Computers and Information Technology Chapter 9
driver
a small program that tells the operating system how to communicate with a specific device, short for device driver
backup and restore
copies selected files or the contents of an entire storage medium to another storage location
permissions
define who can access certain resources and when they can access those resources
iOS
developed by Apple, a proprietary mobile operating system specifically made for Apple's mobile devices, originally called iPhone OS
scroll bars
display different portions of a document
desktop
displays items such as windows, folders, and icons
Macintosh Operating system
ease of use and has been the model for most of the new GUI's developed for non-Mac systems
real-time operating system (RTOS)
embedded operating system. perform a single task, usually without requiring input from a user.
service pack
free downloadable updates provided to users who have registered and/or activated their software
multipurpose operating systems
function as both desktop and server operating systems
tiles
graphical objects that represent dynamic links to apps, usually Windows Store apps
queue
group of files waiting in the buffer to be printed
uninstaller
removes a program or app, as well as any associated entries in the system files
mobile operating system
the operating system on mobile devices and many consumer electronics
platform
the operating system that a computer uses because applications run on top of it or because it supports the applications
background
the other programs running but not in use
iTunes Store
provides access to music, books, podcasts, ringtones, and movies
warm boot
refers to the process of restarting a computer or mobile device while it remains powered on
automatic update
regularly provides new features or corrections to the program
memory resident
remains in memory while the computer or mobile device is running
boot disk
removable media such as a CD/DVD or USB flashdrive, that contains only the necessary operating system files required to start the computer
performance monitor
A program that assesses and reports information about various computer resources and devices
iCloud
Apple's cloud server
sign in
To access resources on a network or computer
Firefox OS
a Linux-based open source operating system that runs on smartphones and tablets developed by Mozilla
Fire OS
a Linux-based operating system for Amazon Kindle Tablets and Amazon Fire phones
desktop operating system
a complete operating system that works on desktops, laptops, and some tablets, sometimes called a stand-alone operating system
touch user interface
a graphical user interface designed for touch input
macOS
a multitasking operating system available for computers manufactured by Apple
UNIX
a multitasking operating system developed in the early 1970's by scientists at Bell Laboratories
server operating system
a multiuser operating system that organizes and coordinates how multiple users access and share resources on a network
virtual memory
a portion of a storage medium, such as a hard drive or USB flash drive, that the operating system allocates to function as additional RAM
password
a private combination of characters associated with the user name that allows access to certain computer, mobile device, or network resources
Windows (Mobile Edition)
a proprietary mobile operating system that runs on some smartphones
buffer
a segment of memory or storage in which items are placed while waiting to be transferred from an input device to an output device
operating system (OS)
a set of programs that coordinate all the activities among computer or mobile device hardware
chromebox
a specialized desktop that runs chrome OS
Chromebook
a specialized laptop that runs chrome OS
user name
a unique combination of characters, such as letters of the alphabet or numbers, that identifies one specific user. Also called log on name or sign on name
command-line interface
a user types commands represented by short keywords or abbreviations (such as dir to view directory or list of files) or presses special keys on the keyboard (such as function keys or key combinations) to enter data and instructions
Raspbian
a version of Linux built for Raspberry Pi
Windows IoT
a version of Windows built for Raspberry Pi
virtual machine
an environment on a computer in which you can install and run an operating system and programs
bug
an error in a program
The Open Group
an industry standards organization, owns UNIX as a trademark
Raspberry Pi
an inexpensive single-board computer designed primarily for use in schools and developing nations
Android
an open source, Linux-based mobile operating system designed by Google for smartphones and tablets
client operating systems
another name for desktop operating systems because they also work in conjunction with a server operating system
Google Play
app store provides access to apps, songs, books, and movies
search
attempts to locate files on your computer or mobile device based on specified criteria
screensaver
causes a display's screen to show a moving image or blank screen if no keyboard or mouse activity occurs for a specified time
PC maintenance
identifies and fixes operating system problems, detects and repairs drive problems, and includes the capability of improving a computer's performance
recovery media
in situations when a boot disk is required to restart a computer or device that will not start from its boot drive
nonresident
instructions remain on a storage medium until they are needed, at which time they transfer into memory (RAM)
graphical user interface (GUI)
