S

Introduction to Computers T
U
D
Personal Computer (PC)
E
computer designed for general use by a single person
N
T
Light-Emitting Diode (LED)
semiconductor light source used in various applications; in the world of V
computers, LED technology is used to make optical mouses and LED O
displays C
A
B
Touchpad U
computer pointing device which takes advantage of a tactile sensor to L
detect a user’s finger movement A
R
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) Y
thin, light electronic display which employs the light modulating
H
properties of liquid crystals A
N
Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector D
interface designed to connect computer and peripheral devices, such as O
printers, mouses, keyboards, USB flash drives and external hard drives U
T
Motherboard
main circuit board inside personal computers which holds the majority of
computer components and provides connectors for peripherals

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

microprocessor which calculates all the data going through a personal
computer

Clock Rate
common measurement of CPU speed; tells how fast the CPU can
process data; the higher the clock rate, the faster the CPU

Megahertz (MHz)
unit of measurement of CPU clock rate; one megahertz refers to a
clock rate of one million cycles per second

Gigahertz (GHz)
unit of measurement of CPU clock rate; one gigahertz refers to a
clock rate of one billion cycles per second.

Accompanies: Introduction to Computers

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Introduction to Computers T
U
D
Random Access Memory (RAM)
E
type of computer memory, which temporarily stores computer information
N
such as the operating system, application programs and data so they T
can be immediately accessed by the CPU
V
Binary Digit (Bit) O
smallest unit of computer storage capacity C
A
B
Read-Only Memory (ROM) U
type of computer memory which stores the Basic Input/Output System L
(BIOS); data stored in ROM cannot be changed A
R
Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) Y
built-in program which initializes computer hardware and launches the
H
operating system when the computer starts A
N
Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) D
type of cable inside the computer connecting the mother board and O
internal storage devices, such as the hard drive, CD- or DVD-ROM U
T
Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM)
pre-pressed compact disc storage in which data can only be accessed,
not modified

Digital Video Disc Read-Only Memory (DVD-ROM)

high capacity optical disc storage, in which data can only be read, not
written

Driver
computer program allowing the computer to communicate with a
hardware device

Power Supply
computer hardware converting alternating current or AC electric power
to a low-voltage power for the internal components of the computer

Hard Drive
main storage device of a computer; commonly referred as an internal
device and used to permanently store data

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Introduction to Computers T
U
D
External Hard Drive
E
removable hard drive located outside of the main computer tower
N
T
Input Device
any piece of computer hardware used to provide data to the computer V
O
Output Device C
A
any piece of computer hardware used to communicate the data
B
processed by the computer U
L
Monitor A
output device which displays graphics and images from the computer R
Y
Digital Visual Interface (DVI)
H
video and audio interface connecting the monitor and the computer A
N
High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) D
compact video and audio interface transmitting digital data between the O
high-definition monitors and the computer U
T
Ethernet Cable
cord connecting the computer to the Internet

Power Cord
cable connecting the computer to the electrical supply; aids in delivering
electrical power to the main computer

Power Connector
cable inside the computer connecting the power supply to the internal
devices

Storage Device Cable

cable inside the computer transferring data between the mother board
and storage devices

Surge Protector
appliance designed to protect computer electronics from electrical
damage

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Introduction to Computers T
U
D
Hardware
E
physical parts of a computer, such as the hard drive, video card, monitor
N
and other substantial computer parts T

Software V
set of computer programs designed to enable computers to accomplish O
certain tasks; major types of software include programming software, C
A
system software and application software
B
U
Defragmentation L
software maintenance process which reduces the amount of A
fragmentation between files R
Y

H
A
N
D
O
U
T

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