| A | B |
|---|
| floppy disk drive | An older storage device that lets you take your work with you and transfer it from one computer to another; it is good for saving text. |
| hard drive | A large storage device inside your computer; it is usually called the C: drive. You can save programs and files to this drive and open and use them later. |
| CD-RW | A rewritable CD drive. This device plays compact discs and lets you record/save to a compact disc. It is also called a compact disc burner and is good for saving pictures and music. |
| modem | A device that lets you communicate with other computers and networks over a telephone or cable line. |
| satellite | A spacecraft that orbits a planet and sends and receives information. One popular use of these is to collect and send weather data. |
| flash drive | A newer storage device that lets you take your information with you and transfer it from one computer to another by plugging into a USB port. |
| DVD-RW | A rewritable DVD drive. This device plays and records/saves videos; it is also called a DVD burner. |
| MP3 player | A device that can play digital audio/sound files; most often used to play music. The iPod is the most popular of these devices. |
| trackball | A device that controls the cursor. The user rotates a ball in a socket and clicks on buttons to move and select objects. It is basically an upside down mouse. |
| mouse | A device that is rolled around on the desktop surface to move the cursor. It has one or more buttons to make selections. It has a ball underneath or an infared light. |
| pointing stick | A device on some laptop keyboards that looks like a pencil eraser and is used to move the cursor. |
| headphones | A set of speakers that fit over your ears for private listening. |
| speakers | A set of devices (usually a pair) that puts out sound and lets you control the volume to use across a room. |
| inkjet printer | A printer that sprays ink onto paper. Most of these printers are inexpensive and provide color print outs or 'hard copies'. |
| laser printer | A printer that uses a laser and toner to create text and images (like a copy machine). They are more expensive than inkjets but provide higher quality text. |
