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Check the connections to the computer before buying
When buying a new computer, check that it is well equipped for connections . Otherwise you will need to purchase an expansion card or an adapter cable and which will increase your bill.
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Choice of connectors
When purchasing computer hardware (computer, motherboard, expansion card), you should always choose the ones equipped with the latest connectivity.

The technologies will be most successful, faster, often simpler to use and that can certainly be used longer.For more mobility, choose the common connectivity go for the most common connectors if you need mobility.

For example, an external hard drive, USB2 connectivity lets you use it on any computer while the FireWire and, especially, eSATA, although faster, are much less common

For more connectors
To provide management connectors lately, old or uncommon, many adapters and controller cards are available.

Monitor Connection
The VGA connector is a great connector for CRT. If you wish to use a flat screen, it is better to be oriented towards the DVI or HDMI.

Prefer USB
To operate your devices simultaneously you should have one provided with USB connectivity. Indeed, computers are always equipped with a large number of USB plug. In addition, USB hubs can increase the number of ports supported.
USB hubs
get USB hubs with external power supply separately. Problems often occur on those devices because of a power failure.

Playing protected videos
If you want to play protected video by HDCP BluRay or HD DVD, the entire distribution (screen, video card and reader) must support this protection protocol.

Wireless Connectors
Infrared
Transmission at short sight or by reflection of infrared light for transmission from 1to 2 Mbit / s.

Bluetooth
The Bluetooth as Wi-Fi uses radio waves to transmit data. However, he accepts a much lower debit and a radius of action . It is used for keyboards and mice upscale, but also for transfers from mobile phones, PDAs, GPS …

Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi is the wireless version of network connections (RJ45). Mainly used in ADSL modems to deliver Internet in all rooms of a house for example . The radio wave transmission enables distances of 30 meters indoors and 100 outdoors at speeds of 12 Mbps 802.11g and 54 Mbps 802.11g. Future releases 802.11n will increase the distances and speeds. After the modems and routers, the printers started being equipped with Wi-Fi .

UWB
This is the wireless version of USB for connecting external devices. The scope should be 10 meters for a flow rate of 1 Gbit / s.

WHDMI : Wireless HDMI
The WHDMI is the wireless version of HDMI. It should be capable of reproducing a video stream with a resolution from 480i to 1080p, all on a distance of 7.5 meters.

Standards and certifications are being established.
Feel free to use the wireless versions of connectors, protocols are now very mature and work perfectly with it . Improving design and usability, by decreasing the number of unsightly cables while increasing the range and possibilities of availability .

Adapters
The adapters are numerous and very useful. Be careful, however, the functions they can support rarely preserve all port properties they convert.

A <strong>computer </strong>already assembled is a perfectly valid <strong>choice</strong> if you do not want to break your head or if one does not have basic computer skills. But for about the same price, it is possible to obtain a machine more suited to your needs if you bother to assemble it yourself .
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Price / performance
The price difference is often minimal between low end and midrange <strong>computers</strong> . Unless you have a tight budget, it is wise to opt for a computer “middle range” because in this range are found the best price / performance. The entry-level computers often use less powerfull  microprocessors (with less internal cache for example).

Using Office
For office use, virtually any <strong>desktop computer </strong>would work and this is the case, regardless of the operating system: Windows XP, GNU / Linux, Mac OS X. .. The current performance levels are such that the computer’s lowest range is able to manage any task from word processing, spreadsheet manipulation or browser. In these cases, a normal integrated graphics card to the motherboard is not something disadvantageous because the display needs are low.

PC Home Cinema
For  intensive multimedia use  (Home Theater for example ) or for high-end gaming, you nurture the audio portion of the machine. All current motherboards have integrated sound chipset fully able to meet the normal requirements (at least the standard AC97). If you want an integrated chipset higher quality, choose the HD Audio, newest and that supports Dolby Pro Logic IIx for 7.1 channels. Another possibility is adding a separate audio expansion card, more powerful, like the Creative Audigy or X-Fi or M-Audio Revolution 5.1 or 7.1.

