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Computer Terminology Misuse

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Posted by Editor on Dec 29, 2009 in Featured, PC Repair Guy | 4 comments

If I had a nickel every time someone called a computer a “hard drive”, I’d be a millionaire. Seriously, is computer terminology THAT hard? The amount of misused terminology that I hear every week would be enough to make a dictionary author commit suicide. Computer parts are impossible to define to the masses due to the complete mess of terminology.

REBOOTING A COMPUTER MEANS RESTARTING THE DAMN THING! It’s not the same as reformatting, which is not the same as reinstalling an OS! Every time someone’s asked to me to reinstall Windows on their computer, these are the ways I’ve heard it being said:

  1. Can you reformat my computer? [This means to "format" a hard drive, which is to essentially to delete everything]
  2. Can you reboot my computer? [This means to restart the computer.]
  3. Can you wipe out my computer? [This means to take a cloth and use some elbow grease. Or the same as #1)
  4. Can you erase my computer? [Same as #1]
  5. Can you restart everything on my computer? [This means to..ahh I quit]
  6. Can you make my computer new again? [This is not possible]
  7. Can you format and then reinstall the operating system on my computer? [THIS is the way to say it. Which means to do exactly what you want.]

I’m tempted to do exactly as told next time someone misuses computer terminology. Really, the next time someone asks me to “reboot” his computer, I’ll specify that on the agreement, plug his computer in, turn it on, and then restart it, and then give it back to him. Or if I get asked to reinstall his hard drive, I’ll open up the computer, take out the hard drive, put it back in, and then give it back. And then charge him the money we agreed on.


This is called a computer.

This is called a computer.

You see that tall, black, shiny thing up there? It’s called a tower, a computer, a “rig“, or a PC. It is not called a “hard drive“, “CPU“, “motherboard“, “thingamajiggy“, “fat heavy something“, “magic box” or any other word that people make up on the spot. It’s so bad that when I search for a “CPU” using Google Images, I get a picture of a stupid computer as the first result.

It's so bad that when I search for "CPU", this is what I get as my first result.

It's so bad that when I search for "CPU", look at what I get as my first result.

See, that is exactly what I feared. That misusing computer terminology would become so common that it would be impossible to know what is what.

Anyway, THESE are the respective components found in computers, and their names cannot be used to refer to the whole computer.

Yes, this is EXACTLY what a CPU is. A little chip found deep in your computer.

Yes, this is EXACTLY what a CPU is. A little chip found deep in your computer.

This thing is a hard drive. It is found in your computer. It stores your files. Got it?

This thing is a hard drive. It is found in your computer. It stores your files. It is not the same as saying "memory". Got it?

This is memory or RAM. It is NOT the same as the thing above.

This is "memory" or RAM. It is NOT the same as the thing above. Memory IS RAM.

This is a motherboard. Pretty much everything in your computer is connected to it somehow.

This is a motherboard. Pretty much everything in your computer is connected to it somehow.

This is called a computer.

Again, I repeat. THIS thing is not a CPU, nor a motherboard, nor a hard drive. It is a computer. The stuff above is found inside this thing.

Please, I beg of you all, learn something, and don’t misuse computer terminology again, atleast for these few terms. This is not meant to be a detailed computer lesson, so if you are looking for that…

And, by the way, this old internet gem is somewhat relevant. The IT Crowd, this episode is one of the funniest computer comedy videos I’ve ever watched.

Share with us in the comments some of the other ways you’ve heard computer terminology misused.

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4 Responsesto “Computer Terminology Misuse”

  1. MFS says:
    December 29, 2009 at 9:54 pm

    YES! this is excellent stuff!! next time someone misuses computer terminology… i’ll try and control myself and send him this link instead of knocking him out cold for ignorance! lol ^^ Many thanks Adminator! gotta love the person writing this article! ^^

    reply
  2. Imthiyaz says:
    December 29, 2009 at 10:20 pm

    You wrote this because shiraz mama came to you asking to restart his computer and make it new again didn’t you LOL.

    reply
  3. Vinny says:
    May 21, 2010 at 2:43 pm

    I could not have said it better myself. Here’s one. The use of the terms upload or download to describe installing a program or copying files other than on a LAN or the internet. Maybe not quite as bad as the others but still IT JUST AIN’T RIGHT!

    reply

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