Essential Computer Concepts Flashcards
hardware
physical components
server
a computer that stores programs and data for multiple users
software
intangible components of a computer, particularly programs
processing
modifying data and executing commands
commands
instructions to the computer on how to process the data
motherboard
the processing hardware that contains the computers major electronic components, and is located inside the computer
circuit board
a rigid piece of insulating material with circuits (electrical paths) or that control specific functions
cards (expansion cards)
circuit boards that are inserted into electrical connectors on the mother board, called slots (expansion slots)
input devices
keyboard, mouse, etc. to input data and issue commands
scanner
transfers the content on a piece of paper into memory
output devices
store or show you output. The most common are monitors and printers
CPU
Central Processing Unit
Port
Opening in the computer connected to a card into which you can plug a connector
USB
Universal Serial Bus
Port
a high speed port used to connect many types of peripheral devices to the computer
circuits
electrical paths
HDMI & Display Ports
transmit video and audio digitally
DVI
transmit video digitally
YGA
transmit analog video
HDMI
High Definition MultiMedia Interface
Ethernet Ports
allow data to be transmitted at high speeds so they are used to connect computers to one another or to the internet
modem
a device that connects your computer to a standard telephone jack or to a cable connection or sometimes directly to the internet using an ethernet port
USB connector
a matela tab attached to a cable, wireless transmitter or flash drive that inserts into the USB port.
Three types of USB ports
A, B, and C
B port
usually larger and connected to a printer
C port
transmit data faster than the others, currently only on a few devices, such as the newest Google Chromebook and the newest Apple Macintosh
A port and B port
both are found on PCs
Random Access Memory (RAM)
chips of cards that plug into the motherboard, temporarily holds programs and data while the computer is one and allows the computer to access that information randomly. RAM is measured in gigabytes
RAM is Volatile Memory or Temporary Memory
because it constantly changes while the computer is on and clears when the computer is turned off.
DDR SDRAM
double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory
Cache memory
high speed memory chip on the motherboard or CPU
Read Only Memory (ROM)
a chip on the motherboard prerecorded with instructions the computer uses to check its components to ensure they are working and to active the software that provides the computers basic functionality. ROM never changes and remains intact
BIOS
Basic Input/Basic Output
BIOS
Tell the computer to initialize the motherboard, how to recognize devices connected to the computer and to start the boot process.
CMOS
Complementory Metal Oxide semiconductor
CMOS
A chip installed on the memory board that is activated during the boot process and identifies where essential software is stored.
Storage
is where the data your create and the instructions you use remain when you are not using them
file
named collection of stored data
executable file
contains the instructions that tell a computer how to perform a specific task.
data file
created by a uses, for instance a report you write with a word processing program
magnetic storage media
store data as magnetized particles on a surface
solid state media
saves data as 1s and 0s
SSD
Solid State Drives
SSD
are hard drives that are faster and tend to be more reliable than magnetic hard drives, however, they are also significantly more expensive
Flash Memory Cards
small portable cards encased in hard plastic to which data can be written and rewritten using electrical signals. They are used in digital cameras, mobile devices, video game controllers, and other devices
USB Drive / Flash Drive
popular to use as a secondary or backup storage device for data typically stored on a hard disk drive. USB drives plug directly into the PC; the computer recognizes it as another disk drive
Network
connects one computer to other computers
network adapter
each member of a network must have a network adapter to create a communication connection between the computer and the network
client/server network
a network consisting of computers dependent on a server
router
connects devices on a network and controls traffic between the devices so that all of the devices can access the network
LAN (Local Area Network)
computers and peripheral devices located relatively close together, generally in the same building
WAN (Wide Area Network)
Consists of multiple LANs connected together