Gamers
If you are often playing games using advanced graphics and animations (especially any recent 3D games), it is recommended to avoid solutions of PC with an integrated graphics card, they are much less efficient than separate graphics cards. Or, go for a PC with at least one port PCI Express X16 (port dedicated to graphics card) allowing you to add a discrete graphics card later.

Mac or PC?
If the games are what interest you first, preferably go for a PC. Indeed, regarding games , PCs performance are far superior than that of the Mac. In addition, the amount of games available on PC is much more important. For arts and crafts, the mac often prevails among artists. Finally , the PC remains the best option because the software is more numerous.

Windows Vista or 7
If you intend to use Windows Vista or 7 on your new machine, be aware that this is an operating system using graphics intensively. It must therefore provide a machine with a separate high-performance graphics card (designed to work with Vista Aero Glass interface and DirectX 9) and avoid the   integrated graphics on the motherboard.

Pack Software
The software package provided often includes other programs such as Microsoft Office suite or antivirus utilities and miscellaneous. And sometimes , with an Internet connection, you can download free software for a quality equivalent to that of commercial products (obviously for GNU / Linux, but also for Windows and to a lesser extent for the iMac). For example, OpenOffice, AbiWord word processor or ClamAV antivirus (Clamwin for Windows).

Website and internet support from manufacturer
Check the quality of Internet services offered by the manufacturer of your machine and its main components  (operating system, motherboard, graphics card, disk (s) drive (s), scanners …). It should be possible to get help easily, by several means, whether through the FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), discussion forums, via email, etc.. Note that there are often special utilities not necessarily provided on the original installation CD (for example test programs / formatting / repair hard drive …).

The graphics card has any real importance in the fields of 3D applications. For the Internet, watching classic video (not HD) and office, almost all graphics cards market is sufficient. There are many types of graphic cards depending on the need an dthe price you are willing to give for it .
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It is always difficult to find a graphics card with a good price quality relationship . There are also graphic cards that   know how to correctly operate video games, even if they are  not  in their best quality. They must also be versatile and can provide an opening to a digital video. In the world of video games, nothing is too powerful to run your favorite titles more than a gamer graphic card . The compromise on the power should not be too important, but one should still seek to find the best power / price.

1. Choose the card for your needs
The <strong>graphics card</strong> has a real importance in the fields of 3D applications. For the Internet, watching classic video (not HD) and office work, almost all graphics cards found available on the market are sufficient.

2. A signifucant power feeding for a powerful card
<strong>Graphics cards</strong> mid / high range often require an additional power supply. It is therefore advisable to have a PC power supply powerful enough and have a free connector to run the card.

3. Multifunction cards
Some say multifunction <strong>graphics cards</strong> offer, in addition to display features a TV tuner and video capture functions. They are good products to bring diversity in the use of your computer even if their performances are still inferior to specialized products.

4. Cards suitable for video editing
For video editing, orient yourself towards dedicated solutions that actually accelerate the design of sequences. The graphics are not adapted to this type of work and discharged entirely on the processor of the computer: the contribution is zero.

5. The card with HD resolution
To watch HD videos, go for a dedicated graphics card, the integrated circuits are generally too inefficient to properly provide high definition.

6. Little interest in the upscale
The models most high-end home builders are often more a technological showcase than real bargains. Check rather the middle-high range that offers the best cocktail systematically performance, power and price.

7. Choose the PCI-Express
In the case of buying a graphics card for a recent computer (less than 2 years), the connection standard PCI-Express is the most common.

8. 512 MB, or nothing!
512 MB of RAM is usually sufficient for recreational classic use . In addition, the gain is significant that in the case of using very high resolution.

9. Cooling system for your comfort
Be sure to opt for models of graphics cards featuring an impressive cooling system, it is often the quietest.

There are two types of <strong>computers </strong>: Macintosh and PC
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The question remains, more than ever, given the quality and success of Apple machines (Macintosh or “Mac”) in recent years. It must first be remembered that these two types of machines that do not use the same operating system. Windows is present in overwhelming majority on <strong>notebook </strong>PCs, while Mac OS X is the exclusive system of Mac. If the material that makes up modern Macs is very close to what is on a PC in architecture as in the nature of components, the operating system maintains a difference between them . The software, when they exist on both platforms are different, but the main files generated by these two types of machines are compatible: for example, a Word file created on Windows can be read and edited in Mac OS X. And vice versa .

