| A | B |
|---|
| Computer | an electronic device that processes data |
| Personal computer (PC) | a computer that is used by one person at a time |
| Central Processing Unit (CPU) | a small chip that performs calculations and carries out all the instructions given to a computer |
| Bit | the smallest unit of information, always a 1 or a 0 |
| Byte | the building blog for all information that flows through a computer. Eight bits |
| Kilobyte | about 1,000 bytes of information |
| Megabyte | Approximately 1,000 Kilobytes or 1 million bytes |
| Gigabyte | approximately 1,000 Megabytes |
| Terabyte | Approximately 1 million Megabytes |
| Hardware | the collection of physical devices that make up a computer system |
| Input | information a user enters into a computer |
| Output | information a computer delivers back to the user |
| Random-access memory (RAM) | temporary information a computer uses only when working on a particular file |
| Read-only memory (ROM) | permanent information storage on a computer |
| Storage device | similar to long-term memory, this is where a computer keeps important information. It can be a hard drive, a server, or a disk |
| Software | a set of instructions that makes it possible for a computer to perform tasks |
| Operating system (OS) | the main program that makes a computer work |
| Network | a group of computers connected together |
| External device | a storage device that can be easily removed from a computer and is often small and portable |
| Hard drive | a built-in storage device inside a computer to store your computer’s operating system, as well as the software programs you use. It is the largetst storage area on the computer |
| External storage | a storage device that can be easily removed from a computer and is often small and portable |
| Folder | a place to save and organize files, such as documents or pictures |
| File | a collection of data, such as text, graphics, or other types of media such as audio or video clips |
| Save As | a command used to rename a file and, at the same time, copy the file by saving it to a new location |
| Shortcut | an icon that is a direct link to a file or folder |
| Digital information | is information that is represented as individual pieces of data using the numbers 1 and 0, rather than as a continuous stream |
| Server | a computer especially designed to provide software and other resources ta network in who other computers over a network |
| LAN Internetwork | a network in which the computer are close to each other, usually in the same building |
| WAN Internetwork | a network that extends over a long distance |
| IP address | an Internet address; a string of four numbers separated by periods, included with every packet of information that travels the Internet |
| Program | instructions that tell the hardware what to do to transform input to output |
| Icons | in a graphical user interface, a picture that represents a file, folder, or disk |
| Menus | an on-screen list of command choices |
| Multitasking | concurrent processing for personal computers |
| GUI – Graphical User Interface | a user interface based on graphical displays (icons for folders, files, disks) |
| Peripheral devices | input, output, and secondary storage devices |
| MHz (megahertz) | a unit of measurement for a computer’s clock speed; millions of clock cycles per second |
| Data | information in a form that can be read, used, and manipulated by a computer |
| Information | anything that can be communicated (can be a value or no value) |
| CD-ROM | compact disk, read only memory. A type of optical disk that contains data that cannot be changed |
| CD-R | compact disk – recordable – an optical disk on which you can write information but not remove it |
| CD-RW | compact disk – rewriteable - An optical disk that allows writing, erasing, and rewriting |
| DVD-ROM | a type of optical disk with read-only capability that is the size of a CD-ROM but that holds much more information |
| Floppy disk | a small, magnetically sensitive, flexible plastic wafer housed in a plastic case, used as a storage device |
| Hard disk | a rigid, magnetically sensitive disk that spins rapidly and continuously indie a computer chassis or in a separate box attached to the computer housing. Used as a storage device |
| Storage devices | long term repositories for data. CDs, disks and tape drives are examples |
| Desktop Microcomputer | small computer made possible by the microprocessor |
| Workstation | a high-end desktop computer with massive computing power which is less expensive than a minicomputer |
| Laptop or notebook | a flat-screen, battery-powered portable computer that you can rest on your lap |
| Supercomptuer | a super-fast, super-powerful, and super-expensive computer used for applications that demand maximum power |
| Mainframe | expensive, room-sized computers used mostly for large computingjobs |
| Handheld | a portable computer small enough to be put into to a pocket |
