Address Bus

The connections between the CPU and memory which carry the address from/to which the CPU wishes to read or write. The number of bits of address bus determines the maximum size of memory, which the processor can access.

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ALU

The part of the central processing unit which performs operations such as addition, subtraction and multiplication of integers and bit-wise AND, OR, NOT, XOR and other Boolean operations. The CPU's instruction decode logic determines which particular operation the ALU should perform, the source of the operands and the destination of the result.

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Application Software

Programs that help people accomplish specific tasks.

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ASCII Code

American Standard Code for Information Interchange -- Standard code which numbers stand for a specific letter/number

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Bandwidth

The amount of data that can be passed along a communications channel in a given period of time.

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Binary Code

Computer function in base 2. Can only be done in an on and off switch language. 0 stands for "off" & 1 stands for "on".

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Bit

One "switch" from the binary code is a bit.

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Bus

Path between components of a computer.

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Byte

A byte is eight bits added up.

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Cache Memory

Stored information for faster retrieval instead of retrieving the information the long way.

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CPU

Central Processing Unit -- Refers to the computer's processing hardware, whether it consists of a single chip or several circuit boards.

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Chassis

The framework to which the components of a radio, television, or other electronic equipment are attached.

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Chip

An integrated circuit that is a thin piece of silicon that contains all the components of an electric circuit.

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Chipset

A collection of integrated circuits that are designed to be used together for some specific purpose. An example is to control circuitry in a personal computer.

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Circuit Board

A rigid rectangular card containing the circuitry that connects the processor to the other hardware.

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Clock Speed

The fundamental rate in "cycles per second" at which a computer performs its most basic operations such as adding two numbers or transfering a value from one register to another.

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Compact Disk

Widely known as CD. It is identical to audio CDs that can store about 450 times as much information as a diskette. Most common CD can hold 700MB of data.

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Computer

A device that computes. More commonly, a programmable electronic machine that performs high-speed mathematical or logical operations or that assembles, stores, correlates, or otherwise processes information.

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Connector Head

The direct piece that connects the external device from the wire to the computer.

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Control Bus

The physical connections that carry control information between the CPU and other devices within the computer.

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Control Unit

The part of the CPU responsible for performing the machine cycle - fetch, decode, execute, store.

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Data

Raw facts that the computer can manipulate.

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Data Bus

A collection of wires through which data is transmitted from one part of a computer to another.

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Disk Drive

A device that holds a disk.

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Driver

A program that determines how a computer will communicate with a peripheral device.

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DVD

Digital Versatile Disk -- Same size as a compact disk, but can store much more information.

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EBCDIC

Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code -- A standard code that uses 8 bits to represent each of up to 256 alphanumeric characters.

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Expansion Slot

A connector designed to allow the addition of other circuit boards to the motherboard.

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Floppy Disk

A reusable magnetic disk that uses a thin mylar circular disk as the storage surface. Most commonly found to hold a maximum of 1.35MB.

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Hard Disk

A non-removable magnetic disk on which you can store computer data. Can hold anywhere from a few MB to a few GB.

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Hardware

Any part of the computer you can touch such as the keyboard, or the monitor.

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Input Device

Accepts data and instructions from the user. Examples are the keyboard, trackball, mouse, joysticks, scanners, digital cameras, microphones.

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Instruction Set

The collection of machine language instructions, that only a particular processor understands.

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Internal Bus

Takes information and distributes it to all main components of a computer.

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Internal Clock

A processor's clock or one cycle thereof. The relative execution times of instructions on the computer are usually measured by number of clock cycles rather than seconds. One good reason for this is that clock rates for various models of the computer may increase as technology improves, and it is usually the relative times one is interested in when discussing the instruction set.

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Keyboard

A hardware device consisting of a number of mechanical buttons (keys) which the user presses to input characters to a computer. This device is known as an input device.

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Magnetic Disk

A round, flat object that spins around its center which data is encoded into as microscopic magnetized needles on the surface. You can record and erase data on the magnetic disk any number of times, just as you can with a cassette tape.

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Mainframe

A large powerful computer, often serving as the center-point of many connected terminals and usually used by large complex organizations.

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Memory

A place to store information, generally two different types. They are RAM and ROM.

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Microprocessor

The “brain” of the computer, the part that organizes and carries out instructions that come from either the user or the software.

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Mini Computer

Commonly a computer built between about 1963 and 1987. It is smaller and less powerful than a mainframe, and typically about the size and shape of a wardrobe, mounted in a single tall rack.

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Motherboard

The main circuit board of the computers housing the microprocessor and provides the means of connecting all components that make up the computer.

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Mouse

The mouse is a device used to manipulate an on-screen pointer that's normally shaped like an arrow. With the mouse in hand, the computer user can select, move, and change items on the screen. This device is known as an input device.

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Operating System Software

Tells the computer how to use its own component. Examples of some are Linux, Mac OS, or most commonly used, Microsoft Windows.

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Output Device

Return processed data back to the user. Examples of these are monitors, and printers.

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Personal Computer

A small, relatively inexpensive computer designed for an individual user. They usually range anywhere from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. All are based on the microprocessor technology that enables manufacturers to put an entire CPU on one chip. Businesses use personal computers for word processing, accounting, desktop publishing, and for running spreadsheet and database management applications. At home, the most popular use for personal computers is for playing games or accessing the internet.

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Printer

A device that prints text or graphics on paper. This device is known as an output device.

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RAM

Random Access Memory -- Temporary storage that form the computer's primary workspace; contents are lost if the power is disrupted.

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ROM

Read Only Memory -- Storage memory chips that are able to maintain their contents if the power is disrupted.

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Software

Sets of electronic instructions that tell the hardware what to do.

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Sound Card

A plug-in optional circuit card for a computer. It provides high-quality stereo sound through speakers. This device is known as an output device.

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Storage

A device which holds data.

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Super Computer

A mainframe computer that is among the largest, fastest, or most powerful of those available at a given time.

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System Case

The computer tower’s casing. It contains the floppy disk drive, cd-rom drive, motherboard and other essential components.

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Transistors

Several million tiny electronic switches.

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