interact with menus and visual images by touching, pointing, tapping, or clicking buttons and other objects to issue commands
print spooler
intercepts documents to be printed from the operating system and places them in the queue
Chrome Os
introduced by Google, Linux-based operating system designed to work primarily with web apps
Safari
macOS browser
upward compatible
may or may not run on newer versions of an operating system
device-dependent
one that runs only on a specific type or make of computer or mobile device
file manager
performs functions related to displaying files; organizing files in folders; and copying, renaming, deleting, moving, and sorting files
user interface (UI)
portion of software that controls how you enter data and instructions and how information is displayed on the screen
status bar
presents information about document, progress of certain tasks, status of certain commands and keys, and controls for viewing document
proprietary software
privately owned and limited to a specific vendor or computer or device model
Wallet
provides a centralized location for coupons, credit cards, loyalty cards, and memberships in a single, easily accessible location
Microsoft Store
provides access to additional apps and software updates
Google Drive
provides access to email, contacts, calendar, photos, files, and more
disk defragmenter
reorganizes the files and unused space on a computer's hard disk so that the operating system accesses data more quickly and programs and apps run faster
device-independent
run on computers and mobile devices provided by a variety of manufacturers
sleep mode
saves any open documents and running programs or apps to RAM, turns off all unneeded functions, and places the computer in a low-power state
hibernate mode
saves any open documents and running programs or apps to an internal hard drive before removing power from the computer or device
disk cleanup
searches for and removes unnecessary files
spooling
sends documents to be printed to a buffer instead of sending them immediately to the printer
file compression
shrinks the size of a file(s)
foreground
the active program or the one that is being used
page
the amount of data and program instructions that can be swapped at a given time
swap file
the area of the hard drive used for virtual memory, swaps data, information, and instructions between memory and storage
kernal
the core of an operating system that manages memory and devices, maintains the internal clock, runs programs, and assigns the resources, such as devices, programs, apps, data, and information.
boot drive
the drive from which your personal computer starts, which typically is an internal hard drive, such as a hard disk or SSD
Recycle Bin
the location for files that have been deleted
network administrator
the person overseeing network operations, uses the server operating system to add and remove users, computers, and other devices to and from the network
virtualization
the practice of sharing or pooling computing resources, such as servers or storage devices
encryption
the process of encoding data and information into an unreadable form
cold boot
the process of starting a computer or mobile device from a state when it is powered off completely
booting
the process of starting or restarting a computer or mobile device
backward compatible
the recognize and work with applications written for an earlier version of the operating system
paging
the technique of swapping items between memory and storage, time consuming process for the computer
natural user interface (NUI)
users interact with the software through ordinary, intuitive behavior
thrashing
when an operating system spends much of its time paging instead of executing application software
command language
when working with a command-line interface, the set of commands used to control actions
Edge
windows browser
OneDrive
Microsoft's cloud server
Google Assistant
a voice recognition app, a personal assistant for Google devices
Cortana
a voice recognition app, a personal assistant for Windows devices
Siri
a voice recognition app, a personal assistant for iOS devices
multitasking
allows two or more programs or apps to reside in memory at the same time
cross-platform application
an application that runs the same way on multiple operating systems
firmware
consists of ROM chips or flash memory chips that store permanent instructions
ribbon
consists of tabs, groups, and commands that provide access to tasks
dock
contains icons used to run apps, display minimized windows, and access documents
taskbar
displays app buttons for apps that are running and pinned app buttons that always are on taskbar
image viewer
displays, copies, and prints the contents of graphics files
partitioning
divides a hard drive in separate logical storage areas that appear as distinct drives
administrative account
enables network administrators to access all files and programs, install programs, and specify settings that affect all users on a computer, mobile device, or network
multiuser
enables two or more users to run programs simultaneously
Linux
introduced in 1991, a popular multitasking UNIX-based operating system that runs on a variety of personal computers, servers, devices, and single-board computers
open source software
its code is provided for use, modification, and redistribution
power management
monitors a laptop or mobile device's battery usage
bloatware
mostly harmless, extra programs installed with a computer or device's operating system
icons
small images that represent shortcuts to apps or other content
Plug and Play
the operating system automatically configures new devices as you install or connect them