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A microprocessor (CPU, CPU )
This big chip is designed to execute the instructions of computer programs as quickly as possible. It calculates and copies the information. This is the central component of the computer. The microprocessor executes one instruction after the other, at a frequency set by a clock and measured in megahertz or gigahertz.

The frequency gives a first indication of the speed of the computer. To obtain a reliable estimate, it is still necessary to know the model of the microprocessor. Many electronic components heat up as long as they need to be ventilated.

The microprocessor is most often cooled by a heat sink surmounted by a fan. A fan is also integrated into the power supply of the housing to circulate fresh air. Other components (graphics card, motherboard …) may require a cooling system. The main quality of a good fan is to be quiet, which is achieved especially by a variable speed of rotation.

64 MB SDRAM RAM (RAM, RAM, DRAM, SDRAM, DDR-SDRAM, RDRAM )
It stores the information being processed by the microprocessor. It consists of chips arranged on small cards called barrettes. Its storage capacity (measured in megabytes or gigabytes) limits the number of information directly accessible to the microprocessor, so the processing capabilities of the computer.

The RAM must be fully electronic to track the frequency of the microprocessor, so it works only when the computer is running. The processing speed is influenced by the access time to the stored information (measured in megahertz or nanoseconds).

ASUS TXP4-X Motherboard, mainboard, MB
It is the largest electronic circuit of the computer. It is covered with connectors where other components are connected. The type and number of connectors determine which components can be used. Sometimes, graphics, sound, network or modem communication are integrated into the motherboard. Most functions are provided by one or two chips called chipset.

The latter therefore prioritize the performance of a motherboard. All information passes through the motherboard (and the chipset) through connections called a bus. The bit rates (measured in megabytes per second) of the various buses influence the speed of processing. Sometimes only the frequency (measured in megahertz) or the width (measured in bits) of a bus is given, the other quantity being invariable.

Matrox Millenium II Graphics card
It produces the images sent to the screen. It contains a clean random memory memorizing all the pixels of the displayed image, as well as the numerous textures used in the video games.

It also contains a graphics processor capable of animating images. The quality of interactive animations depends on the performance of this processor. The only currently reliable performance measure is to observe the speed and display quality of a test program, typically a game.

Quantum Atlas II Hard disk (HDD, hard drive, hard disk, HD, HDD )
Its utility is threefold. First, it memorizes the information magnetically, so even when the computer is off. Then it can memorize for the same price about a hundred times more data than RAM. Finally, it can be used by programs to overcome a lack of RAM, although it is at least a thousand times slower. Its storage capacity is measured in gigabytes.

Speed read/write is generally partially described by the average time of access (in milliseconds) by the rotational speed in revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm) and by the type and transfer rate (or bitrate) of the bus connected to the motherboard (given in megahertz or megabytes per second).

The speed of the hard disk only influences the speed of the computer to the extent that the disk is used. It should be noted that it can be intensively used in case of lack of RAM.

ATX housing Case (tower, box, tower)
It contains all previously described components with slots for attaching the motherboard and various disk devices. It also contains a power supply unit including a fan and an electrical transformer.

Only low voltage currents supply the components. The case volume and the power of the power supply limit the number of usable devices. There are various forms of housing: the tower; the desktop box supporting the screen; mobile.

Main peripherals
Pioneer DR-U24XCD / DVD player/writer (CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD + R, DVD + RW)
CDs and DVDs are a means of storing economic and practical information. At first, it was only possible to read CDs. Then appeared recordable CDs (CD-R) and then re-recordable (CD-RW). Recording on a CD is called burning because it is impossible or at least difficult to erase a CD. The same evolution exists for DVDs.

The read/write/ rewrite speeds are given in multiples of the speed of a basic audio CD or DVD video respectively. Sometimes the average access time is also given. The performance of this device counts only in case of intensive use, typically engraving. The manufacturing quality of the reader (depending on the brand), as well as the medium, can have a noticeable effect on the success rate of copies and engravings.

Floppy disks have not changed since the early 1990s. They have a capacity of less than 2 MB and unreliable reliability. Floppy drives are also very slow and unreliable, but their price is minimal. Their main utility is to be used when turning on the computer without accessing the hard disk.

They also remain useful for exchanging information with old computers. The main variation is the national layout of the keys. There are several types of connection to the box, not necessarily compatible. Some keyboards are wireless.

Logitech Mouse
The main variation is the number of buttons and knobs. There are several types of connection to the box, not necessarily compatible. Some mice are wireless.

Commodore 1960 Screen (monitor, display, screen, CRT, LCD, TFT )
There are two main screen technologies: CRTs and Flat Panel Displays (LCDs, TFTs). CRTs tend to disappear because they are bulky.

The price depends primarily on the size, measured in inches on the diagonal. Then it depends on the general quality of the display (fidelity of colors, fineness of details, homogeneity of the rendering …) which is difficult to measure.

