I've found much of what makes computers possible isn't appreciated or understood by the general public. I'm going to help you understand some basic elements and terms of modern computers that are necessary in daily life.

Interface

Pixel: A tiny square on your display that only shows one color at a time.
Resolution: The amount of pixels something is. A general computer monitor is around 1920x1080 pixels, the more pixels the clearer your picture will be. Popular resolutions include, in order of largeness: 480p, 720p, 1080p, and 4K. There are resolutions different from these as well.
Bitmap: An image created out of specific pixel placement. A bitmap will look blurry if it is stretched out at a larger size than it was created.
Vector: An image created out of equations. These are generally simple and flat, used namely for icons. No matter what size they are stretched, they will always display as clearly as the resolution of the display allows.

Software

Operating System/OS: The underlying software that your computer runs. Desktop OS's include Windows, OS X, and Linux. Mobile OS's include Android, iOS, and Windows Phone.

Kernel: The software that allows the OS to communicate with the hardware. Decides sensitivity of touch input, how much power should be used for different tasks, etc.

Program: Coded object on a computer meant to preform a specific function.

Browser: A program that renders websites.

Hardware

Motherboard: Allows communication from all the different parts of the computer.

CPU/Processor: Preforms arithmetic functions.

GPU/Graphics card: Renders graphical interfaces.

RAM/Memory: Temporary memory of the computer. Holds things short term.

HDD/Hard drive: Stores large amounts of data for indefinite amounts of time. Uses moving parts, so it may be slower.

SSD/Solid state drive: Similar to HDD, but much faster. SSD's have no moving parts and are usually much more expensive.

Image source: American Museum of Science and Energy Oak Ridge Tennessee

Apple hoped to make a splash in the laptop market this year with the introduction of the new MacBook. Not Air or Pro, just "Macbook." Unfortunately for Apple, they cut all the wrong corners in order to make it seem better than it actually is. This makes sense for Apple's core audience, as most Apple users don't care about the specifications of what they're buying. All they know is that it's made by Apple, has Apple software, and it works.

I'll start off with what they compromised in order to get a thinner design. Apple chose to use an Intel Core M CPU, which is basically a tablet CPU. It has low power consumption, meaning longer battery life, but it has bad performance. The same can be said about its graphics card, again sacrificing performance for battery life and thinness. Other bad specifications is a 480p webcam, which is completely undesired in a modern laptop in the age of FaceTime and Skype.

But one of the absolute worst decisions with Apple's new MacBook is the choice to only include one port. That's right. One. For charging, data transfer, everything. If you want to charge your MacBook and use a USB drive at the same time, you're going to need a large, clunky adapter to do both. No CD drive is understandable to save space, but there is no excuse for not including at least one more port on the opposite side. On the bright side, Apple chose to use USB 3.1, a new industry standard which offers for faster data transfer. If only Apple would have added more than one.

Apple sacrificed performance and usability in the hopes that its new MacBook's thinness and style will convince its users to buy it. They're probably right. All these issues could be forgiven, if the new MacBook didn't cost as much as a MacBook Pro, which has much better specs for the exact same price. So if you are thinking about getting a MacBook, do yourself a favor and buy the MacBook Pro. It may not be quite as thin, or quite as stylish, but it'll last much longer and do your tasks much more efficiently.

Image source: Twitter @MKBHD