The choice between Mac and PC depend mainly on its use , and the relative importance that is given to certain parameters. The ease of use and design are on the side of Mac. In return, the number and variety of software available for Mac are reduced even if the applications are most common and most useful available and meet the standards of compatibility with PCs.

As for the PC, you can count on the diversity and abundance of available software, but also a greater power, especially for very intensive use, and video games. Note also that the additional device compatibility is always guaranteed, which is not the case with Macs.

Centrino labels : sure for mobility
The labels used on laptops meet the need of unity created by the multitude of components available on the market. They appoint, with specific names, packages that are consistent in recognizing the first glance the heart of the technological content of a machine.

They are essential on portable machines. Those that occur most often are the Centrino and the Centrino Duo. These specific designations chipmaker Intel. They are used to recognize sets of chipsets specially dedicated to mobility. This is one trend that is spreading the concept attracted both OEMs and consumers: for proof, labels Intel Viiv or AMD Live! which, in their respective fields, are slowly emerging.

The economic models of <strong>computers </strong>and multifunction
Economic models can fully meet basic needs. Office, Internet browsing, e-mail or play music and videos are skills that this type of machine has. They represent a large share of sales of <strong>laptops </strong>and are the cause of democratization in this market. These are mainly machines with screen 15 “or 15″ 4. The inside is often composed of an entry-level processor and a memory whose size is reduced to a minimum, as storage space offered by the hard disk.

The multifunction models of laptops are good to do everything and, as such, their homogeneity and characterized. The processor king in this category is the Dual Core 2  because it is powerful, flexible and low fuel consumption in battery. The couple screen 15 “4 (size 16/10) + DVD is a must for viewing videos. And not to be tightly packed, 60 GB hard drive will be necessary. Of course, the presence of a chip ATI or NVIDIA would be a plus for the casual gamer.

The fun <strong>laptop </strong>and ultra-laptops : Laptops fun oriented  to replace a desktop machine is a marked improvement in power, but they often pay a reduced autonomy. While the Dual Core is a reference, it has serious competitors, including our newest: the Dual Core 2 . The key lies however in the circuit graph must necessarily possess its own memory to be powerful enough. In this area, ATI and NVIDIA have the best offer.

The ultra-portable computers are the showcase for manufacturers. They are true marvels of technology. In the first place , the criteria for independence, compactness and design become paramount.

1. Best laptopsIn recent years, the <strong>laptop </strong>is becoming more important in the field of computing. Now, for the first time, its sales have surpassed those of desktop computers in the United States. Between netbook and notebook, the choice remains to be done.
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Here is a <strong>comparison </strong>of computers :
2. All-in-One, Ultra, or design, your PC at the right format!
It is important to target the size of the <strong>laptop </strong>based on the use you make of it. This goes along with the size of the screen. Do not be tempted by a big screen if you plan to travel regularly.

3. Beware of the weight
If you intend to travel regularly, pay attention to the weight of your machine. Above 2 kg, the computer is less mobile because, added the weight of accessories, the bag and many other items that will quickly make it hard to move with .

4. The autonomy, essential for the mobility
Autonomy is a very important criterion. In fact, if you plan to use your computer anywhere, it must have a good autonomy. Several parameters are taken into account. The screen first: the larger it is, the more it consumes energy, and the computer is less durable. It’s the same for the graphics card. When integrated, the autonomy of the system is improved. However, if a dedicated graphics card, it may consume a lot .

For the processor, it depends on the heat it releases, otherwise known as TDP. Over this data, the lower it consumes. Batteries: the more they contain “cells”, the more they allow a good autonomy. Finally, choose the right compromise between the number of cells, the price of the machine, its components and its weight.

