It looks like alphabet soup out there doesn't it? For whatever reason, geeks speak a foreign language. We use acronyms, memes, and generally confusing language all the time. Sure, it might be exclusionary by design, but I don't think so. It's just the nature of the beast. Well, this is where we tame that beast. Let me translate some of the jargon for you into something that you can actually understand. As always, if you don't understand something, feel free to ask for clarification. The same rule applies if you have heard a term that you don't see listed. Send me a comment, suggestion, email, or tweet and I will answer it as soon as I can.

Computer Hardware
CPU-Central Processing Unit. This is considered the brains of your computer. It controls the programs, tasks, and processes that your computer performs. It will most likely be from either Intel or AMD.

GPU-Graphics Processing Unit. This is considered your graphics card. Its purpose is to beef up how your computer renders graphics (both general graphics and videogame graphics) and take the load of rendering them off of your CPU.

RAM-Random Access Memory. This is considered the memory of your computer. Its purpose is to store instructions from your operating system and programs for you CPU to perform. It is very fast when compared to your hard drive, so having more is very beneficial. There are different kinds however, such as SDRAM (Syncronous Dynamic Random Access Memory), DDR (Double Data Rate), DDR2 and currently DDR3 at the top of the heap.

Hard Drive. This is the storage section of your computer. It is often confused with memory, but think of it as the place where you store all of your stuff (photos, music, movies, documents, etc.) Currently, they come in two varieties: SSD and your standard magnetic hard drive. SSD drives are the new kid on the block and they are extremely fast, expensive, and smaller in capacity. Magnetic drives are often much larger in capacity and much cheaper. The enthusiast would ideally like to have an SSD drive for programs and the operating system and use a magnetic drive for storage of media and documents.

Solid State Drives (SSD). These are the hot new form of storage for computers since they offer extremely fast read and write times. They tend to cost much more than standard hard drives, and the capacities are much smaller, but the time it takes them to access data is a lot less and they are noticibly faster than standard hard drives. For more on SSD's read this white paper.

Flash. Not to be confused with Adobe's Flash player, flash is another form of storage that is typically used in memory cards (and SSD's). It is extremely durable, fast, and inexpensive. It is most often found in consumer electronics devices such as your digital camera, mp3 player, or phone. For more on Flash and how it works, read this white paper.

Networking
Wireless A, B, G, N. The IEEE group has established a set of wireless standards that enables device manufacturers to create devices that can talk to each other by following a set of standards. This prevents manufacturers from creating a myriad of proprietary technologies that don't interoperate. Wireless A uses the 5.8 Ghz band and travels further than B or G. Wireless B uses the 2.4 Ghz band and is getting rather old, while Wireless G is a more modern refinement of the Wireless B standard supporting better range and security. Wireless N is the newest standard and it supports higher speeds, better range, and stronger security than its earlier brethren. The wonderul thing about all this is that they are backwards compatable with each other meaning that a Wireless N device can work with a Wireless B device for example.

10/100. This is a wired networking term meaning the speed at which data can travel along the network. 10/100Mbps is the maximum speed, but you won't experience this in real world usage. I would recommend this for the streaming of music, photos, and standard definition video content.

10/1000 or Gigabit. This is a wired networking term meaning the speed at which data can travel along the network. 10/1000Mbps is the maximum speed, but you won't experience this in real world usage. The transfer speeds are much higher and this is what I recommend for anyone who wishes to stream high definition content throughout their home.

MIMO. This stands for multiple input/multiple output, where a device uses multiple antennas on both the transmitter and the reciever in order to improve performance. Real world benefits typically include better range and throughput on the network.

Interfaces
IDE-Integrated device electronics. A popular but rapidly becomming extinct interface for peripherals to attach to our computers. It is being replaced by SATA.

SATA-Serial advanced technology attachment. This is the new standard for how peripherals (disc burners, hard drives, etc.) attach to our computers. It is faster than the old EIDE or PATA standard and less susceptible to electromagnetic interference.

PCI-Peripheral component interconnect. These are the white slots on your motherboard. They typically connect expansion cards such as USB add-in cards, sound cards, and wifi cards.

PCI Express. The new standard for PCI connections, it uses a serial connection rather than the parallel one that PCI used. It is significantly faster than PCI and the most common application is for newer graphics cards.

DVI. Digital Visual Interface. It is the white cable that is likely to be attached to your flat panel computer monitor. It provides a high quality signal that is uncompressed to your display.

VGA. Video Graphics Array. It is the older form of connection to a computer monitor that is used by CRT monitors and almost all flat panel monitors have VGA connections as an alternative to DVI. Think of it as the lowest common denominator for connections. It is also sometimes called D-sub or 15 pin.

Forms of Malware
Computer Virus-A computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer without permission or knowledge of the user. They have become extremely complex and clever. They can do damage to your computer, your files, and can steal your personal data. Must attach itself to an existing program.

Trojan Horse-is malware that appears to perform a desirable function but in fact performs undisclosed malicious functions. Therefore, a computer worm or virus may be a Trojan horse. The term is derived from the classical story of the Trojan Horse.

Computer Worm-a self-replicating computer program. It uses a network to send copies of itself to other nodes (computer terminals on the network) and it may do so without any user intervention. Unlike a virus, it does not need to attach itself to an existing program. Worms almost always cause harm to the network, if only by consuming bandwidth, whereas viruses almost always corrupt or modify files on a targeted computer.