| A | B |
|---|
| Hardware | The physical components of the computer system, such as the hard drive, disc drives, and modem. |
| Software | The programs or instructions that tell the computer what to do, such as word processors, spreadsheets, and databases. |
| CPU | The brain of the computer or Central Processing Unit. |
| ROM | The permanent memory that is built in your computer. This is Read-Only Memory. |
| RAM | The computer’s working memory, sometimes called Random- Accessed memory. |
| Megabyte | Approximately a million bytes (a measure of storage). |
| Gigabyte | Approximately a billion bytes (or 1,000) megabytes. |
| Input Device | The hardware that is used to pass information into the computer, such as a mouse, keyboard, or microphone. |
| Output Device | The hardware that receives and displays information coming from the computer, such as a monitor, printer, or speakers. |
| Modem | The device that allows your computer to talk to other computers over a telephone line. |
| Monitor | A video or computer display device that contains a screen. |
| Laser Printer | A printer that uses both laser and photographic technology to produce high quality output. |
| Printer | The hardware that provides printed output from the computer. |
| Hard Copy | A printed copy of computer output. |
| Hard Disk | A fixed, large-capacity magnetic storage medium for computer data; this is inside the computer. |
| Floppy Disk | A portable magnetic storage medium for computer data that allows users to randomly access information. |
| Graphical User Interface | The use of graphical symbols instead of text commands to control common computer functions such as copying programs and disks. |
| Icon | A small picture or symbol representing a computer hardware function or component. |
| Ink-jet Printer | A type of printer that forms letters on the page by shooting tiny electrically charged droplets of ink. |
| Peripheral | Any hardware attached to the CPU, whether it be an input, output, or storage device. |
