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Basic Computer Terms

Defined

Algorithm - a programming technique for gaining a desired result by manipulating data.

AGP - Accelerated Graphics Port: Allows for acceleration of 3D computer graphics, this means that the graphics are read from the system ram (memory) by the adapter instead of being processed through the system processor. Thus speeding up the display of 3D graphics.

BIG -Built In Garage. When the "Clone" revolution was at it's peek some computer companies were housed in the owners garage. A lot of the sole proprietorship companies (i.e. startup companies) start in garages or spare bedrooms. BIG Computers.

BIOS - Basic Input Output System the underling program that controls the input and output of the physical devices connected to the computer. A embedded program that can not be changed.

Binary - Base two digit numbering system. ( two digits zero and one, off or on, true or false, Computers use the binary system to manipulate data).

Bit - Basic building block of the computer, one binary digit, one storage location, can only be zero or one.

Boot - The process of starting up the computer, loading the BIOS, the POST process, and starting the OS.

Byte - Eight bits, binary number of bits that are the building blocks of programming for computers. Most computer components are measured in Bytes, some confuse the measurement with Bits. Such measurements reduce the measurement by a factor of EIGHT. Kilobyte. Megabyte, Gigabyte.

Clone - Computers that had the IBM PC style case and a compatible main board and were cheaper than the IBM PC by thousands of dollars.

CD-ROM- Compact Disk -Read Only Memory, CD's became available for music in the 1980's, early in the 1990's CD ROM Drives became available forth computer market. Writeable CD's with the correct format can be used in Audio CD players, or you can store up to 800 meg of data on one disk. Also comes in Re-Writeable format.

CD-R- Compact Disc Recordable

CD-RW- Compact Disc Re-Writable

CPU - Central Processing Unit or processor - see processor

Defragmentation - The process of taking all the parts of a file and writing them to contagious blocks or sectors of a hard drive.

DIMM - Dual Inline Memory Module, 168 or 184 pin memory module

DDR - Double Data Rate, 240 pin memory Module

Disk - There are three types of disks, Floppy, Hard, and CD ROM.

DVD - Digital Versatile Disc, same format and size as the CD-ROM with a higher capacity. Writeable DVD's created on a computer have the capacity to be used in regular DVD players. Data storage on DVD's can be either 4.7 Gig or 8.4 Gig with the Dual Layer DVD.

DVD-R - Digital Versatile Disc Recordable.

DVD-RW - Digital Versatile Disc Re-Writable

Decimal - Base 10 numeric system, how humans count.

EPROM or EEPROM - Electronically Programmable Read Only Memory. Some devices have a read-Only Memory chip for programming the functions of the device. This memory is non-volatile, it can not be erased. EPROM's are chips that can be erased and reprogrammed. EEPROM's can be erased electronically, you system bios is a EEPROM for example.

ESD - Electro Magnetic Discharge, static electricity that builds up naturally by movement. Has catastrophic effects on electronic components when discharged. Grounding will dissipate the static electric with out damage to components.

Encryption - A process that will scramble a word, document, or program. Making it unreadable by normal processes, such as a word processor or text editor. Encrypting takes a special program that uses two 'keys' created by the person requiring the encryption. The 'keys' are called a 'public key' and a 'private key' the strength of the encrypted file or word depends on how 'strong' the algorithm is that creates the 'key pair'. Once the object. file, word, or program) is encrypted it can only be decrypted by with the key pair in unison.

F

Floppy Disk - A non-ridged disk made out of very thin Mylar, the term floppy camefrom the disks in the early 1970's, these disks were 8 inch in a thin plastic sleeve, when you picked up one it had a tendency to bend, or flop around. Newer disks come in a more ridged plastic case but are still bendable to a certain degree before they break.

Format - Process of setting up a volume to store data, a raw partition needs markers placed on the physical hard drive platters for programs to store data.

Fragmentation - Fragmentation is defined as the fragmenting of a file when it is written to a device. This happens on hard drives when the capacity of the drive does not accommodate the complete file in contiguous (one after another) blocks.

G

Gig - One billion. (close enough for us, unless you are interested in converting Hexadecimal to Decimal)

Gigabyte- 1,024 megabytes or 1,048,576 kilobytes

GHz - Gig Hertz the frequency of the clock speed measured in Gigs (hexadecimal)

GPU- Graphics Processing unit. This is the chip that allows you to run better displays with a smother look

H

Hard Drive- HDD -Term coined back in the 1980's by IBM when they introduced the first drive that did not have removable media (i.e. a floppy disk). The reason for the name was the original R&D of the device was code named "Winchester" to throw off the competition. The platters are ridged and made out of aluminum with a thin coating of iron metal oxide.

