Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
portable, but the small keyboard and screen size may be uncomfortable to use for extended
sessions. Tablets and smartphones provide the ultimate in portability but at the expense of
visibility and ease of use.
Understand the differences between cases.
Nonportable (desktop) PC cases vary in terms
of their size and orientation. A case that sits tall on its smallest side is called a tower. A
case that sits fl at on its largest side is called a desktop. (Note that the term
desktop
has two
different meanings here.)
Verify voltage and power requirements.
A PC is designed to run on AC current, either
110v or 230v, depending on the country and region. Desktop PCs sometimes have a switch
on the power supply that determines which voltage it accepts. Laptop PCs typically have
different power cords for one voltage or the other. It's important to verify the voltage a
system needs against the voltage your wall outlet provides.
Understand the common ports.
Look on the back of a desktop PC, or along the sides of
a notebook, and peruse the ports available there. You should be able to identify what each
of these ports is used for. Some of the most common ones include USB, VGA, FireWire
(IEEE1394), Ethernet (RJ-45), and 3.5 mm (audio).
