| A | B |
|---|
| input | data or instructions entered into a computer enabling the computer to perform a desired task |
| input device | any hardware device that allows users to enter programs, data, and commands into a computer system |
| keyboard | most common input device |
| special-purpose keys | keys in addition to alphabet letters and symbols |
| mouse | most commonly used point-and-click input device |
| speech recognition | type of voice input in which words spoken by a user are stored in a database |
| EBCDIC | type of coding scheme used mainly on mainframe computers |
| system unit | main part of a desktop computer that houses the components that process data into information |
| microprocessor | on a PC the single chip where all processing functions are contained |
| control unit | component of a personal computer that directs and coordinates the overall operation of the computer system |
| arithmetic/logic unit | part of the CPU that carries out instructions and performs the mathematical and logical oprations on the data |
| coprocessor | special-purpose chip or board that assists the CPU in performing certain types of operations |
| ROM chips | chips that contain instructions or data permanently placed on the chip by the manufacturer |
| modem | device that enables computers to communicate via telphone lines and other communications media |
| bus | electronic path within a computer system along which bits are transmitted |
| special-function keyboard | type of keyboard designed for specific applications involving simplified, rapd data input |
| numeric keypad | group of keyboard keys that performs the same function as a calculator and is used for entering numbers quickly |
| mouse pad | rubberized accessory with a smooth surface over which the rubber-coated ball on the underside of a mouse glides |
| foot mouse | input device that allows people with carpal tunnell syndrome or other hand or wrist injuries to use a computer |
| trackball | input device similar to a mous |
| touch pad | small, flat input device that is sensitive to pressure or motion |
| touch screen | sensing technology that allows a user to make selections from among a group of options displayed on a screen by pressing a finger against a chosen option |
| joystick | input device named after the control lever used in older fighter planes |
| ATM | example of a touch screen often found at banks and in kiosks at retail outlets |
| pointing lever | small input device located between the G and H keys on a notebook computer |
| graphics tablet | flat tablet used by map makers or engineers to trace precise drawings |
| optical scanner | light-sensing electronic device that uses lasers to read and capture printed text and images, such as photographs and drawings |
| intelligent scanner | scanner that uses optical character recognition (OCR) software that allows a captured image to be edited or changed with a word processor or other application program |
| bar code readers | most common commercial scanner application involves the use of these |
| bitmap | material scanned by means of an optical scanner and stored as a matrix of rows and columns of dots |
| optical reader | devices at checkout locations that allow customers to easily pay for purchases by inserting a credit card, cash card, or smart card into a slot or device |
| Universal Product Code | almost everything for sale today is marked with this |
| resolution | density of each dot in a bitmap helps determine this in a captured image |
| pixels per inch | resolution of a scanned image depends on this number |
| voice input | technology that allows users to enter data by talking to the computer |
| motherboard | thin sheet of fiberglass or other material with electrical pathways called traces etched onto it |
| machine cycle | operations of fetching, decoding, executing, and storing an instruction |
| instruction time | time required to fetch an instruction |
| system clock | computer component that synchronizes or controls the timing of all computer operations |
| random-access memory (RAM) | temporary memory in which programs and data are stored while the ocmputer is in use |
| pipelining | technique that enables the computer to begin executing another instruction as soon as the previous intruction reaches the next phase of the machine cycle |
| parallel processing | technology that allows two or more processors to work concurrently on segments of a lengthy applicaton, thus dramatically increasing processing capability |
| addresses | specific locations within RAM where programs and data are placed |
| kilobyte | one thousand bytes |
| cache memory | holding area in RAM in which the data and instructions most recently called by the processor from RAM are stored |
| memory access time | amount of time required for the process or access (read) data, instructions, and information from memory |
| bus width | determines the number of bits the computer can transmit or receive at one time |
| serial port | type of port in which data is transmitted only one bit at a time |
| hot plugging | capability in which one device may be disconnected and another device connected while the computer is running |
| Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus | most common type of expansion bus that allows devices such as a mouse or modem to communicate with the processor |
| input, processing, output, storage | four steps of the information processing cycle |
| advantage of using a trackball | requires less desk space than a mouse |
| nanosecond | one-billionth of a second |
| millisecond | one-thousand of a second |
| microsecond | one-millionth of a second |
| picosecond | one-trillionth of a secon |
| use a variety of scanning technologies | retailers, wholesalers, shipping companies, banks, hotels |
| Unicode | a new coding system developed by scientists to accommodate a larger array of letters and symbols |
| information procesing | process that refers to the manipulation of data according to instructions in a computer |
| machine language | language that uses binary numbers which are constructed solely of 0s and 1s |
| fetching | refers to the retrieval of an instruction or data from memory |
| parallel processing | allows two or more processors to work concurrently on segments of a lengthy application |
| video input | form of input that occurs using a special type of video camera attached to the compute and plugged into a video capture card in an expansion slot |
| digital camera | records and stores images in digitized form that can be used by a computer |
| system unit | main part of a desktop computer that houses the components the process data into information |
| word | group of bits or bytes that a computer can manipulate or process as a unit |
| docking station | an accessory that provides additional ports, and charger for the laptop's battery, extra disk dives, and other peripherals |
| cash card | a small card that stores cash in digital form |
| video-input systems | advanced technologies that some banks have begun using to identify customers |
| byte | a group of eight bits |
| trace | an electrical pathway etched onto the motherboard |
| instruction cycle | another name for machine cycle |
| decoding | the interpreting and translating of an instruction into strings of binary digits |
| expansion bus | allows the processor to communicate with a peripheral device |
| bay | a site where a device, such as a floppy drive, is installed |
| port | an external plug-in slot on a computer used to connect to a device such as a printer or a telephone line |
| PCMCIA card | a type of expansion board developed specifically for smaller PCs |
| BIOS | a program that boots (starts) the ocmputer when it is turned on |
