Computer Systems
Charles Babbage
"Father of the computer", Babbage is credited with inventing the first mechanical computer that eventually led to more complex designs.
DVD
A computer disc usually used to store video/movies.
Modem
A device that enables the computer to send and receive electronic communication signals for internet and email.
Scanner
A device that optically scans images, printed text, handwriting, or an object, and converts it to a digital image
Power Supply
A device that provides power to a computer.
CD ROM
A disc usually used to store music files.
Optical Mouse
An advanced computer pointing device that uses a light-emitting diode (LED)
Monitor
An electronic visual display for computers.
Video card
An internal card the enables high quality pictures on the monitor.
Speakers
An output device used to transmit sound.
Thermal Compound
An paste that is applied on the CPU to transfer the heat from the microprocessor to the heat sink/CPU fan.
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
Brain of the computer that performs instructions defined by software.
Output
Devices that projects images, gives sound, and basically gives out the info from the computer (monitor, printer, projector, speakers)
Input
Devices used to insert data into a computer (keyboard, mouse, microphone, scanner, voice recognition)
Motherboard
Printed circuit board on which the CPU, RAM chips and other electronic circuit elements are located.
RAM
Random Access Memory - Volatile, temporary memory to store data while the PC is running and is erased when computer turns off.
ROM
Read Only Memory- Permanent memory that cannot be changed. It makes the BIOS function. Checks your OS.
Software
Set of instructions that tells the hardware what to do. It is what guides the hardware and tells it how to accomplish each task. Eg Microsoft Word, PowerPoint
Operating System (OS)
Software used to control the computers boot up and its peripheral equipment.
Hard Disc Drive
Storage device that stores digitally encoded data on rapidly rotating disks with magnetic surfaces.
CPU fan
The internal fan that cools the microprocessor.
Bit
The smallest unit of memory. 8 bits = 1 byte.
