COMPUTER BASICS

Vocab and Terminology

What do all of these terms have in common?

Desktop Server

Workstation

Handheld

Laptop/Notebook

Supercomputer

Mainframe

TYPES OF TYPES OF

COMPUTERS!

COMPUTERS!

Desktop Microcomputer

A personal computer system for individual use, made to fit on the top of a desk.

Workstation

A powerful desktop computer with massive computing power that meets the needs of engineers, architects, and other professionals who require detailed graphic displays.

Laptop/Notebook

A flat-screen, battery-powered, portable computer that can rest on your lap.

Supercomputer

A sophisticated, expensive computer that executes complex calculations at the maximum speed permitted by state-of-the-art technology. These computers are mostly used by the government and for scientific research.

Mainframe

A large, powerful, computer system capable of accommodating hundreds of users doing different computing tasks.

Server

A computer especially designed to provide software and other resources to other computers over a network.

Handheld

A portable computer that is small enough to be tucked into a jacket pocket or to fit in your hand.

COMPUTER PERFORMANCE & PROCESSING

Boot Process

When starting or restarting the computer, it is the process of loading the operating system into the computer’s memory.

Input

Information entered into the computer for processing.

Binary Code

A number system with a base of 2. It uses only two values, zero and one.

Data

Unorganized, unprocessed information (raw material).

Information

Data that has been processed so as to make it useful for a specific purpose.

Output

Information given out by the computer-usually shown on monitor or a printer.

COMPUTER COMPONENTS & HARDWARE

System Unit

The main unit of a computer that contains the CPU, motherboard,and other

components necessary for processing information.

CPU

Central Processing UnitThe CPU controls the operations of a computer. It performs arithmetic and logical operations and decodes and

executes instructions.

Silicon Chip

A thin wafer of silicon containing electronic circuitry (transistor) that

performs various functions.

MHZ

MegahertzA unit of measurement for a computer’s

clock speed; millions of cycles per second.

RAM

Random Access MemoryA computer’s memory chip or chips containing the temporary or volatile

memory in which program instructions and data are stored while being used by a

computer. When a computer is off, all data in RAM is lost if not saved.

ROM

Read Only MemoryMemory that can be read, but not

changed. Read-only memory is non-volatile storage that contains essential

computer instructions and does not lose its contents even when the power is

turned off.

Bit

Binary DigitThe smallest unit of information a

computer can hold. A bit has a value of 0 or 1.