| Words |
Class Definition* |
Alternate Definition |
Image |
| Application Software |
A program which allows us to apply ourselves to a particular task, such as editing images, accessing Internet resources, or playing a game. |
A program or group of programs designed for end users. Application software can be divided into two general classes: systems software and applications software. Systems software consists of low-level programs that interact with the computer at a very basic level. This includes operating systems, compilers, and utilities for managing computer resources QuinStreet, Inc.(2011a). |
A diagram representing application software News-Genie(2011/09/07). |
| ASCII |
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 |
Acronym for the American Standard Code for Information Interchange. It is a code for representing English characters as numbers, with each letter assigned a number from 0 to 127. For example, the ASCII code for uppercase M is 77. Most computers use ASCII codes to represent text, which makes it possible to transfer data from one computer to another QuinStreet, Inc.(2011b). |
A standard ASCII chart showing all 127 characters ServicesFourAutomation(2011). |
| Binary Code |
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. |
Pertaining to a number system that has just two unique digits. For most purposes, we use the decimal number system, which has ten unique digits, 0 through 9. All other numbers are then formed by combining these ten digits. Computers are based on the binary numbering system, which consists of just two unique numbers, 0 and 1. All operations that are possible in the decimal system (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) are equally possible in the binary system QuinStreet, Inc.(2011c). |
A magnified finger print that reveals the binary code in it, metaphorically Eclipse Digital Imaging, Inc(2011). |
| Bit |
A scheme for encoding data which uses only the digits 0 and 1. Binary code can be used to encode text, images, sounds, and programs, amongst other data. |
A bit (a contraction of binary digit) is the basic unit of information in computing and telecommunications; it is the amount of information stored by a digital device or other physical system that exists in one of two possible distinct states Wikipedia(2011/12/02). |
Each of these binary digits are bits Brain, Marshall(2011). |
| Booting |
A process by which a computer loads its operating system in primary storage from secondary storage, using the instructions found in ROM. |
A component in the machine data hierarchy usually larger than a bit and smaller than a word; now most often eight bits and the smallest addressable unit of storage. A byte typically holds one character Wikipedia(2011/12/09). |
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An example of a Windows Boot Manager Quade, William(2010/03/10). |
| Bus |
An electrical connection through which data are transmitted; there is a sending station and an ending station. |
A collection of wires through which data is transmitted from one part of a computer to another. You can think of a bus as a highway on which data travels within a computer. When used in reference to personal computers, the term bus usually refers to internal bus Computer Dictionary Online (2000-01-20). |
A motherboard showing the bus connection Tech-ICT. |
| Byte |
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. |
Abbreviation for binary term, a unit of storage capable of holding a single character. On almost all modern computers, a byte is equal to 8 bits. Large amounts of memory are indicated in terms of kilobytes (1,024 bytes), megabytes (1,048,576 bytes), and gigabytes (1,073,741,824 bytes) Computer Dictionary Online (2003/09-21). |
An example of an 8-bit byte UW Information Technology(2011). |
| Character |
A single letter or digit or a special symbol, like punctuations marks, the dollar sign, and a blank space. |
Any symbol that requires one byte of storage. This includes all the ASCII and extended ASCII characters, including the space character QuinStreet, Inc.,(2011d). |
A chart of the alphabets to represents a part of characters Frantic Stamper. |
| Computer |
A programmable electronic device for the proccessing of information. |
A machine that can be programmed to manipulate symbols. Computers can perform complex and repetitive procedures quickly, precisely and reliably and can quickly store and retrieve large amounts of data Computer Dictionary Online (1995/03/10). |
A cartoon-like computer device Warepin(2009/12/30). |
| CPU |
Central Proccessing Unit; a miniaturized electronic component which controls the execution of a computerand which performs basic arithmetic and logical operations. Colloquially called the computer's brain. |
. The CPU is the brains of the computer. Sometimes referred to simply as the central processor, but more commonly called processor, the CPU is where most calculations take place. In terms of computing power, the CPU is the most important element of a computer system QuinStreet, Inc.. (2011e). |
A green CPU chip Ezekiel, James(2011). |
| Directory |
A logical collection of files stored under a single name. |
A node in a hierarchical file system which contains zero or more other nodes - generally, files or other directories Computer Dictionary Online (1997/04/10). |
A screen-shot of the Documents and Settings directory Hill, Nick. |
| File |
A logical collection of data stored under a single name. |
