Hi, Tina... I don't make any claim on accuracy (or spelling) but what
follows is the closest approximation in my simpler "Layman's" terms.You
could do best to get someone to tell you more about "Basic Computer
Terminology" and what they mean (somebody besides and Computer Salesman..he
he he) Good Luck, hope this helps you some and I hope nobody picks me to
pieces for any niggling mistakes I might make in this attempt. Plus you
should go to full screen mode to read this.

> PDS brand name on front of tower
>>> OK, so whats in a name...its a IBM compatible PC.
> Windows XP professional 2002
>>> If this is the operating system, its a step up from the "Home edition"
and if it is working, you MUST have a unit capable of quite a lot...
> intel pentium MMX processor
>>>Here's the rub...It probaby should be an Pentium 4 or at the very least a
Pentium 3 or a cheaper Celeron catagory of processor. You need to find out
the speed of the Computer Processing Unit.(CPU} I.8GHz or higher means that
it is fairly current (newest processors are going into 2.8 to 3GHz speeds.
If the speed is less than 1 GigaHertz it is an older computer (highly
unlikely if it uses XP Pro).MMX is a term for special processing codes for
games and graphics, I think and is included in every computer chip for the
last 4-5 years.
> 132 MHZ
>>> This should be whats called the "Bus Speed", and should probably read
133 MHz, which is like a speed-limit for traffic thru the computer's parts
(oversimplifed explaination) Newer computers are now going up past 533MHz
bus speeds and beyond, still its very useable but shows that it isn't
anything on the "cutting edge".
> 64 MB RAM
>>>This usually refers to the "Random Access Memory" and 64MB is consider
PUNY by a lot of people's opinion. This is one of the easiest things to
UPGRADE an add to, to increase most computers usability. Easy to get
confused with all the kinds and types in use but easily solved and can boost
performance a lot depending on how you use your computer...Moderm games take
a lot of memory I think, as well as other factors... ANYWAY 256MBs or
512MBs would be an improvement and not break the BANK.
> --Discdrives=st34311a
>>> Don't know about this one... probably a Floppy Drive or (could be a
reference to the Hard Drive but not likely) Disk Drives include Floppy, CD
drives, CD-RW drives (for "burning CD's")
> --Display adapters=s3 trio 32/64
>>> This has to do with the Video ability of the computer to get an image
to the Monitor. s3 trio is the type of Video Card or Video Chip and other
than that, lots of USER's spend hundreds of dollars on the biggest fastest
newest Video Cards for maximum GAMING experience. If you are going to get
into "Games" especially the newer ones, You should find out what the "AGP"
rating for the Computer is (If it has a AGP slot in the Motherboard of the
computer. They are rated as 2X, 4X, 8X and maybe higher...2 is old, 4 is
OK, I think if there is an 8X, it would be a fairly new video set-up and
above average for the moment.
> --DVD-CD rom drives=MAT****A cd-rom cr-583
>>> Not sure about this but you could either have a DVD player and a CD
combination, with any luck, you can "burn" CD's and would find an appropiate
program in the list of installed programs..
>>> From here down it tells the more MYSTICAL components which let the
computer does what it does...Some of these things are important but you
can't change them as they are built in and a part of the Motherboard that
holds everything together and makes it WORK.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXX
> --IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers=
> *intel r 82371sb PCI
> Bus Master IDE controler
> *primary IDE channel
> *secondary IDE channel >
> --Ports (COM-LPT)
> communications Port (com2)
> printer port (LPT1) >
> --Sound video and game controllers=
> audio codecs
> game port for yamaha
> legacy video capture device
> media contro devices
> video codecs
> yamaha OPL3-SAx WDM Driver
> --System devices=
> *EISA direct memory access controler
> *Intel 82371sb PCI to ISA bridge
> *Intel 82439HX Pentium R Processor to PCI bridge. *ISAPNP read data port
> *Micrcode update device
> *Motherboard resources
> *numeric data processor
> *PCI BUS
> *Plug and Play software device enumerator *programmable interrupt
> controller
> *system board
> *system CMOS/real time clock
> *system speaker
> *system timer
> *terminal server devce redirector
>

One needs to know what he or she wants in a computer. What will you be
doing with it? Is the first question to ask yourself. If you are just
using it for the internet and word processing and e-mail then you could
spend around $500 and thats it, everything. About $1500 is safe to say for
gaming and the other stuff I've mentioned. That should get you a quick
enough computer and maybe wireless mouse and keyboard and even a 17" LCD
monitor too. A above good Video card and enough storage on the hard drive
(60-80 gigs). 256 to 512 of the good memory (faster then last years stuff)
and even a CDRW and DVD too, or a combo drive (CDRW-DVD in One). Shop
around there is more then just Dell and Gateway out there. The little guy
is pretty good too (Finding a Good Honest one is the trick to it) Good Luck
too You...



