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118 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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system software
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All the software used to operate and maintain a computer system, including the operating system and utility programs.
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end-user
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The people that use computers.
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operating system (OS)
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A program that integrates and controls the computer's internal functions and provides a user interface.
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application software
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Programs that enable you to do something useful with the computer, such as writing or accounting (as opposed to utilities, which are programs that help you maintain the computer).
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business application software suites
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graphical user interface (GUI)
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An interface between the operating system and the user. Graphical user interfaces are the most popular of all user interfaces but also require the most system resources.
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window
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A rectangular box on the user's monitor in which application software is presented.
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ribbon
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A GUI element composed of a strip across the top of the window that exposes all functions the program can perform in a single place.
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word processing program
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An office application that enables the user to create, edit, format, and print textual documents.
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spreadsheet
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A program that processes information in the form of tables. Table cells can hold values or mathematical formulas.
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cell
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In a spreadsheet, a rectangle formed by the intersection of a row and a column in which you enter information in the form of text (a label) or numbers (a value).
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formula
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In a spreadsheet program, a mathematical expression embedded in a cell that can include cell references. The cell displays the formula's result.
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function
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In spreadsheet programs such as Microsoft Excel, one of the two basic types of formulas (along with mathematic expressions). In a function, operations can be performed on multiple inputs.
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database
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A collection of information stored in an organized way.
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database management system (DBMS)
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An application that enables users to create databases that contain links from several files. Database management systems that contain links from several files. Database management systems are usually more expensive than file management programs.
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data warehouse
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A very large database, containing as many as a trillion data records, that stores all of a firm's data and makes this data available for exploratory analysis (called data mining).
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corporate memory
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Data warehousing allows businesses to store their history in relational databases. LOOK UP.
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presentation software
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Programs that are used to display information typically in a slide show.
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sharing information
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copy and paste
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Allows the user to highlight or select an area in the budget spreadsheet, copy the information into memory, switch to the proposal document, and then paste it in the desired area.
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object linking and embedding (OLE)
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Object embedding is static, object linking is dynamic.
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specialized application software
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image editor
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A sophisticated paint program for editing and transforming complex bitmapped images, such as photographs.
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raster graphics
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Images formed by a pattern of tiny dots, each of which corresponds to a pixel on the computer's display. Also called bitmapped graphics.
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vector graphic
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An image composed of distinct objects, such as lines or shapes, that may be moved or edited independently. Each object is described by a complex mathematical formula.
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web authoring application software
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WYSIWYG
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Acronym for "What You See Is What You Get" interface.
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enterprise resource planning (ERP)
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Enterprise software that brings together various enterprise functions, such as manufacturing, sales, marketing, and finance, into a single computer system.
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collaborative application software
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system software
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All the software used to operate and maintain a computer system, including the operating system and utility programs.
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firmware
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starting the computer
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One of the five basic functions of an operating system in which a computer loads the operating system into the computer's RAM.
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booting
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The process of loading the operating system to memory.
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cold boot
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A system start that involves powering up the computer. Compare with warm boot.
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warm boot
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To restart a computer that is already operating.
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basic input/output system (BIOS)
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Read-only memory (ROM) built into the computer's memory that contains the instructions needed to start the computer and work with input and output devices.
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registry
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1. A database that contains information about installed peripherals and software. 2. In Microsoft Windows, an import system file that contains configuration settings that Windows requires in order to operate.
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system utilities
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Programs such as speaker volume control and antivirus software that are loaded by the operating system.
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authenticates / authentication
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In computer security, a method of preventing unauthorized users from accessing a computer system, usually by requesting a password.
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log in
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To authenticate yourself as a user with a valid account and usage privileges on a multiuser computer system or a computer network. To log in, you supply your user name and password. Also called log on.
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profile
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In a consumer-oriented operating system such as Windows 98, a record of a user's preferences that is associated with a user name and password. If you set up two or more profiles, users can see their own preferences. However, profiles do not prevent users from accessing and overwriting each others' files. Compare with account.
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administering application software
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random access memory (RAM)
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Another name for the computer's main working memory, where program instructions and data are stored to be easily accessed by the central processing unit through the processor's high-speed data bus. When a computer is turned off, all data in RAM is lost.
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multitasking
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In operating systems, the capability to execute more than one application at a time. Multitasking shouldn't be confused with multiple program loading, in which two or more applications are present in random access memory (RAM) but only one executes at a time.
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memory management
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virtual memory
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A means of increasing the size of a computer's random access memory (RAM) by using part of the hard disk as an extension of RAM.
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page
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In virtual memory, a fixed size of programs instructions and data that can be stored on the hard disk to free up random access memory.
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swap file
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In virtual memory, a file on the hard disk used to store pages of virtual memory information.
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device driver
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A program file that contains specific information needed by the operating system so that a specific brand or model of device will function.
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interface
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A means of connecting two dissimilar computer devices. An interface has two components, a physical component and a communications standard, called a protocol. The physical component provides the physical means for making a connection, while the protocol enables designers to design the devices so that they can exchange dta with each other. The computer's standard parallel port is an example of an interface that has both a distinctive physical connector and a defining, standard protocol.
