Term
| system unit/system chassis |
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Definition
| is a container that houses most of the electronic components that make up a computer system |
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Term
| system board/motherboard/mainboard |
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Definition
| the system board controls communications for the entire computer system. every component and external devices within and outside the system unit connects to the system board. it ascts as a data path and traffic monitor, allowing the various components to communicate efficiently with one another. |
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Definition
| allows users to expand their systems and add components. |
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Term
| microprocessor/CPU/Processor |
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Definition
| the cpu or processor is contained on a single chip called the microprocessor. the microprocessor is the brains of the computer system. it has two basic components - the control unit and the arithmetic-logic unit. |
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Term
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Definition
| the control unit tells the rest of the computer system how to carry out a programs instructions. |
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Term
| ALU/arithmetic-logic unit |
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Definition
| performs two types of operations:arithmetic and logical. arithmetic includes add, subtract, multiply, and divide. logical includes equal to, greater than, and less than. |
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Definition
| used by supercomputers to run large and complex programs - the processing of program instructions by dividing them among multiple processors with the objective of running a program in less time |
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Term
| graphics coprocessor/graphics processing unit (GPU) |
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Definition
| designed to handle requirements related to displaying and manipulating 2-D and 3-D graphic images. |
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Term
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Definition
| Volatile, temporary storage that holds the program and data the CPU is presently processing. contents will be lost if electrical power to computer is lost. |
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Term
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Definition
| area of RAM set aside to store the most frequently accessed information. basically a holding area - quick access holding area |
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Term
| capacity measurements (MB,GB,TB) |
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Definition
MB= megabytes
GB=gigabytes
TB= terabytes |
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Term
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Definition
| refers to chips that have programs built into them at the factory. the user cannot change the contents of such chips. the CPU can read or retrieve the programs but cannot write or change information. |
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Term
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Definition
| offers a combination of the features of RAM and ROM. Like RAM, it can be updated to store new information. Like ROM, it does not lose that information when power to the computer system is turned off. |
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Definition
| plug into expansion slots - ports on the cards allow cables to be connected from the expansion cards to devices outside the system unit. |
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Definition
| connecting socket on the outside of the system unit. used to connect inout and output devices to the system unit |
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Definition
| provide high-quality 3-D graphics and animations |
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Term
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Definition
| accept audio input from a microphone and convert it into a form that can be processed by the computer. |
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Term
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Definition
| also know as network adaptor cards, are used to connect a computer to a network. The network allows connected computers to share data, programs, and hardware. |
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Term
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Definition
| was originally a set of specific hardware and software standards developed by intel, microsoft, and others. currently termed as the ability to plug any device in and have it work immediately. |
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Term
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Definition
| connects the parts of the CPU to each other. also link the CPu to various other components on the system board. |
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Definition
| lots of data, short distances -rare - but once used for printers |
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Term
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Definition
| one bit at a time - rare - but once used for monitors |
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Term
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Definition
| replaced serial and parallel ports; can connect multiple devices. |
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Definition
| high speed connections for specialized devices such as video cameras and cameras |
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Definition
| musical instrument digital interface - connection musical instruments |
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Term
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Definition
| numbering system in which all numbers consist of only two digits: 0 and 1 |
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Term
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Definition
| each 1 or 0 is a bit: short for binary digit |
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Term
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Definition
| unit consisting of eight bits. there are 256 possible bit combinations in a byte, and each byte represents one character. (8 bits) |
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Term
| character encoding standards |
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Definition
| assign a unique sequence of bits to each character. - this is when you combine the bits into a format that indicates a specific character. (as a side note: not all encoding standards use 1 byte per character - |
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Term
| ASCII - ( American Standard Code for Information Interchange) |
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Definition
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Term
| EBCDIC (Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code) |
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Definition
| used by mainframe computers |
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Term
| Unicode character encoding standard |
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Definition
| (uses 16 bits) is the most widely used character encoding standard & is recognized by virtually every computer system. It is used to incorporate International languages |
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Term
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Definition
| shortcut keys for specific tasks - ex: F1-displays help |
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Term
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Definition
| This name reflects the keyboard layout by taking the letters of the first six alphabetic characters found on the top row of keys. |
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Term
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Definition
| widely used on desktops & larger computers. The standard U.S. traditional keyboard has 101 keys |
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Term
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Definition
| widely used on notebook & netbook computers. precise location & number of keys may differ. typically have fewer keys, do not include a numeric keypad, & do not have a standard location for the function & navigation keys. |
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Term
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Definition
| used on tablets and smartphones - not physical keyboard - keys are displayed on the screen and use touch screen |
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Term
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Definition
| widely used on smartphones & other small portable devices. Designed primarily for communicating via texting & connecting to the web; very small. |
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Term
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Definition
| widely used; emits & senses light to detect movement |
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Term
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Definition
| Traditional & widely used. It has a ball on the bottom & is attached with a cord to the system unit |
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Term
| cordless or wireless mouse |
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Definition
| uses radio waves or infrared light waves to communicate with the system unit |
