| A | B |
|---|
| architecture | Design that determines how individual components of the CPU are put together on the chip. More generally used to describe the way individual components are put together to create a complete computer system. |
| ASCII | American Standard Code for Information Interchange, a code that represents characters as 8-bit codes. Allows the binary computer to work with letters, digits, and special characters. |
| backward compatible | Able to run software written for older CPUs. Also |
| bay | An open area in the system box for disk drives and other peripheral devices. |
| binary | A choice of two values, such as yes and no or zero and one. |
| bit | Binary digit, the smallest unit of information. A bit can have two values: 0 or 1. |
| bus | Group of wires on a circuit board. Information travels between components through a bus. |
| byte | Grouping of 8 bits. |
| central processing unit (CPU) | Part of the computer that processes information, performs arithmetic calculations, and makes basic decisions based on information values. |
| compatible (compatibility) | The ability of a software program to run on a specific computer system. Also, the ability of a hardware device to function with a particular type of computer. |
| data | Information in a form that can be read, used, and manipulated by a computer. |
| expansion slot | An area inside the computer's housing that holds special- purpose circuit boards. |
| GB (gigabyte) | Approximately 1000MB. |
| information | Anything that can be communicated. |
| input device | Device for accepting input, such as a keyboard. |
| KB (kilobyte) | About 1000 bytes of information. |
| MB (megabyte) | Approximately 1000K, or 1 million bytes. |
| memory | Stores programs and the data they need to be instantly accessible to the CPU. |
| microprocessor | Now known as a personal computer. |
| motherboard | The circuit board that contains a computer's CPU. Also called a system board. |
| nonvolatile memory | Memory that is not lost when the computer is turned off. An example is the read-only memory that contains start-up instructions and other critical information. |
| output device | Device for sending information from the computer, such as a monitor or printer. |
| parallel processing | Using multiple processors to divide jobs into pieces and work simultaneously on the pieces. |
| PC card | A credit-card-size card that can be inserted into a slot to expand memory or add a peripheral to a computer; commonly used in portable computers. Sometimes called by its original name, PCMCIA. |
| peripheral | An external device, such as a keyboard or monitor, connected via cables to the system central processing unit. |
| PB (petabyte) | The equivalent of 1024 terabytes, or 1 quadrillion bytes. |
| port | Socket that allows information to pass in and out. |
| RAM (random access memory) | Memory that stores program instructions and data temporarily. |
| ROM (read-only memory) | Memory that includes permanent information only. The computer can only read information from it; it can never write any new information on it. |
| storage device | Long-term repository for data. Disks and tape drives are examples. |
| system bus | A group of wires that transmits information between components on the motherboard. |
| TB (terabyte) | Approximately 1 million megabytes. |
| Unicode | A 65,000-character set for making letters, digits, and special characters fit into the computer's binary circuitry. |
