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No one likes sounding stupid. Unfortunately, it’s dead simple to do exactly that when you’re talking about computer hardware or popular culture. One slip of the tongue or a single misused piece of terminology can land you a one-way ticket to Moron Hollow with six days and two delightful nights of luxury accommodations. In an effort to keep you from having to take such a shameful trip, we’ve put together this list of commonly misused and misunderstood terminology from the worlds of computing and geek culture.
If you’re a regular reader of Maximum PC, we’re betting that you’ll already have an understanding of the difference between a computer and a CPU. Your mother and co-workers, however, might be a different story.
Should you hear them confuse one with the other, be gentle when you tell them that CPU stands for Central Processing Unit. Typically, the CPU is a silicon chip that can be found attached to a computer’s motherboard. In essence, it acts as the brain of a computer. In order to run a program, all CPUs preform the same four basic functions: fetch, decode, execute, and writeback. In the simplest terms, these four functions allow the CPU to receive, understand, and order the rest of the computer to fulfil the parameters set forth by whatever program a computer happens to be running at any given time, be it a function of your operating system, retrieving your email or settling a new city during a game of Civilization V.
A computer on the other hand… is a computer. We’re not talking about the brains of a laptop or the mouse attached to the rig on your desk at work, it’s the whole enchilada from soup to nuts, internals and peripherals included.
This one has been burning the face off of copyeditors for years. GB stands for gigabyte, which as any computer user will tell you, one can never have enough of. Depending on the context it is being used in, gigabyte can mean a number of things. If you’re talking digital data storage which is measured in bytes, a gigabyte is 1, 000, 000, 000, bytes. That’s 729 3.5” floppy disks worth of data. The term is also used as a standard of measurement for RAM size and Depending on who you talk to, a gigabyte may also be the name applied to 1, 073,741,824 bytes. Go figure.
The term Gigabit is also a quantitative measurement for digital data—one gigabit is equivalent to 128 megabytes—but more commonly, it is used in reference to the transfer of information over the a Local Area Network (LAN). Gigabit internet is based on the Ethernet Frame format protocol, providing a scorching fast data transfer rate of one billion bits per second.
Transformers was an awesome line of toys, comic books, video games, cartoons, and of late, movies, that follows the saga of a race of warring, sentient robots from the planet Cybertron that can disguise themselves as innocuous earth technologies, such as a car, a fighter jet or a boom box. Imported to North America in 1984 by Hasbro, Transformers revolutionized the action figure industry, by giving kids two toys in one. With its intriguing backstory, colourful palette of characters, and the sheer genius of combining two things most kids love—robots and awesome real-life hardware—Hasbro and their Japanese partner Takara created a timeless toy line that has captivated generations of children and the young at heart.
Gobots, on the other hand… We’ll just say it. Gobots are just all kinds of awful.
Also a Japanese import, The Gobot toy line was brought to North American shores by Tonka just before Transformers hit the scene. The toys, while similar in spirit, lacked the soul or mechanical complexity of Hasbro’s Transformers, and as such, failed to capture the imaginations of consumers. Clunky looking and boasting unfortunate names like Dumper, Dive-Dive and Small Foot, Gobots were the last things any red-blooded child of the 1980s wanted to find under the tree on Christmas morning. Not surprisingly, the toy line fizzled out of existence by 1987.
Storage refers to whatever medium is used to store information on a computer, be it a hard drive, a solid state drive or a hybrid drive. Any information you install on a computer—documents, images, programs, music, ANYTHING—is saved to the computer’s storage. Storage is designed to hold data for long periods of time, unlike memory, the AADD poster child of the data wrangling world.
When you’re talking about computer memory, you’re talking about RAM, which stands for Random Access Memory. In simplest terms, computers use RAM as an instant storage facility used to store the information required to ensure the smooth operation of processes and applications. What’s contained in a computer’s RAM depends on what the computer is being ordered to do at the time.
Storage and memory work like this: Let’s say you decide to watch a movie on your netbook during a flight. As soon as you started the movie, it’s information was pushed from your computer’s storage to your to the RAM as part of the system’s preparations for processing the movie’s data in order to present it on your netbook’s screen. How smoothly that information is conveyed to your screen is dependant upon how much RAM you have installed in your computer.
