MIS Chapter 4

resolution

A form of volatile memory that holds the operating systems, programs, and data the computer is currently using.

pixel

A single point on a display screen. Short for picture element.

sound card

An expansion card that provides audio connections for both input devices and output devices.

video card

An expansion card that provides the data signal and connection for a monitor or projector. It may also include input ports to connect a TV tuner or another video device to the system.

Blu-ray disc (BD)

An optical disc with about five times the capacity of a DVD. The single-layer disc capacity is 25 GB, and the double-layer disc capacity is 50 GB.

hardware

The physical components of a computer.

gigahertz (GHz)

Used to measure the speed at which a processor executes the information cycle. is equal to one billion cycles per second.

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface)

a digital port that can transmit both audio and video signals.

inkjet printer

A printer that sprays droplets of ink onto paper.

stylus

A special pen-like input tool that enables you to write directly on a touchscreen.

cache memory

Fast memory that stores frequently accessed information close to the processor.

system unit

The case that encloses and protects the power supply, motherboard, CPU, and memory of a computer.

SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment)

The standard internal drive interface.

DVI (digital visual interface) port

The standard video port found on video cards.

instruction cycle

The steps a CPU uses to process data: fetch, decode, execute, store. Also known as the fetch-and-execute cycle or the machine cycle.

overclock

To run a processor at speeds higher than it was designed to perform.

Legacy Technology

old technology that's still used alongside its more modern replacement, typically because it still works and is cost-effective

PCI express (PCIe)

A faster version of PCI that's typically used to connect a video card.

nonvolatile

A form of storage that does not need power to keep its data.

Ps/2 port

A legacy port used to connect a keyboard and mouse.

near field communication (NFC)

A method that enables devices to share data with each other by touching them together or bringing them within a few centimeters of each other.

expansion slot

An interface on a motherboard that expansion cards plug in to.

DVD (digital video disc/digital versatile disc)

An optical disc that can hold about 4.7 GB of information (single-layer [SL]). Double-layer (DL) DVDs have a second layer to store data and can hold about 8.5 GB.

speakers

An output device that converts digital signals from a computer or media player into sound.

headphones

An output device that converts digital signals into sound. They come in several different sizes and styles, ranging from tiny earbuds that fit inside your ear to full-size headphones that completely cover your outer ear.

serial and parallel ports

Legacy ports used to connect peripheral devices to a computer.

network interface card

See network adapter.

adaptive technology

Software and hardware used by individuals with disabilities to interact with technology. Also called assistive technology.

Memory

Temporary storage that's used by a computer to hold instructions and data.

central processing unit (CPU)

The brain of a computer; housed inside the system unit on the motherboard. It consists of two parts the arithmetic logic unit and the control unit.

LCD projector

a projector that passes light through a prism, which divides the light into three beams- red, green and blue which are then passed through this screen

expansion card

A card that plugs directly into a slot on a motherboard and enables you to connect additional peripheral devices to a computer. Also called an adapter card.

adapter card

A card that plugs directly into an expansion slot on a motherboard and enables you to connect additional peripheral devices to a computer. Also called an expansion card.

modem

A communication device that modulates digital data into an analog signal that can be transmitted over a phone line and, on the receiving end, demodulates the analog signal back into digital data. is short for modulator-demodulator.

Network Adapter

A communication device used to establish a connection with a network. The adapter may be onboard, an expansion card, or a USB device and may be wired or wireless. Also called a network interface card.

drive controller

A component located on the motherboard, that provides a drive interface, which connects disk drives to the processor.

peripheral device

A component that expands the input, output, and storage functions of a computer system.

port

A connection point that is used to attach a peripheral device to a motherboard.

hot-swappable

A device that can be plugged and unplugged without turning off the computer.

communication device

A device that serves as both an input and output device and enables you to connect to other devices on a network or to the Internet.

USB hub

A device used to connect multiple USB devices to a single USB port.

input device

A device used to enter data into the computer system so it can be processed.

LCD ( liquid crystal display)

A flat-panel display type found on most desktop and notebook computers. Consists of two layers of glass that are glued together with a layer of liquid crystals between them. When electricity is passed through the individual crystals, it causes them to pass or block light to create an image.

optical disc

A form of removable storage where data is stored by using a laser to either melt the disc material or change the color of embedded dye. A laser can read the variations as binary data.

volatile

A form of storage that requires power to preserve stored information.

RAM (random access memory)

A form of volatile memory that holds the operating systems, programs, and data the computer is currently using.

FireWire

A hot-swappable port that can connect up to 63 devices per port. It also allows for peer-to-peer communication between devices, such as two video cameras, without the use of a computer. Also known as IEEE 1394.

plasma monitor

A large display type that works by passing an electric current through gas sealed in thousands of cells inside the screen. The current excites the gas, which in turn excites the phosphors that coat the screen to pass light through an image.

EIDE (enhanced integrated drive electronics)

A legacy drive interface found on the motherboard of older personal computers.

CRT monitor

A legacy technology that uses a cathode ray tube to excite phosphor particles coating a glass screen to light up the pixels.

pipelining

A method used by a single processor to process multiple instructions simultaneously. As soon as the first instruction has moved from the fetch to the decode stage, the processor fetches the next instruction.

OLED (organic light-emitting diode)

A monitor composed of extremely thin panels of organic molecules sandwiched between two electrodes.

solid-state storage

A non-mechanical form of storage that uses flash memory to store data on a chip.

