COMPUTER BASICS Vocab and Terminology

What do all of these terms have in common? DesktopServer Workstation Handheld Laptop/Notebook Supercomputer Mainframe TYPES OF COMPUTERS!

Desktop Microcomputer A personal computer system for individual use, made to fit on the top of a desk.

Workstation A powerful desktop computer with massive computing power that meets the needs of engineers, architects, and other professionals who require detailed graphic displays.

Laptop/Notebook A flat-screen, battery-powered, portable computer that can rest on your lap.

Supercomputer A sophisticated, expensive computer that executes complex calculations at the maximum speed permitted by state-of-the-art technology. These computers are mostly used by the government and for scientific research.

Mainframe A large, powerful, computer system capable of accommodating hundreds of users doing different computing tasks.

Server A computer especially designed to provide software and other resources to other computers over a network.

Handheld A portable computer that is small enough to be tucked into a jacket pocket or to fit in your hand.

COMPUTER PERFORMANCE & PROCESSING

Boot Process  When starting or restarting the computer, it is the process of loading the operating system into the computer’s memory.

Input  Information entered into the computer for processing.

Binary Code  A number system with a base of 2. It uses only two values, zero and one.

Data  Unorganized, unprocessed information (raw material).

Information  Data that has been processed so as to make it useful for a specific purpose.

Output  Information given out by the computer-usually shown on monitor or a printer.

COMPUTER COMPONENTS & HARDWARE

System Unit The main unit of a computer that contains the CPU, motherboard,and other components necessary for processing information.

CPU Central Processing Unit The CPU controls the operations of a computer. It performs arithmetic and logical operations and decodes and executes instructions.

Silicon Chip A thin wafer of silicon containing electronic circuitry (transistor) that performs various functions.

MHZ Megahertz A unit of measurement for a computer’s clock speed; millions of cycles per second.

RAM Random Access Memory A computer’s memory chip or chips containing the temporary or volatile memory in which program instructions and data are stored while being used by a computer. When a computer is off, all data in RAM is lost if not saved.

ROM Read Only Memory Memory that can be read, but not changed. Read- only memory is non-volatile storage that contains essential computer instructions and does not lose its contents even when the power is turned off.

Bit Binary Digit The smallest unit of information a computer can hold. A bit has a value of 0 or 1.