This is why it’s so often suggested that the cheapest, easiest way to speed up a slow computer is to install more RAM.
Comments are closed on this article
LaGaspa
March 01, 2012 at 3:33pm
When servicing family/friends computers, even after all these years, customers *STILL* confuse the monitor as being the computer, far more so during the days of CRTs.
pet789
February 29, 2012 at 9:00pm
my roomate's aunt makes $83/hr on the laptop. She has been without work for 8 months but last month her pay was $8682 just working on the laptop for a few hours. Read more on this site...Nuttyrich . com
The Corrupted One
February 28, 2012 at 5:50pm
Poor FPS can be related to lag though.
Depending on the game engine (Source for instance) if your FPS is low enough (sub 10's) you can start getting out of sync with the server, which is known as choke.
compguytracy
February 26, 2012 at 2:10pm
Please, No terminator t800? total cyborg, living skin over robot exoskeleton.
frizzly
February 24, 2012 at 9:18am
"Phasers and blasters are two of the most coveted fictional weapons of all time."
umm...what about the lightsaber? "An elegant weapon for a more civilized age."
ShockerX
February 26, 2012 at 1:07pm
There's a major difference between phasers and blasters vs lightsabers.
Phasers/blasters are ranged weaponry. Lightsabers isn't.
frizzly
March 01, 2012 at 4:11am
a lightsaber can reflect a blaster shot back at the shooter so it can be used as a ranged weapon
thechipper
March 02, 2012 at 1:14am
A lightsaber is not a firearm. It does not emit a projectile, it only deflects it. But the point of the article is distinction. I don't know a living person over the age of 4 that doesn't know what a lightsaber is.
ETNPNYS
February 24, 2012 at 8:27am
Holy crap this is absolutely the nerdiest conglomeration of comments that I have ever seen. These comments take "nerd" to another level. That's all. Carry on.
Swarley330
February 23, 2012 at 10:30pm
Where do the organic cylons from the more recent Battlestar Galactica fit in? They don't fit either android or cyborg categories.
Keith E. Whisman
February 26, 2012 at 6:19am
ah yes, you are referring to skin jobs right? I think they were actually cyborgs because they used nano robots that a test was developed to discover. 1st season didn't say exactly what was being tested or what was actually being looked for but I believe it was nannites.
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February 24, 2012 at 7:08am
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Jenova Strife
February 23, 2012 at 10:51am
Anyone paid to write should know this:
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/comprise-versus-compose.aspx
/grammarrant
Zoandar
February 25, 2012 at 8:48am
They should also proof read everything they are being paid to write. But that never happens these days either. Literacy is a lost medium.
andrewc513
February 23, 2012 at 7:18am
I like to make this analogy for RAM vs HDD:
If your computer is a library, then the shelves are the HDD and tables are the RAM. Stuff is permanently stored, indexed, and searchable in the shelves(HDD). When you need to use a file(book), you take it to the table(RAM) for easy access. Once you fill up your table(use all your available RAM), you can't load up anymore books on your table(PC slows down). Then, when you're done with a book(close a program), it goes back to the shelves for permanent storage(file is saved and leaves the operating memory).
Of course, that's an overly simplified version with a few caveats to the comparison, but you get the genreal idea.
Contrarian
February 23, 2012 at 6:16am
I heard my girlfriend use the term "cpu" when she meant the whole computer also. She resides in the Philippines and I assumed that maybe it was a regional thing that possibly got crossed in the English translation somehow.
Since then I've noticed that many people around the world use this term incorrectly and it reminds me how easily terms and sayings get twisted over time and through language barriers.Off topic but along the same lines, this reminds me how much I cringe when I hear people say "money is the root of all evil", or "the proof is in the pudding", not realizing that both are incomplete and incorrect.
Yes I realize I'm terminally anal. I've learned to accept it.