A collection of data or information that has a name, called the filename. Almost all information stored in a computer must be in a file. There are many different types of files: data files, text files , program files, directory files, and so on. Different types of files store different types of information. For example, program files store programs, whereas text files store text QuinStreet, Inc.. (2011f). |
An image of the yellow file icon Deleket (2011). |
| Firewire |
Apple's name for the IEEE 1394 High Speed Serial Bus; also called i.LINK by Sony and Lynx by Texas Instruments. |
Alternatively referred to as IEEE-1394, it is a bus that has a bandwidth of 400-800 Mbps and can handle up to 63 units on the bus. Users more familiar with USB can also realte to Firwire to USB, as they a lot of the same similarities, like removable drives, cameras, etc can be connected to both Computer Hope (2011). |
An example of the location of a Firewire port Administrator(2010/11/06). |
| Gigabyte |
2 to the power of 30 bytes; which is approximately 1 billion bytes. |
The gigabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage. The prefix giga means 109 in the International System of Units (SI), therefore 1 gigabyte is 1000000000 bytes. The unit symbol for the gigabyte is GB or Gbyte, but not Gb (lower case b) which is typically used for the gigabit Wikipedia(2011/12/04 16:32). |
An image representing the blue gigabyte icon YourLogoResources(2011/07/28). |
| Hardware |
The physical parts of the computer; any part of the computer which can be seen and touched. |
Computer hardware refers to the physical parts of a computer and related devices. Internal hardware devices include motherboards, hard drives, and RAM. External hardware devices include monitors, keyboards, mice, printers, and scanners TechTerms(2006/12/05). |
An image of a green computer hardware Simmons, Harrold. |
| Information |
Words and pictures and sounds which have meaning to us. |
Information is stimuli that has meaning in some context for its receiver. When information is entered into and stored in a computer, it is generally referred to as data. After processing (such as formatting and printing), output data can again be perceived as information TechTarget(1997) |
An image of the blue, international icon for information bMelo(2011). |
| Input Devices |
Devices used to put information into a computer. Common examples of input devices include: 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, modems, etc. |
A peripheral used to transfer data from the outside world into a computer system. Some input devices are operated directly by the user, e.g. keyboard, mouse, touch screen, joystick, digitising tablet, microphone; others are sensors or transducers which convert external signals into data, e.g. using an ananlog to digital converter (this would also be true of a microphone). Other kinds of inputs are really one half of a bidirectional link with another computer or storage device, e.g. serial line, scsi interface HyperDictionary(2009). |
An image rainbow coloured keyboard, an example of an input device Allen, David(2007/08/27). |
| Kilobyte |
210 bytes; which is approximately 1 thousand bytes. |
As a measure of computer memory or storage, a kilobyte (KB or Kbyte*) is approximately a thousand bytes (actually, 2 to the 10th power, or decimal 1,024 bytes) TechTarget(2000). |
A chart showing why 1 kilobyte equals to 1024 bytes Liyana, Fatin(2010/04/02). |
| Megabyte |
220 bytes; which is approximately 1 million bytes. |
A unit of computer information equal to 1,048,576 bytes or approximately 2 20 bytes. Megabyte is frequently abbreviated as M or MB Learner's Dictionary(2011). |
A chart showing the differenct values and symbols of 1 MB/MegaByte Kaushik(2007/08/22). |
| Monitor |
A visual-display device, on which a computer displays information about its internal state, allowing people to monitor the activities of the computer. |
In computers, a monitor is a computer display and related parts packaged in a physical unit that is separate from other parts of the computer TechTarget(1998) |
An image of an LG computer screen with a red background addmanrcace(2011/01/06). |
| Operating System |
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. |
Also known as an "OS," this is the software that communicates with computer hardware on the most basic level. Without an operating system, no software programs can run TechTerms(2011). |
The logo of Microsoft as an example of an operating system Wolfgang, Gruener(2010/08/16). |
| Output Devices |
Devices used by a computer to put out information. Common examples of output devices include: monitors, speakers, fax, printers, headphones. data modems. certain game controllers, disc drives, UBB key, etc. |
Electronic or electromechanical equipment connected to a computer and used to transfer data out of the computer in the form of text, images, sounds or other media to a display screen, printer, loudspeaker or storage device HyperDictionary(2009b). |
An image of a pair of speakers as an example of an output device S.Curay, Paula Andrea(2010/12/03). |
| Peripheral |
Any hardware element which is peripheral to a computer's system unit. Common examples are input devices and output devices. even output devices which are often found within the system unit, like dics drives and modems, are considered peripherals because they are peripheral to the core elements of the computer : CPU, RAM and ROM. |
A peripheral is any computer device that is not part of the essential computer (the processor, memory, and data paths) but is situated relatively close by. A near synonym is input/output (I/O) device TechTarget(1998). |
An image of a webcam and a mouse as examples of a peripheral TireSias.(2009/11/20). |
| Primary Storage |
