hardware

clock speed

Speed of a processor, in ticks per second.

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Hardware responsible for processing all instructions the computer runs. (also microprocessor)

data throughput

Rate at which data is processed and output by a system.

dual core

A multi-core system with two processor cores.

gigahertz (GHz)

Unit of measurement for a processor's clock speed. 1000 MHz.

hardware

Physical parts of a computer system.

megahertz (MHz)

Unit of measurement for a processor's clock speed.

MIPS

Millions of Instructions Per Second; how many instructions a computer can translate into functions at one time

Motherboard

The circuit board to which the internal computer components connect: the CPU, the RAM, the ROM, and the secondary storage devices

Multi-core

Processor with more than one processor core, to increase its performance.

multiprocessing

A system with more than one processor, to increase its performance.

multitasking

A single processor running multiple tasks by switching rapidly between them.

Quad-core

A multi-core system with four processor cores.

software

The instructions and programs which are run by the CPU.

speed throttling

Reducing a processor's clock speed to save power when not in use.

terahertz (THz)

Unit of measurement for a processor's clock speed. 1000 GHz.

bar code scanners

Input device that uses a laser to read a bar code.

concept keyboard

Keyboard with keys that perform programmable, customised functions.

digital cameras

Camera that saves images digitally, often in JPEG format.

digital video cameras

Camera that saves digital video

digitize

To convert data from analog to digital form.

Dvorak keyboards

Alternative keyboard layout to improve typing speed.

game controllers

Input device with buttons used for games playing.

joystick

Input device used for games playing and flight simulators.

Keyboards

Input device that lets the user enter text and numeric data.

Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR)

Input device that reads text written in special magnetic ink. Often used at the bottom of cheques.

magnetic stripe readers

Input device that reads the magnetic stripe on cards like ATM cards and bank cards.

microphone

Input device for sound data

multi-touch

Input device able to recognise touches and gestures made with multiple fingers.

multimedia keyboard

Keyboard with buttons to perform common tasks such as program launching.

Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

Input device that reads printed text, scans it, and converts it to text that can be edited in a word processor.

Optical Mark Recognition (OMR)

Input devices that reads simple multiple-choice style answers by looking for marks on the paper.

scanner

Input device used to digitise photographs and paper copies of data.

sensors

Input devices used to measure physical traits, such as sound, heat, or light.

Smart card readers

Device to read a smart card.

Soft keyboard

Keyboard which is displayed on screen and controlled by clicking on buttons with the mouse or a touch screen. (also virtual keyboard)

stylus

Input device used in conjunction with touch screens.

Touch pad

Input device commonly found on laptops instead of a mouse.

voice control

Use of spoken commands to control a computer.

touch screen

Input device that lets the user touch areas of the display to perform tasks.

trackball

Input device that uses a rotating ball to control the cursor.

Universal Product Code (UPC)

A type of barcode.

voice recognition

Use of software to convert spoken words into text.

Webcam

Input device used to record video, often found in laptop computers.

CRT monitor

Output device. Older type of monitor, now almost obsolete.

hard copy

A printed paper copy of data.

inkjet printer

Printer that works by spraying ink through nozzles at a sheet of paper.

interactive whiteboard

Device that uses a projector for output and touch inputs, using a special pen.

laser printer

High speed printer.

LCD screen

Output device. The newer type of monitor which is flat.

native resolution

Resolution of an LCD display that produces the best display quality.

output

Information which is produced by a computer system.

pages per minute

Speed at which a printer produces output.

printers

Output device which produces paper copies.

projectors

Output device for displaying content on large screens.

speakers

Output device for sound.

bit

A single binary digit (a 1 or a 0). The smallest unit of storage inside a computer.

BluRay

Optical secondary storage device capable of storing 16GB+.

byte

Storage unit: 8 bits. Enough to store a single ASCII text character.

CD-ROM

Optical secondary storage device capable of holding 650-700MB of data.

CompactFlash

Solid state storage device usually used in digital cameras.

data synchronisation

Exchanging data between a computer and a portable device such as a smart phone.

disk wiping (secure deletion)

Securing deleting files from a disk, beyond recovery.

DVD

Optical secondary storage device capable of storing up to 8GB.

eSATA

A modern type of connector for attaching external hard disks

exabyte (EB)

Storage unit: 1024 petabytes.

external hard disk

Portable storage device often used for backups.

firewire

Interface for attaching external hard disks and digital video cameras.

solid state storage

A type of secondary storage device that uses electronic circuits to read and store data. The advantage of this is that is has no moving parts, making it faster and less likely to be damaged if dropped. Also called flash memory/flash drive. (Compare magnetic storage with optical storage and solid state storage)

Gigabyte (GB)

Storage unit: 1024 megabytes.

hard disk

Magnetic secondary storage device found in most desktop and laptop computers.

IDE

Interface for attaching internal hard disks.

input

Data or information that is entered into the computer.

Kilobyte (KB)

Storage unit: 1024 bytes

magnetic storage

Type of secondary storage that uses magnets to read and store data. Examples include floppy disks and hard disks.

Megabyte (MB)

Storage unit: 1024 kilobytes

MMC

Solid state secondary storage device, often used for digital cameras.

mouse

Input device used to control a cursor or pointer.

non-volatile storage

Storage which does not lose its contents when the power is removed.

optical storage

Storage devices which use lasers to store and read data. Examples include CDs and DVDs.

Petabyte (PB)

Storage unit: 1024 terabytes

Primary storage

Storage systems which are found inside the computer and are electronic. RAM and ROM are examples.

Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID)

System where multiple hard disks contain duplicate data, to be used in the event of one failing.

Redundant system (failover system)

System which will take over the role of a primary system if it fails.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

Primary storage which is fast, relatively expensive, and volatile.

Read Only Memory

Primary storage whose contents are written at manufacture and cannot be altered later.

SATA

Interface for connecting storage devices like hard disks.

Secondary storage

Storage systems which are connected externally to the computer's motherboard.

Terabyte (TB)

Storage unit: 1024 gigabytes

Universal Serial Bus

Common interface for connecting peripheral devices including mice, printers, and digital cameras.

USB

Common interface for connecting peripheral devices including mice, printers, and digital cameras.

volatile storage

Storage which loses its contents when the power is removed.

yottabyte (YB)

Storage unit: 1024 zettabyes

zettabyte (ZB)

Storage unit: 1024 exabytes

American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII)

Encoding system to store text, where one byte is used for each character. Compare Unicode.

convergence

Idea that one device performs the same functions as many separate devices.

Global Positioning System (GPS)

System of satellites which can pinpoint a users location on the Earth.

Kensington lock

Special lock for securing portable devices to immovable objects to prevent theft.

plain text

Text file which contains no formatting data

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

System of tags which contain data that can be read from a distance using radio waves.