For CRTs, an additional measurable criterion is the stability of the image. It depends on the maximum refresh rate, measured in hertz for the vertical frequency (number of frames displayed per second) and in kilohertz for the horizontal frequency (number of lines displayed per second).

Sometimes the number of displayable pixels per second is given in megahertz instead of the horizontal frequency (one is deduced from the other). It is generally considered that a vertical frequency of 85 Hz is sufficient and that a higher frequency does not bring significant qualitative gain.

Flat screens have resolution fixed pixels. They do not always support all shades of colors. Their display has a response time, measured in milliseconds, which is important for rendering animations. Finally, the angle of vision under which the image remains clearly visible is limited and given in degrees.

From now on, you can also follow the lessons on video! This one is also offered to you. You can buy the videos in the Xyoos shop.

1. Positioning the keys of a keyboard
Here is a standard keyboard. At the moment we will mainly address 3 areas:

The different areas of a keyboard
The 3 main areas of the keyboard: numbers, letters, and special characters. The first area, in blue, contains all the letters of the alphabet, arranged in AZERTY. The second area, in red, contains the special characters: accents, apostrophes, parentheses …

And the third zone, in yellow, groups the numbers and basic operations (+ – * /).
Note that the keypad is not present on all keypads. Some laptops for example, because of their small size, have no place for this area. The numbers are above the special characters.

2. Learn to type, the first approach
Space below allows you to freely type text. Practice a little bit of history to locate the positioning of the letters. Place the cursor of your mouse over the form field and type text using the keyboard.
Question :
I can not make a point or some other special characters, how is it done? I can not type numbers either! It’s normal! The keyboard contains some additional subtleties. We will see immediately why and how.
3.3. Important keys on the keyboard
The space key allows you to separate the words
At the same time the biggest key of the keyboard and also one of the most used, it will allow you to make a space between each of your words. When your hands are well-positioned it is the thumbs that must press this key.
3.2 The Enter key
The Enter key allows a return to the line
The Enter key is used to return to the line and create a new paragraph when you are entering text, but it is also used to confirm or validate in multiple cases when Windows asks you a question via a dialog for example. This avoids having to pick up the mouse to click.
3.3 Escape key (ESC)
The Esc key allows you to cancel an action
The ESC key is the very first key on the keyboard at the top left. It is used in general when the system asks you a question and you want to answer in the negative (no, cancel …). It is also used to cancel action in progress.
3.4 CAPITALIZES
There are 2 ways to capitalize on a keyboard. First find the keys that we will use: Shift and Caps Lock (for Caps Lock). The Shift key is to the far left and to the far right of the letters, and the Caps Lock key just above the left shift key.

Capital letters at the beginning of a sentence: when you start a sentence, you must capitalize the first letter. To do this, hold down one of the two Shift keys (in yellow, and not Green Caps Lock in green) and press the desired letter.

Release and continue typing your text. If you need to press a letter on the left side of the keyboard, press the right Shift key with your right hand, so your left hand is free to press the key. And conversely!

A sentence or a proper name in upper case: the first technique is useful when you put a single letter in upper case, when you have to type a proper name or several words in uppercase, use the key Caps Lock: it allows to lock the uppercase, so no need to hold the key, all you type will be capitalized. Press the Num Lock key again to return to normal mode.

Difference between upper case and upper case
Capitalize with Shift or a whole word with VerrMaj
Note that when in Caps Lock mode, holding down the Shift key reverses the behavior and returns to lowercase the time you hold the key.

Take the time to practice a little, try, experiment! You can open the notebook in the Start Menu to type some text. The next class continues with the learning of the keyboard but this time with the punctuation, the modification of a text and other important keys to know.

Introduction
This small article aims to introduce the components of a computer and their role to beginners. There are parts needed to operate a PC and other optional but each has its place. There are some differences between laptops and laptops.

The necessary parts
The motherboard: It is she who takes care of connecting the peripherals and components between them, like the memory modules, the hard disks, the microprocessor. It is composed of several elements like the BIOS, the socket, the ports (USB for example as one can see on the image), the chipset.

The chipset regulates the connections and the socket ensures perfect communication between the elements. These are important roles that should not be overlooked when choosing a motherboard.

The graphics card: It is she who sends to the screen the images stored in its memory. It is dedicated to HD videos, games and 3D because the graphics chip of a processor can handle simple tasks. His main roles are held by his Graphic Processing Unit (GPU) which deals with calculations of 2D or 3D graphics and the memory which exchanges the data with the GPU and obviously stores the images to be sent.

Memory modules: Also known as random access memory or Random access memory (RAM), this is where the computer stores the data being processed, it is essential to supply the data processor with quick access. It’s only temporary storage, a volatile memory the data is no longer present once the computer turns off, unlike a hard drive.

It is the frequency of the bars that must be looked at to choose them, the higher it is, the faster the access to the data. One can also learn about the number of clock cycles needed to fetch a piece of stored data.