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Term
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Definition
| Can be touched with more than one finger, which allows for interactions such as rotating graphical objects on the screen with your hand or zooming in and out by pinching and stretching your fingers. |
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Term
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Definition
| is a penlike device used with tablet PCs and PDAs. uses pressure to draw on the screen |
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Term
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Definition
| accepts documents consisting of text and/or images & converts them to machine-readable form. These recognize light, dark, and colored areas; they do not recognize the actual letters |
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Term
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Definition
| interpret encoded information (different types), most common is the magnetic card reader (requires contact to read thin magnetic strip on card) |
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Term
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Definition
| or scanners from grocery stores; (handheld wand readers or platform scanners) contain photoelectric cells that scan or read bar codes (the vertical zebra-striped marks) |
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Term
| RFID - (radio-frequency identification) readers |
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Definition
| tags are tiny chips that contain electronically stored information that can be read using an RFID reader located several yards away (without direct contact). – Tags can be embedded for tracking |
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Term
| character and mark recognition device |
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Definition
| are scanners that are able to recognize special characters & marks. |
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Term
| MICR (magnetic-ink character recognition |
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Definition
| used by banks to read the numbers on the bottom of checks & deposit slips. |
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Term
| OCR (Optical-character recognition |
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Definition
| uses preprinted characters that can be read by a light source & changed into machine-readable code |
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Term
| OMR (optical mark recognition) |
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Definition
| senses the presence or absence of a mark. OMR is often used to score standardized multiple-choice tests |
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Term
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Definition
| is one of the most important features. Images are formed on a monitor by a series of dots or pixels (picture elements) . Resolution is expressed as a matrix of these dots or pixels |
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Term
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Definition
| is the distance between each pixel. Most newer monitors have a dot pitch of 0.31 mm (31/100th of a millimeter) or less |
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Term
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Definition
| indicate a monitor’s ability to display colors |
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Term
| size or active display area |
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Definition
| is measured by the diagonal length of a monitor’s viewing area. |
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Term
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Definition
| is determined by the width of a monitor divided by its height. |
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Term
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Definition
| most widely used type of monitor today. Compared to other types, they are thinner, are more portable, & require less power |
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Term
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Definition
| are dedicated mobile devices for storing & displaying e-books & other electronic media (newspapers & Magazines). E-books (electronic books) are books in electronic format. |
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Term
| digital or interactive whiteboards |
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Definition
| are specialized devices with a large display connected to a computer or projector. |
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Term
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Definition
| delivers a clearer & more detailed wide-screen picture than regular television, the output is digital, users can freeze video sequences to create high-quality still images. |
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Term
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Definition
| similar in size & technology to older televisions. Replaced by flat-panel monitors. Discarded CRTs are a serious threat to our environment. Each color CRT contains about four pounds of lead & numerous other hazardous materials. |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| is a measure of the clarity of images produced. Printer resolution is measured in dpi (dots per inch). Most printers designed for personal use average 4,800 by 1,200 dpi. The higher the dpi, the better the quality of images produced |
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Term
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Definition
| is provided by most printers today. Users typically have the option to print either with just black ink or with color. It is more expensive to print in color. The most common black ink selection is grayscale , in which images are displayed using many shades of gray |
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Term
| speed/PPM (pages per minute) |
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Definition
| Speed is measured in the number of pages printed per minute (ppm). Typically, printers for personal use average 15 to 19 pages per minute for single-color (black) output and 13 to 15 pages per minute for color output. |
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Term
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Definition
| within a printer is used to store printing instructions and documents waiting to be printed. The more memory in a printer, the faster it will be able to create large documents. |
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Term
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Definition
| automatic printing on both sides of a sheet of paper. Not currently a standard feature for all printers, it will likely become standard in the future (reduce paper waste & to protect the environment) |
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Term
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Definition
| spray ink at high speed onto the surface of paper. This process not only produces a letter-quality image but also permits printing to be done in a variety of colors, making it ideal for printing photos. |
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Term
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Definition
| uses a technology similar to that used in a photocopying machine. Laser printers use a laser light beam to produce images with excellent letter and graphics quality. More expensive than inkjet printers, laser printers are faster and are used in applications requiring high-quality output |
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Term
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Definition
| are printers connected to the Internet that provide printing services to others on the Internet. |
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Term
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Definition
| printers use heat elements to produce images on heat-sensitive paper. |
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Term
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Definition
| are special-purpose printers for producing a wide range of specialized output. Using output from graphics tablets and other graphical input devices, plotters create maps, images, and architectural and engineering drawings. |
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Term
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Definition
| is the transmission of telephone calls over computer net- works. Also known as telephony , Internet telephony , and IP telephony , VoIP uses the Internet rather than traditional communication lines to support voice communication. To place telephone calls using Internet telephony requires a high- speed Internet connection and a service provider. |
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Term
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Definition
| fitting the task to the user |
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Term
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Definition
| Term used to describe a computer keyboard button with one or more functions. For example, the Caps Lock, Num Lock, and Scroll Lock. these are keys that turn a feature off and on |
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Term
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Definition
| are shortcut keys, because they provide an alternative to using the mouse to select menu options in programs - these are keys that cause an action when used in combination with another key |
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