Just wondering where everyone learned about building computers, the different components of computers, etc. I'm interested in learning some myself because not only is it interesting but it's only going to become more and more useful in the future. So where did you learn, whether it be a school class or a website? Mostly I just want to figure out where to learn the basic stuff, like how to know if certain parts are compatible, and where certain parts go (I've already found some tutorials on that).
PC magazine and the help of my dad. Although I don't always pay attention and kind of gave up on the matter.
I went to a community college not far from where I live. A 2 year certificate in computer technology for less than 2,500$ overall is a good deal I think.
I learned some of this once, but then it became useless. Whatever you learn will be obsolete in a couple of years. It's an uphill struggle. So I only read about computer hardware now if I have an immediate need for that knowledge. All I really know now is where to plug things in. The slots haven't really changed much.
internet. taking apart my first computer and putting it back together. just messing around in general. from then it was just about keeping up with new hardware reviews and stuff.
The internet! Built my first computer back in Feb 2007 since I hated how "un-upgradeable" my HP and Dell computers were. However, even before that, I've done minor upgrades and stuff. Parts selection for my initial build was based on advice from forums. It was kinda like building Legos except most parts are keyed to only fit one way. Found it to be quite fun and incredibly addicting. Right now, I either upgrade or build a new PC every 6 months and I buy parts based on brand preference and what's on sale. Still drains the bank account, though. >.< As for parts compatibility, just checking the specifications on Newegg usually suffices.
self taught, going all the way back to 1983 when I got my first computer, landed my first programming job in 1984 and still coding today
I started my IT career back in 1993 right before the first P90's hit the market. There were a ton of people with their 486s that didn't have the multimedia packages that the new Pentiums were coming out with. You know cd-roms, soundcards, game-ports ect... Well back then you simply didn't buy a new pc because you didn't want to upgrade your current one. P90's were roughly about 3k for a new one. So I started a business that upgraded your 486 to be as close to the p90 as possible. DX4 chip allowed for a smoking 99MHz. From there I was doing field technician work and consulting on a part time basis while running my small business and managing restaurants. I finally got an opportunity in 95 or so to work as a junior network admin with a company in Atlanta. From there I progressed as a Network Administrator, Sys. Admin, IT Manager, Engineer/Architect and have been doing so ever since. I never went to school for anything IT related I went to college for Audio Engineering\Music Production. I just studied for my MCSE through Microsoft and with on the job training progressed. I'm blessed to be able to soak up technical manuals like most people read Stephen King. From there I went into Cisco routers, switches, firewalls ect. Worked on my Ethical Hacker certification amongst many others. Currently work as a Sr. Systems Engineer in Atlanta.
I started using computers in 1989 when I was five years old with my families Commodore Colt 286! The computer was for my Grandpa's business and keeping track of inventory, but that didn't stop me from playing games on it. When I was eight, I got bored with just playing games and read this book on DOS 3.22 my mom had laying around. The biggest thing this book thought me was the difference between hard drive space and RAM. When I was 12, I was reading a book from my public library on building Intel based machines. My Grandfather saw this, and then first let me install a modem into my 486, then purchases Windows 95 for me, then 4MB's of ram (for a woping 8MB), THEN we went to a local computer show and bought all of the parts necessary to build a new computer. My first built system was a Cyrixs PR133+ with ABit Via based motherboard. Only real issue with the entire setup was that the Abit motherboard would eat a BIOS battery in about a week!? In High School, I took some A+/N+ classes that filled in my "gaps" in Windows knowledge, then I went to IT school for two years for an IT degree. The school turned out to be a complete waste of my time, since all I have ever wanted to do is work for Geek Squad, but school ruined my credit rating, and Best Buy is a credit discriminator so... I actually had a better chance at the job BEFORE I went to school. IT degree was really overkill for a job like that.... So now, I'm unemployed, my Operton 64 2x/8800GT machine died a year ago upon moving into my parents house.. so now I sit at a local library with my copy of StarCraft II and my mom's laptop that can't play it... providing you guys with free tech support so you can all play StarCraft II. If I can't play it, someone has to play it for me. XD
used to play on my 486 and vaguely recall when internet first came out on a 28.8 modem. Had a bunch of computer friends and later built my first computer 15 or so years ago, im not 26. Have learnt most of my stuff from the internet and friends but the tech passes so fast and I become clueless again until its time to shop for a new computer
That's pretty much what happens to me. I only pay attention to hardware tech and prices when I am in the market to buy. When I got my 8800GT, it was the best deal you could have for the price at the time. If it wasn't for the power savings, I wouldn't have upgraded from my Athlon 2000+ to my Operton 170. I simply didn't see any use in upgrading my machine when I mostly played 2D games and my Radeon 9700 Pro was still playing everything I threw at it.
