The Data Warehouse, Bells and Whistles

The Data Warehouse
Earlier in this chapter, I mention that your RAM modules act as your computer’s memory while the computer is running. However, when you switch off your computer, it forgets the data in RAM, so you need a permanent place to store Uncle Milton’s Web page address or your latest stock report. This permanent storage comes in three forms: hard drive, removable storage drive (for example, a DVD/ Blu-ray recorder or a USB Flash drive), and (maybe) a floppy disk drive.

Some PCs still include one floppy drive. [Paid Recommendations^^: Using photo recovery software to recover your lost photos.] (You know the one. It still uses a 3 1 ⁄ 2 -inch disk that holds a paltry 1.44MB.) If you like, you can skip the installation of a floppy drive, seeing as they are as unnecessary as an appendix to a cutting-edge PC running Windows Vista. (A USB Flash drive is far superior in every way to the venerable floppy.)

You need at least one hard drive. Today’s hard drives hold gigabytes (GB) of data (that’s 1,000 megabytes), or even a terabyte (TB) of data (that’s 1,000 gigabytes). At the time of this writing, typical hard drives range in capacity from 80GB to more than 1TB — and those figures are constantly rising, while costs are constantly dropping. (You’ve gotta love that free-market competitive model!)

Buy as much data territory as possible.

The Bells and Whistles
Today’s multimedia PCs have almost more extras, add-ons, and fun doodads than any mere mortal can afford (well, except for Bill Gates, that is). If you want to be able to install and run today’s software, though, you need at least a DVD-ROM drive. Multimedia applications and games also need a sound card (or built-in audio hardware on your motherboard), along with a set of speakers or headphones.

Another common addition to a PC is a printer. [Paid Recommendations^^: Using Mac photo recovery to recover your lost photos.]If you need the lowdown on today’s printer technology, jump to Chapter 13. If a high-speed cable or DSL Internet con- nection is available in your area, you can jump on the Internet broadbandwagon. (That’s so bad it doesn’t even qualify as a pun.) Otherwise, you can still use a dial-up modem for connecting your computer to other computers across telephone lines, especially if you’re an Internet junkie.

In later chapters, I also discuss advanced stuff for power users, such as network hardware and scanners. You don’t have to read those chapters, and you won’t be tested on them. But they’re there in case you feel adventurous (or you really need them).

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