Computron

What Does Computron Mean?

In IT, a “computron” is a fictional unit of computer power intended to reference the ability of a computer or device. Less tech-savvy people may use this term informally to suggest the amount of computer power at their disposal.

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Techopedia Explains Computron

Experts on IT slang describe the computron as a hypothetical synthesis of instruction speed, storage capacity and available memory. Basic use of the term computron involves end-users who are talking about what a particular computer can do. For example, when a computer does not meet the system requirements, the user might say it “doesn’t have enough computrons.” A computer with a new Pentium processor could be described as having “a lot of computrons under the hood.” The common use of computron is to talk about computing power as if it were a generic type of commodity, instead of the abstract and complex system that is.

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Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical, business audience. Over the past twenty years her explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…