A miniaturized electronic component which provide temporary storage of information. Primary storage is volatile and relatively expensive, but it is used because it is fast and (with few exceptions) is the storage which the CPU can access directly. The single example of primary storage is the RAM. |
Primary storage, also known as main storage or memory, is the main area in a computer in which data is stored for quick access by the computer's processor. On today's smaller computers, especially personal computers and workstations, the term random access memory (RAM) TechTarget(1998). |
An image of a hard disc to represent primary storage device Brain, Marshall(2011). |
| Programmable |
Capable of performing varied and different tasks, limited only by the sophistication of the programs provided. |
Term used to describe the ability of a software program or a hardware device to be programmed and properly follow the instructions that were programmed into the device or program. Typically, all computers are programmble Computer Hope (2001b). |
The BlackWoods Logger is an example of a programmble device for measuring and graphing altitude, temperature and air pressures Steve. |
| Program |
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. |
A sequence of coded instructions that can be inserted and operated into a mechanism, such as a computer Merriam-Webster, Incorporation(2011). |
Examples of some free program in Windows XP Mike(2011/07/13). |
| RAM |
Random-Access Memory. The CPU can access the information in a random order. |
Acronym for random access memory, a type of computer memory that can be accessed randomly; that is, any byte of memory can be accessed without touching the preceding bytes QuinStreet, Inc..(2011g). |
An image of a different coloured RAM chips Singh, Abhinav (2011/08/17). |
| ROM |
Read-Only Memory. A miniaturized electronic component which provides permanent storage of information. In most cases, the information on ROM is "written" only once, at the factory. Thereafter, ROM can be used only to read from, and not to write to. |
Acronym for read-only memory, it is the computer memory that never changes. ROM memory contains data that are permanently recorded on the ROM chip and it is normally never erased or altered. Unlike RAM, ROM retains its data even when the computer is turned off or disconnected. Once data has been written onto a ROM chip, it cannot be removed and can only be read Kids-Online. |
An image of a green ROM chip Computer History(2007). |
| Root |
Short for Root Directory; the main directory, in a hierarchical directory structure, which (logically) contains all the other directories; in DOS- and Windows-based systems, the root directory is represented by a backslash (\); in Mac OS, Linux adn Unix systems,it is represented by a frontslash (/). |
The top directory in a file system. The root directory is provided by the operating system and has a special name; for example, in DOS systems the root directory is called \. The root directory is sometimes referred to simply as the root QuinStreet, Inc..(2011h). |
A computer-tree showing all the different branches and the root (represented by /) is the head The SCO Group, Inc (2004). |
| Secondary Storage |
Any storage medium which provides (relatively) permanent storage of information. Secondary storage is non-volatile and relatively inexpensive, but it is 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. |
Secondary memory (or secondary storage) is the slowest and cheapest form of memory. It cannot be processed directly by the CPU. It must first be copied into primary storage (also known as RAM ). Secondary memory devices include magnetic disks like hard drives and floppy disks ; optical disks such as CDs and CDROMs ; and magnetic tapes, which were the first forms of secondary memory QuinStreet, Inc.. (2011i). |
An image of a grey floppy drive in a computer as an example of a secondary storage device easycomputerguide(2009/11/25). |
| Software |
A synonyn of program. |
The programs that run on a computer and performs certain functions Learner's Dictionary(2011b). |
Examples of softwares represented by some software icons Soulfx Technologies, Inc (2011). |
| String |
A collection of like units, treated as a whole; i.e. character string and bit string. |
In programming, a string is a contiguous sequence of symbols or values, such as a character string (a sequence of characters) or a binary digit string (a sequence of binary values) TechTerms(2000). |
The section that says Home Sweet Home, is an example of a character string, as it is in quotes Compsci. |
| System Unit |
A plastic or metal box which contains the principal parts of a computer : the CPU, RAM, ROM, various connecting cables, and on AC/DC converter. In modern microcomputers, it is common to find peripheral devices installed inside the system unitl examples include: modem, card reader, disc drives, etc. |
The system unit, also known as a "tower" or "chassis," is the main part of a desktop computer. It includes the motherboard, CPU, RAM, and other components TechTarget(2011/01/27). |
A black and red image of a system unit of a computer Mr.Sir or Madam,eThink Data Solutions Pvt Ltd. |
| USB |
Universal Series Bus, a standard for connecting peripherals to a computer over inexpensive cables. |
Stands for Universal Serial Bus, US is the most common computer port used in today's computers. It can be used to connect keyboards, mouses, game-controllers, printers, etc. With the help of a few USB hubs, we can connect up tp 127 peripherals to a single USB port and use them all at once TechTerms(2011b). |
An image of the icon of USBJackal. |