5. Hard disk: capacity and performance
Beware, it’s not just the ability that matters! If 80 GB is now a minimum for an acceptable comfort, hard drive running at 4200 rpm is too slow to provide decent benefits and has virtually disappeared. Currently, the standard is around 5400 rpm (make-in). The disks for laptops 7200 rpm represent the high end and provide for the use, approval and additional significant. Some manufacturers also add functions to protect data against accidental bumps . In 2009, we must also take account of the democratization of the DSS, this format storage device based on flash memory. Still expensive, this system offers improved performance in access time, reading and writing.

6. What processor for common use?
Today, all processors in the market are sufficient for common tasks such as office, internet surfing, watching movies, MP3 files or photos. The difference between a high-end machine and a machine input range is mainly due to comfort (responsiveness and multitasking) and the autonomy of the service.

7. What processor for advanced use?
The games, but also video editing, HD playback or 3D graphics require powerful processors. In the field, the Intel Core 2 Duo is now a must because of the strength of its two cores combined with autonomy authorized by the intelligent management of consumption. The latest Intel Centrino 2 platform will be on a plus in this case.

8. A quality keyboard for comfort
It is impossible to replace a keyboard on a laptop, so be sure before buying it that the keyboard has a good quality, the keys are well laid out and the touch is enjoyable. Likewise, the touchpad should be balanced, and sensitive keys click as failing rapidly transforming the everyday into a nightmare. Only tests on products can give you an idea.

9. How much memory (RAM) is needed?
It takes at least 2 GB of RAM for use with Vista basic or intensive (several programs running at the same time) with XP. For games or for more comfort and responsiveness, it will also have 2 GB in Windows XP . Recall that under Windows, only a 64-bit OS handle more than 3GB of RAM.

Dedicated or integrated graphics cards ?As part of a standard use, all the chips on the market agree. For  gamers and graphic designers to manipulate 3D objects, the presence of a  dedicated graphics chip, with its own video memory (256 MB of RAM) is a  virtual requirement.

HD Ready, Full HD, HD TV
After asking  about the technology of our future <strong>LCD</strong> <strong>screen</strong>, this one question occurs : is it  capable of displaying <strong>HD</strong> programs? For this you need to know the labels currently in use. They are threefold: the label “<strong>HD</strong> Ready” label “<strong>HD</strong> TV” and the label “Full HD” (although it is not certified). Note that only these three labels deserve to be mentioned, the logo “HD Ready” does absolutely no guarantee on the quality of the screen, quite the contrary . The name “HD-Ready” it applies to the broadcaster (on screen) and is characterized by a set of technical constraints that must be met by that statement on television. These obligations relate to the physical connectivity and display capabilities including, as we shall see now.
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Sources and Resolutions
In terms of display, a TV “HD Ready” is a 16:9 screen, with 720 lines at a minimum. For information, CRT TVs have a resolution of 576 lines for 720 points per line. The gain in detail is therefore logical. But it is even more when talking about a television “Full-HD, which should display 1920 pixels over 1080 lines. This resolution is the only one that can certainly help you enjoy the richness of a program broadcast in high definition. Indeed, if a digital signal has a higher resolution than your TV is displayed, it will be with a loss of information that will be more important than the definition of the screen away from the signal (known as “downscaling”).

This type of loss is less dramatic, however, that the opposite case, which will see a poor signal quality (that of a conventional analog tuner for example) to get on TV, “Full-HD”. The program will then be extrapolated to “fill” your screen, and even the best treatments will not offer a correct picture (referred to as “upscaling”). It is still rare these days to take advantage of the resolution of a screen full-HD content via broadcast without scaling involving the loss of some data. However, through game consoles (eg Xbox 360) or HD-DVD or Blu-ray you can get beautiful images that will tap the screen optimally and in its full resolution.

The sources used by consumers are therefore very varied, manufacturers of flat screens have made  a compromise to avoid losing too much quality when watching a program “Full-HD, and do not use too much extrapolation when displaying a program SD (standard resolution of 720×576). The resolution  best able to meet these criteria would be 1280×720. However, in order to provide compatibility , data signals with XGA (1024×768 pixels), is a definition of 1366×768 you will find frequently for many LCD models.

