Computer Jargon

• Application Program: A piece of software that does a particular task such as word processing, database management, or accounting. Examples of application programs are Microsoft Word and Adobe Photoshop. Also known as software or simply, programs.



• Bit: The smallest unit of measurement for electronic data, a bit is one on or off signal. The number of bits determines how much information your computer can store and retrieve. Eight bits make one byte.



• Boot: To start up the computer.



• Bug: An error in a computer program or system. It got its name when a moth was found on a tube in one of the first computers.



• Byte: Eight Bits. A Byte is enough information to convey a single alphabetic character in a file. The number of bytes determines how much information your computer can store and retrieve.



• Cache: A portion of the memory set aside for temporary storage. It can house directions to files which are frequently accessed and otherwise would have to be retrieved from the RAM. It aids in computer efficiency since it is generally higher speed than RAM and generally consists of 128 Kilobytes.



• CD-ROM (Compact Disc-Read Only Memory): A disk which stores saved files similar to the CDs used in the production of music. A CD-ROM holds a lot more information than a floppy disk but it cannot be erased or saved to. CD-ROM generally refers to both the disk and the equipment which reads them.



• CD-RW (Compact Disc-Rewritable): A disk similar to CD-ROM, except files can be erased and saved to it.



• Click: To press and release the left mouse button once to select something on screen.



• CPU (central processing unit): The chip on a computer’s system board that does the main processing. It is often used to describe the piece of equipment in most standard computers that does all the work of the computer.



• Cursor Keys: On a keyboard, the keys, labeled with arrows that move the insertion point or cursor around the screen.



• Database: Any collection of information, from a phone book to a company’s inventory data used with a computer.



• Error Message: A message displayed by a piece of software to inform you that something has gone wrong. Error messages often indicate the nature of mistake or problem.



• Expansion Slot: A place set aside on your computer’s motherboard where you can “expand” your computer functions; this is done by installing expansion boards. For example, if you wanted to add sound to your computer, you would buy an expansion sound card and place it in an expansion slot.



• File: A collection of data with a name attached, saved on a computer’s disk.



• Floppy disk: A portable disk consisting of a floppy mylar disk enclosed in a hard shell used to save and store small files.



• Format: 1. To prepare a disk to hold information. 2. The kind of information saved in a file.



• Gigabyte: About a billion bytes or a thousand megabytes of data. Bytes control how much information your computer can store and retrieve. A gigabyte holds an extremely large amount of data.



• Graphical User Interface: A visual computer environment which represents files, commands, and programs with graphic images. The user selects these options through a pointing device such as a mouse. For example in Windows a user manipulates a mouse to select from icons which represent to files or programs he/she wants to use



• Hard disk: A storage device, either internal or external to a computer’s system unit, that holds large amounts of data. It is the memory box of the computer where all files, open or closed, are stored. Also known as the hard drive.



• Hardware: The physical components of a computer system, such as the monitor, the keyboard, and the CPU.



• Icon: A small image displayed on the screen that represents a program, command, or file. Users can point and click on icons to select these objects. A key aspect of the graphical user interface.



• Keyboard: The typewriterlike mechanism you use to input text and give commands.



• Kilobyte: About 1,024 bytes. The higher the number of bytes, the more information your computer can store and retrieve.



• Megabyte: About a million bytes. The number of bytes determines how much information your computer can store and retrieve.



• Megahertz: The number of cycles per second at which a processor works. The higher the number of megahertz the faster a computer can process information.



• Memory: The place where a computer keeps programs and data. There are three types of memory storage in most computers: the hard disk, RAM, and cache. Memory is measured in bytes. (Memory is sometimes synonomous with RAM)



• Modem: A device that modulates computer data into signals that can be carried over phone lines, and decodes data it receives from other modems over phone lines into a form readable by the computer. Modems are responsible for our Internet connections.



• Monitor: The screen on which programs display information. Also called display.



• Motherboard: The main board in the computer’s system unit that holds the central processing unit, memory, and other circuitry. Also known as a system board.



• Mouse: A pointing device that allows you to give commands and select items on screen in a graphical user interface.



• Network: An arrangement by which personal computers are connected so that users of each can share files, e-mail, and other services.



• Operating System: The software that takes care of basic system activities, such as reading forms and saving to disk, so that application software can focus on doing its particular tasks. Windows is an operating system.



• Peripheral: Hardware, such as a modem or printer that you use with a computer, but is not essential to its operation.



• Pixel: Short for "picture element." On a monitor, one pixel is a single dot of light out of all the dots that make up an image. The high the ratio of pixel the better the resolution.



• Pointer: An on-screen indicator, controlled by a mouse or other pointing device, you use to select an object on the desktop you want to work with. Examples are the on screen arrows and hand that are controlled by the mouse.



• Port: A connector used to attach peripheral devices to the computer. Most computers come with a variety of ports allowing for a variety of equipment to be plugged in.



• Processor: A circuit in a computer that processes information. Processors are attached to the motherboard or to add-on expansion boards. Grades of processors are measured in Megahertz. Contemporary computers have anywhere between 300 to 500 megahertz.



• RAM (Random Access Memory): The place where a computer keeps programs and data when they are in use. The average for most contemporary computers is 64 megabytes or "megs."



• Reboot: To turn off your computer and start it again, or to press the "Ctrl," "Alt," "Delete" keys, or the Reset Button to restart it. It’s what you do when a computer freezes up. Many computers also provide a reset button that reboots the computer without turning off the power.



• Save: To record work onto a disk for permanent storage. Until work is saved, it exists only in memory and will be lost if the computer is turned off or its power is otherwise interrupted.



• Scanner: A device that translates a graphic image into a computer-readable file. Some scanners are hand-held while others are desktop models.



• Software: See application programs.



• Sound card: An expansion board that increases the sound capabilities of your computer. Used with games, educational software, multimedia CDs, and music applications.



• System Unit: The box on a desktop PC that holds the computer’s workings, including the motherboard and disk drives.



• Touchpad: A pointing device used on many notebook PCs. You move the pointer onscreen by moving your finger over the touchpad.



• Trackball: A device, consisting of a rotating ball embedded in a base, that can be used instead of a mouse.



• Utility: A piece of software designed to manage the computer itself, providing functions such as checking for viruses or backing up a hard disk.



• Virus: Software designed to cause damage to computers or files. Viruses generally enter your computer system via files you receive on floppy disks or over networks.

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