"upallnite" <antonio57@cox.net> wrote in message
news:b6860330fb929d3c9fe93d2348e11aac@news.teranew s.com...
> Hi, Tina... I don't make any claim on accuracy (or spelling) but what
> follows is the closest approximation in my simpler "Layman's" terms.You
> could do best to get someone to tell you more about "Basic Computer
> Terminology" and what they mean (somebody besides and Computer
Salesman..he
> he he) Good Luck, hope this helps you some and I hope nobody picks me to
> pieces for any niggling mistakes I might make in this attempt. Plus you
> should go to full screen mode to read this.
>
> > PDS brand name on front of tower
> >>> OK, so whats in a name...its a IBM compatible PC.
> > Windows XP professional 2002
> >>> If this is the operating system, its a step up from the "Home edition"
> and if it is working, you MUST have a unit capable of quite a lot...
> > intel pentium MMX processor
> >>>Here's the rub...It probaby should be an Pentium 4 or at the very least
a
> Pentium 3 or a cheaper Celeron catagory of processor. You need to find out
> the speed of the Computer Processing Unit.(CPU} I.8GHz or higher means
that
> it is fairly current (newest processors are going into 2.8 to 3GHz speeds.
> If the speed is less than 1 GigaHertz it is an older computer (highly
> unlikely if it uses XP Pro).MMX is a term for special processing codes for
> games and graphics, I think and is included in every computer chip for the
> last 4-5 years.
> > 132 MHZ
> >>> This should be whats called the "Bus Speed", and should probably read
> 133 MHz, which is like a speed-limit for traffic thru the computer's parts
> (oversimplifed explaination) Newer computers are now going up past 533MHz
> bus speeds and beyond, still its very useable but shows that it isn't
> anything on the "cutting edge".
> > 64 MB RAM
> >>>This usually refers to the "Random Access Memory" and 64MB is consider
> PUNY by a lot of people's opinion. This is one of the easiest things to
> UPGRADE an add to, to increase most computers usability. Easy to get
> confused with all the kinds and types in use but easily solved and can
boost
> performance a lot depending on how you use your computer...Moderm games
take
> a lot of memory I think, as well as other factors... ANYWAY 256MBs or
> 512MBs would be an improvement and not break the BANK.
> > --Discdrives=st34311a
> >>> Don't know about this one... probably a Floppy Drive or (could be a
> reference to the Hard Drive but not likely) Disk Drives include Floppy,
CD
> drives, CD-RW drives (for "burning CD's")
> > --Display adapters=s3 trio 32/64
> >>> This has to do with the Video ability of the computer to get an image
> to the Monitor. s3 trio is the type of Video Card or Video Chip and other
> than that, lots of USER's spend hundreds of dollars on the biggest fastest
> newest Video Cards for maximum GAMING experience. If you are going to get
> into "Games" especially the newer ones, You should find out what the "AGP"
> rating for the Computer is (If it has a AGP slot in the Motherboard of the
> computer. They are rated as 2X, 4X, 8X and maybe higher...2 is old, 4
is
> OK, I think if there is an 8X, it would be a fairly new video set-up and
> above average for the moment.
> > --DVD-CD rom drives=MAT****A cd-rom cr-583
> >>> Not sure about this but you could either have a DVD player and a CD
> combination, with any luck, you can "burn" CD's and would find an
appropiate
> program in the list of installed programs..
> >>> From here down it tells the more MYSTICAL components which let the
> computer does what it does...Some of these things are important but you
> can't change them as they are built in and a part of the Motherboard that
> holds everything together and makes it WORK.
>
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
> XXXXXXXXXXX
> > --IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers=
> > *intel r 82371sb PCI
> > Bus Master IDE controler
> > *primary IDE channel
> > *secondary IDE channel >
> > --Ports (COM-LPT)
> > communications Port (com2)
> > printer port (LPT1) >
> > --Sound video and game controllers=
> > audio codecs
> > game port for yamaha
> > legacy video capture device
> > media contro devices
> > video codecs
> > yamaha OPL3-SAx WDM Driver
> > --System devices=
> > *EISA direct memory access controler
> > *Intel 82371sb PCI to ISA bridge
> > *Intel 82439HX Pentium R Processor to PCI bridge. *ISAPNP read data port
> > *Micrcode update device
> > *Motherboard resources
> > *numeric data processor
> > *PCI BUS
> > *Plug and Play software device enumerator *programmable interrupt
> > controller
> > *system board
> > *system CMOS/real time clock
> > *system speaker
> > *system timer
> > *terminal server devce redirector
> >
>
>