Regarding plasma displays, many televisions have a resolution of 1024×768 hybrid, which will display (after a very slight “downscaling”) a high definition signal. But one can also find this type of screen resolution of 1366×768 mentioned previously, and the definition of “queen” of 1920×1080, which is necessary to obtain an image of “full HD”.

Do you remember how did the first cartoons and the first computer games look? Just a couple of moving lines and maybe a a beeping sound for computer games or classical music for cartoons.
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<a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steamboat_Willie”>Steamboat Willie</a> was the first groundbreaking cartoon made in 1928 with moving pictures and synchronized sound.

The first computer game was made much later, in 1958. A simple tennis game on an oscilloscope screen.

<a href=”http://i1-news.softpedia-static.com/images/news2/The-World-039-s-First-Computer-Game-2.jpg”></a>. The relationship between these two different types of entertainment became very close in the computer age, and nowadays both are created with basically the same equipment and software. Games and non-classical cartoons are based on <a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_animation”><strong>3D computer animation</strong>

While games and animations are made mostly in the same way, there’s a huge difference between them too. Computer animations are compiled into high-resolution high quality video streams, but computer games are interactive, so the 3D animation has to be generated in real-time by the user’s computer. As a consequence all 3D animations related to gameplay have to be able to adept to the specific computer’s hardware. Slower computers will generate low quality graphics while top gaming <strong>computers</strong> sometimes exceed even the quality of studio-produced <strong>3D animations</strong> (cartoons).

The first completely computer generated 3D animation was Toy Story, shown to the public in 1995. It was made by Disney/Pixar, the firm that stands behind the success of Apple Inc. as we know it today. Steve Jobs invested all his money (and more) in the animation firm, made a lot of profit and later could buy his way back into the CEO position at Apple. TV shows like The Simpsons made fun of him recently, calling him “Steve Mobbs, chief imaginative officer at mApple”, but the truth is that he made historical contributions to the entertainment industry (and more) with Pixar animations, and Apple gadgets and computers.

These <strong>3D computer animations </strong>with lengths exceeding 1 hour are relatively hard to make. An entire team of computer graphics experts has to work at least 6 months on such a project. The computers they use are incredibly fast. In the beginning they used computers based on Intel processors and a few years later Steve Jobs as CEO of Apple Computers still seemed committed to Intel, he upgraded all Apple computer platforms to Intel Core Duo (later Core 2 Duo, today Core i3, i5 and i7) increasing their speed up to 4x, but the wheels are turning.

AMD will soon launch its new CPU+GPU combo that will have several advantages over Intel’s solution, because Intel refuses to let other manufacturers (like nVidia) make chipsets (with competitive integrated graphics) for the new line of Core i3, i5 and i7 processors. Rumors have been circulating for quite some time about AMD’s secret offers towards Apple to replace the platform of all Apple computers with AMD chipsets, processors, integrated graphics and add-on graphics cards. Another hypothesis would be that Apple could simply buy AMD’s whole operation to maximize its advantage in the mobile market too by replacing iPhone platforms too to AMD chips. A step like this would also mean kicking out Intel-based computers from Pixar and using complete AMD solutions.

AMD’s new Bulldozer platform would be an ideal candidate for Apple computers, which will be launched at the end of 2010 or the beginning of 2011. This won’t be a performance upgrade like the one made in 2006 from Apple processors to Intel, but in my opinion this is what any computer manufacturer would want. The most important components would be very well synchronized because they would come from the same manufacturer and let’s not forget that AMD is in a very good place when it comes to GPU performance and efficiency (processors still have to recover in terms of performance).

It is often convenient to copy a <strong>file from one </strong><strong>computer to </strong><strong>another</strong>. For example, if you write an essay on your home computer, then you must bring your work to be able to present it . There are several ways to<strong> transfer files</strong>. The most popular and most practical, although not encrypted and therefore unsafe, is FTP .
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FTP
FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol . This protocol is standard and well established, and it has access to a variety of programs on many different platforms.

