Jargon buster
Buying a computer can be an overwhelming and a confusing experience, with all the different types and technological jargon. But don't worry we've listed the most common terms so finding the right computer for you should be easy..
| Battery Life | This is typically the maximum time that a laptop will operate without recharging the battery. |
| Bluetooth | This feature allows you to wirelessly connect enabled gadgets such as keyboards, headsets and mobile phones. |
| Cached size | A special memory space on a computer, reserved for storing frequently used instructions, which makes it go faster. The more cache the computer has, the less time it will take to access your frequently used instructions. |
| Contrast Ratio | This is a measure of the brightest and darkest colours a screen can produce simultaneously. Screens with a high contrast ratio tend to reproduce dark scenes with a good black colour and plenty of subtle shadow detail information. Screens with low contrast ratios may 'grey over' these areas, making the picture seem flat. |
| Ethernet Ports | A wired connection point that allows your computer to connect to the internet, as opposed to a pc connection point. |
| FireWire Ports | FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or iLink) is a high speed connection port that is used to connect to high speed external devices. |
| Graphics Card | This card allows your computer to communicate with your monitor and manages the quality of the objects on the screen. |
| Graphics Memory | Rather than sharing the computer's random access memory (RAM), this is an area of dedicated memory that has been specifically assigned to running graphics and enables computer images to move more quickly and smoothly. |
| Hard Drive Capacity | The computer's central storage system - the bigger the hard drive the more applications and data can be stored. |
| Media Card Reader Compatibility | A media card reader is a device used to read from or write to a smart card or a flash memory card (SD, Micro SD, etc.) |
Modem Router / Cable Router |
A communication device used to transmit and receive data over the telephone (modem router) or cable line (cable router). Typically used for sending and receiving email and to browse and download information from the internet. |
| Operating System | The software that handles the computer's basic functions - Windows for PCs and Mac for Apple. |
| Optical Drives Included | Optical drives are CD and DVD drives. In addition to reading these discs, some drives can also record and rewrite. |
| Processor | The processor drives the performance and quality of applications. Our range of products feature Intel or AMD branded processors. |
| Processor Speed (x2) |
In general terms, the higher the processor speed, the quicker your applications will perform. Look for dual core (x2) processors to improve speed performance when running several applications simultaneously. |
| RAM | Random Access Memory is the space available to run programs and files. Higher levels of RAM will enable more activities to be run on the computer simultaneously. |
| Resolution | Screen resolution refers to the number of pixels per square inch which are used to make up an image. The higher the screen resolution, the better the picture you'll be able to get on the screen. |
| Response Time | This is a measure of how long a display takes to change the image. Look for fast response times if playing computer games and viewing action movies and sports. |
Screen Size |
The diagonal measure of visible picture from one corner of the screen to the other. |
| TV Card | A card that fits into a computer and allows TV images to be displayed on screen via an aerial. |
| USB Ports | High-speed multipurpose connection points that allow external devices to be connected to your computer, such as scanners, printers and digital cameras. |
| Webcam | Typically an integrated low-resolution digital video camera that uploads moving images to a web server, either continuously or at regular intervals. |
| Wireless Enabled | This feature will allow you to connect to the internet and other pc-enabled equipment without the need for wires, and typically needs to be used in conjunction with a modem / router. The area within which you can connect to a Wi-Fi network (its range) is called a 'hotspot'. |