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211 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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computer
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an elctronic device taht accepts information and instructions from a user, manipulates the info according to the instructions, displays the info in some way, and stores the info for retrieval later.
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Personal computers (PC)
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computers typically used by one person in a home or office.
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Desktop computers
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computers that are designed to sit compactly on a desk and run on power from an electrical wall outlet.
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Notebook computers (aka labtop computers)
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Small, light-weight, and designed for portablity.
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Tablet PCs
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designed for portability
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Handheld computers
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small computers designed to fit in the palm of your hand and usu. have more limited capabilities than PCs.
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PDA (personal digital assistant)
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generally used to maintain an electronic appointment book, address book, calculator, and notepad, although it can perform many of the same functions as PC.
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MP3 players
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handheld computers that primarily store and play music.
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Mainframe computers
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typically used by larger businessesand gov't agencies to centrally store, process, and manage large amounts of data.
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Supercomputers
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first developed for high-volume computing tasks such as weather prediction
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computer system
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includes computer hardware and software.
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hardware
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refers to the physical components of a computer
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Software
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refers to the intangible components of a computer system the computer needs to perform a specific task
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Programs
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software that a computer uses to comple tasks.
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architecture/configuration
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the design and construction of the hardware of a particular computer.
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specifications
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The technical details about each component
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data
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refers to the words, numbers, figures, sounds, and graphics that describe people, events, things, and ideas.
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processing
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modifying data
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Commands
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instructions to the computer and is located inside the computer
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motherboard
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the main electronic component of the computer and is located inside the computer.
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Circuit board
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the circuit board is a rigid piece of insulating material with circuits (the motherboard)
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circuits
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electrical paths
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microprocessor (also called processor or CPU)
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consists of transistors and elcetronic circuits on a silicon chip.
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chip
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an integrated circuit embedded in semiconductor material
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clock speed
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the pulse of the processor measured in megahertz or gigahertz
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megahertz (MHz)
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one million cycles per second
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gigahertz (GHz)
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billions of cycles per second
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Word size
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refers to the number of bits that are processed at one time
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Dual-core processor
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has two processors on a single chip
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Single-core processor
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one processor on the chip
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cards
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removable circuit boards that are inserted into slots on the motherboard to expand the capabilities of the motherboard
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input
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the data or instuctions you type into the computer
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output
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the result of the computer processing your input
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peripheral devices
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the components of a computer that accomplish its input, output, and storage functions
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input device
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an instrument, such as a keyboard or a mouse, that you use to enter data and issue commands to the computer
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keyboard
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the most frequently used input device; consists of three major parts; the main keyboards, and the function keys
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erogonomic
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it has been designed to fit the natural placement of your hands and should reduce the risk of repetitive motion injuries.
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pointing device
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controls the pointer
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pointer
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a small arrow or other symbol on the display screen
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mouse
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A pointing device that has a rolling ball on its underside and two or more buttons for clicking commands; you control the movement of the pointer by moving the entire mouse around on your desk.
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scroll wheel
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A wheel on a mouse that you roll to scroll the page on the screen
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trackball
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A pointing device w/ a rolling ball on the top side and buttons for clicking commands; you control the movement of the pointer by moving the ball.
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touch pad
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a touch-sensative device that you drag your finger over to control the pointer.
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pointing stick
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a small eraser-like device embedded among the typingkeys that you push up, left, right, or down to move the pointer
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scanner
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a device that transfers the content on a piece of paper into memory
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output devices
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A device, such as a monitor or printer, that displays output.
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monitor
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the device that displays the output from a computer
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flat panel monitor
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A lightweight monitor that takes up very little room on the desktop and uses LCD technology to create the image on the screen
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LCD (liquid crystal display)
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A display technology that creates images by manipulating light w/in a layer of liquid crystal.
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CRT (caghode ray tube) monitor
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A monitor that uses gun-like devices to direct beams of electrons toward the screen to activate dots of color to form an image
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Screen size
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the diagonal measurement in inches from one corner of the screen to the other
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Character-based display
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divides the screen into a grid of rectangles, one for each typed character
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graphics display
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a monitor that is capable of displaying graphics
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pixels
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matric of small dots
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Resolution
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the number of pixels the monitor can display
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dot pitch (dp)
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measures the distance b/t pixels
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graphics card (aka video display adapter/video card)
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the card installed on the motherboard that controls the signals the computer sends to the monitor.
