This webpage displays the terms found in our basic computer glossary.
Basic Computer Glossary
| term |
picture |
class description |
alternative description |
| application software |
 (chayanat,2009) |
a program which allows us to apply ourselves to a particular task, such as editing an image, accessing Internet resources, or playing a game |
retrieved from (FOLDOC,2010a); a complete,self-contained program that performs a specific function directly for the user |
| ASCII |
 (The ascii code,2011) |
American Standard Code for Information Interchange; an international standard for encoding characters into 7-bit codes; ASCII is the basis of the more modern and inclusive Unicode standard |
retrieved from (FOLDOC,1995a); the basis of character sets used in almost all present-day computers. US-ASCII uses only the lower seven bits (character points 0 to 127) to convey some control codes, space, numbers, most basic punctuation, and unaccented letters a-z and A-Z |
| binary code |
 (GetGlue,2011) |
a scheme for encoding data using only the digits 0 and 1; binary code can be used to encode text, images, sounds, and programs, amongst other data |
retrieved from (Allwords,2011); a code that uses the binary digits (0 and 1), usually in groups of eight to represent characters, machine instructions or other data |
| bit |
(GetGlue,2011) |
contraction of the term binary digit; hence, 0 or 1 |
retrieved from (Webopedia,2011a); short for binary digit, the smallest unit of information on a machine; a single bit can hold only one of two values: 0 or 1 |
| booting |
 (BloggersBase,2009) |
the process by which a computer loads its operating system in primary storage from secondary storage using the instructions found in ROM |
retrieved from (Techtarget,2000); to boot a computer is to load an operating system into the computer's main memory or random access memory (RAM) |
| bus |
 (SMKSH,2010) |
an electrical connection through which data are transmitted; there are a sending and receiving stations |
retrieved from (FOLDOC,2010b); a set of electrical conductors connecting various "stations", which can be functional units in a computer or nodes in a network |
| byte |
 (Xoax,2011) |
contraction of the term binary term; the smallest unit of information which can be accessed directly by a computer. Most modern computers use 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit, or 64-bit bytes |
retrieved from (Bolton,2011); the smallest unit of storage that can be accessed in a computer's memory- either in RAM or ROM; holds exactly 8 bits |
| character |
 (Demandsystems,2009) |
a single letter or digit, or a special symbol like punctuation marks, the dollar sign, and a blank space |
retrieved from (TechTerms,2011a); any letter, number, space, punctuation mark, or symbol that can be typed on a computer |
| computer |
 (Minicamping,2011) |
a programmable electronic device for the processing of information |
retrieved from (FOLDOC,1995b); a machine that can be programmed to manipulate symbols |
| CPU |
 (New Systems,2011) |
Central Processing Unit; a miniaturized electronic component which controls the execution of a computer and which performs basic arithmetic and logical operations. Colloquially, called the computer's "brain" |
retrieved from (Collins English Dictionary,2003); the part of a computer that performs logical and arithmetical operations on the data |
| directory |
 (carlosp120,2007) |
a logical collection of files stored under a single name |
retrieved from (Webopedia,2011b); an organizational unit, or container, used to organize folders and files into a hierarchical structure |
| file |
 (Grafpedia,2011) |
a logical collection of data stored under a single name |
retrieved from (Webopedia,2011c); a collection of data or information that has a name, called the filename |
| FireWire |
 (MegaWatts,2011) |
Apple's name for IEEE 1394 High Speed Serial Bus, also called i LINK by Sony and Lynx by Texas Instruments |
retrieved from (Sabetti,2000); Apple Computer's version of a standard, IEEE 1394, High Performance Serial Bus, for connecting devices to your personal computer |
| gigabyte |
 (Bargain Jack,2011) |
230 bytes (approx. 1 billion bytes) |
retrieved from (Techtarget,2000b); a measure of computer data storage capacity; roughly a billion bytes (230 bytes) |
| hardware |
 (OEM Consulting,2011) |
the physical parts of the computer; any part of the computer which can be seen and touched ex) mouse, keyboard, monitor |
retrieved from (Alexandrou,2011); a physical piece of a computer ex) hard drive, monitor, memory chip, CPU |
| information |
 (SMART Exchange,2011) |
words, pictures, and sounds which have meaning to us |
retrieved from (FOLDOC,2007a); the result of applying data processing to data, giving it context and meaning |
| input devices |
(OEM Consulting,2011) |
devices used to put information into a computer. Common examples of input devices are keyboards, mouses, scanners, microphones, cameras, gyroscopes, game controllers, USB drives, infrared remote controls, touch pads, touch screens, graphic tablets, disc drives, flash memory cards, motion sensors, and modem |
retrieved from (BusinessDictionary,2011a); a component or peripheral device (such as a barcode reader, graphic tablet, keyboard, magnetic-stripe reader, modem, mouse, scanner, or stylus) that feeds data or instruction into a computer for display, processing, storage, outputting ,or transmission |
| kilobyte |
 (Shutterstock,2011) |
210 bytes (approx. 1 thousand bytes) |
retrieved from (Techtarget,2011c); a measure of computer memory or storage; roughly a thousand bytes (210 bytes) |
| megabyte |
 (Synaptech,2011) |
