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Before you shop for a new computer, familiarize yourself
with some of the terms you'll see and hear.
Use the alphabetical index to jump to terms starting
with a particular letter of the alphabet, or just scroll down to read
through all the terms.
A
B C D E F
G H I
J K
L M N O
P Q R S T U
V W X Y Z
-A-
ADSL:
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (often called just "DSL") allows for transfer speeds of 9 Megabytes
per second into the computer and up to 800 kbps back up the
telephone lines. ADSL uses standard telephone lines, and you can still
carry on a regular telephone conversation while you're surfing the net even
if you only have one phone line.
Advanced
Graphics Port (AGP):
Intel's graphics acceleration initiative. AGP connects more tightly with your system bus than
PCI video adapters, allowing for far faster speed. Other than very low
end models, all computers today are using AGP, whether integrated into the
motherboard or via an AGP slot.
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-B-
Base
Memory The amount
of RAM that comes standard with a computer system. It also refers to
the first 640K of RAM.
BIOS:
Stands for Basic Input/Output System,
it's a chip that controls how your PC starts up, and stores information
about which devices are attached to it in the CMOS
memory.
Byte:
The standard measurement of storage
capacity. A byte is made up of eight bits, which is pretty much the same
as one character of text. One thousand bytes is equal to a kilobyte (KB). One
million bytes is equal to a megabyte (MB).
One billion bytes is a gigabyte (GB). These figures
are actually approximate. A kilobyte is really 1024 bytes, etc. These
numbers are typically rounded off to the nearest thousand, million,
or billion.
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-C-
Cable Modem: High-speed data access using your existing
Cable TV lines. Speeds vary, but are often faster than
ADSL. Cable modem adapters are generally supplied by the cable company. You may need to provide a network adapter on your PC.
Cache:
An area of memory or piece of disk space reserved for holding frequently
used data. Cache memory is a special bit of RAM inside the processor that is faster than standard memory, and so moves your
frequently used data faster. Some programs (including versions of Windows)
utilize a disk cache to improve speed.
CD-ROM:
Those same Compact Discs that hold music can also hold computer data. The advantage of a CD-ROM is obvious. It holds up to a GB or so of data, making it perfect for games, encyclopedias, or as installation disks for large programs.
DVD's have up to 7 times the capacity of a standard CD-ROM, plus the ability to hold an entire theatrical movie.
CMOS:
A bit of memory on your motherboard
that contains configuration information about your computer.
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-D-
Digital Camera: Now
here's a way to have the best of both worlds. This baby plugs directly
into your computer so you can shoot pictures like a standard camera, then
bring them into your system for editing and printing. Look for
1-Megapixel resolution for 5x7 prints or 2-Megapixel resolution for 8x10
prints with quality comparable to standard film cameras.
Dot
Matrix Printer:
The old workhorse of the computer industry, the dot matrix printer has been
around for years. They're reliable, but the print
quality often leaves something to be desired. They work by using a matrix
of pins to form the letters, which press through a ribbon to form characters
on the paper. One big advantage of dot matrix printers is their ability
to easily handle multi-part forms. They're used often at point-of-sale
terminals. Many cash registers employ small dot matrix printers.
DPI:
Dots per inch is the standard measurement of printer resolution. A printer
(unless it's a plotter) lays down a character as a series of dots. It
stands to reason that the more dots you can cram into an inch of space,
the better your text will look. This is also called resolution.
Driver:
A software program that tells the Operating System about
your hardware and how to talk to it.
DVD:
Move over, CD-ROM, the DVD is here! Imagine a disk
the same size as a CD that holds up to seven times more data and can hold
an entire motion picture with digital sound. Some models will even let
you hook into your TV or home theatre so you can enjoy DVD movies on your
big screen set. DVD-RAM drives allow you to record data to a special DVD disc.
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-E-
EIDE: Enhanced Integrated Drive
Electronics. The EIDE interface works with storage devices such as hard
drives and CD-ROM drives. EIDE allows for the
connection of up to four devices at a time to the motherboard.
