CGS1060 - Chapter 2 Terms

Hard drive

(also known as the hard disk), is the primary storage device of a personal computer.

Pixels

A monitor's screen is divided into millions of tiny dots

Chipsets

All data travels through wires located throughout the motherboard's surface, and several ___ act as traffic directors for all this data.

Dots per inch (DPI)

Image quality, also known as print resolution, is usually measured in ___.

Solid state drives (SSDs)

Many hard drives now use flash memory instead of the more traditional magnetic technology.

Webcams

Many of these are in the form of ___, which are small video cameras typically attached to (or integrated with) your monitor.

Multimedia

Practically all of today's computers are equipped with complete ___ capabilities, which means that they can input and output sound, music, images, and video.

Interactive whiteboards

Projector(s) whereby a user can interact with the images projected on a screen or whiteboard.

Firmware

ROM is a small chip that contains device-specific information. The instructions on this chip are known as ___.

Cores

Some CPUs have multiple processors.

Document scanner

Specialize in scanning large quantities of documents in a short amount of time.

Central processing unit (CPU)

The ___, or microprocessor, is the main processor of a computer. It is responsible for organizing and carrying out instructions to produce a desired output.

Duplexing

The ability to automatically print to both sides of a piece of paper

Haptic feedback

The communication of vibration, motion, or physical resistance to a user

Drives

The devices that can read, write, and erase data

Bit

The most fundamental unit of computing is the ___, which is typically represented as an on (1) or off (0) value.

USB port

The most popular port

Ports

The motherboard usually contains a collection of plugs, or ___, that allow you to connect external devices.

Media

The physical locations where things are stored

Game controller

Whether you are playing games on a computer or a gaming console, you will often use a ___ as your primary input device.

Speech recognition

While these are often used for voice recording or video conversations, they are becoming important for ___.

Sound card

a circuit board that converts sound from analog to digital form, and vice versa, for recording or playback.

Stylus

a pen-like input tool that is used with a variety of touchscreen devices.

GPU

a programmable logic chip that renders images, animations and video for the computer's screen.

ROM

a small chip that contains device-specific information.

Trackball

a stationary pointing device that works like an upside-down mouse.

Touchpad

a stationary, rectangular pointing surface that is typically found on laptop computers.

RFID tag

a tiny chip or label that contains electronically stored data.

Document feeder

a tray that allows you to scan several sheets of paper automatically.

Touchscreens

accept input by allowing the user to place a fingertip directly on the computer screen. Your fingers can be used to perform a variety of taps and gestures to accomplish different tasks.

Video card

an intermediary device between the CPU and the monitor.

Thermal printers

apply heat to special thermal paper, turning select areas black to produce text and basic graphics.

Compact discs (CDs)

are capable of storing up to 700 MB of data.

Digital cameras

are portable devices that electronically capture and store still images and video.

3D printers

are unique in that they can create a three-dimensional object made of various materials.

Digital projectors

are used to project digital images and video onto a large screen where they can be viewed by an audience.

Barcode scanner

are used to scan the barcode labels that uniquely identify most products sold today.

Memory cards

are used to store data in tablets, smartphones, and devices such as digital cameras and digital photo frames.

Digital versatile discs (DVDs)

can store either 4.7 or 8.5 GB of data.

Multifunction printers

combine either inkjet or laser printing capabilities with scanning, photocopying, and faxing capabilities.

LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor

contains a light source and a screen of special crystals placed in the monitor between the user and the light source.

Inkjet printers

create an image directly on the paper by spraying ink through tiny nozzles.

Laser printers

create output by using a laser that is aimed at a rotating drum. Toner (ink powder) then sticks to the drum.

Ergonomic keyboards

designed to be comfortable and tailored for the human body, can reduce hand and wrist strain.

Fingerprint scanners

detect the unique patterns and swirls of an individual's finger.

Facial recognition

is a biometric technology that looks for unique measurements in an individual's face.

TV tuner

is a device that can capture television signals for viewing on a computer.

Scanner

is a device that uses optical technology to convert objects that it analyzes into a digital format.

Memory

is a general term for electronic chips that store data and program instructions that can be accessed quickly by the CPU.

Virtual memory

is not actual memory, but rather a portion of your hard drive that is being used as RAM when the situation demands it.

Byte

is simply a collection of eight bits. It is the amount required to store a single character. Additional units (rounded values): A kilobyte (KB) = 1000 bytes A megabyte (MB) = 1000 KB A gigabyte (GB) = 1000 MB A terabyte (TB) = 1000 GB

RAM

is the computer's temporary workspace.

Motherboard

is the largest circuit board in a personal computer. It contains a variety of slots, connectors, and plugs for hooking up all the other parts of a computer.

Flatbed scanner

it has a glass surface that allows you to scan almost any object, from a page in a textbook to an old photo album.

Clock rate

measures the speed of a processor.

Graphics tablets

offer extra-sensitive touch surfaces that translate an artist's motions into drawings on the computer screen.

Pages per minute (PPM)

printer speed is measured in the number of ___ the device can print.

Dye-sublimation (dye-sub)

printers use a process where by colored dyes are heated and then diffuse on specialty paper or other materials.

Cache

refers to a form of high-speed memory that stores a small, frequently used set of instructions and data in the CPU.

Biometrics

refers to the measurement of patterns or characteristics found in the human body. Used for authentication.

Response time

the ___ of a monitor is the amount of time (in milliseconds) that it takes for a pixel to change from black to white.

Contrast ratio

the ___ of a monitor measures how close the monitor can get to the brightest white and the darkest black.

Resolution

the ___ of a monitor refers to the number of pixels that it can display on the screen.

System unit

the case that houses the computer's critical parts, such as the processing and storage devices.

Optical mouse

the most common pointing device for desktop computers. It senses movement, and contains buttons and a scroll wheel.

USB flash drive

the small storage stick that plugs into a USB port.

microphones

these are often used for recording or video conversations,.

Gestures

these devices issue commands in the form of various types of clicks, scrolling.

Blu-ray discs (BD)

typically store 25 or 50 GB of data.

LED (light emitting diodes) monitors

which also use liquid crystals, are lit by a grid of tiny electronic lights.

Dot matrix printers

which date to the 1970's, create output by striking an inked ribbon against paper using metal pins. They are the only printers that can produce carbon-copy or pressure-sensitive forms.

Tape drives

which use magnetic tape to store data, are popular for organizations that have large quantities of information to back up or archive.

CRT monitors

which were large and bulky, are rarely used today.