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utilities
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Programs, such as file management and file finder, that provide a necessary addition to an operating system's basic system-management tools.
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user interface
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The part of system software that interacts with the user.
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desktop
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The portion of the graphical user interface (GUI) that appears after the operating system finishes loading into memory.
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icon
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In a graphical user interface (GUI), a small picture that represents a program, a data file, or some other computer entity or function.
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window
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maximize
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To enlarge a window so that it fits the entire screen.
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minimize
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To reduce the size of a window so that it appears only as an icon or an item on the taskbar.
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restore
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To return a window to its size and position before it was maximized.
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active window
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menu
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The list of words, such as file, edit, and view, signifying categories of tasks that can be accomplished within an application.
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toolbar
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In a graphical user interface (GUI), a bar near the top of the window that contains a row of graphical buttons. These buttons provide quick access to the most frequently used program commands.
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folder
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A graphical representation of a directory. Most major operating systems display directories as though they were file folders.
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standardization
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ease of use
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safety
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file management system / file management program
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An application that enables users to create customized databases and store in and retrieve data from those databases.
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filename
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A unique name given to a stored file.
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modification date
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file type
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file size
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system software utilities / system utilities
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Programs, such as file management and file finder, that provide a neccessary addition to an operating system's basic system-management tools.
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defragmentation
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tracks
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The concentric circular bands on a hard disk. Data is recorded in the tracks, which are divided into sectors to help keep track of where specific files are located.
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sector
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A pie-shaped wedge of the concentric tracks encoded on a disk during formatting. Two or more sectors combine to form a cluster.
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backup utilities
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complete backup
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incremental backup
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The process of copying files that have changed since the last full backup to a backup medium, such as a tape cartridge.
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antivirus utilities
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Programs that help you maintain the computer.
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signature
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system update
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patches
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network / computer network
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A group of two or more computer systems linked together to enable communications by exchanging data and sharing resources.
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client
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In a client/server network, a program that runs on users' computers and enables them to access a certain type of data. 2. On a computer network, a program capable of contacting the server and obtaining needed information.
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server
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A computer dedicated to providing information in response to external requests.
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peripheral
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A device connected to and controlled by a computer, but external to the computer's central processing unit.
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node
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In a LAN, a connection point that can create, receive, or repeat a message.
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economics
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software
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One of two basic components of a computer system (the other is hardware). Software includes all the instructions that tell the computer what to do.
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collaboration
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A method of mutual learning between two or more people who are working together towards a common goal.
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back up
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Internet
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An enormous and rapidly growing system of linked computer networks, worldwide in scope, that facilitates data communication services such as remote logon, file transfer, electronic mail, the World Wide Web, and newsgroups. Relying on TCP/IP, the Internet assigns every connected computer a unique Internet address (called an IP address) so that any two connected computers an locate each other on the network and exchange data.
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building a computer network
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network interface controller
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MAC address
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network cables
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hub
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In a local area network (LAN), a device that connects several workstations and enables them to exchange data.
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Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)
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One of two basic Internet protocols (the other is Internet Protocol, IP). TCP is the protocol (standard) that permits two Internet-connected computers to establish a reliable connection. TCP ensures reliable data delivery with a method known as Positive Acknowledgment with Re-transmission (PAR). The computer that sends the data continues to do so until it receives a confirmation from the receiving computer that the data has been received intact.
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Internet Protocol (IP)
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One of two Internet standards (the other is the Transmission Control Protocol, TCP). IP defines the standard that describes how an Internet-connected computer should break data down into packets for transmission across the network, and how those packets should be addressed so that they arrive at their destination. IP is the connectionless part of the TCP/IP protocols.
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User Datagram Protocol (UDP)
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network operating system (NOS)
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The software needed to enable data transfer and application usage over a local area network (LAN).
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network administrator (sometimes called network engineers)
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Computer professionals who install, maintain, and support computer networks, interact with users, handle security, and troubleshoot problems.
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network topology
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The physical layout of a local area network (LAN), such as a bus, star, or ring topology, that determines what happens when, for example, two workstations try to access the LAN or transmit data simultaneously.
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bus topology
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The physical layout of a local area network that does not use a central or host computer. Instead, each node manages part of the network, and information is transmitted directly from one computer to another.
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star topology
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The physical layout of a local network in which a host computer manages the network.
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ring topology
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The physical layout of a local network in which all nodes are attached in a circle, without a central host computer.
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local area network (LAN)
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A computer network that connects computers in a limited geographical area (typically less than one mile) so that users can exchange information and share hardware, software, and data resources.
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campus area network (CAN)
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metropolitan area network (MAN)
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wide are network (WAN)
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peer to peer networks (P2P)
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network security
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password
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A unique word that a user types to log on to a system. Passwords should not be obvious and should be changed frequently.
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strong password
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Web browsing
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e-mail
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Electronic mail; messages sent and received through the use of a computer network.
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instant messaging (IM) system
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Software program that lets you know when a friend or business associate is online. You can then contact this person and exchange messages and attachments.
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permissions
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firewall
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A program that permits an organization's internal computer users to access the Internet but places severe limits on the ability of outsiders to access internal data.
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