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-F-
FireWire:
Along with USB, this standard allows for the connection of many devices to a single computer. A number of peripherals are available, but by far the most common use for FireWire is transferring video from a digital camcorder to a PC.
Floppy
Drive:
Today's standard floppy drive is 3.5" and holds 1.44 megabytes
of data. Floppies were once the most common portable method of data
storage, but have recently taken a back seat to ZIP and CD-R drives. They can
be used to move data from one computer to another, for backup purposes
of minimal amounts of data,
or for distribution of software.
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-H-
Hard
Drive: The most common form
of permanent data storage for your system, it consists of special magnetically-coated
platters designed to store mass quantities of data. When purchasing a hard
drive, a good rule of thumb is to purchase as much space as you can possibly
afford. Today's applications are getting bigger
and bigger, and you'll be glad you got that extra space. If the extra money
sounds like a lot, price replacement disk drives. Look at the price difference
between 10 gigabytes and say, 30 GB. You're not paying
three times as much, right? The fact is that when you buy a hard drive,
a good chunk of the price goes for the basic drive hardware and electronics.
The extra capacity is a drop in the proverbial bucket. You'll actually save
money in the long run by buying a higher-capacity drive today. Yes, drive
prices are dropping, but you're still getting more bang for your buck by
purchasing more capacity now.
The most recent standard is Ultra DMA/100. Ultra DMA hard drives have a faster access time, but require that your motherboard supports this standard. It won't, however, hurt to put a UDMA drive on a system that doesn't support it. It will work like a standard hard drive. And if you should decide to upgrade your motherboard later, you'll have a drive that's ready for it.
There is one potential
drawback to the larger drives. If you are using a version of Windows
earlier than Windows 98 you'll
have to split a newer drive into separate partitions of 2 GB or less.
Windows 98 and later supports the larger hard drives without the split. You may also need a BIOS update
from your motherboard or system maker in order to support large hard
drives, if this is available.
HPC: The Handheld
Personal Computer is a cross between a PDA and a notebook
computer. The operating system, Microsoft Windows CE, is a scalded-down
version of Windows 95. It runs scaled-down versions of Word, Excel and
Outlook, and will connect to the Internet using a standard PC
Card modem. It will sync contact and calendar data with a desktop
PC.
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-I-
IDE:
Integrated
Drive Electronics preceded EIDE on the market. IDE
has a slower transfer rate, and will only allow two devices to be connected
to the interface at one time.
Inkjet
Printer:
The inkjet printer, as its name implies, makes an image by spraying tiny
jets of ink onto the paper. Until recently, the resolution on inkjet printers
could not come close to laser printers, but technology has brought resolution
up and prices down. For most color work, an inkjet printer is a good
investment. Artists may want to look to a color laser or other type
of printer. They're higher in cost, but the quality is far superior.
Interrupt
Request Line (IRQ):
As you may have discovered, it's possible for PC devices to live in the
same virtual space, and when they do, they tend to interfere with each
other. By setting each device to a different interrupt request line,
you can avoid nasty conflicts such as frozen mice or a out-of-control
sound cards. Plug-and-Play technology is one step toward
eliminating the hassle of setting IRQ's.
ISA
Bus:
ISA stands for Industry Standard Architecture, and was the original
8-bit bus for IBM brand computers introduced in 1982. With
the introduction of the IBM-AT (or 286), the ISA bus expanded to 16-bits.
ISA expansion slots and peripheral cards have all but disappeared; most new
computers do not offer any ISA slots, only PCI and AGP.
ISDN: Stands for Integrated
Services Digital Network. An ISDN line can delver speeds of up to 128
kbps. ISDN requires installation of a digital line to the home or office
and an ISDN adapter in the computer. It is available in Bermuda
through BTC, although ADSL ("DSL") promises to be more cost
effective.
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-K-
Kbps:
Kilobits per second. Modem speed is generally measured in Kpbs, or Mbps (megabits
per second).
Keyboard:
One of the primary peripherals on your system, and one that is likely
to wear out long before the rest of your system ever will. The keyboard,
along with the mouse, are the primary means of working with your system.
