computer terms
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| software you use to do everyday tasks at home and at work | Application software
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| set of software programs that helps run the computer and coordinates instructions between application software and the computer's hard drive | System software
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| group of programs that controls how your computer system functions | operating system
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| small programs that perform many of the general housekeeping tasks for the computer | utility programs
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| example of single-user single-task OS | PDAs or MS-DOS
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| combination of OS and processor | platform
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| open source operating system | Linux
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| computers on a network that manage network resources | Servers
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| multiuser, multitask operating system used primarily with mainframes as a network OS | UNIX
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| OS provides this so you can interact with the computer | user interface
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| enter commands to communicate with the computer system | command-driven interface
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| you choose a command from menus displayed on the screen | menu-driven interface
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| every keystroke, every mouse click, and each signal to the printer and from the CD creates an action or | Event
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| the OS processes the task assigned a higher priority before processing a task that has been assigned a lower priority | preemptive multitasking
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| process of optimizing RAM storage by borrowing hard drive space | virtual memory
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| when more RAM is needed, the operating system swaps out from RAM the data or instructions that have not been recently used and moves them to a temporary storage area on the hard drive called | swap file
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| process of swapping between hard drive and RAM | paging
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| condition of excessive paging | thrashing
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| facilitates the communication between the hardware device and the operating system | device driver
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| the OS includes the blocks of code that software applications need to interact with it, these blocks of code called | application programming interfaces
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| to load the operating system in RAM | boot process
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| program that manages the data between the OS and all the input and output devices attached to the system | basic input/output system (BIOS)
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| the first job BIOS performs is to ensure that essential peripheral devices are attached and operational | power-on self- test (POST)
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| main files of the OS | system files
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| responsible for managing the processor and all other components of the computer system | kernel
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| contains all the different configurations used by the OS and by other applications | registry
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| a feature in the OS that lets you view and change the properties of all devices attached to your computer | device manager
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| first interaction you have with the OS and the first image you see on your monitor | desktop
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| pane on the right side of the desktop that organizes gadgets | sidebar
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| providing organizational structure to the computer's contenents | file management
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| C drive is the top of the filing structure of the computer system and is referred to as | root directory
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| first part of the file | filename
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| these backslash / characters or : are called | path separators
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| utility that cleans unncessary files from your hard drive | Disk cleanup
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| regroups related pieces of files on the hard disk | disk defragmenter
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| utiltiy that checks for lost files and fragments as well as physical errors on your hard drive | error-checking
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| an index of all sector numbers in a table | file allocation table (FAT)
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| allows you to schedule tasks to run automatically at predetermined times, with no interaction necessary on your part | Task Scheduler utility
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| moore's law says that the CPU | capacity will double every 18 months
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| you look at your computer's subsystems, what they do, and how they perform | system evaluation
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| processes instructions, performs calculations, manages the flow of information through a computer system, and is responsible for processing the data you input into information | central processing unit (CPU)
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| coordinates the activities of all the other computer components | control unit
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| The time it takes to fetch and execute a single machine-level instruction by the CPU | machine cycle
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| speed of machine cycles | clock speed
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| 1 billion hertz | gigahertz
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| connects the processor in you computer to the system memory | front side bus
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| percentage of time that your CPU is working is referred to as | CPU usage
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| temporary storage | volatile storage
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| permanent storage of instructions and data | nonvolatile storage
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| small circuit boards that hold a series of RAM chips | memory modules
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| memory that your OS uses | kernel memory
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| when not enough RAM the system becomes sluggish, freezes more often or just shut down as you perform certain task | memory bound
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| when using virtual memory, you OS builds a file called | page file
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| round, thin plates of metal | platters
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| technology that advances sound reproduction beyond traditional stereo sound | 3-D sound cards
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| interface through which external devices are connected to your computer | port
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| used to connect your computer to a local network or cable modem | ethernet port
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| sends data between devices in groups of bits | parallel port
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| transmit data between 2 devices by using infrared light waves | IrDA port
