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