Computers

Motherboard

Main circuit board inside personal computers which holds the majority of computer components and provides connectors for peripherals.

Hard Drive

Main storage device of a computer; commonly referred as an internal device and used to permanently store data.

Firewall

Serves as a security device between a computer and internet sites or between multiple computer networks.

Software

Set of computer programs designed to enable computers to accomplish certain tasks; major types of software include programming software, system software and application software.

Defragmentation

Software maintenance process which reduces the amount of fragmentation between files.

Local area network

Local, privately owned networks.

Universal Serial Bus (USB) Connector

Interface designed to connect computer and peripheral devices, such as printers, mouses, keyboards, USB flash drives and external hard drives.

Server

Allows equipment such as fax machines, printers, and files to be "served" to multiple computers.

Output device

Any piece of computer hardware used to communicate the data processed by the computer.

Input device

Any piece of computer hardware used to provide data to the computer.

Surge protector

Appliance designed to protect computer electronics from electrical damage.

Power cord

Cable connecting the computer to the electrical supply; aids in delivering electrical power to the main computer.

Clock Rate

Common measurement of CPU speed; tells how fast the CPU can process data.

Power supply

Computer hardware converting alternating current or AC electric power to a low-voltage power for the internal components of the computer.

Driver

Computer program allowing the computer to communicate with a hardware device.

Wireless Connection

Connects computers without the use of cables or wires.

Ethernet cable

Cord connecting the computer to the Internet.

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Microprocessor which calculates all the data going through a personal computer.

Wide area network

Network which provides connections between computers in multiple locations.

Monitor

Output device which displays graphics and images from the computer.

Hardware

Physical parts of a computer, such as the hard drive, video card, monitor and other substantial parts.

Operating system

Program which acts as a boundary between a computer use and the computer itself.

External Hard Drive

Removable hard drive located outside of the main computer tower.

Network

System for communication between two or more computers.

Read Only Memory (ROM)

Type of computer memory which stores the Basic Input/output System (BIOS); data stored here cannot be changed.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

Type of computer memory, which temporarily stores computer information such as the operating system, application programs and data so they can be immediately accessed by the CPU.

Real-time operating systems

Used for real-time applications such as thermostats, mobile phones, space crafts, etc.

Internet

Worldwide, publicly accessed network.