Lecture Notes: Computer Hardware and Software (Video Notes)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture notes on open source software, hardware/software, input/output devices, RAM/CPU, operating systems, system vs. application software.

Open Source Software

Software distributed freely with source code available for modification and distribution.

Linux

An open source, Unix-like operating system.

OpenOffice

An open source office suite for word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations.

VLC

A free and open source multimedia player.

GIMP

An open source image editing program.

Hardware

Physical components of a computer system or the computer itself.

Software

A computer program used to communicate with the computer and perform tasks.

Input devices

Devices used to input data into a computer, such as keyboard, mouse, and USB flash drive.

Keyboard

A primary input device used to type text and commands.

Mouse

A pointing input device used to interact with the computer.

RAM

Random Access Memory; temporary storage used by the system for active data and programs.

CPU

Central Processing Unit; the brain of the computer that executes instructions.

Output devices

Devices that present data from the computer to the user, such as monitor, speakers, printer, and scanner.

Monitor

Display device that shows visual output.

Printer

Output device that produces hard copies of documents.

Scanner

Input/Output device that converts physical documents into digital form.

Operating System

System software that manages hardware and software resources; examples include Windows, Linux, MacOS, Android.

System Software

Software that manages and controls the computer hardware and provides a platform for applications.

Application Software

Programs used by users to perform tasks such as writing documents, emailing, or browsing.

Word (Microsoft Word)

A word processing application used to create and edit text documents.

Gmail

Email service/application.

Excel

Spreadsheet application for data organization and calculations.

Netflix

Streaming video service/application.