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printer
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produces a paper copy of the text or graphics processed by the computer.
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Laser printers
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a printer that produces high quality output quickly and efficiently by transferring a temporary laser image onto paper w/ toner
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toner
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a temporary laser image is transferred onto paper w/ a powdery substance
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Pages per minute (ppm)
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is what the speed of laser printers are measure in
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inkjet printer
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a less expensive alternative to the laser printer
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Dot matrix printer
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transres ink to the paper by striking a ribbon w/ pins
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characters per second (cps)
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is what the speed of dot matrix printers is measured in.
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binary digits (bits)
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the representation of data as 1 or 0.
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byte
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a series of 8 bits
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kilobyte (KB or simply K)
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1024 bytes, or approximately one thousand bytes
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megabyte (MB)
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1048576 bytes, or about one billion bytes
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gigabyte (GB)
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1073741824 bytes, or about one billion bytes
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terabyte (TB)
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1024 GB, or about one trillion bytes
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ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange)
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the number system that personal computers use to represent character data.
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memory
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a set of storage locations on the motherboard
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storage
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the data you create and the instructions you use remain when you not using them
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Random access memory (RAM)
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consists of chips on cards that plug into the motherboard, temporaily holds programs and data wile the computer is on and allows the computer to access that inforamtion randomly
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Volatile memory (or temporary memory)
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Chips on cards pluged into the motherboard that temporarily hold programs and data while the computer is turned on.
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synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM)
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synchronized w/ the processor to allow faster access to its contents
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Cache Memory (RAM cache or CPU cache)
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a special, high-speed memory chip on the motherboard or CPU
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Virtual memory
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space on the computer's storage devices that simulates additional RAM
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Read-only memory (ROM)
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a chip on the motherboard prerecorded w/ instructions the computer uses to check its components to ensure they are working and to activate the software that provides the basic functionality of the computer
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BIOS (basic input/output system)
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tells the computerto initialize the motherboard, how to recobnize the peripherals, and to start the boot process
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Boot process
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the set of events that occurs b/t the moment you turn on the computer and the moment you can begin to use the computer
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Nonvolatile memory (permanent memory)
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ROM never changes and it remains intact when the computer is turned off
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complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) memory
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a chip installed on the motherboard that is activated during the boot process and identifies where essential software is stored.
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optical storage devices
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polycarbonate discs coated w/ a reflective metal on which data is recorded using laser technology as a trail of tiny pits or dark spts on the surface of the disc.
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executable file
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contains the instructions that tell a computer how to perform a spcific task
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data file
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created by a user
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Magnetic storage devices
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store data as magnetized particles on mylar
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hard disk
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contains several magnetic oxide-covered metal platters that are usually sealed in a case inside the computer.
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tape
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provides inexpensive archival storage for large quantities of data
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floppy disk
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a flat circle of magnetic oxide-coated mylar enclosed in a hard plastic case that can store 1.44 MB, or 1440000 bytes, of data
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CD-R (compact disc recordable)
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A CD that on which you can record data w/ a laser that changes the reflectivity of a dye layer on the blank disk, creating dark spots on the disk's surface that represent the data; once data is recorded you cannot erase or modify it.
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CD-RW (compact disc rewritable)
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A CD on which you can record data as on a CD-R, and then delete or re-record data on it as needed.
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CD-ROMS
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you can read from them, but you cannot record additional data onto them
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Kilobytes er second (KBps)
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The data transfer rate of CD and DVD drives
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Flash memory
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similar to ROM except that it can be written to more than once.
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Flash memory cards
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small, portable cards encased in hard plastic to which data can be written and rewritten
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USB flash storage device (aka USB drive/Flash Drive)
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A popular type of flash memory
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Data communications
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The transmission of text, numeric, voice, or video data from one computer to another or to a peripheral device.
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Sender
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The computer that originates the message
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channel
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The message is sent over a cable, a microwave signal, or optical fibers.
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CD-R (compact disc recordable)
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A CD that on which you can record data w/ a laser that changes the reflectivity of a dye layer on the blank disk, creating dark spots on the disk's surface that represent the data; once data is recorded you cannot erase or modify it.