For any computer with Windows 95 or later, you'll want a 104-key keyboard which has access to the Start
button and some menu features directly from your keyboard. Shop around
for the keyboard that "feels" best. Some have a louder "click"
than others, for example. Others, such as the Microsoft Natural Keyboard,"
are ergonomically designed.
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-L-
Laser
Printer:
A laser printer works on the same principal as a copier, but instead of
scanning an image on a glass platen, the image is fed from the PC to the
drum of the printer. Laser printers are faster - and usually cost more
- than inkjet or dot matrix printers. The quality, especially for printed
text, is generally better, but inkjet technology is catching up.
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-M-
Mbps: Megabits
per second. Modem speed is generally measured in Mbps or Kpbs
(kilobits per second).
Memory:
How much to get? That's a real burning question, and the answer depends
on your operating system. If you have a PC with Windows 98 or ME, you'll want
at least 64 megabytes of RAM. For a Windows 2000 system, you'll need at least
128 MB, but 256 MB is much better. Depending on the
applications you run, you may need more RAM. Generally if you have many
programs open at once or do a lot of graphics processing, you'll need
more RAM.
Modem:
It stands for MOdulate, DEModulate. A modem takes digital data and changes
(modulates) it to a series of beeps that can travel down and ordinary
phone line. It also takes those beeps and changes (demodulates) it back
to digital data your computer can understand. Other features you might
find on a modem are the ability to send and receive faxes, a speakerphone,
and voice mail. So
what kind do you buy? Look first for V.90 capability, and compatibility
with your operating system and processor speed.
Then look for the other features you might want.
Monitor:
The display is, of course, an integral part of your system. The resolution of a monitor is expressed
in dot pitch. The lower the number, the closer the dots are together,
which means a finer "grain" picture. Monitors also come in various
screen sizes, and like a television, are measured diagonally. You'll want
to choose the size of your monitor based on your budget and needs. If
you do a lot of work on your PC, a 19" inch monitor would be a good
investment. If your work is primarily in graphics, then bigger monitors
make even more sense. If this is a family PC, a 17" monitor will do just fine. One more thing to watch for on monitors is Viewable
Image Size. A 17" monitor may have a viewable area of
15.8". Or more.
Or less. This is why it's important to check out a monitor carefully before
you make your purchase.
Motherboard:
If the CPU is the heart of the computer, than
the motherboard provides the skeletal structure. The motherboard not only
houses the CPU, but contains expansion slots for peripheral cards and
memory. The motherboard ties all of the components together and provides
the means for them to communicate with each other.
Mouse:
Yes, it got its name because it looks like a little rodent. The mouse
is an essential component of any graphical interface. You can use it to
point and click or to draw. On a PC you'll need a two-or three-button
mouse. Tip: Keep your mouse clean. Lint
can clog the ball, making maneuvering jerky and otherwise
difficult. An optical mouse eliminates the ball that picks up dirt,
and works on nearly any surface without a special pad.
MPEG:
This acronym stands for Motion Picture Experts Group. What makes them
so special is that they set standards for PC full-motion video. If your
video card supports MPEG-1 or MPEG-2, you've got something awesome.
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-N-
Network:
A means of hooking a number of computers together in order to share data
and/or peripherals. A network can have as few as two computers, or practically
an infinite number. A perfect example of a very large network is the Internet. Networks
aren't just for large corporations. Any home with two PC's can network
them together inexpensively for sharing files or playing games.
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-O-
Operating
System:
The operating system on your computer largely determines the type of software
you will be able to use. The most common operating systems are Windows
98, Windows ME, Windows NT, Windows 2000 and Linux. The operating system defines
the way you (and your software) interact with the computer. Programs generally have to be written
specifically for an operating system. In other words, your favorite Mac
game won't run on your PC unless the CD also contains a PC version of
the game. Some programs are written specifically for certain versions
of operating systems, so when purchasing software check to be sure your
operating system and version is compatible with the product.