Ghok
February 23, 2012 at 6:39pm
Calling the whole computer the CPU was pretty common in the 90s, from what I remember. This was because many people thought the monitor was the main part of the computer, and so calling the big box part the CPU gave some distinction and indication of function. It seems weird and really incorrect now, but back then (at least where I lived) it was kind of normal... I'm not really sure how it got started, but I lived in a very white redneck town back then, so if it started as a translation error, I'd be surprised.
supercourier
March 04, 2012 at 3:14pm
Having spent time on several occasions in the Philippines, I now recall that you're right about that quirk of language--a "CPU" refers to the case and all non-peripheral stuff inside it over there.
frizzly
February 24, 2012 at 9:05am
it really erks me when your at a computer store and you hear the employees calling the tower a CPU. if someone is going to sell them they should at least know what they are talking about.
aarcane
February 23, 2012 at 1:23am
You should include a proper discussion of the distinction between a Router, a Wireless Router, and a Wireless Access Point.
A Router of course is any device which makes routing decisions about packets on a network.
A Wireless Router is an integrated device providing a Wireless Access Point, a Router, and often other services needed for a network to function apparently seamlessly.
A Wireless Access Point is of course any piece of hardware that makes a wireless network available to client devices, and may or may not be directly or partly responsible for Access Control.
biggiebob12345
February 22, 2012 at 9:07pm
I just realized that I haven't seen Mr. Pib in a long while and that from what I remember it tastes identical to Dr. Pepper. Pepsi vs Coke...yeah Pepsi is for when they don't have Coke.
NineRaven
February 23, 2012 at 7:43pm
Your talking nonsense. This analogy is all wrong. Mr Pibb is clearly better than Dr Pepper. Dr Pepper hasnt changed in years. Mr Pibb on the other hand isnt even Mr Pibb now, its Pibb Xtra. If it has to be these two it needs to be flipped.
4wsprelude
February 28, 2012 at 7:48pm
Switch it up with some good ol' Barq's root beer. I say better then both of them. Just don't get me the cream root beer. Disgusting!!!
codemastercode
February 22, 2012 at 6:43pm
Your article makes it sound as though the distinction between 1 GB as a billion bytes versus 1073741824 bytes, when it has a history and a good reason as to why.
One billion bytes is used by hard drive manufacturers as they want to maximize profits. Since a billion is a close approximation of 1073741824, and less, it allows for better marketing, among other things.
1073741824 bytes is actually 1024^3, or 2^30. This is because the units are built up, using 1024 as the base, with one kilobyte (KB) as 1024 bytes, one megabyte (MB) as 1024 KB or 1048576 bytes, and thus one gigabyte as 1024 MB, 1048576 KB, or 1073741824 bytes.
Slurpy
February 22, 2012 at 9:55pm
The thing is, gigabyte is the proper technical term for 1,000,000,000 bytes. "Giga" is the SI prefex for "billion." We do have proper terms for the binary expansions though - for example, 1073741824 bytes is a gibibyte (GiB). It's really the fault of Microsoft, Apple, etc. for not listing the storage volumes as the binary expansion units.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Quantities_of_bytes
aarcane
February 23, 2012 at 12:50am
Gibibytes were invented in the early 20's by hard drive manufacturers so they could get away with claiming that the Computer Science definition of a Giga unit didn't in fact apply to them. That's why you don't see Gibibit connection speeds, or Gibibit RAM sticks, or other gibi things. The only reason CPU processors use metric rather than binary units is because they're measured in Hz, which are a standard metric unit. They even use Megabytes of cache, properly measured in binary units.
poee
February 25, 2012 at 11:14pm
The "computer science definition" of Giga is what has caused this confusion in the first place. Kilo, mega, giga, etc., are all well-known and well-used prefixes for decimal orders of magnitude. They are ancient. Kilo = 1000, and has since the Roman Empire was still standing. Kilo has never = 1024, until some lazy-assed, unimaginative computer scientists figured that 1024 was "close enough" to 1000 that they should just redefine the prefix (the original 'embrace and extend'), and to hell with centuries of common usage.