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CD-RW (compact disc rewritable)
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A CD on which you can record data as on a CD-R, and then delete or re-record data on it as needed.
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CD-ROMS
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you can read from them, but you cannot record additional data onto them
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Kilobytes er second (KBps)
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The data transfer rate of CD and DVD drives
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Flash memory
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similar to ROM except that it can be written to more than once.
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Flash memory cards
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small, portable cards encased in hard plastic to which data can be written and rewritten
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USB flash storage device (aka USB drive/Flash Drive)
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A popular type of flash memory
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Data communications
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The transmission of text, numeric, voice, or video data from one computer to another or to a peripheral device.
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Sender
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The computer that originates the message
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channel
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The message is sent over a cable, a microwave signal, or optical fibers.
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receiver
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The computer at the message's destination
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protocols
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The rules that establish an orderly transfer of data b/t the sender and the receiver.
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device driver(driver)
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a computer program that can establish communication b/c it contains info about the characteristics of your computer and of the device.
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data bus
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the path b/t the microprocessor,
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port
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The interface b/t a cable and a controller card.
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cable
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plastic-enclosed wires that attach a peripheral device to a computer port
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controller card (expansion or interface card)
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A card that plugs into a slot on the motherboard and connects to a port to provide an electrical connection to a periphal device
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expansion slots (slots)
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an electrical connector on the motherboard into which a card is plugged
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parallel port
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transmits data eight bits at a time
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serial port
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transmits data one bit at a time
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SCSI port(small computer system interface)
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provides an interface for one or more peripheral devices at the same port
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USB port(Universal Serial Bus)
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a high-speed port that allows multiple connections at the same port
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USB connector
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A small rectangular plug
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MIDI card (Musical Instrument Digital Interface)
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used to record and play back musical data
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Ethernet port
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allows data to be transmitted at high speeds
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portable computer card (PC card)
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credit card-sized cards that plug directly into the PC Card slot and can contain additional memory, a modem, or a hard disk drive.
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network
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connects one computer to other computers and peripheral devices, enabling you to share data and resources w/ others
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network interface card (NIC)
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creates a communications channel b/t the computer and the network
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Network software
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exxential, establishing the communications protocols that will be observed on the network and controlling the "traffic flow" as data travels throughout the network.
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servers
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A computer on a network that acts as the central storage location for programs and provides mass storage for most of the data used on the network
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client/servor network
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a network w/ a server and computers dependent on the server
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clients
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the dependent computers
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peer-to-peer network
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a network in which all computers essentially are equal, and programs and data are distrubited among them
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node
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any device connected to the network
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standalone computer
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A PC that is not connected to a network
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workstation
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When a computer is connected to the network
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terminal
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has a keyboard and monitor used for input and output, but it is not capable of processing on its own
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terminal emulator
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a PC, workstation, or server that uses secial software to imitate a terminal so that the PC can communicate w/ the mainframe or supercomputer
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local area network (LAN)
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computers and peripheral devices are located relatively close to each other, generally in the same building
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wide area network (WAN)
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more than one LAN connected togeter
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wireless local area network (WLAN)
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computers and peripherals use high-frequency radio waves instead of wires to communicate and connect in a network
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WI-Fi (wirelss fidelity)
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the term created by the nonprofit Wi-Fi Alliance to describe networks connected using a standard radio frequency established by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
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personal area network (PAN)
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a network that allows two or more devices located close to each other to communicate or to connect a device to the Internet
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Infrared technology
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uses infrared light waves to beam data from one device to another
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Bluetooth
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uses short-range radio waves to connect a device wirelessly to another device or to the Internet.
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WiMAX (Worldwide Interoerability for Microwave Access)
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allows computer users to connect over many miles to a LAN
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Telecommunications
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communicationg over a comparatively long distance using a phone line or some other data conduit.
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modem
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a device that connects your computer to a standard telephone jack
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digital signals
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stop-start
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analog signals
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continuous wave
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bits per second (bps)
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the unit of measurement for the speed of data transmission
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DSL (digital subscriber line)
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a high-speed connection over phone lines
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Internet
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the largest network in the world, connectiong millions of people
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electronic mail
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the capability to send a message from one user's computer to another user's computer where it is stored until the recipient opens it.
