Here's a quick and easy way to learn all about the components that make up a PC and how to select new components and peripherals that suit your needs and budget.

Here's a summary of everything you will learn in this easy to read information resource...

* What's Inside Your Computer
* What is a motherboard?
* What is a CPU?
* RAM
* Power supply
* Floppy drives - do you really need one?
* SCSI
* WiFi
* All those ports
* Cables, cables and more cables

* The Five Most Popular PC Upgrades
* Memory
* Video card
* Sound card
* DVD player/burner
* Motherboard

* How to Select a Monitor
* What questions to ask - and what the answers mean
* Why LCD monitors are better than CRTs

* How to Select a Hard Drive For Your PC
* The different types of drives
* What memory capacity means
* How much memory you need for how you use your computer
* How drive speed affects your use
* External versus internal drives

* Choosing a DVD-ROM Drive
* Interface - there are at least half a dozen possibilities
* Speed - how to decipher all those letters and numbers
* Coding, decoding, compression
* Combo drives with CD and DVD read/write capabilities

* The Mouse
* Where once there was no choice, today there are hundreds
* Wired versus wireless
* Color and design
* Software
* Optical, ball and roller, laser

* Selecting a Graphics Card
* Do you really need more than your computer motherboard's built-in graphics capability?
* Considering card memory, frame rate and speed
* Why bigger is not always better
* The three main things to look for in a graphics card

* Selecting a Sound Card
* What is bit rate and why it's important
* Just as you would with a new receiver for your audio/video suite, * look at the card's connectors
* Consider compatibility with the software you use

* Selecting a Printer
* Resolution
* Speed
* Economy
* Maximum paper size and format

* Selecting a Scanner
* What is your need?
* What is your budget?
* Resolution
* Size of documents to be scanned