Q: I’m about to buy some computers for my new office. Can you explain what the terms RAM, processor speed and hard drive refer to?
Feb 27 2007
Answered by: Chris Lindsay Ask a question
There are lots of terms associated with computers that appear in brochures but are never explained, so let me give you my definitions of the terms and then talk a little bit about what they do.
RAM is the acronym for 'random access memory' and basically describes the place in a computer where the operating system, programs and data that is currently in use are kept, so that they can be quickly reached by the computer's processor – basically your short-term memory. The short-term memory focuses on work at hand, but can only keep so many facts in view at one time.
In contrast, the hard disk is your long-term memory and is larger. At the simplest level, it uses the same magnetic recording techniques as an audiocassette, but can store huge amounts of electronic information. Hard disks come in a range of sizes that are measured in Megabytes (Mb) and Gigabytes (Gb). The higher the capacity of the disk, the more electronic data that can be stored. A standard entry-level machine now comes with more than 50Gb.
A computer processor is often considered the brains of the machine and has traditionally had the most significant effect on performance and price. Over the last year we’ve seen very significant changes in processors, with the introduction of things like dual core technology, so there is a huge range of options currently available.
The best thing for you to do is to sit down and work out what you are going to use your new machines for and answer questions like: are you going to be using your computer wirelessly, do you use a lot of data-hungry programmes, do you need to store a lot of information on the machines themselves? Once you’ve answered these questions, talk to your supplier and get their help in making your decision.
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