Optical Resolution:
This measures the true number of pixels a device such as a printer or scanner can read. The more detail the device's optical hardware can detect, the higher the quality of the reproduction. Optical resolution is particularly important when scanning or printing photos. Such images require more data in order to pick up complex details and edges. So, the higher the resolution (measured in dpi), the sharper the resulting image.
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-P-
Parallel
Port:
Normally devices such as printers or external devices
such as a Zip Drive are
hooked up to a parallel port. A parallel port allows for several bits
of data to be moved at the same time along different lines. Yes, in a
parallel manner.
PC
Card:
The little credit card-size slot on notebook computers and many PDA's
and HPC's accepts PC Cards. PC Cards are built to fulfill a variety of
functions from networking to modems and CD-ROM interfaces. They're also known as
PCMCIA cards.
PCI
Bus: It stands for
Peripheral Component Interconnect, and it's a standard developed by Intel
for making your CPU and the motherboard talk
to each other faster. Most expansion cards today are PCI, except for
video cards. PCI is the most common type of expansion slot available
in a computer.
PCMCIA:
How's this for an acronym? Personal Computer Memory Card International
Association. This group set the standard for PC Cards,
and so the credit card-sized devices are also called PCMCIA cards.
PDA:
The Personal Digital Assistant is a basic pocket secretary. All models
have basic functions for calendar and contact and to-do lists. Extended
functionality includes spreadsheets and word processors, as well as the
ability to send and receive faxes and e-mail. A number of PDA's use a
stylus (or pen) as the primary input device. Most PDA's include the ability
to transfer data to and from a desktop computer.
Photo
CD: Virtually all CD-ROM players these
days support this standard, developed several years ago by Kodak. Many
photofinishers can take your roll of film and have the images placed on
a Photo CD. Each photo is stored in several resolutions, so you can use
whatever size you need to suit your project. Many image editing programs
support Photo CD as an image format. This is the next best thing to having
a digital camera!
Plug-and-Play:
Yes, some do call it "plug and pray," because if your system
isn't compatible, it can be hit-or-miss whether or not it works. For a
true Plug-and-Play system, you'll need a motherboard, cards, and an operating
system that support the standard. Generally a Plug-and-Play motherboard
will work fine if your system doesn't support it, and you can use Plug-and-Play
cards on older systems, but they all work best when you have a fully compatible
system. The nifty thing about a Plug-and-Play system is that when you
plug in a new card and start up the system, it detects your new card and
proceeds to install the drivers. That's right. No fiddling with jumpers!
Port:
Basically it's a place where you plug in a device, be it parallel, serial,
IDE, SCSI, etc.
Power
Supply: The power supply takes the current from your wall electrical
socket and converts it into the various voltages your computer needs. The
size of a power supply is measured in watts, and a general rule of thumb
is the more peripherals the more powerful the supply. Generally speaking,
however, a 200 watt power supply will work for most systems. The fan is
a great collector of dust, so it's a good idea to blow it out with canned
air every once in a while, just to keep the air flowing.
Printer:
As the name implies, a printer prints data. Common printers are inkjet
for home and laser for business. Dot matrix printers are still
employed where multi-part forms are required.
Processor:
This is the "brains" of your system. Also called the Central
Processing Unit or CPU, the processor handles almost all of the calculations
your programs require to run. It goes without saying that the faster CPU
speed, the faster it can handle calculations and the faster your program
will run. If you're buying a PC, look into a Pentium 4, III or Celeron processor.
Another good alternative is the AMD Duron and Athlon product lines,
although these cannot be used on the same motherboards as Intel
processors.
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-R-
RAM: Random Access Memory. Think of
this as short-term memory. Your computer loads portions of programs and
data into RAM, and there it stays until it is either written to the hard
drive or otherwise gotten rid of. If you turn off your computer without
first saving your data, whatever you have done since your last save is
lost because it resided in your RAM. The same thing happens if your PC
locks up and you have to restart or if you suffer a power loss or other
glitch. The moral of this story is to save early and save often. More
RAM allows your system to have more short-term memory. In other words,
you can have more documents open or work on larger, more complicated projects.
