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Technology Stocks : Dell Technologies Inc. -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: TCBinAugusta who wrote (83083)	12/1/1998 1:33:00 PM
From: Sig	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 176387

< <<< can you please (briefly) explain what "rdram" is? I am getting ready to buy a new machine for our office - I think it will be another Dell! - is this something I should wait for? Thanks in advance.>>> Am not up to speed on technical stuff but my reading is the DRAM stands for dynamic random access memory which is the 32 or 64 megs of memory you may have today in the computer. SDRAM stands for synchronous DRAM 's in common use, and am guessing the RDRAM stands for Rambus(?) DRAM which appears to be twice as fast as the others. ( We will hear from some experts like JR if this wrong(hehehehe) Here are some references: news.com news.com You have probably noticed that adding more internal memory (easily obtained by plugging in an extra 32 meg chip), causes the computer innards to work much faster, very noticeable when playing games like Freecell. No waiting, its just ZAP and the cards move. Or a screen you previously worked with comes "UP" much faster. Should you wait for this???? My opinion is that if you have a fast machine of 200 to 450mh speed and 128megs memory you would not notice the difference unless using some huge program like a 3D program to design airplanes. ( But buy a new Dell anyway, every sale helps. I did) Sig

To: TCBinAugusta who wrote (83083)	12/1/1998 10:04:00 PM
From: Mick Mørmøny	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 176387

Some Useful Terms in Buying PCs By The Associated Press A brief glossary of some computer terms: PC -- Short for Personal Computer. Although the term often is used to describe to any type of personal computer, PC specifically refers to computers that conform to the PC standard developed by IBM. Processor -- Also known as the CPU, or Central Processing Unit. The processor is what makes the PC run, or the brains of the system, and is contained on a single chip. Megahertz, or MHz -- Used to measure the transmission speed of the processor. Megahertz is equivalent to one million bits per second. Byte -- The common unit of computer storage. Each byte holds the equivalent of a single character. Megabyte, or MB -- One million bytes Gigabyte, or GB -- One billion bytes. Random Access Memory, or RAM -- A group of memory chips that functions as the computer's primary workspace. Measured in megabytes, RAM determines the size and number of programs that can be run simultaneously and the amount of data that can be processed instantly. DRAM and SDRAM -- The most common type of computer memory on today's systems is called dynamic RAM, or DRAM. Synchronous DRAM, or SDRAM, is the fastest type of memory available. Hard drive, or hard disk -- The primary computer storage space. Most hard disks are permanently sealed in the drive. The available space is usually measured in gigabytes. Modem, or MOdulator-DEModulator -- An internal device that adapts a computer to a telephone line, allowing users access to the Internet and other online services. Monitor -- The display screen of the personal computer. DVD-ROM -- A new family of optical discs that are the same overall dimensions of a CD, or compact disc, but have significantly higher capacities. A read-only DVD is used for storing data. Considered the successor to the read-only CD-ROM, it enables PC users to view full-length movies, play high-end games and listen to music. Zip Disk -- A 3.5-inch removable disk drive created by the company Iomega (NYSE:IOM - news) and used in PCs to store data. It provides 100 megabytes of removable cartridge space.