Terms - Introduction to Computers - Print ME
Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader - (PDF) Format -  Download Adobe Acrobat!

Computer: a machine that lets you put in data [input], do things with that data [process] and get data out again [output]. For example with a computer, you can enter a series of names and addresses arrange them in alphabetic order by there last name then print out mailing labels.
 

Personal computer:   known as a "PC",  is a computer designed to be used by one person.

 

Hardware: the physical parts of a computer that you can see and touch.

 

Software: the instructions in a computer that tell it how to accept, process and out put data are called software.

Input Device: Allows the user to  communicate with the computer and/ or Input data to be processed. The keyboard and the mouse are examples of input devices.

Output Device: Allows the user to receive data that has been processed by the computer.  a printer and a Monitor are examples of output devices.

Peripherals -Hardware attached to the Computer itself. Mouse, keyboard, scanner, printer etc.

 

CPU - Central Processing Unit

 

RAM - Random Access Memory - the "workspace" of the computer, referred to as volatile memory which means any info on the screen is lost when the power is turned off.

 

Motherboard - Main Circuit board of the computer.  Orchestrates Input Devices, Output Devices, CPU, Memory and Drives.

 

Monitor - Output device to display for characters and graphics.

 

Keyboard - Input device using alpha-numeric keys used to access a computer.

 

Parallel port - input/output connector used as the interface between computer and printer - being phased out by USB ports.

 

Serial port - input connector - was used as an interface for the older mouse.

USB Port - Universal Serial Bus, an external bus.. A single USB port can be used to connect up to 127 peripheral devices and provides power to peripheral devices.

 

Firewire - used for digital camcorders - .known as IEEE 1394 - A very fast external (data) bus standard.

 

Hard Drives: sometimes referred to as "hard disk." Enables permanent storage of data and programs.

 

Floppy drive - small capacity input and storage media. Holds 1.44 MB of Data.

 

Flash Drive: USB Memory device that holds large quantity (2 gb) of data for both  a low cost and little space!

 

Zip Drive - A high-capacity floppy disk drive developed by Iomega Corporation. Zip disks are slightly larger than conventional floppy disks, and about twice as thick. They can hold 100 or 250 MB of data. Has become obsolete with the popularity of Flash Drives

 

CD-ROM Drive (Compact Read Only Memory) input device that uses optics to read compact disc media. CD's hold 700 MB of data.

DVD Drive:  (Digital Video Disc) a type of optical disk technology similar to the CD-ROM. A DVD holds a minimum of 4.7GB of data, enough for a full-length movie.

Network Card: Often abbreviated as NIC, an expansion board you insert into a computer so the computer can be connected to a network.

Video card: A board that plugs into a personal computer to give it display capabilities.

 

Machine Language: Basic language of the computer. Based on binary dnumber system where 1 and 0 are represented by on and off.

 

Operating System: Main program that make the computer run!

 

Application software: Program that makes the computer perform a specific task.