Hertz - The time it takes a certain type of sine ware to complete 360 degrees in electronic components.

Hex - Base 16 numeric system (Humans use a base ten numeric system to count, computers use binary to code for programs, it is easier to code if it is converted from binary to hex).

IDE Integrated Drive Electronics. The integration of electronics inside the body of the drive allows for more control over the capacity of the drive. Before IDE all controls were on the outside of the drive, thus limiting the capacity of the format of the platter. When the electronics were moved to circuit boards inside the drive the capacity has increased by a million fold, soon more than a billion fold.

J

Jazz Drive - A small high capacity storage device that uses Mylar film disk in a hard case. Capacity ranges from 2 meg to 2 gig.

K

Kilo - One thousand, (Kilobyte, actually 1024 if converted from Hex or binary to decimal)

Kilobyte- 1,024 bytes

KB/S - Kilo Bytes per Second, how fast data is transferred in kilobytes. Or Kilo Bits Per Second (multiply by 8 to get Kilo Bytes per Second).

Memory - Two types of memory - non -volatile - read only, or volatile -changeable. Non volatile is a type of write once, once it is written it can not be changed, like a CD or DVD. Volatile memory is memory that can be changed, you write to it, change your mind and erase it, then write to it again. Your Computer ram is writeable memory.

Modem - A device that communicates with another device across a long distance. Dial up modems connect to a phone line, this is a analog signal, themodem converts a digital signal from the computer to analog to send the data and back to digital when it receives data. (Modem transfer speed is measured in KBS).

MB/S - Data transfer speed, Mega Bytes per Second. (Network transfer speed is measured in MBS).

Megabyte- 1,024 kilobytes or 1,048,576 bytes

N

Non-Volatile - Something that can not be changed with out destroying it.

O

OS - Operating System, high level program that controls the computer, allows for input and output.

Over clocking - A process of making a chip (memory or processor) perform beyond the manufactures specifications from when the device was made. Say you have a processor that is rated at 800 MHz you if change this to 850 MHz the computer may run faster. Over clocking the memory or processor can lead to damage of the component or the main board or both. Not Recommended.

P

Partition - Before a raw hard drive can be formatted it has to have physical pointers applied to the hard drive physical disk platters, these are the starting and ending points for the format program to its job.

PCB -Printed Circuit Board - A multi layered sheet of fiberglass with copper traces (flat thin copper wires) embedded between the layers. All electronic devices have a PCB to mount and connect the individual components.

Port - A term used for any opening that the computer can use to communicate with a external device, program, or data. Computers have connections for external devices, these connections are called ports.

POST - Power On Self Test - Most computer manufactures provide a way to test the computer when it is powered up, checking components for malfunctions, this program is built into a program called BIOS.

Processor - Or CPU - The brains of the outfit. This small thin silicon wafer has millions of transistors embedded in it. Each transistor has two power states, off and on, the state represents a number, one ( 1 ) is on and zero ( 0 ) is off. The state of this transistor is called a bit, this bit to humans is represented as data. The processor processes the 1's and 0's and the result is displayed on your video screen. There is a lot more to it than this but it will fill two large volumes of printed books.

Q

Quad - Four, as in Core 2 Quad, this is a four processor PCB that installs into one socket on the motherboard giving the motherboard four processor capability.

R

Ram - Physical Random Access Memory. Ram is a silicon chip that is electronically charged and discharged to retain data.

S

Storage- Physical devices that retain data when power is removed from the device.

SVGA - Super Video Graphics Adapter:: The VGA adapter allowed for memory and a processor to be incorporated on the card. The resolution went from thousands of colors to millions of colors.

U

USB - Universal Serial Bus. USB is used for connecting external devices to your computer, it is an upgrade to the serial bus specification allowing for more than one device to connect to the bus at one time..

USB 2.0 - Same as above only at a higher data transfer rate

V

VGA - Video Graphics Adapter: The first video adapters were mono chrome and didnot display graphics, characters only. Then came the CGA, Color Graphics Adapter. This adapter displayed 16 colors then 256 colors. The VGA adapter allowed for memory and a processor to be incorporated on the card. The resolution went from 256 colors to thousand of colors over night.

Virtual - In the computing world virtual means emulation, there are numerous virtual devices, CD or DVD Drives, Network connections, even computers. These software programs emulate the device making them easier, faster, and cheaper to use.

W

Winchester: The first hard drives were called Winchesters, this was the code name for the development of the small hard drive for PC's by IBM. (Small is relative, the original IBM hard drive was 5 1/4 inches wide, 7 inches long, and 3 inches high and weighed approximately 9 pounds!)

WWW- World Wide Web. a international network that allows connectivity to anything in the world that you are looking for

Z

Zip - A file compression algorithm.