A-LEVEL ICT Topic 1 Hardware and Software 1

Device

an electronic piece of technology

Feature

a distinctive part of a device, like its size and colour

Function

a way in which a device can be used

Hardware

the physical parts of a device that you can see and touch

Portability

how easy it is to carry a device around

Performance

how well a device performs its intended purpose

Application

software that is designed to perform a specific task

Magnetic Storage

a type of storage device that uses electromagnets to store data

Solid State Storage

a type of storage device that stores data on silicon chips

Storage

a piece of hardware that is used to store data

Non-volatile storage

computer storage that retains its data when the power is removed random access memory

RAM

a type of volatile memory in a computer that stores currently running data and programs read only memory

ROM

a type of non-volatile memory in a computer that is used to store start-up instructions for the computer

Volatile storage

computer storage that loses its data when the power is removed