Chapter 1: Computer Hardware
personal computer systam
a desktop or notebook computer and al the input, output, and storage devices connected to it
storage devices
a hard disk drive, and a a CD or DVD drive
mainframe computer
a larfe and expensive coputer capable of si,ultaneous processing data for hundreds or thousands of users
computer
a multipurpose device that accepts input, processes data, stores data, and produces output, all according to a series of stored instructions
USB flash drive
a popular removable portabel storage device featuring a built-in connector tha plugs directly into a computers usb drive
surge strip
a row of outlets arranged in a plastic case
optical drive
a small laser light to read data stored on plastic-coated cds, dvds, or blu-ray discs
notebook computer
a small lightweight personal computer that incorporates a secreen, a keyboard, sorage devices, and processing components into a single protable unit
intergrated circuit
a super-thin slice of semiconducting material packed with miroscopic eirucit elements such as wiresm transistors, capacitors, logic gates, and resistors
RAM
a temporary holding area for data, application program instuctions, and the operatinf system
ROM
a type of memory curcuity that holds the computers startup routine
motherboard
a unit that contains stoarage devices, a power supply, and the computers main circuit board
DVD
a variation of cd technology with a capacity of 4.7 GB
memory
an area of a computer that temporarily hold data wairing to be processed, stored, or output
mouse/trackpad
an input device designed to manipulate on-screen grahical objects and contols
microprocessor
and intergrated circuit designed to process instructions
uninterruptible power supple
batter backup along witha surge protection
webcam
built in camera that stores photos directly on the compuers hard disk
network circuity
connects a computer to a wired or wireless network
centralized computing system
depends of a centally-located computer for processing and storage
computer network
designed to share hardware, data, and software
optical storage technology
etches data onto the disc surface
handheld computer
features a small keyboard or touch-sensite screen and is designed to fit into a pocket, run on batteries, and be used while you are holding it
desktop computer
fits on a desk and runs on power from an electical wall outlet
application software
helps users apply the computer to specific tasks, such as writing documetns and editing photos
defragmentaion utility
helps your hard disk operate more efficiently
registers
holds data that is being processed
EBCCIC
is another8-bit code used by older IMB mainframe computers
byte
is composed of eight bits and it is abbreviated as an uppercase B
magnetic storage technology
mictoscopic paricles are magnetized to represent 0's and 1's
supercomputer
one of the fastests computers in the world
compatable computers
operate in esentially the same way
`CD
provides 650-700 MB or storage space for computer data
solid state storage technology
provides fast access to data and use very little power
sound card and speakers
required for high-quality music, narration, and sound effects
volatile
requires electrical power to hold data
ASCII
requires only seven bits for each character
netbook
small notebook computers
ROM BIOS
small set of instructions that tel the computer to to access the hard disk
distributed computer network
spreadsthe processing and storage tasks among many computers
data
symbols that represent facts, objacts, and ideas
hard disk drive
the main storage device in most computer systems
software
the programs that form that sets up a computer to do a specific task
memory card slots
used to transfer data from memory cards that contain data from digital cameras and other handheld devices
unicode
uses 16 buts and provides codes for 65,000 characters
PDA
(personal digital system) is typicaly used as an electronic appointment book, adress book, calculator, and notepad
Blu-ray disc
23 GB for a single layer or 50 GB for dual layers
tablet computer
a protable computing device featuring a touch-sensitive scteen that can be used as a writing or drawing pad
printer
an output device that produces compuer-genrated text or graphical images on paper
personal computer
designed to meed the computing needs of an individual
control unit
directs microprocessor tasks
USB ports
ports that make it east to plug in various devices, such as external hard disk drives and USB flash drives
system unit
the component that hold the computers curcit boards, CPU, power supply, memory, and storage devices
cental processing unit (CPU)
the component where most of the processig takes place or the "brain"`
keyboard
the primary input device
computer output
the result produced by a computer
computer program
the series of instructions that tell a computer how to carry out a processing task
processing
the way computers manipulate data
server
to serve data to computers connected to a network
embedded microprocessors
designed for specialized tasks
display device
most desktop computers have separate display device
ALU
performs arithmetic operation
operating system
software that helps a computer control itself to operate efficiently and keep track of data
storage
the area where data can be left on a permanent basis when it is not immedately needed for processing
internet
the worlds largest network, connecting millions of personal computers, servers, mainframes, and supercomputers
Extended ASCII
uses eight bits to represent each character
computer input
whatever is typed, submitted, or transmitted to a computer system
head crash
when a read-write head runs into a dust paricle or some other conaminant
analog device
works with continuouse data
digital device
works with discrete-distinct and seprate-data, such as the digits 1 and 0