LITE W2 | Computer Hardware and Software

Vocabulary flashcards covering key hardware, software, operating systems, licenses, peripherals, file types, and other fundamental terms from the lecture notes.

Computing Device

An electronic machine that uses binary data to automatically perform calculations.

Personal Computer (PC)

A computer designed for individual use that can run software, access the Internet, communicate via email, create programs, play games, and perform research.

Desktop Computer

A computing device intended to be placed on or near a user’s desk.

Peripheral

Any computer component that can be attached to a computer to expand its functionality (input, output, storage, sharing).

Laptop

A complete, compact, lightweight, and portable computer system.

Tablet

A mobile computing device with a touchscreen; larger and more powerful than a smartphone.

Smartphone

A high-end mobile device that functions as a phone, media player, camera, GPS, and more via a high-resolution touchscreen.

Supercomputer

The fastest and most expensive class of computers, used for highly complex calculations.

Mainframe

A large, powerful computer that serves the needs of a large organization.

eBook Reader

A device dedicated to downloading and reading electronic books (eBooks).

Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)

A handheld device offering computing, information storage, and retrieval for personal or business use.

Multimedia Player

A handheld device used to play digitally recorded audio, video, or combined audio/video files.

Motherboard

The system’s main circuit board that acts as the backbone for the entire computer; also called system board or mainboard.

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The chip where most computing calculations take place.

Power Supply

Internal component that converts AC line voltage to low-voltage DC power for the system.

Memory

Component that provides workspace for the processor; includes RAM and ROM.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

Volatile memory used for temporary data storage while programs run.

Read-Only Memory (ROM)

Non-volatile memory that retains data when power is off.

Port

A hardware interface that transfers electronic signals between a device and the computer.

Serial Connection (COM Port)

Transfers data one bit at a time over a single wire; labeled COM1, COM2, etc.

Parallel Connection

Transfers eight or more bits at a time over multiple wires; largely replaced by USB.

Universal Serial Bus (USB)

Connection standard that lets multiple peripherals share a single high-performance port with minimal configuration.

RJ-45 Connector

Connector used on twisted-pair network cables.

RJ-11 Connector

Connector used with Category 1 telephone cables; not suitable for networking.

Keyboard

Standard input device composed of keys used to enter text and commands.

Mouse

Pointing device that slides on a surface and uses buttons to interact with a graphical interface.

Printer

Output device that produces text and images on paper or other physical media.

Speakers

Audio output devices that play sound aloud without headphones.

Fax Device

Peripheral that sends and receives printed pages or images over telephone lines.

Flash Drive

Small portable storage device, roughly ½" × ¼" × 3" in size.

Touchscreen Monitor

Display that also accepts input by detecting touches on the screen.

Operating System (OS)

Software that enables a computer to function and manages hardware, input, output, and peripherals.

Software License

Legal document governing distribution and use of software.

Open Source License

License that provides access to source code and allows modification and redistribution.

Freeware

Software available for download and use without any restrictions or cost.

Commercial Software

Software sold to users for a fee.

Copyleft

License model opposite to copyright; software can be freely used, modified, and copied.

Shareware

Software distributed free for a limited trial period.

Microsoft Windows

World’s most widely deployed desktop and server OS featuring GUI, broad hardware support, and built-in apps.

macOS (Mac OS X)

Apple’s proprietary UNIX-based operating system for Macintosh computers.

Linux

Open-standards UNIX derivative whose source code is freely available for download, modification, and installation.

Chrome OS

Google’s commercial OS built on open-source Chromium OS; installed on Chromebooks.

Apple iOS

Operating system for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad; supports direct touch, multitouch, and accelerometer input.

Android OS

Layered mobile OS built on the Linux kernel with middleware and apps; developed by the Open Handset Alliance and owned by Google.

BlackBerry OS

Mobile OS optimized for business tasks, email sync, and high security on BlackBerry phones.

Firefox OS

Mozilla’s open-source mobile operating system based on Linux.

Windows Phone OS

Microsoft’s mobile OS featuring Office apps, Outlook Mobile, web browsing, and media player.

Productivity Software

Applications that help users create documents, manage projects, and organize time.

Word Processing Software

Used to create and edit typed documents (e.g., Microsoft Word, Apple Pages).

Spreadsheet Software

Used to calculate and analyze numerical tables (e.g., Microsoft Excel).

Email Software

Enables electronic communication (e.g., Outlook, Gmail).

Database Software

Manages large volumes of lists and records (e.g., Microsoft Access).

PDF Software

Used to view, create, and edit PDF documents (e.g., Adobe Acrobat).

Presentation Software

Creates and edits slide shows (e.g., Microsoft PowerPoint).

Desktop Publishing Software

Creates page layouts and typography for publications (e.g., Adobe InDesign).

Personal Information Manager (PIM)

Software for managing contacts and schedules (e.g., Google Calendar).

Remote Desktop Software

Allows access to another computer’s desktop for troubleshooting (e.g., Windows RDP).

File Extension

Suffix in a filename that indicates the file type and associated application.

.txt

Plain text document format (Notepad).

.rtf

Rich Text Format document (WordPad).

.doc/.docx

Microsoft Word document files.

.xls/.xlsx

Microsoft Excel spreadsheet files.

.ppt/.pptx

Microsoft PowerPoint presentation files.

.pdf

Portable Document Format file viewed with Adobe Reader or similar.

.aac

Advanced Audio Coding file format.

.flac

Free Lossless Audio Codec format.

.m4a

Apple Lossless Audio Codec file.

.mp3

MPEG Layer 3 audio file format.

.bmp

Bitmap image file format.

.gif

Graphics Interchange Format image.

.jpg/.jpeg

Joint Photographic Experts Group image file.

.png

Portable Network Graphics image file.

.tif/.tiff

Tagged Image File Format image.

.avl

Audio Video Interleaved file format (video).

.flv

Flash Video file format.

.mp4

MPEG-4 video file format.

.mpg/.mpeg

MPEG video file formats.

.wmv

Windows Media Video file format.

.app

Application program executable file used by Apple systems.

.bat

Batch script file for Windows.

.com

Command or compiled application file.

.exe

Windows executable file.

.msl

Windows Installer package specifying application installation parameters.

.scexe

Linux self-extracting executable file.

.gzip/.gz

GNU Project free compression file format.

.jar

Java Archive file format.

.rar

Roshal Archive compressed file format.

.tar

Archive file often combined with XZ or other compression.

.zip

Widely supported compressed file format.

Windows File Association

Windows uses file extensions to determine which application opens or executes a file; altering the extension can prevent proper operation.