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gateways
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the vast network of networks that make up the Internet pass the message along through electronic links
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World Wide Web (aka the Web)
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a huge database of info that is stored on network servers in place that allow public access.
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web page
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includes text, graphics, sound, animation, and video
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web site
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a collection of Web pages
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hyperlink (link)
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a place on a Web page that is programmed to connect to a particular file on the same network server, or even on a network server on the other side of the globe
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Web browsing software (web browser)
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the communications software that helps you navigate the Web.
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Security
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refers to the steps a computer owner takes to prevent unauthorized use of or damage to the computer.
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Malware
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a broad term that describes any program that is intended to cause harm or convey ingo to others w/o the owner's permission.
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viruses
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instruct your computer to perform annoying or destructive activites
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Antivirus software (virus-protection software)
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searches executable files for the sequences of chaacters that might cause harm and disinfects the files by erasing or disabling those commands.
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spyware
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tracks a computer user's Internet usage and send this data back to the company or person who created it
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Anti-spyware software
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detect these programs and delete them
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Adware
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software instlled w/ another program, usu w/ the user's permission, that generates advertising revenue for the program's creator by displaying targeted ads to the program's user
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firewall
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like a locked door on a computer
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router
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a device that controls traffic b/t network components
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spoofed
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a Web site set up to look exactly like another Web site, but which does not actually belong to the organization portrayed in the site
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URL (Uniform resource Locator)
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A four-part addressing scheme used to identify where a Web page is stored on the Internet.
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phishing
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the practice of sending e-mail messages to customers or potential customers of a legitimate Web site asking them to click a link in the e-mail message
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DNS server
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a computer resonsible for directing Internet traffic
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Pharming
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to break into a DNS server and any attempts to a particular Web site to a spoffed site
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logging in (logging on)
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to sign in w/ a user name and password before being able to use a computer
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strong password
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consists of at least eight characters of upper- and lowercase letters and numbers
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System software
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helps the computer carry out its basic operating tasks
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application software
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helps the user carry out a variety of specific tasks
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operating system
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controls basic input/output, allocates system resources, manages
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system resource
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any part of the computer system, including memory, storage devices, and the microprocessor,that can be used by a computer program
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multitasking
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starting and running more than one program at a time.
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operating environments
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An operating system that provides a graphical user interface
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graphical user interface (GUI)
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acts as a liaison b/t the user and all of the computer's hardware and software.
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Utilities
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another category of system software that augments the operating system by taking over some of its responsibility for allocating hardware resources.
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programming languages
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which a programmer uses to write computer instructions
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Application software
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enables you to perform specific computer tasks
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Document production software
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includes word processing software, desktop publishing software, e-mail editors, and Web authoring software.
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spell checker
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A feature that checks the words in a document against the program's built-in dictionary and helps you avoid typographical errors.
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font
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the style of type
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electronic publishing
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Data communications makes possible the production of documents
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Web site creation and management software
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allows you to create and manage Web sites
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Spreadsheet software
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a numerical analysis tool that both businesses and individuals use extensively.
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Worksheet
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composed of a grid of columns and rows
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cell
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the intersection of a column and row
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database management software
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lets you collect and manage data
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Database
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a collection of information stored on one or more computers organized in a uniform format of records and fields
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record
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a collection of data items in a database
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field
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one piece of information in the record
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Graphics software
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allows you to create illustrations, diagrams, graphs, and charts
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clip art
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simple drawings that are included as collections with many software pakages
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presentation software
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allows you to display or project graphics and other information to a group, print them for quick reference, or transmit them to remote computers
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Photo editing softare
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allows you to manipulate digital photos.
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Multimedia authoring software
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allows you to record digital sound files, video files and animations that can be included in presentations and other documents
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Accounting software
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helps individuals and businesses create and track budgets
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Information management software
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allows people to keep track of their schedules, appointments, contacts, and to-do lists
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Object linking and embedding (OLE)
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refers to the ability to use data from another file
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source
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the file from which data is copied or linked into another file
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Embedding
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occurs when you copy and paste the source data in the new file
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Linking
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allows you to create a connection b/t the source data and the copy in the new file.
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Linking
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allows you to create a connection b/t the source data and the copy in the new file
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integration
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the ability to share information b/t programs
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