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| two or more computers that are connected via software and hardware so that they can communicate with each other | network
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| devices connected to a network | nodes
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| design of a network | network architecture
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| each node connected to the network can communicate directly with every other node on the network | peer-to-peer (P2P) networks
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| networks in which the nodes are located within a small geographic area | local area networks
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| made up of LANs connected over long distances | Wide area networks
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| all network nodes are connected to each other and to the network by | transmission media
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| normal telephone wire | twisted pair cable
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| single copper wire surronded by layers of plastic, cable cable | coaxial cable
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| maximum speed at which data can be transmitted between 2 nodes on a network | data transfer rate or bandwidth
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| devices connected to or installed in network nodes that enable the nodes to communicate with each other and to access the network | network adapters
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| an expansion card that enables a computer to connect with a network | network interface card (NIC)
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| data is sent over transmission media in bundles called | packets
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| devices on a network such as routers, hubs, and switches that move data signals around the network | network navigation devices
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| handles requests for information, Internet access, and the use of peripherals for the rest of the network nodes | network operating system
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| networks that use the ethernet protocol as the means by which the nodes on the network communicate | Ethernet networks
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| four pairs of wires that are twisted around each other to reduce electrical interference. used on ethernet networks | unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cable
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| a type of UTP cable used in home-wired Ethernet networks | Cat 5E cable
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| devices that combine switches and routers and are specifically designed to connect to DSL or cable modems | DSL/cable routers
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| the 802.11 standard is also known as | Wi-Fi
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| devices that are required for each node on a wireless network for the node to be able to communicate with other nodes on the network | Wireless network adapter
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| device that translates the electronic data that needs to be sent along the network into radio waves | transceiver
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| device that combines the capabilites of a wired router with the ability to receive wireless signals | wireless router
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| device that attaches to a network and provides wireless nodes with a means of wirelessly connecting to the network | wireless access point (WAP)
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| use the existing electrical wiring in your home to connect the nodes in the network | power-line networks
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| allow hackers to take almost complete control of your computer without your knowledge | backdoor programs
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| legitimate users are denied access to a computer system because a hacker is repeatedly making requests of the computer system through a computer he or she has taken over as a zombie | denial of service attack
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| Automated attacks that are launched from more that none zombie at a time | distributed denial of service attack
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| virtual communications gateways or paths that allow a computer to organize requests for information from other networks or computers | logical ports
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| computer program that attaches itself to another computer program and attempts to spread itself to other computers when files are exchanged | virus
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| virus that replicate themselves into Master Boot Record of a hard drive | Boot sector viruses
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| program that executes whenever a computer boots up | Master Boot Record
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| attempt to travel between systems through network connections to spread their infections | worms
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| series of commands, actually mini programs, that are executed without your knowledge | scripts
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| attached to documents that use macros. A macro is a short series of commands that usually automates repitive tasks | macro virsus
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| they run a program that searches for common data files and compresses them into a file using a complex encryption key | encryption viruses
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| portions of virus code that are unique to a particular computer virus | virus signatures
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| involves the antivirus software recording key attributes about files on you computer and keeping these statistics in a safe place on your hard drive | inoculation
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| combination of features | convergence
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| popular operating systems for full-featured cell phones | Symbial OS and Windows Mobile
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| converts your voice's sound saves into digital signals | analog-to-digital converter chip
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| specialized chip included in a cell phone to handle compression work | digital signal processor
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| large communications tower with antennas, amplifiers, and receivers/transmitters | base transceiver station
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| a central location that receives a cell phone requests for service from a base station | mobile switching center
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| allows you to send messages that include text, sound, images, and video clips to other phones or e-mail addresses | Multimedia Message Service (MMS)
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| providers such as Verizon or T-Mobile that offer their subscribers wireless access to the Internet | wireless Internet service provider
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| connectivity plans or text messaging plans in which data charges are separate from cell phone calling charges and are provided at rates different from voice calls | data plans
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| text-based and contains no graphics. used on wireless devices | Wireless markup language
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| type of nonvolatile memory, to store files | flash memory
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| number of times per second the music is measured and converted to a digital value | sampling rate
