| A | B |
|---|
| Touchscreen | An intuitive computer input device that works by simply touching the screen, either by finger, or with a stylus. |
| Keyboard | is an array of swtiches each which sends the PC an unique signal when pressed. |
| Scanner | input device much like a keyboard or mouse, except that it takes its input in graphical form. |
| Laser printer | works in a similar way to a photocopier the difference being the light source. They were pre-dominant with inkjet technology not emerging in any significant way until the 1990's. |
| Inkjet printer | three colour printer that has been around several years now and has succeeded in making colour inkjet printing an affordable option. |
| Modem | allows the PC to connect to other computers and enables it to send and receive files of data over the telephone network. |
| Protocol | common set of rules and signals that defines how computers on the network use to communicate. |
| Topology | the geometric arrangement of a computer. Ex: bus, star, and ring. |
| Network hardware | provides the physical connections between the network's various nodes. |
| Network Interface Cards | are used to connect a PC to a network. It is commonly referred to as NIC's. |
| Resolution | refers to the sharpness or detail of the visual image. |
| Pixel | is the smallest unit that can be addressed and given a colour or intensity |
| Graphic cards | expansion card that interprets drawing instructions sent by the CPU |
| Multimedia | refers to the delivery of information that combines different content formats |
| 3D graphics | display of objects and scenes with height, width, and depth information |
| Motherboard | the main circuit board inside the PC which holds the processor, memory, and expansion slots and connects directly or indirectly to every part of the PC |
| RAM | referred to as the main memory. It's the PC's third and principal level of system memory |
| Primary Cache | used for temporary storage of instructions and data organized in blocks of 32 bytes |
| Bus Interface | brings mixture of code and data into the CPU |
| Chipset | group of microcircuits that orchestrate the flow of data to and from the components of a PC |
| Hard disk | serves as a non-volatile, bulk storage medium and as the repository for a user's documents, files, and applications |
| CD-ROM | standard for compact disc to be used as a digital memory medium for personal computers |
| Removable storage | type of storage which allows the actual storage media to be removed from a drive and replace it with other media |
| CD-RW | enables CD-ROMS to be written or re-written to have necessitated changes to the disc media |
| Digital Versatile Disc | known as a DVD |