HDD manufacturers did not invent the binary magnitude prefixes kibi, mebi, gibi, etc. These new terms came about because standards bodies really wanted to put an end to the confusion. When a word or word component (suffix, prefix) has a long history and is in common usage, you don't get to unilaterally change the meaning of it to suit your needs. With a bit of imagination, you can coin a new term instead of trying to redefine an existing one. This is particularly irksome when the terms relate to math and numbers, which are not open to interpretation. 1024 != 1000, ever. Kilo has already been taken a LONG time ago to = 1000. So either adopt the newer binary units (kibi, mebi, gibi, etc.) or make up a new one that you like better, but leave the existing damned words alone.
thechipper
March 02, 2012 at 1:28am
Although both systems were around before mass market pcs were available we can see where the two diverged. When we had computers with less than 1gig of HD space they were listed accurately in 1024 format. Only when multi gigabyte systems rolled out did they adopt the rounded method to make it seem like there was more than there is to the common user. Even today most people don't know the difference or care for that matter. I don't feel cheesed because I know how much I'm not going to get from your mildly misleading marketing scheme.
usmckozmo
February 22, 2012 at 6:31pm
(Modem/Router section) "...translate information from a digital source into an analog carrier signal and send it via phone line, over the air or through a ***fibre optic network*** for interception by another computer equipped with a modem"
Fibre networks are digital. Wether it be pulses of electricity going into the GBIC/SFP or light exiting, it's still 1's and 0'; No analog there.
Fun article....little knowledge, little laughs, all good :)
biggiebob12345
February 22, 2012 at 6:34pm
Fiber optics are still analog signals if we're playing technicalities. The only way to send "1" down a transmission line would be to print it out on paper and shove it through.
gene8
February 22, 2012 at 5:57pm
What about tablets vs. ereaders? or tv monitors vs. computer monitors?
Wingzero_x
February 23, 2012 at 1:56am
E-Readers commonly use digital ink displays that are way better for reading text.
aarcane
February 23, 2012 at 1:01am
Tablets vs. Ereaders is simple: Is it called an ereader, or is it manufactured by a book seller? It's an e-reader. Conversely, a "Computer monitor" vs. a "TV Monitor" is not a distinction. There are two devices. Televisions, and Monitors. Monitors are usually higher resolution devices without built in tuning capabilities designed to hook up to a video signal. Televisions are integrated tuning and viewing devices, usually with lower resolution and larger screen sizes. The only hard and fast rule? The Tuner. A common, but not absolute difference is that Televisions usually have overscan, and monitors generally don't, but there are a lot of TVs with NO overscan and a handful of monitors with overscan.
kixofmyg0t
February 22, 2012 at 4:50pm
How about Android vs "DROID" since you guys still confuse the two.
andrewc513
February 23, 2012 at 10:40am
Android = operating system
Android phone = phone running Android
Droid = A specific line of HTC/Motorola Android phones.It's not that big a deal, but many people that aren't in-the-know of tech vernacular just assume "Android = Droid = Android phone".
kixofmyg0t
February 23, 2012 at 6:23pm
Jesus Christ you're wrong too. Bloody f#ck I figured someone would be able to explain it but I guess Ill have to.
Android- Operating System based on Linux
Android Phone- a mobile device running Android OS.
"DROID/Droid"- a brand trademark of Lucusarts. The brand is applied to ANDROID phones sold exclusively under Verizon.All "DROIDS/Droids" are Android phones, but not all Android phones are "DROIDS/Droids". The Samsung Galaxy Nexus IS NOT A "DROID" and you are a complete f#cking idiot if you call it that. You can't buy a "DROID" from anywhere but Verizon.
Calling all Android phones a "DROID" is like calling ALL trucks a F-150.
aarcane
February 23, 2012 at 1:02am
Droid is shorthand for any Android device. DROID is a brand name for a specific line of Android devices.
kixofmyg0t
February 23, 2012 at 7:14am
No Droid is used by IDIOTS that think all Android phones are "Droids"
If that's the case then all Windows Phones should be Droids, or we can call all phones iPhones.
Donhildenbrand
February 22, 2012 at 4:33pm
I need a job. You need a proofreader. Hire me.
Other than that, great article.
I can't count the number of times I've cringed when someone says "I ran out of memory on my hard drive."
;-)