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| process of users transferring files between computers | peer-to-peer (P2P) sharing
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| small device that allows you to carry digital information | personal digital assistant (PDA)
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| process of making sure the data on two devices is exactly the same | synchronize
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| doesn't require special strokes and can recognize both printed and cursive writing with fairly decent accuracy | Microsoft Transcriber
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| number of operations the processor completes each second | processor speed
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| standard that dictates how handheld devices will access information on the Internet | Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)
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| a number of devices are being released that attempt to combine the functionality of a cell phone, a PMP, and a PDA into one unit | smartphones
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| allows you to connect printers, scanners, full-size monitors, mice, and other peripherals to tablet PC | docking station
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| most powerful mobile computing device | notebooks
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| battery must be completely used up before it is recharged. If not, the battery won't hold as much charge as it orginally did | memory effect
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| category of computer consists of notebooks that weigh 4 pounds or less | ultraportable notebook
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| products that allow you to connect easily with other individuals, often in remote locations, for the purposes of communicating or working together on a project | collaboration tools
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| smaller and transfer data faster than the PC Cards they are replacing | ExpressCards
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| the box that contains the central electronic components of the computer including the CPU, memory, motherboard, and many other circuit boards that help the computer to function | system unit
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| devices inside the computer that can be flipped between these two states: 1 or 0, on or off | electrical switches
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| earliest generation of electronic computers used these as switches | vacuum tubes
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| electrical switches that are built out of layers of a special type of material called a semiconductor | transistors
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| any material that can be controlled to either conduct electricity or act as an insulator | semiconductor
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| very small regions of semiconducter material, such as silicon, that support a huge number of transistors | integrated circuits
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| chips that contain a CPU | microprocessor
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| organized plan for representing a number | number system
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| binary number system used by a computer | base 2 number system
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| represent each letter or character as an 8-bit binary code | American Standard Code for Information Interchange )ASCII)
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| eight binary digits or bits | byte
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| uses 16 bits instead of 8 bits | unicode
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| the "brains" of the computer, executes every instruction given to your computer | CPU
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| the combination of operating system and processor | platform
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| there are two or more processors on the same chip, enabling the execution of 2 sets of instructions at the exact same time | multi-core technology
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| the time it takes to fetch and execute a single machine-level instruction by the CPU | machine cycle
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| special memory storage areas built into the CPU, which are the most expensive, fastest memory in you computer | registers
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| controls when the CPU moves to the next stage of processing | system clock
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| set the pace by which the computer moves from process to process | clock cycle
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| the steady and consonant pace at which a computer goes through machine cycles, measure in hertz | clock speed
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| manages the switches inside the CPU | control unit
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| a block of memory that is built in the CPU chip for the storage of data or commands that have just been used | level 1 cache
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| a block of memory that is located either on the CPU chip or on a separate chip near the CPU. It takes somewhat longer to access than the CPU registers. contains more storage are then level 1 | level 2 cache
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| the CPU checks this area for instructions and data after it looks in Level 1 and Level 2 cache, but before it looks in RAM. | level 3 cache
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| collection of commands a specific CPU can execute | instruction set
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| all the commands in an instruction set are written in a language that is easier for humans to work with | assembly language
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| longs strings of binary code | machine language
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| stages of machine cycle | fetch, decode, execute, store
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| number of bits a computer can work with at time | word size
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| more transistors are used to store a single bit, but no capacitor is needed | static RAM (SRAM)
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| a group of electrical pathways inside a computer that provide communications between various parts of a computer and the CPU and main memory | bus
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| on the motherboard and run between the CPU and the main system memory | local buses
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| expands the capabilities of a computer by enabling a range of different expansion cards to communicate with the motherboard | expansion bus
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| design was specialized to help move three-dimensional graphics quickly | Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP)
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| connect directly to the CPU and support such devices as network cards, sound, and video cards | Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI)
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| technique that allows the CPU to work on more than one instruction at a time | pipelining
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| two completely separate CPU chips on one motherboard | dual processors
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| technology in which two or more processors have been attached to an integrated circuit board for more enchanced computing performance | multi-core processing
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| large network of computers, with each computer working on a portion of the same problem simultaneously | parallel processing
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