Computer Concepts
terabyte (TB)
1,024 GB, or approximately one trillion bytes. (ECC 13)
kilobyte (KB or K)
1,024 bytes, or approximately one thousand bytes. (ECC 13)
megabyte (MB)
1,048,576 bytes, or about one million bytes. (ECC 13)
gigabyte (GB)
1,073,741,824 bytes, or about one billion bytes. (ECC 13)
dual-core processor
A CPU that has two processors on the chip. (ECC 8)
quad-core processor
A CPU with four processors on the chip. (ECC 8)
single-core processor
A CPU with one processor on the chip. (ECC 8)
wireless local area network (WLAN)
A LAN connected using high frequency radio waves rather than cables. (ECC 18)
graphics card
A card installed on the motherboard that controls the signals the computer sends to the monitor. Also called video display adapter or video card. (ECC 8)
Utilities
A category of system software that augments the operating system by taking over some of its responsibility for allocating hardware resources. (ECC 22)
volatile memory
A characteristic of RAM in that it constantly changes while the computer is on, and clears when the computer is turned off. Also called temporary memory. (ECC 13)
complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) memory
A chip installed on the motherboard powered by a battery whose content changes every time you add or remove hardware on your computer system and that is activated during the boot process so it can identify where essential software is stored. Also called semipermanent memory. (ECC 14)
read-only memory (ROM)
A chip on the motherboard that is prerecorded with and permanently stores the set of instructions that the computer uses when you turn it on. Also called nonvolatile memory or permanent memory. (ECC 14)
system software
A collection of programs and data that helps the computer carry out its basic operating tasks. (ECC 21)
tablet
A computer designed for portability that includes the capability of recognizing ordinary handwriting on the screen. (ECC 5)
server
A computer on a network that acts as the central storage location for programs and provides mass storage for most of the data used on the network. (ECC 17)
device driver
A computer program that can establish communication between two devices because it contains information about the characteristics of your computer and of the device. Also called driver. (ECC 22)
midrange computer
A computer somewhere between a PC and a mainframe in both size and power. Also called minicomputer. (ECC 6)
personal computer (PC)
A computer typically used by a single user in the home or office for general computing tasks such as word processing, working with photographs or graphics, email, and Internet access. (ECC 4)
mainframe computer
A computer used by larger business and government agencies that provides centralized storage, processing, and management for large amounts of data. (ECC 6)
all-in-one computer
A desktop computer where the motherboard and the CPU are part of the monitor instead of inside a separate tower. (ECC 5)
modem
A device that connects your computer to a standard telephone jack or to a cable connection). (ECC 12)
router
A device that controls traffic between network components and usually has a built-in firewall. (ECC 17)
output device
A device, such as a monitor or printer, that displays the results of processing data. (ECC 10)
LCD (liquid crystal display)
A display technology that creates images by manipulating light within a layer of liquid crystal. (ECC 10)
touchscreen
A display that shows you output and allows you to touch it with your finger or a stylus to input commands. (ECC 5)
executable file
A file that contains the instructions that tell a computer how to perform a specific task, such as the files that are used during the boot process. (ECC 14)
LED (light emmitting diode) monitor
A flat-panel monitor that uses LEDs to provide backlight. (ECC 10)
broadband connection
A high-speed connection to the Internet. (ECC 19)
USB (Universal Serial Bus) port
A high-speed port to which you can connect a device with a USB connector to have the computer recognize the device and allow you to use it immediately. (ECC 3)
flat panel monitor
A lightweight monitor that takes up very little room on the desktop and uses LCD technology to create the image on the screen.Also called flat screen monitor. (ECC 10)
program
A list of instructions that the computer uses to perform a specific task; also called application. (ECC 7)
hard disk drive
A magnetic storage device that contains several magnetic oxide-covered metal platters that are usually sealed in a case inside the computer. Also called hard driveor hard disk. (ECC 3)
desktop computer
A personal computer designed to sit compactly on a desk and run on power from an electrical wall outlet. (ECC 5)
optical storage device
A polycarbonate disk coated with a reflective metal on which data is recorded using laser technology as a trail of tiny pits or dark spots in the surface of the disk; the data that these pits or spots represent can then be "read" with a beam of laser light. (ECC 16)
USB flash storage device
A popular type of flash memory most commonly used for secondary backup storage for data usually stored on a hard drive. Also called USB drive or flash drive. (ECC 17)
card
A removable circuit board that is inserted into a slot in the motherboard to expand the capabilities of the motherboard; also called expansion card. (ECC 8)
circuit board
