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Computer Systems Glossary
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| Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) |
Part of the processor of a computer system which does the calculations and makes decisions. | |
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| Background job | A secondary task or program which runs in a computer system at the same time as an interactive program being run by the user. | |
| Backing storage. | A system for permanently holding data on such media as disk or tape. | |
| Backing storage medium | An object upon which software and data may be held, such as CD-ROM. | |
| Backup | A copy of the program or data made in case the original is lost or destroyed. | |
| Binary | Having only two states, counting using only two digits, 1 and 0 | |
| Bit | A binary digit, either one (1) or zero (0) | |
| Broadband connection | A high speed connection to the internet., for example at least 512 kilobytes/second | |
| Byte | A group of eight bits | |
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| Cable | A medium for the transmission of data including copper wires or optical fibre. | |
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| Capacity of backing storage. | The quantity of data that can held on backing storage medium, such as CD-ROM. | |
| Capital costs | The cost of buying or setting up a computerised system. Also called initial costs. | |
| CD - Rewritable (CD-RW) | A CD which can be written to and erased over and over again. | |
| CD - Recordable (CD-R) | A CD which can be written to until its full. | |
| CD-ROM | Compact Disk Read Only Memory. An optical disk which can hold 600 or 700 Mb of data. | |
| Central Processing Unit (CPU) | The part of a computer which processes the information. | |
| Character Set | A list of all characters, symbols and numbers produced by the keyboard. | |
| Chip | A small piece of silicon used to make an integrated circuit. | |
| Circuit Board | A thin board on which chips and other components are fixed together. | |
| Client and server network | A method of network organisation in which network stations or clients make use of resources available on one or more servers. | |
| Compiler | A translator program which is part of the systems software of a computer. A compiler translates a high level language into machine code in a single operation. | |
| Control Language | A special language for controlling devices like a robot or robot arm. | |
| Control Unit | Part of the processor which controls the running of a program. | |
| Corrupt | To damage a file, so that it cannot be read. This is why you should keep a backup copy. | |
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| Data | A general term used for numbers, characters, symbols, graphics and sound which are accepted and processed by a computer system. | |
| Data glove | An input device used in virtual reality. | |
| Dedicated | A computer or machine that can only perform one particular task. | |
| Desktop computer | A microcomputer consisting of a processor, keyboard, mouse and monitor which is normally operated sitting at a desk. | |
| Device | A single item of computer hardware. | |
| Device drivers. | A program which is an add-on to the operating system in a computer to allow the the computer to operate a particular device attached to it. | |
| Dial-up connection | A method of connecting to the internet using a modem and a telephone line. | |
| Digital | A signal which changes in steps and not continuously like an analogue signal. | |
| Digital still camera | A digital camera mainly used for taking still photographs. | |
| Digital to analogue converter | Equipment which can accept a digital binary signal and change it into an analogue signal. | |
| Digital video camera | A digital camera mainly used for taking movies. | |
| Digitise | Converting an analogue signal into a digital one. Digitising a picture with a scanner or digital camera breaks it into dots or pixels and each dot is given a digital value for brightness and colour. | |
| Digital Video Disk (DVD) | An optical storage medium, similar to CD-ROM which can hold video (TV programmes or films) | |
| DVD-Recordable (DVD-R) | DVD-R is a write one medium. DVD-R operates in a similar manner to CD-R with recordable disks containing a layer of dye. | |
| DVD-Rewritable (DVD-RW) | DVD-Rewritable is similar to DVD-R, but can be written to and erased many times over. | |
| DVD-ROM | An optical storage medium, similar to CD-ROM, but with a much higher backing storage capacity, which can hold video data. | |
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| Embedded systems | An embedded systems is a tiny computer inside another, larger piece of equipment, like a washing machine, a car or mobile phone. | |
| Error reporting | A message from the operating system of a computer to the user to let them know if an error has occurred. | |
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| Facsimile (fax) machine | A machine that scans a document and changes it into a signal that can be sent along a telephone line. The document is printed on another fax machine somewhere else. | |
| Facsimile (fax) modem | A modem that can send messages to a fax machine on another computer with a fax modem. | |
| File | Information held on backing storage or in memory. | |
| File management | A part of the operating system. The filing system deals with how files are held on backing storage. It controls the processes involved in saving or loading a particular file from disk. | |
| File server | A computer on a local area network which holds files which can be accessed by users. | |
| Floppy disk | A plastic disk coated with magnetic material used as a backing storage medium. | |
| Folder | An area on backing storage where files may be stored. (also called a directory on some systems) | |
| Formatting (a disk) | Laying down tracks and sectors on a disk. Also called initialising. | |
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| Gigabyte (Gb) | One thousand and twenty four Megabytes (1024*1024*1024 bytes) | |
| GIGO | Garbage In Garbage Out - if a mistake is made with an input to the computer system, the output will also have mistakes in it. | |
