speed: the RAM memory, your disk drive and the CPU+motherboard combo.

Upgrading your RAM or a disk drive is easy and you can do it yourself, in a few simple steps. Upgrading your CPU is difficult and involves replacing the whole motherboard. I would not recommend upgrading your CPU, yourself, unless you know what you are doing.

Upgrading your RAM

Dollar for dollar, increasing your PC’s RAM is the best value for money upgrade you can perform. Right now I would recommend having 1 Gig of RAM for low end machines, 2Gig for middle of the road machines and 3 Gig for high end computers. You are unlikely to benefit from having more than 3 Gig.

You can tell how much RAM you currently have installed, in Windows XP and Vista, by opening the  control panel and going into the system section.

There are a number of different types of RAM and they operate at different speeds. RAM speed is measured in MHz. The type of RAM and the speed that is allowed is determined by your motherboard. You can look up the type and speed of RAM you can use in your motherboard manual. I recommend getting the highest speed RAM allowed.

Open the computer tower and locate the RAM slots there could be 2-4 slots, if you don’t see them check your motherboard manual. After locating the nearest available Slot simply insert the new module into the slot, taking careful note of the groves on the DIMM and the Locking clip to position the Module properly. If the DIMM does not fit you probably have it positioned incorrectly so flip it around and try reinserting it. Once the RAM module is in place apply pressure to the locking clips to secure it, you should hear a click as they close on the DIMM. Then just re-start your PC, go to the control panel and open the system section to ensure your computer has detected the new DIMM and it is working correctly.

Upgrading your hard drive

Hard drive speed is measured in RPM, that is the number of times the hard drive rotates in one minute. I recommend buying a 7,200 RPM hard drive. Before purchasing a new hard drive consult your motherboard guide to find out what type of hard drives are supported. If your motherboard supports SATA drives, buy one of those.

Once you have purchased your new hard drive it is time to prepare for the install. First install any software that came with your drive. Then power down the computer and open the case.

Setting  jumpers (This is only for IDE hard drives):

The different jumper settings will be shown on a diagram on top of the hard drive. If you have one drive that drive should be set to the single drive mode. If you have multiple drives, the one drive needs to be set to master and the rest of them to the slave mode.

Insert your new drive in an open drive bay. These bays are generally located in the front of the tower. Fix the drive in place with screws.

Look at both your mother board and drive manual and connect the drive using the relevant IDE or SATA cables.

Now that the hard work is done the only thing left to do is close back up your system, plug it in, and turn it on to verify that the new hard drive is working properly.

If you are looking for some software fixes for your computer, visit us at slow computer.

Author: Sid Gaunt
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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