Technical Terminology Flashcards
auxiliary storage
a data storage device that is not the main memory of a computer
backup (n/adj)
a copy of a program or file that is stored separately from the original
back up (v)
to make a backup of a program or file
binary
- characterized by or consisting of two parts of components; twofold
- of or relating to a system of numeration having 2 as its base
bit
the smallest unit of computer memory. A bit holds one of two possible values, either of the binary digits 0 or 1. The term comes from the phrase binary digit
byte
a sequence of adjacent bits operated on as a unit by a computer. A byte usually consists of eight bits. Amounts of computer memory are often expressed in terms of megabytes or gigabytes
boot up
causing the computer to start executing instructions. PCs and Macs contain built-in instructions in a ROM or flash memory chip that are automatically executed on startup. These instructions search for the operating system, load it and pass control to it. Starting up a large computer may require more button pushing and keyboard input
CAT
Computer-Aided Transcription is the foundation of realtime in which a computer translates machine shorthand outlies into English
chip
a small piece of semiconducting material (usually silicon) on which an integrated circuit is embedded.
hardware
major items of equipment or their components used for a particular purpose
operating system
the most important program that runs on a computer. Every general-purpose computer must have an operating system to run other programs. Operating systems perform basic tasks, such as recognizing input from the keyboard, sending output to the display screen, keeping track of files and directories on the disk, and controlling peripheral devices such as disk drives and printers
modem
short for modular-demodulator. A modem is a device or program that enables a computer to transmit data over, for example, telephone or cable lines. Computer information is stored digitally, whereas information transmitted over telephone lines is transmitted in the form of analog waves. A modem coverts between these two forms
peripheral
a computer device, such as a CD-ROM drive or printer, that is not part of the essential computer, i.e., the memory and microprocessor. Peripheral devices can be external – such as a mouse, keyboard, printer, monitor, external zip drive or scanner
RAM
pronounced ramm, acronym for Random Access Memory, a type of computer memory that can be accessed randomly; that is, by any byte of memory can be assessed without touching the proceeding bytes. RAM is the most common type of memory found in computers and other devices, such as printers
software
computer instructions or date. Anything that can be stored electronically is software. The storage devices and display devices are hardware. Computer software is a general term that describes computer programs
ASCII
a code for information exchange between computers made by different companies; a string of 7 binary digits represents each character; used in most microcomputers. American Standard Code for Information Interchange a.k.a. binary file
byte
a sequence of 8 bits (enough to represent one character of alphanumeric data) processed as a single unit of information such as a letter or number. Abbreviation for binary term. A megabyte equals 1 million bytes
CPU
Central Processing Unit. It is the brains of the computer. It is where most calculations take place. It is the most important element of a computer system
defragment
to optimize a disk by unfragmenting files
fragmentation
refers to the condition of a disk in which files are divided into pieces scattered around the disk. Fragmentation occurs naturally when you use a disk frequently, creating, deleting, and modifying files. At some point, the operating system needs to store parts of a file in noncontiguous clusters. Can slow down a computer
MPEG file
short for Moving Picture Experts Group, it is a working group of the ISO. The term also refers to the family of digital video compression standards and file formats developed by the group. MPEG generally produces better-quality video than competing formats. MPEG files are compressed files that allow for ease of emailing video and audio files
short for Portable Document Format, a file format developed by Adobe Systems. PDF captures formatting information from a variety of desktop publishing applications, making it possible to send formatted documents and have them appear on the recipient’s monitor or printer as they were intended
RAM
an acronym for Random Access Memory, a type of computer memory that can be accessed randomly; that is, any byte of memory can be assessed without touching the preceding bytes. RAM is the most common type of memory found in computers and other devices, such as printers
ROM
an acronym for Read-Only Memory, computer memory on which data has been prerecorded. Once data has been written onto a ROM chip, it cannot be removed and can only be read. Unlike main memory (RAM), ROM retains its contents when the computer is turned off. ROM is referred to as nonvolatile, whereas RAM is volatile. Most personal computers contain a small amount of ROM that stores critical programs such as the program that boots the computer
