Intro to the World of IT Flashcards
Something you can touch and feel; the physical computer and the parts inside it.
Hardware
An application or operating system consisting of a set of instructions that makes the hardware work
Software
A piece of software that loads a computer and makes it operational
Operating system(OS)
Special software that allows an operating system to access a specific piece of hardware
Device driver
Device drivers ____ hardware and operating system specific.
A. Are
B. Are not
A. Are
A combination of hardware and software attributes. An example is a BIOS chip that has instructions(software) written into it.
Firmware
A chip that contains computer software that locates the operating system, POST, and important hardware configuration parameters.
BIOS(basic input/output system)
Displays information from the computer to the user
Monitor
A device that converts AC voltage into DC voltage that the computer can use to power all internal and some external devices.
Power supply
A sealed data storage medium on which information is stored.
Hard drive
A storage device that accepts optical discs such as CDs, DVDs, or BDs that have data, music, video, or software applications
Optical drive
The main circuit board of a computer.
Motherboard
The part of the computer that temporarily stores applications, user documents, and system operating information
Memory
A volatile type of memory that loses its data when power to the computer is shut off
RAM (random access memory)
An electronic circuit card that insets into an expansion slot
Adapter
A motherboard socket into which adapters are connected
Expansion slot
A data input device that moves the cursor or selects menus and options
Mouse
Allows users to provide input to the computer
Keyboard
Output device that transfers information such as text and graphics from a computer onto paper or other media
Printer
An input device that digitizes words or graphics and can be used as a copier.
Flatbed scanner
A handheld device that reads a code displayed as a series of vertical lines of varying widths, or a quick response(QR) code that is a square with embedded information
Barcode scanner/ QR scanner
A virtual reality device that is worn over the eyes to see a high-definition image
VR headset
A space on a laptop below the keyboard that is used to control the cursor
Touchpad
A digital input device that allows users to digitally sign their names
Signature pad
An input device used with games or entertainment systems
Game controller
An input device used to capture video images or motion
Camera/webcam
An input device used to capture sound
Microphone
An input/output device that commonly has a microphone and headphones
Headset
An output device used to show an image on a screen or wall
Projector
An external hard drive, flash drive, or memory used to store data
External storage drive
A switch that enables connectivity of devices so they can be shared between computers
KVM
A device that accepts cards that are inserted into the device in order to read data from the card or the chip on the card
Magnetic reader/chip reader
A device that accepts cards that are tapped against the display or held in close proximity in order to read data from a smartphone or card
NFC device/tap-to-pay device
A device that can read data from a card that has a magnetic strip such as a credit card, special business card, ID card, or room access card
Smart card reader
An electrically charged 1 or 0
Bit
8 bits grouped together as a basic unit
Byte
Approximately 1,000 bytes of information (exactly 1,024 bytes)
Kilobyte
Approximately 1 million bytes of data (exactly 1,048,576 bytes)
Megabyte
Approximately 1 billion bytes of information (exactly 1,073,741,824 bytes)
Gigabyte
Approximately 1 trillion bytes of information (exactly 1,099,511,627,776 bytes)
Terabyte