ROM (read-only memory)

A nonvolatile form of memory that doesn't need power to keep its data.

heat sink

A part of the cooling system of a computer, mounted above the CPU and composed of metal or ceramic to draw heat away from the processor.

Thunderbolt

A port, that carries both PCI Express and DisplayPort video signals on the same cable, so it can be used to connect many different types of peripherals to a computer. It combines two 10 Gbps channels, and can daisy-chain up to six devices using one connection.

photo printer

A printer designed to print high-quality photos on special photo paper.Can be inkjet printers that use special ink cartridges or dye-sublimation printers.

Multifunction device

A printer device with a built-in scanner and sometimes fax capabilities. Also known as an all-in-one printer.

three-dimensional (3D) printer

A printer that can create objects such as prototypes and models.

thermal printer

A printer that creates an image by heating specially coated heat-sensitive paper, which changes color where the heat is applied.

Laser printer

A printer that uses a laser beam to draw an image on a drum. The image is electrostatically charged and attracts a dry ink called toner. The drum is then rolled over paper, and the toner is deposited on the paper. Finally, the paper is heated, bonding the ink to it.

dye-sublimation printer

A printer that uses heat to turn solid dye into a gas that is then transferred to special paper.

plotter

A printer that uses one or more pens to draw an image on a roll of paper.

GPU (graphics processing unit)

A processor found on a video card that can contain multiple cores.

Multi-core Processor

A processor that consists of two or more processors integrated on a single chip.

BIOS (Basic Input Output System):

A program stored on a chip on the motherboard that's used to start up the computer.

DLP (digital light-processing) projector

A projector that uses hundreds of thousands of tiny swiveling mirrors to create an image.

biometric scanner

A scanner that measures human characteristics such as fingerprints and eye retinas.

Keypad

A small alternative keyboard that has a limited set of keys.

solid-state drive (SSD

A small drive often used in small electronic devices, such as media players and cell phones, as well as in notebooks and netbooks.

flash drive

A small, portable, solid-state drive that can hold up to 128 GB of information. Also called key drives, thumb drives, pen drives, or jump drives.

webcam

A specialized video camera that provides visual input for online communication, such as web conferencing or chatting.

USB (universal serial bus)

A standard port type that's used to connect many kinds of devices, including printers, mice, keyboards, digital cameras, cell phones, and external drives. Up to 127 devices can share a single USB port.

Memory Card

A storage medium that uses flash memory to store data.

RFID tag

A tag that can be read by a scanner. It contains a tiny antenna for receiving and sending a radio frequency signal.

RFID tag

A tag that can be read by an scanner. It contains a tiny antenna for receiving and sending a radio frequency signal.

Bluetooth

A technology designed to connect peripherals wirelessly at short ranges.

flash memory

A technology used by solid-state storage devices, such as flash drives and memory cards, that stores data on a chip.

QR (Quick Response) code

A two-dimensional bar code found in ads and on merchandise tags that can be scanned using an app on a mobile device to learn more about the item.

game controller

A type of input device that's used to interact with video games.

Monitor

A video output device that works by lighting up pixels on a screen. Each pixel contains three colors: red, green, and blue (RGB)-and all colors can be created by varying the intensities of the three colors.

projector

A video output device typically used when making a presentation or sharing media with a group in such places as classrooms, businesses, and home theaters because they can produce larger output than a monitor.

CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor)

A volatile form of memory that uses a small battery to provide it with power to keep the data in memory even when the computer is turned off. It stores settings that are used by the BIOS.

data bus

A wire on the motherboard over which information flows between the components of the computer.

PictBridge

An industry standard that allows a camera to connect directly to a printer, usually by a USB connection or special dock.

joystick

An input device mounted on a base that consists of a stick, buttons, and sometimes a trigger.

touch screen

An input device that can accept input from a finger or stylus.

scanner

An input device that can increase the speed and accuracy of data entry and convert information into a digital format that can be saved, copied, and manipulated.

Microphone

An input device that converts sound into digital signals and is used to chat in real time or as part of voice-recognition applications used in video games and for dictating text.

Mouse

An input device that may include one or more buttons and a scroll wheel and works by moving across a smooth surface to signal movement of the pointer.

keyboard

An input device that translates keystrokes into a signal a computer understands, and the primary input device for entering text into a computer.

touchpad

An input device typically found on a notebook computer. Motion is detected by moving your finger across the touch-sensitive surface.

processor

See CPU.

IEEE 1394

See FireWire.

Motherboard

The main circuit board of a computer that houses the processor (CPU), and contains drive controllers and interfaces, expansion slots, data buses, ports and connectors, the BIOS, and memory. It provides the way for devices to attach to your computer.

PCI (peripheral component interconnect)

The most common type of expansion slot on a motherboard.

CD (compact disc)

The oldest type of optical disc in use today, with a storage capacity of about 700 MB.

arithmetic logic unit (ALU)

The part of a processor that performs arithmetic (addition and subtraction) and logic (AND, OR, and NOT) calculations.

control unit

The part of the processor that manages the movement of data through the CPU.

hard drive

The primary mass-storage device in a computer that stores data magnetically on metal platters. Also called hard disk or hard disk drive.

booting

The process of loading the operating system when starting up a computer.

parallel processing

The process of using multiple processors, or multi-core processors, to divide up processing tasks.

clock speed

The speed at which the processor executes the instruction cycle.

AGP (accelerated graphics port)

The standard analog video port on computers manufactured before 2009.

CMYK

The standard ink colors used by printers: cyan, magenta, yellow, and key (black).