Section: Vocabulary

Vocabulary / Main Concepts

Hardware

The physical part of the computer system you can see and touch

Software

The data, programs, and other esoteric parts of the system that do not have a physical presence

Bit

One on/off unit. The basic unit in a computer system. The value of a bit can be 0 or 1.

Byte

Eight bits. A byte is large enough to hold one character in ASCII

Kilobyte

1024 bytes. Used to measure memory and disk capacity. Often abbreviated K or Kb.

Megabyte

1000 Kilobytes. Used to measure memory and disk capacity. Often abbreviated Meg or Mb.

Gigabyte

1000 Megabytes. Used to measure large disk drives. Usually abbreviated Gig.

CPU

Central Processing Unit. The 'heart' of the computer. The characteristics of the CPU have profound effects on the performance of the entire system. CPUs are measured by their chip name and speed.

Intel

The manufacturer of IBM - Compatible CPUs. The modern Intel chips are: (from oldest to newest) '386, '486, Pentium.

Motorola

The manufacturer of Apple Macintosh CPUs. The current Motorola CPU is the PowerPC chip.

Megahertz

A unit of measure for processing speed. One Megahertz is one million instruction cycles per second. Megahertz is often abbreviated Mhz.

Input

A device or process that goes into the CPU from somewhere else.

Output

A device or process that goes from the CPU to someplace else.

ROM

Read Only Memory. A special type of memory that has information stored on in from the factory. The user cannot change the information in ROM.

Carpal-Tunnel Syndrome

One of a number of repetitive stress disorders that can be caused by frequent typing. Careful posture and hand positioning, as well as some adaptive devices like wrist pads and special keyboards can minimize the effects of this type of problem.

CD-ROM

A drive / disk combination that allows the user to retrieve information stored on compact disks. Most Current CD drives do not allow the user to write on them, but such technology is becoming more popular and less expensive.

Impact Printer

A type of printer that operates by striking the paper with an inked ribbon. Reliable and inexpensive, but slow and loud, and with limited resolution.

Dot-Matrix Printer

The most common type of impact printer.

Laser Printer

A device that combines printing and copying technology. Relatively expensive to operate, but fast and very high resolution.

Ink Jet Printer

A printer that operates by squirting precise jets of ink onto the paper. They are relatively inexpensive, and have nearly as much quality as Laser Printers, but they are slower.

Dot Pitch

A unit of measurement describing the resolution of a monitor. A small dot pitch number means a clearer monitor.

DPI

Dots Per Inch. Another unit of measure for the resolution of a monitor. A large DPI value means a higher quality monitor.

VGA, SVGA

Types of video controller cards. Almost all modern Intel - based computers handle some form of SVGA (Super Video Graphics Array).

RAM

Random Access Memory. This is the memory that can be manipulated by the user and programs. The amount of RAM in a computer is an important performance factor. Usually measured in MB. Sometimes also referred to as DRAM.

Floppy Disk

A portable storage medium which can be removed from the computer. Floppy disks currently come in 3 1/2" and 5 1/4" sizes. Even though a 3 1/2" disk appears to be hard, it is NOT a hard drive.

Floppy Drive

The machine installed in the computer console which reads and writes from floppy disks. Usually measured in Kb or Mb.

Hard Drive

A permanently installed drive with a much larger capacity than floppy drives. Usually measured in Mb or Gig.

IDE, SCSI

Types of drive controller cards. Most PCs come with IDE controllers.

Network Card

A device that allows you to attach your computer to other computers in the same general vicinity.

Modem

A device that allows you to attach your computer to remote computers through analog telephone lines. Measured in Baud or Kilobaud.

Sound Card

A device which enables the computer to generate or duplicate sounds. Usually attached to speakers and a microphone.

Baud

Bits of audio data/ second. Modern modems are usually 14,400 or 28,800 baud. Sometimes also referred to as BPS (Bits Per Second.)

PCMIA

A standard for connecting external devices to laptop computers.