Windows 98 requires a minimum of 16 MB of RAM, but runs much better with 64 MB
on board. Windows 2000 lists 64 MB as a minimum requirement, but runs much
better with 256. For graphics-intensive applications, 256 MB or
above is recommended on all operating systems. RAM can get so complicated,
we could write several pages on the topic.
Removable Drive:
Be it Zip or Jaz or another brand, a removable drive lets you store far more data
than a floppy, but considerably less than a hard drive.
These are popular for backup devices, extra storage on systems, or for
transporting files between two systems. Be aware that no two different
types of drive cartridges are compatible, so if you need to move data
between home and office or between your desktop workstation and a service
bureau, make sure both systems have the same brand and type of drive.
For example, Iomega makes both the Zip and Jaz drives, but they're physically
incompatible. Removable drives are available in both internal and external
versions.
Resolution:
In both printers and monitors, it means
how many dots are placed in a certain amount of space. The more dots,
the better. In a printer, it's expressed in DPI, or dots per inch, and
higher numbers mean better resolution. Monitor resolution is generally
expressed in dot pitch, and lower numbers mean better resolution. So a
1200 DPI printer will have better output than a 600 DPI
model, and a .21 dot pitch screen will look better than a .28.
ROM: It stands for Read Only Memory. As opposed to the changeable nature of RAM, data is written once to a ROM and it never changes.
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-S-
Scanner: Have
you got a picture or drawing you really want to get onto your computer?
Or how about a large report you'd rather not retype? Your salvation may
lie in a scanner. A scanner takes an image and converts it to a digital
format your computer can read. Scanners come in two types: sheet fed and flat bed.
A sheet-fed
scanner lets you feed in one sheet of paper at a time. These scanners
are great for doing Optical Character Recognition (OCR) work. The most
common scanners are flatbeds. These resemble a small copy machine.
Lift the cover and place the image face down and use the computer software
to scan the image. They're the most expensive but will result in the best
image.
SCSI: Pronounced,
"scuzzy," it provides a way of chaining a number of devices together. SCSI stands
for Small Computer System Interface. Most PC's require an interface card in order to use SCSI devices. Common SCSI
devices include hard drives, CD-ROM drives, scanners and removable
drives. Many of these devices are also available in other
interfaces (hard drives and CD-ROMs commonly use EIDE
interfaces), so having one such device hooked into your PC does not necessarily
mean you have a SCSI adapter.
Serial
Port: Devices
such as mice and modems are
hooked into a serial port. Serial data is moved one bit at a time, one
after another. Often used for Digital Cameras if the camera
or the operating system does not support USB.
Sound
Card: The first IBM PC came equipped with a speaker,
but it wasn't good for much other than beeps, until a few enterprising
people hacked ways of sending music or speech through it. Still, it was
as tinny as a 1960's transistor radio, and not nearly as loud. The invention
of the sound card heralded the start of the multimedia era. The first
ones used 8-bit sound, which wasn't very realistic, but put the PC speaker
in the dust. Today's sound cards have 64-bit stereo sound or better. Some even have
3D sound for more realism. Of course, a sound card requires headphones
or a pair of speakers. Sound cards also have input capabilities so you
can connect a microphone or a line input device such as a tape deck to
digitize sound.
Speakers:
If your
system has a sound card, it needs a pair of speakers. A pair of headphones
will work just fine, or if your card has a LINE OUT jack (and most do)
you can connect it to a home stereo system. Multimedia speakers have a
built-in amplifier so you can hear the music and control the volume without
need of a rack of stereo equipment. Depending on your budget you can go
anywhere from a small set of amplified speakers to an entire system with
a subwoofer and sound quality that would rival a good home stereo system.
Of course the speakers you buy will depend on your budget and intended
use.
SpeedStep Technology:
This Intel technology conserves your notebook's battery power by customizing power usage. For instance, a notebook with SpeedStep will automatically
lower the power consumption when you are doing simple tasks, such as word processing. And SpeedStep increases your power when you need it, for
presentations, games, etc. By reducing the active power of the processor up to 45% while maintaining up to 80% of the maximum performance, SpeedStep gives notebook
users more of the mobility and flexibility they need.
