Chptr 2 CIS
64-bit processor
A microprocessor with registers, address bus, and a data bus that hold 64 bits of data, in contrast to 32-bit processors that hold 32 bits of data.
Ink jet printer
A non-impact printer that creates characters or graphics by spraying liquid ink onto paper or other media.
Home computer system
A personal computer designed for use with mainstream computer applications such as Web browsing, e-mail, music downloads, and productivity software.
Dot matrix printer
A printer that creates characters and graphics by striking an inked ribbon with small wires called "pins," generating a fine pattern of dots.
Duplex printer
A printer that prints on both sides of the paper in a single pass
Laser printer
A printer that uses laser-based technology, similar to that used by photocopiers, to produce text and graphics.
Floppy disk
A removable magnetic storage medium, typically 3.5" in size, with a capacity of 1.44 MB.
Benchmarks
A set of tests used to measure computer hardware or software performance.
Expansion port
A socket into which the user plugs a cable from a peripheral device, allowing data to pass between the computer and the peripheral device.
Expansion slot
A socket or "slot" on a PC motherboard designed to hold a circuit board called an expansion card.
FireWire
A standard for fairly high-speed ports, plugs, and connectors typically used to connect external storage devices, and for transferring data from cameras to computers.
eSATA
A standard for high-speed ports, plugs, and connectors typically used to connect external hard drives to computers.
HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface)
A standard type of plug and connector for computer display devices.
DVI (Digital Visual Interface)
A standard type of plug and connector for computer display devices.
EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory)
A type of non-volatile storage typically used in personal computers to store boot and BIOS data.
Data bus
An electronic pathway or circuit that connects the electronic components (such as the processor and RAM) on a computer's motherboard.
Blue screen of death
An error condition in which a PC "freezes" and displays a black screen (blue screen prior to Windows Vista); usually turning the computer off and turning it on again clears the error
Joystick
An input device that looks like a small version of a car's stick shift. Popular with gamers, moving the stick moves objects on the screen.
DVD (Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc)
An optical storage medium similar in appearance and technology to a CD but with higher storage capacity.
CD (Compact Disc)
An optical storage medium used to store digital information. CD-ROMs are read only. CD-Rs and CD-RWs can be used to record data.
Drive bays
Areas within a computer system unit that can accommodate additional storage devices.
Capacitors
Electronic circuit components that store an electrical charge; in RAM, a charged capacitor represents an "on" bit, and a discharged one represents an "off" bit.
Lands
Non-pitted surface areas on a CD that represent digital data. (See also pits.)
CPU cache
Special high-speed memory providing the CPU rapid access to data that would otherwise be access from disk or RAM.
LCD display (Liquid Crystal Display)
Technology used for flat panel computer screens typically found on notebook computers.
Hot-plugging
The ability of a component, such as a USB flash drive, to connect or disconnect from a computer while it is running; Also referred to as hot-swapping.
Data transfer rate
The amount of data that a storage device can move from a storage medium to computer memory in one time unit, such as one second.
Hard disk platter
The component of a hard disk drive on which data is stored. It is a flat, rigid disk made of aluminum or glass and coated with a magnetic oxide.
Form factor
The configuration of a computer's system unit; examples include tower, mini-tower, and cube.
Front side bus (FSB)
The data bus that carries signals between the CPU and RAM, disks, or expansion slots.
Dot pitch
The diagonal distance between colored dots on a display screen. Measured in millimeters, dot pitch helps to determine the quality of an image displayed on a monitor.
Access time
The estimated time for a storage device to locate data on a disk, usually measured in milliseconds.
Color depth
The number of bits that determines the range of possible colors that can be assigned to each pixel. For example, an 8-bit color depth can create 256 colors.
Expansion bus
The segment of the data bus that transports data between RAM and peripheral devices.
BD-ROM
(Blu-ray ROM) A Blu-ray disc that cannot be modified; usually used to distribute movies.
BD-R
(Blu-ray disc recordable) A Blu-ray disc that can be recorded on one time.
BD-RE
(Blu-ray disc rerecordable) A Blu-ray disc that can be recorded on multiple times
CDDA
(Compact Disc Digital Audio) The format for commercial music CDs, typically recorded by the manufacturer.
CD-RW
(Compact Disc ReWritable) CD-RW is a type of optical disc technology that allows the user to write data onto a CD, then change that data much like on a floppy or hard disk.
CD-ROM
(Compact Disc Read-Only Memory) The read-only data format that is stamped onto a CD, usually by the manufacturer.
CD-R
(Compact Disc Recordable) CD-R is a type of optical disc technology that allows the user to record data once on a disc.
CISC
(Complex Instruction Set Computer) A general-purpose microprocessor chip designed to handle a wider array of instructions than a RISC chip.
DVD+R (Digital Versatile Disc Recordable)
A DVD data format that, similar to CD-R, allows recording data but not changing data on a DVD.
DVD-R (Digital Versatile Disc Recordable)
A DVD data format that, similar to CD-R, allows writing data but not changing data on a DVD.
DVD-ROM
A DVD disc that contains data that has been permanently stamped on the disk surface.
DVD-video
A DVD format used for commercial movies shipped on DVDs
DVD-RW
A DVD technology similar to DVD+RW that allows recording and changing data on DVDs.
DVD+RW (Digital Versatile Disc ReWritable)
A DVD technology that allows recording and changing data on DVDs.
Double layer DVD
A DVD that essentially stacks data in two different layers on the disk surface to store 8.5 GB, twice the capacity of a standard DVD.
Hard disk controller
A circuit board in a hard drive that positions the disk and read-write heads to locate data.
Graphics car
A circuit board inserted into a computer to handle the display of text, graphics, animation, and videos. Also called a video card or graphics board.
Expansion card
A circuit board that is plugged into a slot on a computer motherboard to add extra functions, devices, or ports.
Head crash
A collision between the read-write head and the surface of the hard disk platter, resulting in damage to some of the data on the disk.
Hard disk drive
A computer storage device that contains a large-capacity rigid storage surface sealed inside a drive case. Typically used as the primary storage device in personal computers.
Linux platform
A computer that is running the Linux operating system.
Desktop computer
A computer that is small enough to fit on a desk and built around a single microprocessor chip.
All-in-one computer
A desktop computer form factor in which the system unit and touchscreen are integrated into a single unit.
Card reader
A device that can be used to read and record data on solid stage storage devices, such as flash memory cards.
LED display (Light-Emitting Diode display)
A display device that either uses LEDs to produce an image on the screen, or and LCD display that uses LEDs as backlighting.
Blu-ray
A high-capacity storage technology that stores up to 25 GB per layer on Blu-ray discs (BDs). 81
Gigahertz (GHz)
A measure of frequency equivalent to one billion cycles per second
Duty cycle
A measurement of how many pages a printer is able to produce per day or month.
Graphics processing unit (GPU)
A microprocessor dedicated to rendering and displaying graphics on personal computers, workstations, and videogame consoles.