Chapter 3 Computer Hardware

Unicode

A 16-bit coding scheme that is an extension of ASCII and can support more than 65,000 symbols and characters, including Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and other pictorial characters

webcam

A camera built-in to a computer, which is primarily used for videoconferencing, chatting, or online gaming

motherboard

A circuit board that contains all of the computer system's main components.

video card

A circuit board that processes image signals

bit

A contraction of "Binary Digit". A bit is the single unit of information in a computer, typically represented as a 0 or 1.

all-in-one computer

A desktop system unit that houses the computer's processor, memory, and monitor in a single unit.

scanner

A device that converts printed documents into digital file formats.

uninterruptible power supply (UPS)

A device that maintains power to computer equipment in case of an interruption in the primary electrical source.

printer

A device that produces a paper or hard copy of the processing results.

surge suppressor

A device that protects against power spikes.

touchscreen

A display that also serves as an input device that can be used with a special pen device or fingers.

paging file

A file found on a Windows system disk that is used as temporary space on your hard disk in lieu of RAM

touchpad

A flat surface that is touch-sensitive, and you move your finger around the touchpad to move the pointer on the screen

Solid State Drive (SSD)

A hard drive without moving parts, and is faster and more durable than magnetic device

laptop

A portable computer that is smaller than the average brief case and light enough to carry comfortably. Also called notebook.

mobile device

A portable or handheld computing device, such as a smartphone or tablet, with a screen size of 10.1 inches or smaller.

multi-core processor

A processor with more than one core (processor circuit) which means it can fetch and execute more than one instruction at a time.

device driver

A program that controls a device attached to your computer, such as a printer, monitor, or video card

port

A slot on a 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 ore capable because it has programmable buttons.

processor cache

A space in the CPU next to the processor itself that stores frequently used data and instructions.

trackball

A stationary pointing device with a ball anchored inside a casing, as well as two or more buttons

binary system

A system in which numbers are represented using only the digits 0 and 1.

wheel

A type of game controller that mirrors the functionality of a steering wheel in a vehicle.

ASCII

American Standard Code for Information Interchange. ASCII is the universally recognized raw text format that any computer can understand.

game controller

An input device you use when playing a video game.

speakers

An output device that allows you to hear voice, music, and other sounds from your computer.

multitouch screen

Can be touched with more than one finger, which allows for interactions such as rotating graphical objects on the screen with your hand or zooming in and out by pinching and stretching your fingers.

input device

Communicates instructions and commands to a computer. Common input devices are keyboard, mouse, stylus, scanner, microphone, and game controller.

plug-and-play

Computer hardware or peripherals that come set up with necessary software so that when attached to a computer, they are "recognized" by the computer and are ready to use.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

Computer location where instructions and data are stored on a temporary basis. This memory is volatile.

desktop computer

Computer that typically consists of the system unit, monitor, keyboard, and mouse

swap file

Data that cannot fit in RAM and uses an area of the hard disk called virtual memory. Also called paging file.

word size

Determines the speed at which data travels also referred to bus width

USB hub

Device that extends a single USB connection to two or more USB ports, almost always directly from one of the USB ports connected to the root hub.

pointing device

Device, such as a mouse or trackball, that allows the user to select objects on the screen.

projector

Displays visual output from a computer on a large surface such as wall or screen

motion-sensing controller

Game controller that allows users to guide on-screen elements with air gestures.

dance pad

Game controller that is 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 move in different directions to control the actions of the simulated vehicle or player.

gamepad

Game controller, held with both hands, that controls the movement and actions of players or objects in video games or computer games.

headset

Includes one or more headphones for output, and a microphone for input

keyboard

Input device that contains not only characters such as letter, numbers, and punctuation, but also keys that can issue commands.

camera

Input device that support adding pictures or videos to a computer

microphone

Input device used to enter voice or sound data into a computer

volatile

Memory that loses its contents when power is removed

hard drive

Most common storage medium on a computer; can be magnetic or solid state

headphones

Output device that consists of a pair of small listening devices that fit into a band placed over your ears.

read-only memory (ROM)

Permanent storage; instructions are burned onto chips by the manufacturer. Contains the BIOS

optical media

Portable storage devices, such as CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs, that use a laser to read and write data.

restore

Returning an operating system or files back to their default settings or migrating back to the operating system's previous version.

ear buds

Small speakers that rest inside each ear canal

tablet

Small, flat computer with a touch-sensitive screen that accepts input from a digital pen, stylus or your fingertip.

cycle

Smallest unit of time a process can measure

platform

Software, or operating system, a device uses

external hard drive

Storage drive housed in a separate case, and typically connected to your computer using a USB cable

cloud storage

Storing electronic files on the Internet, not on a local computer

central processing unit (CPU)

The brain of the computer. Primarily responsible for converting input (data) into meaningful output (information).

virtual memory

The capability of an operating system to temporarily store data on a storage medium until it can be "swapped" into RAM

power-on self-test (POST)

The first job the basic input/output system (BIOS) performs, ensuring that essential peripheral devices are attached and operational. A group of tests, stored in the BIOS and performed as a PC boots up, to check for the presence and function of system components.

firmware

The organization and layout of data in a file. Instructions on the ROM chip.

control unit

The part of the central processing unit that manages the flow of information through the processor.

arithmetic logic unit (ALU)

The part of the central processing unit that performs arithmetic computations and logical operations.

form factor

The shape and size of a computer

clock speed

The speed at which a processor can execute instructions. Measured in MHz or GHz

voice synthesizer

Voice output that converts text to speech

peripheral device

a component, such as a monitor or keyboard, that connects to the computer through data port

byte

a group of eight bits that represents a single character

mouse

a hand-operated electronic pointing device that controls the coordinates of a cursor on your computer screen as you move it around on a pad

benchmark

a test run by a laboratory or other organization to determine processor speed and other performance factors.

output device

any hardware component that conveys information from a computer or mobile device to one or more people; displays, speakers, printers, projectors

nonvolatile

contents survive when power is off

bus width

determines the number of bits that the computer can transmit at one time

stylus

small device, shaped like a pen, used to draw, tap icons, or tap keys on an on-screen keyboard