The power supply: It is it that feeds the PC into electricity, it converts the voltage that arrives to make it compatible with the circuits of the computer. It has several connectors for graphics cards, hard drives… You have to pay attention to their number and the power of the power supply compared to what the computer can ask for.

The microprocessor: The processor executes the instructions and processes the data of the programs. It goes with the motherboard. The microprocessor is smaller and in one box. Frequency is one of the elements that reflect its power as well as the number of cores or cache memory.

The fan: It is he who cools your PC, it is chosen according to its ability to circulate the air and its silence of operation. You can see the number of revolutions per minute, the more it is, the more noisy, a larger diameter fan will have less need to turn.

Optional parts
The network card: It sends and controls the data on the network, it is identified by a MAC address, it translates the digital signals into electrical or optical.

The hard disk: It is he who stores the data permanently, it has a cache that keeps the data that is accessed more often which offers a faster reading. Its rotational speed in revolutions per minute determines the access time to the data.

The sound card: It allows to manage the input-output sound of the computer, as soon as you plug a microphone, a headset. It, therefore, converts the audio data from the computer to a signal and vice versa and has external input-output connectors such as the jack. We speak of resolution for the sound reproduction.

As a business owner since 2003, we have been through the wringer with employees. Sure, starting out, we were just doing all the computer repair and IT services work ourselves. I remember going into multiple businesses knowing that I was going to spend hour after hour simply setting up the servers and then the countless hours it was going to take to monitor and administer everything for that specific business. 16 hour days were the norm, I was tired, and I knew that I couldn’t sustain the long hours.

Fast forward 14 years, and we have been through 3 different storefronts, and have a very successful business. Looking back, there were the highs and lows, but every single long hour was worth it to build what we can now have. We are so proud to offer a valuable resource, whether that’s computer repair, managed it services, or just lending an ear to people who call in to help walk them through a simple issue.

What’s helped so much after the initial trials and tribulations are our coveted employees. We have been very fortunate to have many great employees, some who have stayed with us for many years. We have seen some employees that weren’t the greatest fits, and to be honest, that was nobody’s fault but our own.

And that’s the reason why I’m writing this post. I want to help you, the computer repair shop owner, make sure that you have the resources to not only hire but manage the right people. If you can take one, or maybe all of the items listed below and apply them into your business, you will be on the winning side of things to come.

First, let’s talk about hiring:

Hire based on Evidence. Not based on Enthusiasm. We took this piece of advice from Darren Hardy, and we wish we had made this the number one hiring thought right out of the gate! We hired one of our first employees because he was so happy, enthusiastic, and we thought he would draw customers in because of his charming personality.

The problem was, he didn’t have the requisite skills to even send out emails, let alone work on the computer. That hire didn’t last long, but we have gotten much better about making sure we read a resume and understand someone’s skills before pulling the trigger.

Be clear about what you want. As a hiring employer, we have to be incredibly crystal clear about what we are hiring for. If we need someone to be client-facing and go into businesses to diagnose network problems, we have to make sure not only that they are pleasant to be around, but that they know how to look at a network and diagnose a problem. There are so many tools that we can use that will help us perform the network diagnostics, but if we hire someone that does not have that skill, they simply won’t last long.

Make sure that wherever you post your hiring ad, you detail every single technical skill that your prospective employee must have, any soft skills that would be requirements, and discuss with your team anything that you may have left out.
Ask your Advisors! I belong to a Rotary club. You might have a few people you can trust either in a networking group or, if you are really unsure, ask a trusted family member what they think your best hiring practices should be. You can run your interview questions by them, and ask them if they would recommend asking different questions or expounding on your current ones.

Now that you’ve got some great tips for hiring, here are some tips for managing your employees:

Make sure you put them in the best position to succeed. If your employees are better at repairing computers than speaking with customers, they might be better served to be back in the shop working on motherboards. If you have an employee who is well-spoken, smiles a lot, and gives a great handshake, maybe they can be in charge of your client interaction.

If you are interchanging roles between two people who have different skills, and they are not a good fit for an alternative role, simply take them and put them in the best place where they can help you, and ultimately grow. Have weekly or monthly one-on-one meetings with your employees. Asking key questions about how they are feeling about working with or for you can work wonders with employees.

They will not only feel like they are valued, but they won’t be afraid to speak with their boss – you, about problems when they come up. If you are offering a new server administration service, and one of your current employees is qualified to fill that role, you may be able to figure out that information through your weekly or monthly meetings.

Compensate well. As the boss, you see the numbers for your computer repair business. You know how many clients you need to blow past your bottom line, and you know what your breakeven is. If and when you succeed, make sure that you give your guys in the shop a raise or a bonus. If they upsell a popular remote support service after they sell a PC, give them a little bonus for the improved performance.

They will not only want to stay longer but ask how they can sell more to earn more, which also benefits the business. We have been fortunate to have some great employees stay around for a long time, and because of them, our computer repair and IT company has become a mainstay in Fort Collins.