Gauge Your Geekiness

Are you a geek? Don't be afraid to say yes. Even though you may not be able to get a date, you can still enjoy the many fruits of today's geek renaissance.

In the past, geeks were pencil-necked, slouching social misfits who spent many hours in musty basements, hunched in front of tiny computer screens.

Now, geeks are pencil-necked, slouching social misfits who spend hours in their luxury penthouses, lounging in leather chairs in front of wall-sized computer screens.

You can release your inner geek by selecting answers for the multiple-choice questions below and clicking the "Geek Me" button at the bottom of this page. The answers to all of the questions are contained within this site -- so if you don't pass muster, check out the rest of Plugged In and return here to reevaluate your geekiness potential.

1. Fill in the blank: One "kilobyte" is equal to _______ bytes of memory.

Click to select an answer --> One hundred One thousand One million One billion

2. True or False: You should always turn off your computer when plugging in or unplugging any computer components.

True
False

3. A telling indicator of a high-quality mouse is:

Click to select an answer --> Its weight. Its color. The number of buttons it has. The length of its cable.

4. Windows XP is a type of ...

Click to select an answer --> Hard disk drive. Internet navigation software. CD-ROM game. Operating system.

5. A "driver" is ...

Click to select an answer --> A type of software found only on Macintoshes. Needed to operate a computer's CPU. A piece of software that controls a peripheral device. All of the above.

6. The speed of your computer's Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (UART) most directly affects the performance of a ...

Click to select an answer --> Modem. Hard disk drive. CPU. CD-ROM drive.

7. A "cache" on a CPU is ...

Click to select an answer --> A special chip used for complex mathematical calculations. Used on high-end computers to replace Random Access Memory (RAM). The slot on the motherboard that the CPU plugs into. A high-speed memory area.

8. To view information on the World Wide Web, you need ...

Click to select an answer --> A Web browser. A connection to the Internet. A monitor. All of the above.

9. True or False: The faster your computer's CPU, the better your computer is likely to perform.

True
False

10. True or False: Only one peripheral can be connected to a computer via a Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) port.

True
False

11. Which type of computer port allows the fastest transmission of information?

Click to select an answer --> A parallel port. A serial port. An Ethernet port. A telephone port on a modem.

12. The difference between Random Access Memory (RAM) and Read Only Memory (ROM) is ...

Click to select an answer --> RAM is faster than ROM. RAM stores information temporarily; ROM always stores the same information. ROM chips can be removed; RAM chips are permanently attached. RAM controls the hard disk drive; ROM controls the floppy disk drive.

13. Fill in the blank: "Resolution" -- for scanners and printers -- is often measured in __________.

Click to select an answer --> Cycles per second, or "Hertz" (Hz). Pixels per centimeter, or "ppc." Dots per inch, or "dpi." Pixel depth, or "bit width."

14. True or False: Floppy disks can store more information than hard disk drives.

True
False

15. Which type of Read-Only Memory (ROM) chip can't be reprogrammed?

Click to select an answer --> PROM EPROM EEPROM "Flash" ROM

16. "Backing up" the data on your computer means ...

Click to select an answer --> Converting your files into an older type of computer file format. Saving an extra copy of your data on another storage disk or tape. Dumping the data on your hard disk into Random Access Memory (RAM). Publishing the information on the Internet.

17. The language used to format documents for the World Wide Web is called ...

Click to select an answer --> HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol.) SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language) Visual Basic

18. Which of the following does not belong in this group:

Click to select an answer --> IDE NuBus SVGA PCI

19. A "pixel" is ...

Click to select an answer --> A unit of digital memory. A single dot of light on a monitor. An internal switch in your computer. A type of pointing device.

20. Using a standard CD-ROM drive, you can ...

Click to select an answer --> Save information to a CD-ROM disk. Format a floppy disk. Read information from a CD-ROM disk. All of the above.