- The physical parts of a computer -
CPU
Central processing unit; the
brain of the computer; controls the other elements of the computer
Disk Drive
A peripheral device that reads
and/or writes information on a disk
Hard Drive
A device (usually within the
computer case) that reads and writes information, including the operating
system, program files, and data files
Keyboard
A peripheral used to input data by
pressing keys
Modem
A peripheral device used to connect
one computer to another over a phone line
Monitor
A device used to display
information visually
Mouse
A peripheral device used to point
to items on a monitor
NIC
Network interface card; a
board inserted in a computer that provides a physical connection to a network
Printer
A peripheral device that converts
output from a computer into a printed image
- Instructions executed by a computer -
Applications
Complete, self-contained programs
that perform a specific function (ie. spreadsheets, databases)
Bit
A computer's most basic unit of
information
Boot
The process of loading or
initializing an operating system on a computer; usually occurs as soon as a
computer is turned on
Browser
A program used to view World Wide
Web pages, such as Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer
Bug
A part of a program that usually
causes the computer to malfunction; often remedied in patches or updates to the
program
Byte
Small unit of data storage; 8 bits;
usually holds one character
Click
Occurs when a user presses a button
on a mouse which in turn, generates a command to the computer
Database
A large structured set of data; a
file that contains numerous records that contain numerous fields
Diskette
A small flexible disk used for
storing computer data
Double Click
Occurs when a user presses a button
on the mouse twice in quick succession; this generates a command to the
computer
Download
Transferring data from another
computer to your computer
Drag
Occurs when a user points the mouse
at an icon or folder, presses the button and without releasing the button,
moves the icon or folder to another place on the computer where the button is
released
Driver
Software program that controls a
piece of hardware or a peripheral
FAQ
Frequently asked question;
documents that answer questions common to a particular website or program
File
Namable unit of data storage; an
element of data storage; a single sequence of bytes
Folder
A graphical representation used to
organize a collection of computer files; as in the concept of a filing cabinet
(computer's hard drive) with files (folders)
Freeware
Software provided at no cost to the
user
Gigabyte
1,073,741,824 bytes or 1,024
megabytes; generally abbreviated GB
GUI
Graphical user interface;
uses pictures and words to represent ideas, choices, functions, etc.
Icon
A small picture used to represent a
file or program in a GUI interface
Internet
A network of computer networks
encompassing the World Wide Web, FTP, telnet, and many other protocols
IP number
Internet protocol; a
computer's unique address or number on the Internet
Kilobyte
1,024 bytes; usually abbreviated KB
Megabyte
1,048,576 bytes or 1,024 kilobytes;
enough storage to approximately equal a 600 page paperback book; generally
abbreviated Mb
Memory
Any device that holds computer data
Menu
A list of operations available to
the user of a program
Network
A collection of computers that are
connected
Peripheral
Any of a number of hardware devices
connected to a CPU
RAM
Random access memory; the
type of storage that changes; when the computer is turned off, the RAM memory
is erased
ROM
Read-only memory; the type
of storage that is not changed even when the computer is turned off
Scroll Bar
Allows the user to control which
portion of the document is visible in the window; available either horizontally
or vertically or both
Shareware
Software provided at a minimal cost
to users who are on their honor to send in payment to the programmer
Spreadsheet
A program arranged in rows and
columns that manipulates numbers
Tool Bar
A graphical representation of
program activities; a row of icons used to perform tasks in a program
URL
Uniform resource locator;
the address of a site on the World Wide Web; a standard way of locating objects
on the Internet
Virus
A deliberately harmful computer
program designed to create annoying glitches or destroy data
Window
A screen in a software program that
permits the user to view several programs at one time
Word Processor
A program that allows the user to
create primarily text documents