Term
| Information technology (IT) |
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Definition
| any computer-based tool that people use to work with information and support the information and information-processing needs of an organization |
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Term
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Definition
| consists of the physical devices associated with a computer system |
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Term
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Definition
| the set of instructions that the hardware executes to carry out specific tasks |
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Term
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Definition
| an electronic device operating under the control of instructions stored in its own memory that can accept, manipulate, and store data |
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Term
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Definition
| Central processing unit (CPU), Primary storage, Secondary storage, Input device, Output device, Communication device |
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Term
| Central processing unit (CPU) (or microprocessor) |
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Definition
| the actual hardware that interprets and executes the program (software) instructions and coordinates how all the other hardware devices work together |
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Definition
| interprets software instructions and literally tells the other hardware devices what to do, based on the software instructions |
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Term
| Arithmetic-logic unit (ALU) |
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Definition
| performs all arithmetic operations (for example, addition and subtraction) and all logic operations (such as sorting and comparing numbers) |
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Definition
| the number of millions of CPU cycles per second |
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Definition
| the number of billions of CPU cycles per second |
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Definition
| the smallest unit of information that a computer can process |
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Term
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Definition
| a group of eight bits representing one natural language character |
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Term
| Complex instruction set computer (CISC) chip |
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Definition
| type of CPU that can recognize as many as 100 or more instructions, enough to carry out most computations directly |
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Term
| Reduced instruction set computer (RISC) chip |
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Definition
| limit the number of instructions the CPU can execute to increase processing speed |
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Term
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Definition
| a protected memory space created by the CPU allowing the computer to create virtual machines |
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Term
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Definition
| the computer’s main memory, which consists of the random access memory (RAM), cache memory, and the read-only memory (ROM) that is directly accessible to the CPU |
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Term
| Random access memory (RAM) |
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Definition
| the computer’s primary working memory, in which program instructions and data are stored so that they can be accessed directly by the CPU via the processor’s high-speed external data bus |
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Definition
| refers to RAM’s complete loss of stored information if power is interrupted |
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Term
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Definition
| a small unit of ultra-fast memory that is used to store recently accessed or frequently accessed data so that the CPU does not have to retrieve this data from slower memory circuits such as RAM |
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Term
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Definition
| the portion of a computer’s primary storage that does not lose its contents when one switches off the power |
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Term
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Definition
| consists of equipment designed to store large volumes of data for long-term storage |
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Term
| Megabyte (MB or M or Meg) |
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Definition
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| a secondary storage medium that uses magnetic techniques to store and retrieve data on disks or tapes coated with magnetically sensitive materials |
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Term
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Definition
| an older secondary storage medium that uses a strip of thin plastic coated with a magnetically sensitive recording medium |
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Term
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Definition
| a secondary storage medium that uses several rigid disks coated with a magnetically sensitive material and housed together with the recording heads in a hermetically sealed mechanism |
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Definition
| equipment used to capture information and commands |
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Term
| Manual input device examples |
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Definition
| Joystick, Keyboard, Microphone |
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Term
| Automated input device examples |
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Definition
| Bar Code Scanner, Digital Camera, Magnetic Ink Character Reader |
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Term
| Manual input device examples |
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Definition
| Joystick, Keyboard, Microphone |
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Term
| Automated input device examples |
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Definition
| Bar Code Scanner, Digital Camera, Magnetic Ink Character Reader |
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Term
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Definition
| equipment used to see, hear, or otherwise accept the results of information processing requests |
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Term
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Definition
| Cathode-ray tube (CRT), Liquid crystal display (LCD), Laser printer, Ink-jet printer, Plotter |
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Term
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Definition
equipment used to send information and receive it from one location to another
Examples: Cable, Satellite, Wireless |
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Term
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Definition
| Personal digital assistant (PDA), Laptop, Tablet, Desktop, Workstation, Minicomputer, Mainframe computer, Supercomputer |
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