The use of the protocol is fairly simple. From your desktop, you use a program (FTP client) to connect to a server. which serves as an FTP server. you must enter your username and password and that is it . There are special accounts which are anonymous, used by servers open to the public. It is not uncommon for sites that accept anonymous connections: Multiple FTP servers serve only to distribute files to the general public, and therefore allow anyone to connect. However, some sites that accept connections from users known to the system. In general, anonymous users can not modify the contents of the server. When you log in anonymously, you must provide your email address and password.

Once connected, you can walk in the server’s file system as if it was local file system. You can send (upload) and receive (download) files. We can separate FTP client programs into two categories: those from the command line interface and those that provide an interface style Windows Explorer or MacOS Finder. We will first discuss the simplest client, the ftp program. This program is available on Windows and Linux, although both versions have some subtle but important differences.

To start a session run the command  $ Ftp-name-server  windows. To start the Windows ftp program in Windows, click “Run” in the Start menu and type your command line, ftp frontal.iro.umontreal.ca example.  If all goes well, the connection is established and the program asks for your username. Otherwise, it may be that the server is temporarily offline or is overloaded and accepting connections. In both cases, try again later.  Enter your username and password. You are now free to move around using the cd command, and view the contents of directories with the ls command.  If you want to receive a file, type get-name file, while able-name file allows you to send a local file on the server. When you want to end the session, type bye.

You may prefer programs with a graphical interface, more intuitive and often offer more options. Most of these programs have two windows to navigate through directories and manipulate files. Generally, the left shows the local file system and the right the remote file system. We will not explain the use of these clients here, but suggest you try gftp, a graphical client handy. To simply start : $ Gftp &amp;  Scp  scp is a simple and secure (encrypted) to transfer files from one computer to another. Its use is almost identical to that of PC, but a computer name and user can be added to file names.

It is also possible to transfer a file from a remote server to another. Simply include a user name and computer for the source and the destination.  As this mode of transfer is encrypted, you should use it to protect yourself, especially if you’re in a public place, like on your laptop in a cafe.

In some cases, <strong>Linux </strong>is inevitable. For example, if you must write Qtapplications for practical work given without Microsoft Visual C + + , you can not use the non-commercial version of Qt for Windows. Under Linux, Qt is free for noncommercial use and works with a free compiler, for example G + + (GCC for C + +). The <strong>Linux installation </strong>also provides a unique exploration of your machine, and a more stable operating system than Windows.
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<strong>Installation </strong>
If you perform a full format of your hard drive, we recommend you <strong>install </strong>Windows before installing <strong>Linux</strong>. This advice applies especially to Windows 95/98/Me which rewrite area Master Boot Record (MBR) of hard drive, where LILO is installed by default. Although it is possible to install Windows after Linux, this procedure leads to complications that would be better to avoid an initial installation.

The installation depends heavily on the distribution used and it would be tedious to explain the procedure to install each of them. With the large distributions, an installation manual is delivered or available for free on the website of the company producing the distribution. Check it out and read it carefully, it contains valuable information about how to install, configure and even an introduction to Linux.

Generally  the procedure is to boot <strong>your computer </strong>with the CD-ROM in the drive. With a little luck and the right settings in the BIOS Setup program installation appears. You can then follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation. It will be necessary to dedicate a partition for Linux, format it in ext2 and assign the mount point /. To maximize the chances that your installation is bootable, you must create this partition on the hard disk Primary Master if you have more than one hard drive in your computer. Under Linux, this disc is denoted by the special file / dev / hda. / Dev / hdb denotes the first slave is sometimes the CD-ROM or another hard drive.

As for / dev / hdc and / dev / hdd, they represent the components connected to the second IDE controller on your motherboard, are hard disks, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, etc.. or nothing at all. To specify a partition on a hard drive, a number is added to the filename. For example, / dev/hda1 is the first primary partition of your hard drive. / Dev/hda5 is in turn reserved for the first logical partition on the disk. A swap partition, of arbitrary size, generally the size of the memory of your system is strongly recommended.

