Monday, May 12, 2008

Systems Vocab.

Mainframes- perform multiple tasks for many users

Supercomputers- processing trillions of calculations per second

Minicomputers- smaller multiuser systems

Professional Workstation- meets the needs of users requiring more computing power than a personal computer

IBM and IBM-Compatible Computers- personal computers

Apple Computers- personal computer

Hardware- encompasses all the physical components of a computer system

System Unit- case that houses the computer's internal processing circuitry

Motherboard- main circuit board

Central Processing Unit (CPU)- responsible for performing all of the artithmetic and logical instructions that the computer can do

Read-Only Memory (ROM)- information can be used by the computer at any time even when it is turned off

Random Access Memory (RAM)- data stored temporarily, data is erased when power is turned off

Expansion Slots- connections that let you install expansion boards

Input Devices- external to the system unit and are attached to it using specific connectors and ports

Output Devices- shows results of the computer's processing

Hard Drive- the storage device at the heart of most computer system

Flash Memory- Megabytes of data on small, thin, rectangular cards using a type of chip

Operating System- (OS)- the software program that oversees and controls everything that happens while your computer is turned on

User Interface- the weay in which the user interacts with the computer

System Software- pragrams that help operate and maintain your computer's data management tasks

Platform- the combination of a specific type of a computer system and specific version of operating system

Syntax- things used to communicate with the computer by using the computer

Graphical User Interface (GUI)- lets users point and click on recognizable, intuitive, and consistent objects, eliminating the need to memorize complex commands

Linux- a powerful operating system for PCs based on Unix

Utility Programs- the other part of the system software, performs "behind the scenes".

Friday, April 18, 2008