What is a miner and where do you get it:
The miner is the software performing the mathematical calculations to create the coins. You will need to install a miner on the workstation you intend to mine with. The most common miners are OpenSource programs you will need to install on your workstation or mining PC. Since the miners are OpenSource the software is free for most users. The most common miners are the BFG miner, CG miner and CPU miner. There are others but the listed ones would provide a good start.
The miner is the software performing the mathematical calculations to create the coins. You will need to install a miner on the workstation you intend to mine with. The most common miners are OpenSource programs you will need to install on your workstation or mining PC. Since the miners are OpenSource the software is free for most users. The most common miners are the BFG miner, CG miner and CPU miner. There are others but the listed ones would provide a good start.
What is a wallet (coin wallet) and where do you get it:
The other component other than a miner you will need to install is a wallet. You will require a wallet for every type of coin you mine/own unless you choose to deposit your coins in an online wallet supporting a variety of coins. A wallet is a small program you can install that will hold your coins. This program can either reside on your workstation or you could save it to a removable drive such as an USB. The later is preferred by the more sophisticated users with larger wallets since there is no know method today to break (hack) into offline storage. As long as the USB with the wallet is disconnected from the network it should be very secure.
Here is a list of links for common coin wallets:
The other component other than a miner you will need to install is a wallet. You will require a wallet for every type of coin you mine/own unless you choose to deposit your coins in an online wallet supporting a variety of coins. A wallet is a small program you can install that will hold your coins. This program can either reside on your workstation or you could save it to a removable drive such as an USB. The later is preferred by the more sophisticated users with larger wallets since there is no know method today to break (hack) into offline storage. As long as the USB with the wallet is disconnected from the network it should be very secure.
Here is a list of links for common coin wallets: