Q. Why doesn't the amount of RAM or hard drive space add up when comparing kilobytes, megabytes and gigabytes? When I'm looking at file sizes using Windows Explorer, if I divide megabytes by kilobytes, it doesn't always come out even. Am I doing something wrong?

A. I wouldn't say you're doing anything wrong, other than possibly squandering the best years of your life dividing megabyes by kilobytes. But everybody needs a hobby, so if it's something you enjoy, who am I to question it?

The reason the numbers don't add up is because they are actually multiples of 1024, not multiples of 1000. We tend to round off numbers and say 1,000 kilobytes (KB) equals one megabyte (MB); 1,000 megabytes equals one gigabyte (GB). The reality, however, is that 1,024 kilobytes equals one megabyte, and 1,024 megabytes equals one gigabyte. So if you have 256 MB of RAM (memory) in your computer, for example, that would not be displayed as 256,000 KB as you might expect, but would instead be the result of 256 x 1024, or 262,144 KB.

I'll grant you that converting megabytes to kilobytes is more fun than a barrel of modems, but have you ever considered getting a pet?

Q. How do I add a USB device to my computer? I bought a USB Zip drive, but I'm not sure how to hook it up.

A. This is where the miracle of the USB (Universal Serial Bus) port comes into play: Just plug the device into your USB port (it looks like a small rectangular slot) and your computer should immediately recognize the new device. If not, reboot (restart) your system. You'll be prompted to insert the disk or CD that was packaged with the device, then follow the screen prompts—which, in most cases, involves little more than clicking the Next button until your new device is fully installed.

Mr. Modem’s Geekspeak of the Week:

Dual Boot

"Dual Boot" was a dark, brooding 1981 movie about the claustrophobic world of a WWII German U-boat. No, wait. That was "Das Boat." I always get those confused. A "dual boot" system is a computer that has two installed operating systems. For most people, one operating system provides more than enough headaches, but certain individuals with techno-masochistic tendencies can never have enough. Let's say you have a computer that has both Windows XP and Ubuntu (Linux) installed. Usually, when you turn a computer on, the operating system loads and you're ready to go. With a dual boot system, however, the boot manager program appears on screen and allows you to select either operating system.

Mr. Modem's Sites of the Week:

My Simon
Think of Simon as your personal online shopper. Whatever you're looking for, Simon will review thousands of online merchants and present comparison prices, descriptions, and availability for everything from apparel to mortgages to video games. My Simon is the recipient of the coveted "Forbes Favorite in Comparison Shopping" award by—well, Forbes Magazine, who else? Review the top 1000 searches or top product searches for items such as the Top 25 DVD players, TVs, or cell phones.
www.mysimon.com

Famous Name Changes
Find out who the stars were before they were stars, and a few not-so-well-known celebs, too. Categories include actors, singers, entertainers, politicians, religious leaders, sports figures, and others. Did you know (or care, for that matter) that Shania Twain's real name is Eileen Edwards, or that Snoop Dogg was born Cordazer Calvin Broadus, or that Mr. Modem's real name is Tex Sport? Oh, the stories I could tell…
www.famousnamechanges.net

Worthless Word of the Day
tetragrammaton, gudget, bodger, crytoscopophilia, ineffable, gyascutis, anthimeria, bloviate, ragabash, allochiria, stelliscript, crabbit, zucchetto, smaragdine, succedaneum, and semordnilap. Need I say more? This site specializes in floccinaucinihilipilification, which, as we all know, is the art and science of categorizing something as worthless.
http://home.comcast.net/~wwftd

Mr. Modem provides prompt, personal answers to computer and Internet questions by email, plus easy-to-use PC tips, including Windows Vista, for subscribers of his weekly computer-help newsletter. For more information, to view a sample issue, or to subscribe, visit www.MrModem.com.