| A | B |
|---|
| computer system | a combination of related elements (hardware and software) that interact with each other as a whole to achieve a common goal |
| hardware | tangible, physical equipment that can be seen and touched |
| software | the intangible instructions that tell the computer what to do |
| input device | a hardware device which enables the computer to accept data |
| computer | an electronic device that accepts data, performs computations and makes logical decisions according to instructions and data that have been given to it and that produces meaningful information in a form useful to humans |
| processor | a hardware device which processes the data into meaningful information |
| storage device | a hardware device that permits the storage of data |
| output device | a hardware device that reports the information in a form that humans can understand |
| program | a series of detailed, step-by-step instructions that tell the computer precisely what actions to perform |
| system program | a program that controls the computer's circuitry and hardware devices |
| application program | a program that instructs the computer to perform a specific, user-defined task |
| input | data that enters the computer |
| output | useful information which leaves the computer |
| processing | activity that takes place in the computer's processor where detailed instructions tell the computer what should be done to the data to produce the desired information |
| raw data/original data | data from a source that is fed into the computer for processing |
| source document | forms that become the source of the data entered into the computeer's input device |
| information | knowledge of some fact or circumstance that is given or received |
| information/data processing | the process of sharing information between humans and computers |
| microminiaturization | the technologic process which enables an entire microprocessor to occupy the space of a tiny chip no larger than the size of your fingertip |
| general-purpose computers | terms used to identify computers in which their computation and input/output processing capabilities are such that they can be used for almost any type of application |
| Information Superhighway | digital, voice, and video communication access through computer-controlled telephones and televisions to any information resource anywhere in the world |
| megahertz | the internal clock speed of a xomputer measured in millionths of a second |
| information utilities | businesses that use computers to store huge amounts of information, then make access to these computers and the information stored available for personal use |
| local area network (LAN) | a communications network that covers a limited geographic area |
| Internet | a physically structured network of computers around the world |
