Chapter 3: Computer Hardware
Motherboard:
A circuit board inside a computer that contains the microprocessor, the computer memory and other internal devices.
Video Card:
A circuit board that processes image signals.
Unicode:
A coding systems that represent text and symbols in computers, communications equipment, and other devices that use text.
Surge Suppressor:
A device that prevents power fluctuations from damaging electronic components.
Multitouch Screens:
A display that can respond to multiple fingers touching the screen simultaneously.
Touchscreen:
A display that lets you touch areas of the screen to interact with software.
Stylus:
A pen-shaped digital tool for making selections and entering information on a touchscreen.
Laptop:
A portable computer that is smaller than the average briefcase and light enough to carry comfortably; often called a notebook.
Mobile Device:
A portable or handheld computing device, such as a smartphone or a tablet, with a screen size of 10.1 inches or smaller.
Device Driver:
A program that controls a device attached to your computer such as a printer, monitor or video card.
Port:
A slot on the computer or device where you can attach a peripheral device.
Digital Pen:
A small device, shaped like a pen, that you can use to draw, tap icons, or tap keys on an on-screen keyboard, similar to a stylus, but is more capable because it has programmable buttons.
Trackball:
A stationary pointing device with a ball anchored inside a casing, as well as two or more buttons.
Benchmark
A test run by a laboratory or other organization to determine processor speed and other performance factors.
Wheel:
A type of game controller that mirrors the functionality of a steering wheel in a vehicle.
Gamepad:
Game controller held in both hands that controls movement and actions of players or objects.
Motion-Sensing Controller:
Game controller that allows users to guide on-screen elements with air gestures.
Dance Pad:
Game controller that is a flat, electronic device divided into panels that users press with their feet in response to instructions from the video game.
Joystick:
Game controller with a handheld vertical lever, mounted on a base, that you can move in different directions to control the actions of the simulated player or vehicle.
Webcams:
In computer concepts, a camera built-in to a computer, which is primarily used for videoconferencing, chatting or online gaming.
Pointing Device:
In computer concepts, a device used to point to and select specific objects on the computer screen.
ASCII:
In computer concepts, an 8-bit coding scheme, which means that 8 bits are used to represent upper and lowercase letters, mathematical operators, and logical operations.
Keyboard:
Input device that contains not only characters such as letters, numbers and punctuation, but also keys that can issue commands.
Voice Synthesizer:
Voice output that converts text to speech.
Bit:
(Short for binary digit) the smallest unit of data a computer can process.
Central Processing Unit:
A complex integrated circuit that consists of millions of electronic parts and is primarily responsible for converting input (data) into meaningful output (information.)
Peripheral Device:
A device such as a keyboard, mouse, printer, or speakers that can connected to and extend the capability of a computer.
Scanner:
A device that converts a paper image into an electronic file that you can open and work with on your computer.
Uninterruptable Power Supply:
A device that maintains power to computer equipment in case of an interruption in the primary power source.
Byte:
A field size for number fields that allows entries only from 0 to 255.
Touchpad:
A flat surface that is touch-sensitive, and you move your finger around the touch pad to move the pointer on the screen.
Solid State Drive:
A hard drive without moving parts, and is faster and more durable than magnetic drives.
Binary System:
A number system that has two digits, one and zero.
Tablet:
A small, flat computer with a touch-sensitive screen that accepts input from a digital pen, stylus, or your fingertip
Printer:
Creates hardcopy output on paper.
Plug-And-Play:
In computer concepts, devices that begin functioning properly as soon as you connect them to your computer.
Virtual Memory:
In computer concepts, the capability of an operating system to temporarily store data on a storage medium until it can be "swapped" into RAM.
Clock Speed:
In computer concepts, the speed at which a processor can execute instructions. Clock speed either can be measured in megahertz or gigahertz.
Headsets:
Includes one or more headphones for output, and a microphone for input.
Camera:
Input devices that support adding pictures or videos to a computer.
Control Unit:
Manages the flow of instructions within the processor.
Nonvolatile:
Memory that does not lose its contents when the power is removed.
Volatile:
Memory that loses its contents when power is removed.
Headphones:
Output device that consists of a pair of small listening devices that fit into a band placed over your ears.
Speakers:
Output devices used to convey audio output such as music, voice, sound effects or other sounds.
Read-Only Memory:
Permanently installed memory on your computer attached to the motherboard. The ROM chip contains the BIOS, which tells your computer how to start.
Multi-Core Processors:
Processor with multiple cores.
Arithmetic Logic Aid:
Responsible for performing arithmetic operations in the CPU.
Restore:
Returning an operating system or files to their default settings, or migrating back to the opening system's previous versions.
Firmware:
The instructions on the ROM chip.
Hard Drive:
The most common storage medium on a computer; can be magnetic or solid state.
Mouse:
The most common type of pointing device used with computer.
Form Factor:
The shape and size of a computer.
Cycle:
The smallest unit of time a process can measure.
Platform:
The software, or operating system, a device uses.
Microphone:
Used to enter voice or sound data into a computer.
USB Hub:
An external device that contains many USB ports.
Power-On Self Test:
At startup, a sequence that tests all computer components for proper operation.
Optical Media:
CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs (BDs), use laser technology for storage and playback.
Input Device:
Communicates instructions and commands to a computer. Common input devices are keyboard, mouse, stylus, scanner, microphone and game controller.
Desktop Computer:
Computer that typically consists of the system unit, monitor, keyboard and mouse.
Output Device:
Conveys information from the computer to the user. Common output devices include displays, speakers, headphones, projectors and printers.
Swap File:
Data that cannot fit in RAM and uses an area of the hard disk called virtual memory.
Bus Width/Word Size:
Determines the speed at which data in a computer travels.
Projectors:
Displays visual output from a computer on a large surface such as a wall or screen.
All-In-One-Computer:
Similar to a desktop computer, but the monitor and system unit are housed together.
Earbuds:
Speakers that are small enough to place in your ears.
External Hard Drives:
Storage drive housed in a separate case, and typically connected to your computer using a USB cable.
Processor Cache:
Stores frequently used data next to the processor so that it can easily and quickly be retrieved.
Cloud Storage:
Storing electronic files on the Internet, not on a local computer; often called storing data "in the cloud."
Random Access Memory:
The storage location that is part of every computer and that temporarily stores open apps and document data while a computer is on.