a few years ago when I thought I was a want-a-be IT person I had read about this,
hers is a copy ,
Since the turn of the century the cost of a typical desktop PC has fallen in both real and monetary terms. Almost all new computers are now also capable of performing most of the tasks that can be demanded of them, with the exact hardware specification being largely irrelevant for all but the most demanding or specialist users. Indeed, on the 23rd of August 2005, Intel declared the "clock frequency war" to be over, with the new computing mantra to be performance per watt. Or to put it another way, no longer would the speed of a computer's processor be the primary measure of its capability in terms of either consumer expectation, or the market dominance of its microprocessor manufacturer.
To a large extent, time was called on the clock frequency war because of the difficulties encountered in cooling microprocessors as they became faster and faster. However, another driver was simply that raw processing power was starting to become a secondary concern for many purchasers. By 2005, factors such how much noise a computer makes, case style and size, and a computer's green credentials, were starting to be perceived as important. And such non-processing-power measures are increasingly driving both consumer and business computer purchase decisions today.
Having said that the technical specification of a computer matters far less than it did even a few years ago, some understanding of a little hardware technobabble will still inevitably prove useful. Most obviously such knowledge is handy when purchasing or upgrading a computer and/or related peripherals to ensure that everything will connect together and work OK.
Decisions on hardware specification are often driven by the minimum hardware required to run specific software (such as a specific application program or operating system). Indeed, it remains most sensible for many users to decide on the software they want or need to run, and to choose or upgrade their hardware accordingly.
In broad terms, the performance of a computer depends on four factors: the speed and architecture of its processor or "central processing unit" (CPU), how much random access memory (RAM) it has, its graphics system, and its internal hard drive speed and capacity. Also of importance to most users will be the specification of its Internet connection. Most computer users -- and in particular those working with a lot of photographs, music files or videos -- should also think about the most suitable storage devices they will need in order to keep and back-up all of thier valuable data.
