Basic Computer Glossary
- application software
- a program which allows us to apply ourselves to a particular task, such as editing an image, accessing Internet resources, or playing a game.
- 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 Unicode standard.
- binary code
- a scheme for encoding data which uses only the digits 0 and 1. Binary code can be used to encode texts, images, sounds, and programs, amoungst other data.
- bit
- Contraction of the term "binary dit"; hence, either 0 or 1.
- booting
- the process by which a computer loads its operating system into primary storage, from secondary storage, using the instructions found in ROM.
- byte
- contraction of the term "binary term", the smallest unit of information which can be accessed directly by a computer. Most modern microcomputer use 8-bit bytes.
- character
- a single letter or digit, or a special symbol like punctuation marks, the dollar sign, and a blank space.
- computer
- a programmable electronic device for the processing of information.
- CPU
- central processing unit; a miniturized electronic component which controls the execution of a computer and which performs basic arithmetic and logical operations. Colloquially called the computer's "brain".
- directory
- a logical collection of files, stored under a single name.
- file
- a logical collection of information, stored under a single name.
- gigabyte
- 2^30 bytes; approximately 1 billion bytes (1 073 741 824 bytes exact).
- hardware
- the physical parts of the computer; any part of the computer which can be touched.
- information
- words, pictures, and sounds which have meaning to us.
- input devices
- devices used to put information into a computer. Common examples of input devices are drives, mouses, keyboards, cameras, and modems.
- kilobyte
- 2^10 bytes; approximately 1 thousand bytes (1024 bytes exact).
- megabyte
- 2^20 bytes; approximately 1 million bytes (1 048 576 bytes exact).
- monitor
- a visual-display device, on which a computer displays information about its internal state, allowing people to monitor the activities of the computer.
- operating system
- a set of programs which enables a computer to preform its basic tasks: "reading" and "writing" files, communicating with peripherals and launching programs
- output devices
- devices used by a computer to put out information. Common examples of output devices are monitors, printers, speakers, drives, and modems.
- 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 disc drives and modems, are considered peripherals, because they are peripheral to the core elements of the computer: the CPU, RAM, and ROM
- primary storage
- a miniturized electronic component which provides temporary storage of information. Primary storage is votile and relatively expensive, but it's used because it's fast, and (with few exceptions) the only storage the CPU can access directly. The single example of primary storage is RAM.
- programmable
- capable of performing varied and different tasks, limited only by the sophistication of the programs provided.
- programs
- a set of instructions, written in a language the computer can understand, which tells the computer what to do and when to do it.
- RAM
- Random-Access Memory. See primary storage.
- ROM
- Read-Only Memory. A miniturized electronic component, which provides permanent storage of information. In most cases, the information in ROM is "written" only once, at the facotry. Thereafter, ROM can be used only to "read from" and not to write to.
- root
- short for "root directory": the main directory, in a hierachical directory structure, which (logically) contains all other directories. In DOS and Windows-based systems, the root directory is represented by a backslash (\). In MacOS, Unix, and Linux systems, the root directory is represented by a forward slash (/).
- secondary storage
- 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 example of storage are magnetic and optical discs and magnetic tape.
- software
- synonym of program
- string
- a collection of like unites, treated as a whole; for example: a string of characters, a string of bits.
- system unit
- a plastic or metal box that contains the principal parts of a computer: the CPU, RAM, ROM, various connecting cables, and an AC/DC (alternating current/diret current) converter. In modern microcomputers, it's common to find peripheral devices installed inside the system unit; examples include disc drives and modems.
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