The configuration of the bootloader is also a delicate and important procedure. Proper configuration can facilitate future relocations, and increases the stability of the structure implemented. If you can not install the bootloader in the MBR (/ dev / hda), install it on the Linux partition. Like this, Windows will not know anything and will not disrupt your Linux system. The Linux partition will then be made active if the installer does it is not loaded. The boot manager will act as a switch to, depending on the choice of the user to activate Windows or Linux.

Currently, there are two managers in the field of free software, or LInux Loader (LILO) and Uniform GRand Bootloader (GRUB). You can choose between one or the other, in case of a dual boot with Windows, both do the job perfectly. After installing Linux, you need to add Windows Boot Manager chosen if not already. In the case of LILO, you must edit the file / etc / lilo.conf and then reinstall LILO with / sbin / lilo. In  case of GRUB, a modified / etc / grub.conf is enough.

6.4.6 Configuration
When your Linux system starts,  multitude of parameters remain to be established. In case of telephone access, it will configure the Internet connection. Adjustments will be necessary if you use a broadband connection using PPPoE. Drivers not included with the distributions will be installed while others must be configured. An entire book could be devoted to installing and configuring Linux. You should consult the manuals that came with your distribution to be aware of the different configuration tools provided.

<strong> Networks </strong>
A <strong>network</strong>, simply put, is a collection of <strong>computers </strong>that <strong>communicate </strong>with each other. Like other forms of <strong>communication</strong>, there are certain elements that are necessary for two computers can talk. For two people can talk, you need a medium that information can pass through (air) and a way to encode and decode the information we want to send (the language). The physical medium for transmitting information in the case of a network is often a wire that connects the two <strong>computers</strong>, although wireless networks exist.
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The languages used by computers to communicate are called communication protocols. Like languages in humans, there are several communication protocols (IPX, TCP / IP, NetBEUI, ATM, Myrinet are examples). The nuances of these protocols are unimportant in the context of this text. Just know that there are several, some protocols are better for certain tasks and two computers that do not use the same protocol simply can not exchange data.

The Internet
By having an understanding of what a network, it is much easier to define what the Internet. The Internet is a large global network. This network is so large that one is obliged to subdivide hierarchically. So basically, the Internet is rather a set of networks that are networked. These sub-networks can themselves be networks of networks. The machines that make up the Internet are extremely varied.

They range from the personal computer on which you connect to the University and huge routers that manage traffic. Unless voluntary isolation, any computer on the Internet can communicate with any other. There are however many millions of computers on the Internet that is all talk and not necessarily the same goals: John Doe is at home wants to check the weather on the Web while Ms. Doe is at work wants to transfer a document to his colleague and their son is at school wants to check his e-mail.

All these applications do not necessarily use the same communication protocol, but they are all based on a common basis. We can therefore say that there is a single standardized protocol for the Internet which can add other protocols for many applications that a transparent manner.

The World Wide Web
The Web is one of the many services offered on the Internet. This service is also so popular that many people make the mistake of confusing the Internet and the Web. The Web was designed to allow the presentation of multimedia documents. Thus, in addition to its textual content, the typical Web page presents the graphics and audio and video clips. The great advantage of the “WWW” lies in the fact that the user only has to pick through the document (commonly known as Web page) a hyperlink to new information that comes before him. In fact, the user does not have to worry about how the documents are recovered and transported to the terminal. That’s millions of pages about all possible subjects that become accessible to all.

The Web can be seen as a huge virtual library international: millions of shelves contain millions of books (websites). The books are arranged helter-skelter: you can not browse all the websites in a defined order. To find what we seek, we use search engines, Web sites that index the Web, which indicates that it is seeking and which we suggest places to visit. A lot of sites are created and maintained by companies that can use it as an advertising brochure, form, catalog, etc.. In the same way as a book, a website is a collection of pages, but unlike a book, the pages of a website are not necessarily in order.

To browse the Web, you should use a “browser”. The first graphical browser was born about 1990 and was called “WorldWideWeb.” Since then, dozens of sailors were launched. One of the most popular currently is undoubtedly Firefox. See section 4.1.1 for more information about browsers.