Are you keyed in to the computer age?

Remember when a pocket calculator made you go all fingers and thumbs because it seemed such a difficult piece of technology? Well, 20 years on most people have managed to master it, even though doing percentages can still be a mystery that Sherlock Holmes should investigate. But there is so much to today's high-tech society - computers, video games and the Internet - that a calculator is the least of our problems. a The old cosy Enid Blyton idea of smiling mum and dad sitting round the table helping the children with their homework is long gone. Nowadays, most parents wouldn't even know how to switch on a home computer, let alone how to operate it. But kids have no such problems - they're so clever at technology that they can load up the latest CD-ROM flight simulator game and tell you it's part of their aerodynamic studies'.

As parents are working harder just to keep up with modern living, it's not surprising few have had time to embrace the technological revolution. But it's never too late to catch up, and Asda is doing what it can to help with its scheme that gives you the chance to get free computers for your local school. Asda is also on the world-wide computer network known as the Internet and home shopping via this network could be a possibility in the future. Video games were many people's first taste of new computer technology. They were addictive and featured cute characters like Mario the plumber, light - years away from the tennis games which used to dazzle pub-goers over a decade ago. But times have changed and the new generation of video game machines are much more sophisticated. If you're hounded into getting one for the kids, the two big-selling models are the Sony Playstation and the Sega Saturn. Both are excellent up to the minute systems which play compact disc games as well as music CDs and they cost £299 - but shop around for discounts.*

The computer has become a major part of modern life, from the hole in the wall machines outside every bank to offices throughout the country. But now they're infiltrating the home. They work rather like a calculator by making decisions at lightning speed, thanks to the circuit boards and silicon chips they use. If you're shopping for a home computer, it's important that you understand what it can do. Computers store information, operate as word processors, play games, analyse data, communicate with other computers, design artwork and much more. They are only limited by your imagination and the software you use. If you just want a glorified typewriter to make your letters look a bit more impressive or a filing system for household accounts, then an all singing, all dancing job complete with a TV tuner and Internet connection is not for you.

At the heart of the modern computer is the processor. The latest is the Pentium and one running at 75mhz is considered a basic machine. You also need Random Access Memory (RAM) which allows you to access stored information. Eight megabytes (8mb) is the absolute minimum you need. A hard disk stores your information and that too is in megabytes - 540mb is the smallest you should get, but more is better. For multimedia applications - sound, games and video - you need a CD-ROM drive (Compact Disc-Read Only Memory), sound card and speakers. And don't forget a printer. An average package of multimedia PC and printer costs around £1 ,500. If you add on a box of tricks called a modem, which connects your computer to a telephone line, you can enter the world of the Internet.

The Internet
A lot of rubbish has been talked about the Internet. In fact, it's the communications tool of the future. To put it simply, it's about eight million computers worldwide all connected together on one network, swapping information on every conceivable thing. There are more than 14,000 discussion groups called newsgroups, plus on-line chat systems, ways of downloading information and the World Wide Web. The Web is incredible and simple to use. You can download video clips, listen to music, play games, order airline tickets and even go shopping. And it's all done by making a single local telephone call and clicking on the screen which takes you around the world in seconds, jumping from one computer to another - whether it's in Sydney or San Francisco. An Internet connection costs around £10 a month, plus your local telephone calls, and a modem is about £150. Make sure it's running at the fastest downloading time - about 28.8bps (also known as V34) - as this will cut your telephone hills. Asda has hooked up to the Internet, offering a complete store guide, news about latest products and even job vacancies. And, of course, like all other superstores Asda is interested in the future possibilities of letting customers shop at home from the Internet. Now that the 21st century is looming, technology is set to make enormous changes to our lives. Even today you can control your television, stereo and video recorder from a wrist watch and can buy telephones that let you see who's calling. But those old calculators are still relevant. The really early ones have now become collectors' items and are shooting up in price. Now where did you put yours?
David Hancock

JARGON BUSTERS

CD-ROM - Compact Disc-Read Only Memory. You can't record on to the CD you can only use the data stored there.
BIT - the smallest part that makes up computer language. Eight bits,known as a byte, are needed to store one character on a computer.
MOTHERBOARD the circuit board which houses the main processing chip.
MODEM a box of tricks between your computer and telephone that converts information between computers.
DOWNLOAD - to transfer data from a central computer to a personal computer.
SOFTWARE - the programs used to make a computer work.
BPS - bits per second. The speed at which data it transferred by modem over a telephone line.
MHz - megahertz. Used to measure the speed of a computer.