| Graphics Card | A graphics card is a device which controls the quality of the output on the monitor. | |
| Graphics tablet | An input device which allows free drawing using a hand held pointer on a board. | |
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| Handwriting Recognition | A system for entering data which involves writing on a touch sensitive screen using a pen or stylus. | |
| Hard Copy | A printed copy of your work, usually on paper. | |
| Hardware | The physical parts or devices that make up a computer system. | |
| Headset | An output device used in virtual reality. | |
| Hierarchical filing system. | A filing system that has multiple directories. | |
| High level instructions | Instructions written in a high level language. | |
| High level language | A computer language with instructions written in normal or everyday language. | |
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| Initial costs | The costs of buying and setting up a computerised system. Also called capital costs. | |
| Inkjet printer | A printer which forms images using dots produced by tiny jets of ink. | |
| Input device | A device which allows data to be entered, like a keyboard or a mouse. | |
| Interactive processing | A way of using a computer in which the operator's instructions are processed continuously, like a conversations. | |
| Interactive system | A system which carries out interactive processing. | |
| Interface | Part of a computer system that allows different devices to communicate with the processor by compensating for their difference in operation. | |
| Internet ready computer. | a computer system with an internal modem and suitable communications software such as a browser and an e-mail program. | |
| Interpreter | A translator program which is parts of the systems software of a computer. An interpreter changes a high level language into machine code one instruction at a time. | |
| IPO | Input, Process, Output. | |
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| Joystick | An input device consisting of a handle and one or more buttons usually used for controlling a game. | |
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| Keyboard | An input device consisting of a set of buttons or keys marked with characters. | |
| Kilobyte (Kb) | One thousand and twenty four bytes (1024 bytes) | |
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| Laptop computer | A portable computer which folds and has an LCD screen and keyboard in a single unit. It is powered from batteries and may be operated while traveling. | |
| Laser printer | A type of printer which produces a high quality image of both text and graphics. | |
| Light pen | An input device which is used scan bar codes or to input data to a screen. | |
| Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) | A type of flat screen display which is used in calculators because of its low power consumption and light weight. | |
| Local Area Network (LAN). | A network confined to a single room or building. | |
| Loudspeakers | Output devices which allow sound to be produced. | |
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| Machine code | The processor's own language made up of binary number (0 or 1 only) | |
| Main memory | The memory in a computer system linked to the processor. | |
| Main memory size. | The number of storage locations available in a computer system. | |
| Mainframe computer | A computer system that can process a very large amount of data at high speed. | |
| Medium | An object upon which software or data may be held, such as a CD-ROM. | |
| Megabyte (Mb0 | One thousand and twenty four kilobytes (1024 Kb) | |
| Memory Management | Part of the operating systems software which control where programs and data re placed in the main memory of the computer. | |
| Microphone | An input device which allows sound to be entered into a computer system. | |
| Microprocessor | The processor of a microcomputer. | |
| Modem | A device used to connect a computer system to a telephone line. Modem is short for MODulator DEModulator | |
| Monitor | A monitor is an output device which accepts a video signal directly from the computer. | |
| Mouse | An input device used to control a pointer on the screen. May also have one or more buttons. | |
| Multi-access | More than one person using a mainframe computer system at the same time. | |
| Multiprogramming | More than one program running on a computer system at once. | |
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| Network | Two or more computers joined together so that data can be transferred between them. | |
| Network interface card | A device that allows a computer system to be connected to a local area network. | |
| Notebook computer | A portable computer which folds and has an LCD screen and keyboard in a single unit. It is powered by batteries and may be operated while traveling. | |
| Number | Data consisting of numbers which may have fractions or a decimal point. | |
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| Off line | Not connected to a remote computer system or a network. | |
| On line | Connected to a remote computer system or network. | |
| Operating System | Programs which control the operations of a computer system. Part of the systems software. | |
| Optical storage | A form of non-magnetic storage e.g. CD-ROM, which uses tiny holes called pits. | |
| Output device | A device which displays data from a computer system such as a monitor or printer. | |
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| Palmtop | A hand held computer. A palm top computer has an LCD screen but may not have a keyboard. A pen is used for input onto the screen. | |
| Paper, screen | Forms of data output. | |
| Password | A secret code that you use to gain access to private information on a computer system or log into a network. | |
| Peripheral | Any device that may be attached to a computer system for input, output or backing storage. | |
| Photographic | A type of data produced by a digital still camera. A bit mapped graphic image. | |
| Pixel | Stands for PIcture ELement | |
| Plotter | An output device which draws on paper using pens. Mainly used for CAD. | |
