| Vocabulary |
Types of Computers and Computer Systems |
1. Computer- is an electronic device that processes data and converts it into information that people can use.
2. Technology- is the practical application of an art or skill.
3. Desktop- a computer designed to remain in one location.
4. Laptop- a computer designed to be carried from place to place.
5. Mainframe- are very powerful computers that can do many things at once, hundreds of people can use a mainframe at once.
6. Personal computer (PC) - the personal computer and the Macintosh support one user at a time.
7. Personal digital assistant (PDA) - is a computer that is small enough to hold in one’s hand.
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Input Devices/Peripherals |
1. Input device- used to put information into a computer.
2. Joystick- is an input device that usually has buttons that can send instructions to the computer.
3. Keyboard- is used to enter information in the form of words, numbers, and punctuation. You can also use a keyboard to give commands to some programs.
4. Microphone- can be used to input audio such as music into a computer.
5. Mouse- is used to control objects seen on a computer screen.
6. Peripheral- is anything connected to your computer.
7. Port- allows users to connect external devices to the computer system.
8. Scanner- collects information in the form of pictures and sends the information to the computer.
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Output Devices |
1. Monitor- is also called a computer screen, displays information visually, just like a TV set.
2. Output device- carries information out of a computer.
3. Printer- used to transfer images from a monitor to paper.
4. Speaker- carries information in the form of sound. They can output music, speech, and noises.
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Processing Components |
1. Clock speed- is the number of calculations the processor can do each second.
2. CPU- or central processing unit is made of one microprocessor in small computers. In larger machines, the CPU can be made of several microprocessors working together.
3. Memory- is where computers keep their information, comes in the form of computer chips.
4. Microprocessor- is the brain of a computer.
5. Motherboard- is the main circuit board in a computer. All of the other circuit boards connect to the motherboard.
6. RAM- or random access memory holds information temporarily.
7. Process- a computer uses hardware to process data into useful information.
8. Storage devices- also called secondary storage devices are another place where information is kept in a computer. Unlike memory, storage devices hold information permanently. Storage comes in the form of hard disks, floppy disks, CDs, and DVDs.
information.
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Storage Devices |
1. CD-R-which stands for Compact Disk Recordable, is a CD-Rom disk that does not yet contain any information. A CD-R drive writes information onto the CD-R disk. A CD-R can hold the same amount of information that the CD-ROM can hold.
2. CD-ROM-is an optical disk that can hold up to 1 gigabyte of information. One gigabyte of information is equal to 700 floppy disks or 300,000 pages of text. CD-ROM drives are very common in PCs because the CD-ROM is a cheap way to store lots of information.
3. DVD-ROM-is an optical disk that can hold up to 17 gigabytes of information. It would take 17 CD-ROMs to hold the information in one DVD-ROM. DVD-ROMs are commonly used to hold movies.
4. Flash memory- used in digital cameras and other devices, uses chips to hold information. You can add information to the flash memory in large chunks rather than piece by piece, making storage faster and easier than with other types of memory.
5. Floppy disk-contains a small potable disk inside a plastic cover. Floppy disks can hold up to 1.4 megabytes of information, which is about enough space to store the words in a small book.
6. Hard drive-also called a hard disk, is the most widely used secondary storage device. They can be internal or external. They can usually hold 10 to 100 gigabytes of data. One gigabyte is equal to 1000 megabytes. A hard drive with 100 gigabytes could hold an entire floor of journals and magazines.
7. Optical disk-another type of storage device, use lasers to read and write information, CD-R, CD-RW, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM are types of optical disks.
8. ZIP disk-like a floppy disk has a portable disk inside a plastic case. A ZIP disk can hold 100 to 250 megabytes. Two hundred and fifty megabytes is roughly equal to five volumes of an encyclopedia.
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Networks |
1. LAN-or Local Area Network, is a connected group of computers that are close to each other. For example, a connected group of computers in a home or in an office is a LAN.
2. Network- a group of computers that are connected to each other.
3. Router- connects multiple computers to each other as well as to a WAN (like the Internet).
4. Server- manages the flow of information on a network.
5. WAN-or Wide Area Network, is a connected group of computers that are not close to each other. For example, the internet is a WAN.
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Bellevue Junior High School