220 bytes (approx. 1 million bytes) |
retrieved from (Techtarget,2011d); a measure of computer processor storage and real and virtual memory; roughly a million bytes (220 bytes) |
| monitor |
 (Mobilecim,2011) |
a visual-display device, on which a computer displays information about its internal state, allowing people to monitor the activities of the computer |
retrieved from (TechTerms,2011b); displays the computer's user interface and open programs, allowing the user to interact with the computer |
| operating system |
 (alertosus,2011) |
a set of programs which tells a computer how to perform its most basic tasks, such as "reading" information from input devices, "writing" information to output devices, and executing the instructions of launched software |
retrieved from (TechTerms,2011c); software that communicates with computer hardware on the most basic level; allocates memory, processes tasks, accesses disks and peripherials, and serves as the user interface |
| output devices |
 (CompleteTEK Ltd,2011) |
devices used by a computer to put out information. Common examples of output devices are monitors, printers, speakers, headphones, LED lights, data projectors, fax modem, data modem, game controllers (sometimes send vibrations), disc drives, USB drives, and any other secondary storage device |
retrieved from (BusinessDictionary,2011b); peripheral equipment that converts a computer's output to a form that can be seen, heard, or used as an input for another device, process, or system |
| peripheral |
 (spikyharold,2011) |
any hardware element which is peripheral to a computer's system unit. Common examples are input devices and output devices |
retrieved from (TechTerms,2011d); any external device that provides input and output for the computer |
| primary storage |
 (Warepin,2011) |
a miniaturized electronic component which provides temporary storage of information. Primary storage is volatile and relatively expensive, but it's used because it's fast and (with few exceptions) is the only storage which the CPU can access directly |
retrieved from (Techtarget,1998); the main area in a computer in which data is stored for quick access by the computer's processor |
| programmable |
 (Bright Hub,2011) |
capable of performing varied and different tasks, limited only by the sophistication of the programs provided |
retrieved from (The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language,2009); capable of providing a machine with a set of coded working instructions |
| program |
 (Shaw,2010) |
a set of instructions which tells a computer what to do and when to do it; the instructions must be written in a language which the computer understands |
retrieved from (BusinessDictionary,2011c); a set of coded instructions that a computer can understand to solve a problem or produce a desired result |
| RAM |
 (Computerbase,2011) |
Random Access Memory; it is called random because we can access it in random order |
retrieved from (FOLDOC,2007b); a data storage device for which the order of access to different locations does not affect the speed of access |
| ROM |
 (Eprofeel,2011) |
Read Only Memory; contains just enough information for the computer to read a bit of its operating system |
retrieved from (FOLDOC,1995c); a data storage device which is manufactured with fixed contents |
| root |
 (RPM Hardware,2011) |
short for "root directory"; the main directory, in a hierarchical directory structure, which (logically) contains all other directories; in DOS- and Windows-based systems, the root directory is represented by a backslash (\); in Mac OS, Unix, and Linux systems, the root directory is represented by a slash (/) |
retrieved from (Webopedia,2011d); the top directory in a file system; provided by the operating system and has a special name; for example, in DOS systems the root directory is called \ |
| secondary storage |
 (Promokeychain,2011) |
any storage medium which provides (relatively) permanent storage of information. Secondary storage is non-volatile and relatively inexpensive, but it's slow. With few exceptions, secondary storage cannot be accessed directly by the CPU. The most common examples of secondary storage are magnetic and optical discs, magnetic tape and flash memory |
retrieved from (FOLDOC,1997); any non-volatile storage medium that is not directly accessible to the processor. Common examples are hard drives, magnetic tape, CD-ROM, DVD drives, floppy disks, punch cards, and paper tape |
| software |
(Shaw,2010) |
a synonym of program |
retrieved from (TechTerms,2011e); a general term that describes computer programs |
| string |
(GetGlue,2011) |
a collection of like units, treated as a whole; ex) character string, bit string |
retrieved from (TechTerms,2011f); a data type used in programming to represent text rather than numbers |
| system unit |
 (RobLPe,2011) |
a plastic or metal box which contains the principal parts of a computer; the CPU, RAM, ROM, various connecting cables, and an AC/DC converter. In modern microcomputers, it's common to find peripheral devices installed inside the system unit; examples include modem, card readers, and disc drives |
retrieved from (TechTerms,2011g); the main part of a desktop computer; includes the motherboard, CPU, RAM, and other components |
| USB |
(Promokeychain,2011) |
Universal Serial Bus; a standard for connecting peripherals to a computer over inexpensive cables |
retrieved from (Webopedia,2011e); short for Universal Serial Bus; an external bus standard that supports data transfer rates of 12 Mbps. A single USB port can be used to connect up to 127 peripheral devices, such as mice, modems, and keyboards |