| Portability of software | When programs written on one or more computer system may be used on different computer systems with little alteration. | |
| Printer | An output device which produces hard copy usually on paper. Examples are Ink jet and laser. | |
| Printer driver | A program which takes the codes in a document and translates them into codes for the printer in use. A type of device driver. | |
| Processor | The part of a computer which carries out the process. | |
| Program | A list of instructions which tells the processor what to do. | |
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| Random Access Memory (RAM) | A set of microchips which stores data temporarily. The data is lost when the computer is switched off. | |
| Random/direct access | Being able to locate a data item straight away, wherever it is stored on disk or in the main memory. | |
| Read Only Memory (ROM) | One or more microchips that stores data permanently The data is NOT lost when the computer is switched off. | |
| Registers | Memory locations inside a processor. | |
| Resolution (dpi) | The amount of detail which can be shown on the screen (or hard copy) - measured in dots per inch. | |
| Resource Allocation | When the operating system allows a program to have access to a particular piece of hardware. | |
| Rewritable optical disk | A type of non-magnetic storage such as a CD-RW | |
| ROM and RAM | Two main types of main memory in a computer system. | |
| Running costs | The cost of using a computer system - includes electricity, paper, ink, toner, maintenance. | |
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| Scanner | An input device which allows printed text or graphics to be displayed on the screen. May be used with OCR software. | |
| Screen | The screen is part of a monitor or VDU, which displays output. | |
| Security | Passwords, Encryption, Physical - Methods of making sure data is kept private and only authorised people can see the data. | |
| Simulation | A computer program used to model a real life situation | |
| Smart card | A smart card has its own processor, and is able to store much more information than fits on a magnetic stripe. | |
| Software | The programs that the hardware of the computer runs. | |
| Software upgrade. | Obtaining a more recent version of software, by downloading or installing from disk. | |
| Sound card - Input | In order to input sound into a computer, the sound has to be changed from analogue to digital. The sound card carries out the analogue to digital conversion in a process called sampling. | |
| Sound card - Output | To output sound from a computer, the sound must be changed from digital to analogue. The sound card carries out the digital to analogue conversion | |
| Specialised input device | An input device which is adapted for a particular purpose, such as use by a disabled person or virtual reality. | |
| Specialised output device | An output device which is adapted for a particular purpose, such as use by a disabled person or for virtual reality. | |
| Speed (ppm) | The rate at which a printer can print, measured in pages per minute (ppm). | |
| Storage location | A place in the computer's memory where an item of data may be held. | |
| Stored program | A set of instructions which is held in the computer's memory. | |
| System | A computer system | |
| System error | A mistake in the computer's operating system program which may stop the computer working. | |
| Systems software | A set of programs which controls the the operation of a computer system | |
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| Tablet PC | A flat computer with a large touch sensitive LCD screen as the main input device. It is powered by batteries and may be used while traveling. | |
| Terabyte (Tb) | One thousand and twenty four Gigabytes. | |
| Terminal | A piece of hardware consisting of a keyboard and a screen. A 'dumb' terminal does not have a processor. | |
| Thin Film Transistor (TFT) | A type of liquid crystal display screen used for high quality output. | |
| Touch sensitive screen | A screen with sensitive areas on it. The user presses particular areas to input into the computer, such as a palmtop | |
| Trackball | An input device with a ball which is turned by hand, moving a cursor around a screen. Works like an upside down mouse. | |
| Tackpad | A flat touch sensitive area used instead of a mouse to control a pointer. | |
| Translation | Changing a program from one computer language unto another, usually from a high level language into machine code. | |
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| Update | For example adding new data to a file. | |
| USB flash drive | A solid state storage device made up of flash ROM. It connects to the computer via the USB interface. | |
| Utility | A program which helps you perform a task such as delete a file, format a disk etc. | |
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| Video | A type of data - movies. | |
| Virtual reality | Reproducing the outside world digitally within a computer system and displaying it to the user in such a way that allows them to interact with it. Users may use data gloves and a headset. | |
| Visual Display Unit (VDU) | An output device consisting of a monitor and a keyboard. May be used as a terminal. | |
| Voice output | Speech produced by a computer system, usually by special software and a loud speaker. | |
| Voice Recognition | Software which can recognise speech input by the user through a microphone. | |
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| Web cam | Is a small digital camera, which is attached to a computer to capture images which can be transmitted across a network. Web cams make applications like video conferencing possible. | |
| Wide Area Network (WAN) | A network which covers a large geographical area like a country. | |
| Wireless | A methods or way of transmitting data without using a physical connection e.g. radio waves or infra red. | |
| Word | The number of bits a computer can process in a single operation. | |
| WYSIWYG | Stands for 'What You See IS What You Get' . When what you see on the screen is exactly the same as the way it is printed, | |
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