A rigid piece of insulating material with circuits on it that control specific functions. (ECC 7)
byte
A series of eight bits. (ECC 13)
memory
A set of storage locations on the main circuit board that store instructions and data. (ECC 3)
central processing unit (CPU)
A silicon chip, located on the motherboard, that is responsible for executing instructions to process data; also called processor. (ECC 3)
laptop computer
A small, lightweight computer designed for portability. Also called notebook computer. (ECC 5)
WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access)
A standard of wireless communication defined by the IEEE that allows computers to communicate wirelessly over many miles; signals are transmitted from WiMAX towers to a WiMAX receiver in a device. (ECC 19)
touchpad
A touch-sensitive device on a laptop computer that you drag your finger over to control the pointer; buttons for clicking commands are located in front of the touch pad. (ECC 9)
netbook
A type of subnotebook computer that is primarily designed to allow isers to access the Internet and check email. (ECC 5)
expansion slot
An electrical connector on the motherboard into which a card is plugged. Also called slot. (ECC 8)
computer
An electronic device that accepts input, processes data, displays output, and stores data for retrieval later. (ECC 4)
input device
An instrument, such as a keyboard or a mouse, that you use to enter data and issue commands to the computer. (ECC 8)
magnetic storage media
An object that stores data as magnetized particles on a surface. (ECC 15)
port
An opening on a computer connected to a card or an appropriate place on the motherboard into which you can plug a connector. (ECC 3)
CD (compact disc)
An optical storage device that can store 700 MB of data. (ECC 3)
DVD
An optical storage device that stores between 4.7 and 17.1 GB of data, depending on whether data is stored on one or both sides of the disc and how many layers of data each side contains. (ECC 3)
speakers
An output device attached to a computer that allow you to hear sound from the computer. (ECC 11)
random access memory (RAM)
Chips on cards plugged into the motherboard that temporarily hold programs and data while the computer is turned on. Also called volatile memory or temporary memory. (ECC 13)
network
Connects one computer to other computers and peripheral devices, enablingyou to share data and resources with others. (ECC 17)
Ergonomic
Designed to fit the natural placement of the body to reduce the risk of repetitive-motion injuries. (ECC 8)
flash memory
Memory that is similar to ROM except that it can be written to more than once. Also called solid state storage. (ECC 17)
processing
Modifying data in a computer. (ECC 7)
pixel
One of the small dots in a matrix into which a graphics display is divided. (ECC 11)
operating system
Software that allocates system resources, manages storage space, maintains security, detects equipment failure, and controls basic input and output. (ECC 21)
application software
Software that enables you to perform specific computer tasks, such as document production, spreadsheet calculations, database management, and presentation preparation. (ECC 21)
cache memory
Special high-speed memory chips on the motherboard or CPU that store frequently-accessed and recently-accessed data and commands; also called RAM cache or CPU cache. (ECC 14)
BIOS
Stands for basic input/output system, the set of instructions stored in ROM that the computer uses to check its components to ensure they are working and to activate the software that provides the basic functionality of the computer when you turn on the computer. (ECC 14)
monitor
The TV-like peripheral device that displays the output from the computer. (ECC 2)
peripheral device
The components of a computer that accomplish its input, output, and storage functions, and are not part of the CPU or the motherboard. (ECC 2)
input
The data or instructions you type into the computer. (ECC 2)
screen size
The diagonal measurement from one corner of the screen to the other. (ECC 11)
software
The intangible components of a computer system, particularly the programs that the computer needs to perform a specific task. (ECC 7)
supercomputer
The largest and fastest type of computer used by large corporations and government agencies for processing a tremendous volume of data. (ECC 6)
motherboard
The main circuit board of the computer on which processing tasks occur. (ECC 7)
keyboard
The most frequently used input device; consists of three major parts: the main keyboard, the keypads, and the function keys. (ECC 2)
screen resolution
The number of pixels that a monitor displays. (ECC 11)
printer
The peripheral computer component that produces a hard copy of the text or graphics processed by the computer. (ECC 11)
hardware
The physical components of a computer. (ECC 7)
binary digit (bit)
The representation of data as a 1 or 0. (ECC 13)
boot process
The set of events that occurs between the moment you turn on the computer and the moment you can begin to use the computer. (ECC 14)
specifications
The technical details about a hardware component. (ECC 3)
cloud computing
When data, applications, and resources are stored on servers accessed over the Internet or a company's internal network rather than on user's computers. (ECC 26)
storage
Where the data you create and the instructions you use remain when you are notusing them. (ECC 14)