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-T-
Tablet: Pens aren't
just for PDA's, you know. They're also used with tablets.
A tablet is a writing surface that works with a pen. Tablets are generally
used for art and CAD (Computer-Aided Design) applications. Unless you
do a lot of drawing, a tablet is probably not an option. But if you do,
shop around for one that works well for you. Depending on your needs,
you may want one that will handle a full sheet of paper. There are a number
of compact tablets on the market, also. Some even come with a mouse option
so you can have the best of both worlds.
Tape
Drive: These are
used primarily for backup, though they are also used as distribution media
for very large software programs. Tape drives come in internal and external
versions, and present capacity runs anywhere from
up to and beyond 80 gigabytes. When you purchase a
tape drive it's a good idea to buy as much capacity as you can afford,
even if it's somewhat more than your present hard drive size. Otherwise
you may have to use multiple tape cartridges to back up your hard drive,
which means you'll have to baby-sit a full disk backup. Tip: Always buy
tapes that are preformatted for your particular machine. You may think
you're saving money on unformatted tapes, but when you consider it can
take hours to format a backup tape, you can see you'll make up for the
slight extra cost by saving time.
Touchpad: This input device lets you move the
cursor around on your screen by dragging your fingernail over a small
screen. They're very popular in laptops, but are rapidly being replaced by
IBM's pointing stick.
Trackball: This is
an alternative to a mouse. The beauty of this is that you can keep
your arm pretty much in one spot. They're also very handy for some types
of games, and were popular on laptops until the touchpad replaced them.
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-U-
Uninterruptible
Power Supply (UPS): A UPS will
provide battery backup for your system to keep it running in case of a
power failure. A basic UPS unit will keep your computer running for a
few minutes, while the more powerful ones will keep your system running
for hours. Even a basic UPS will keep your PC running during a momentary
power loss, and will give you time to save your data and safely power
your system down in the case of a power failure.
Universal
Serial Bus (USB): This standard is supported
under Windows 98, Windows ME and Windows 2000. USB allows
for connection of up to 127 devices to your PC. These devices include,
but are certainly not limited to, mice, keyboards, web cameras, monitors,
joysticks and handheld scanners as well as a number of exciting new devices being
developed. USB is also extremely convenient, as new devices can be
added without opening your computer case. Hubs are available to expand
the number of devices that can be connected at one time.
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-V-
Video
Card: Coupled
with your monitor the video card helps determine the quality of the images
you view. The most common card type today is AGP, distantly followed by PCI.
In the past, VL-Bus and ISA have also been used. What you get depends on your motherboard and
free slots. If you have a system with an AGP slot, then an AGP card is your best bet, offering faster processing. Whatever
type you buy, make sure it is accelerated. An accelerated card can do
as much (or more) to speed up your system as a processor upgrade. How
much memory should your card have? If you're a serious gamer, then 32 to
64MB. For most applications, you'll want
at least 8MB. A 3D card is a must if you play a
lot of games. You should also make sure your card is compatible with DirectX
by Microsoft. The
box or the manufacturer's website should be of help in determining what
features come with a particular card.
Video Capture: Yes, you
can snag a movie on your computer. Just remember that moving video = tons
of hard drive space. You'll need an add-on video capture card, or a
special video card with video capture built in. Most PC cards capture and save your
movie in AVI or MPEG format, but with a conversion program you can swap
between the two.
Viewable
Image Size: Along
with a monitor's screen size a Viewable Image
Size is listed. This number is measured diagonally, just like a monitor
or television screen. While your monitor may have a 17" screen, the
actual area reserved for the picture may measure 15.8". Or more.
Or less.
VL-Bus:
The VESA local bus is many times faster than ISA, but much slower than
PCI. It was a good idea at the time, but it has gone by the wayside.
Expect to find it in old 386 or 486 computers from the early 90's. If
someone offers you a computer that has a VL-Bus, it better be dirt cheap or
free as you won't find any
support or options for it today.
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