CGS1060C

Input

User entries or activities that tell the computer what to do.

Output

The processed results that a computer sends to you.

Processing

The ability of a computer to perform actions based on instructions from the user or a program.

Storage

The ability of a computer to hold or remember the information it processes.

Hardware

The physical devices that make up a computer system.

Software

One or more computer programs that are packaged together for a unified purpose.

Computer program

A set of instructions that directs the computer to perform a variety of tasks.

Data

Individual facts or pieces of information

Information

Puts individual data into context

Network

A connection between computers that allows users to communicate and share information.

Network server

A powerful computer with special software and equipment that enables it to function as the primary computer in the network.

Supercomputers

the most powerful and physically some of the largest computers that can process huge amounts of data quickly.

Internet of Things

Aka IoT

An expression that refers to normal objects with the ability to connect to wireless networks and the Internet

E-book readers

A device that makes it convenient for individuals to store and read many electronic books.

Home automation

The technology that allows various household activities to be automated or controlled from a distance.

Autonomous vehicle

A car, truck, or other mode of transportation that is capable of performing a variety of driving maneuvers without human intervention.

Augmented reality

An experience where the real-world is supplemented with computer-generated information.

Bluetooth

A short-range wireless technology used in devices such as hands-free systems.

near field communication

aka NFC

A wireless technology that lets your mobile device communicate over very short distances, such as when paying for goods on wireless payment devices.

Location-based service

aka LBS

software services which use geographic data and information to provide services or information to users.

Crowdsourcing

The gathering of information from a large group of people.

Streaming media

Music and movies that are delivered on demand from an online source.

Cloud storage

The ability to store your files online and access them from any Internet-connected device.

Dropbox, Google Drive, and iCloud.

Cloud collaboration

The ability to view, edit, and share documents online.

System unit

The case that houses the computer's critical parts, such as its processing and storage devices

Motherboard

The largest circuit board in a personal computer. It contains a variety of slots, connectors, and plugs for hooking up all the other parts of a computer.

Central processing unit

Aka CPU

The main processor of a computer. It is responsible for organizing and carrying out instructions to produce a desired output.

USB port

A small, rectangular port that is used to connect almost all of today's external devices.

HDMI

the newest connector for displays. carries both digital video and sound

Random access memory

aka RAM

A type of memory that temporarily stores the data and programs that a computer is currently using.

higher ram —> faster processing speed

Firmware

Instructions placed on a chip that contain device- specific information.

Bit

A fundamental unit of computing that is represented as an on (1) or off (0) value.

Byte

The unit of memory or storage that represents eight bits. It is the amount of space required to store a single character, such as a letter or number.

Byte approximation:

KB: 1,000

MB: 1,000 KB

GB: 1,000 MB

TB: 1,000 GB

Hard drive

The primary storage device of a personal computer.

Magnetic: uses a magnetization process to store data

Solid State: uses integrated circuit assemblies to store data

Blu-ray disc

aka BD

The latest optical storage technology, which typically stores 25 or 50 GB of data

ergonomic keyboard

a computer keyboard designed with ergonomic considerations to minimize muscle strain, fatigue, and other problems

RFID tag

A tiny chip or label containing electronically stored data that can be accessed wirelessly.

Speech recognition

A computer's ability to recognize human speech.

Siri (Apple), Cortana (Windows), Google Assistant (Google)

Biometrics

The measurement of patterns or characteristics found in the human body.

Ex: fingerprint scanners and facial recognition

Pixels

Tiny dots on a display screen, each with its own unique address that the computer uses to locate it and control its appearance.

Aspect ratio

A set of two numbers that describes the ratio of a monitor's width to its height.

Resolution

The number of pixels that are displayed on the screen.

Video card

An intermediary device between the CPU and the monitor that contains a processor, video-dedicated memory, and other circuitry.

Graphics processing unit

aka GPU

A video card's microprocessor.

3D printers

A printer that can create a three-dimensional object made of various materials.

Laser printers

A fast, high-quality printer that creates output by using a laser that is aimed at a rotating drum.

Inkjet printers

A type of printer that creates an image directly on the paper by spraying ink through tiny nozzles.

Operating system

aka OS

Software that manages the flow of data between hardware components and allows the user to communicate with the computer.

Command-line interface

A way to interact with computers that requires users to memorize and type a series of commands.

