Chapter 2 Flashcards
application software
can be commercial software or software developed in house and is used to perform a variety of tasks on a personal computer
arithmetic logic unit (ALU)
performs arithmetic operations as well as comparison or relational operations
- the latter are used to compare numbers
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
-the heart of a computer
What 2 parts is the CPU divided into?
- arithmetic logic unit (ALU)
- control unit
computer
a machine that accepts data as input, processes data without human intervention by using stored instructions, and output information
control unit
tells the computer what to do, such as instructing the computer which device to read or send output to
CPU case
- aka computer chassis or tower
- its the enclosure containing the computer’s main component
disk drive
a peripheral device for recording, storing, and retrieving information
input devices
send data and information to the computer
-Ex: keyboards and mouse
main memory
stores data and information and is usually volatile
- contents are lost when electrical power is turned off
- plays major role in a computer’s performace
motherboard
- the main circuit board containing connectors for attaching additional boards
- contains CPU, BIOS, memory, storage, interfaces, serial and parallel ports
operating system
a set of programs for controlling and managing computer hardware and software
- provides an interface between a computer and the user and increase computer efficiency by helping users share computer resources and by performing repetitive tasks for users
output device
capable of representing information from a computer
- form of output can be visual, audio, or digital
Random Access Memory (RAM)
volatile memory, in which data can be read from and written to
- aka working memory
read- only memory (ROM)
nonvolatile
- data cannot be written to RAM
secondary memory
holds data when the computer is off or during the course of a program’s operation
-also serves as archival storage
server
a computer and all the software for managing network resources and offering services to a network