Graphical user interface

aka GUI

A type of operating system interface that allows users to communicate with the computer via graphical elements on the screen.

Device drivers

Programs that allow operating systems to communicate with hardware.

UNIX

dates back to 1969

runs many of the world’s most powerful servers

very powerful and stable

operated by a command-line interface, but GUI may be added

Linux

created in 1991

Open-source operating system, it can be freely distributed/modified

thousands of users

even though it’s free, many companies re-sell their own versions

Windows Server

made in 1980s but exploded in popularity in mid/late 1990s

widely used in businesses of all sizes

employs similar GUI to its desktop version

Chrome OS

Chrome web browser runs your computer (needs internet connection)

available on select ultraportable computers

iOS

qwned by Apple

considered a very friendly and stable operating system

Android

an open-source operating system

owned by Google

allows any manufacturer to use and modify this system (Samsung, Motorola, HTC)

pioneered the Widgets feature

Malware

A generic term to describe various kinds of malicious programs created to harm a computer or steal valuable information.

Encryption

The process of scrambling your data or storage devices to make them unreadable by anyone who doesn't have the proper key.

Virtual machine

A special environment that allows users to run an operating system on top of another operating system.

compression

the process of making a file smaller than its original size

Backup

A copy of one of more files (or entire storage devices) that is made in case the originals become lost or damaged.

File extension

A short, unique sequence of characters located after a file's name that indicate the file type.

Volume

A license that allows companies to install software on multiple machines.

Subscription

A payment method for software that has users pay a fixed amount of money per month in order to use the software.

Open source

A type of software license that permits the source code to be freely distributed and modified.

General Public License

aka GPL

a series of widely used free software licenses that guarantee end users the four freedoms to run, study, share, and modify the software

Public Domain

works that are free from intellectual property laws

Word processing software

Software that provides tools for creating, editing, and formatting all kinds of text-based documents.

Microsoft Word

Spreadsheet software

Software used for entering, calculating, and analyzing sets of numbers. This software is also used for creating charts.

Microsoft Excel

Database management system

aka DBMS

Software that allows users to create and manage complex databases.

Microsoft Access

Presentation software

A category of software that enables users to create electronic slideshows that are used to present information.

Microsoft PowerPoint

Personal information manager

aka PIM

Software that is designed to keep individuals organized via the management of contacts, appointments, to-do lists, and email.

Microsoft Outlook

adobe illustrator

adobe drawing program that uses vector graphics (no distortion)

adobe photoshop

adobe graphics (or image/photo) editing software that uses bitmap-based tools to edit images

adobe premiere

adobe video editing software used to edit and produce videos

Algorithm

A series of steps that describe exactly what each portion of a program is supposed to do.

Compiler

A program that translates a specific programming language into a machine language that can be processed by the CPU.

Bugs

Errors in a software program.

Beta version

An early version of a computer program used to test the software in real-world conditions.

Protocol

A set of rules or standards that must be followed by computers that wish to communicate over a network.

TCP/IP

a standard communications protocol that exchanges data in the Internet

IP address

A unique set of numbers and/or letters that uniquely identifies every computer or device on the Internet.

World Wide Web

A global system of linked, hypertext documents known as web pages.

http

Hypertext transfer protocol. It helps web servers deliver a requested page to a user's computer.

html

Hypertext markup language. It is used to create web pages.

url

A standard addressing system that allows web pages to be located on the Internet

domain

The portion of a URL that uniquely identifies a site and a brand on the web.

Subdomain

A portion of a URL that usually indicates a specific subdivision or server within a large site.

Cc

Stands for "carbon copy" and is used to send a copy of your message to individuals other than your primary recipient.

Bcc

Stands for "blind carbon copy," and is used to send a copy of an email to recipients who will remain invisible to other recipients of the message.

P2P

Peer-to-peer

A file transfer method that uses a distributed network of individual users instead of a central server to transfer files.

download

To receive data.

upload

export data

Internet service provider

aka ISP

Telecommunications company that offers Internet access to homes and businesses.

bits per second

aka BPS

shows the average rate at which data is transferred between a computer and data transmission system

Broadband

Any digital data connection that can transmit information faster than standard dial-up by using a wider band of frequencies.

Residential gateway

A device that connects your home's network to the Internet.

mobile hotspot

A device that can connect to a mobile network and offer Internet access to multiple devices near it.

popular browsers

apple safari

google chrome

microsoft edge

mozilla firefox