Computer terms

We take about terms in :

1) Operating System (OS)

2) Bios

3) Processor / CPU

4) Hard drive (HD)

5) Motherboard

6) RAM

7) Hardware

8) Software

9) Modem

10) Driver

11) Graphics card / Video card

12) Smart drives / Flash drives

Operating System (OS)	An Operating System (OS) is a software program that enables the computer hardware to communicate and operate with the computer software. Your computer would be useless if it didn't have an operating system. Different OS's: Windows '98 (is almost obsolete, but some people still like them) Windows ME Windows 2000 Windows XP Home Windows XP professional Windows XP Media Editon
Bios	Basic Input/Output System The BIOS controls how your hardware and your operating system communicate. Maybe you noticed that your BIOS screen has different commands like "Hit DEL to run Setup". WARNING! If you don't know much about computers DON'T make any changes to your BIOS settings. Leave that to the technicians. Believe me - I DO!
Processor / CPU	Central Processing Unit The processor is the brain of the computer. Unlike the human brain, it doesn't "think, feel and reason" like we do, but it processes data.
Hard drive (HD)	Your storage device. The bigger your HD is the more room you have for storing data. The size normally vary from a few GIG to hundreds of GIG. Look at the HD as a huge box or a basement you can store data in. In order to find specific files again, it's neccesary to divide your box/basement into sections - your drives, folders and sub folders. You can find more details on how you organize your files and folder by clicking the navigation tab "Organizing Files"
Motherboard	The motherboad is the main circuit of your computer. This is where all your hardware - your CPU, your hard drive(s), RAM and all other hardware, is plugged into. The motherboard allows all your hardware to function together.
RAM	Ramdom Access Memory
Hardware	All the visible and touchable parts of your computer - monitor, keyboard, cards, printer, scanner, cables etc, drives etc.
Software	Programs (applications) that you can Install on your computer Describtion from the Dictionary: The programs, routines, and symbolic languages that control the functioning of the hardware and direct its operation. Youcan divide the software into two catagories: Software related to your operating system and utility software.
Modem	A device that connects the computer to a phone line. A modem allows a computer to talk to other computers through the phone system. You coukd say that modems do for computers what a telephone does for humans.
ISDN	Or Integrated Services Digital Network
(A)DSL	Or Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line
NIC	Network Interface card - also called a Network Adapter is the piece of hardware you need to be able to connect to a network or another computer
Network	A network is a number of computers linked together. A network allows these computer to share data and hardware such as printers, internet connections and programs
Graphics card / Video card	The plug-in card in a computer that creates the electronic signals required by the monitor. It determines the maximum resolution, refresh rate and number of colors that can be displayed, which the monitor must also be able to support.
Sound Card	Also called a "sound board" or "audio adapter," it is a plug-in card that records and plays back sound. Supporting both digital audio and MIDI, sound cards provide an input port for a microphone or other sound source and output ports to speakers and amplifiers. Sound circuits are typically built into the chipset on the motherboard, but can be disabled if a separate sound card is installed.
Driver	A driver is the software needed to run a hardware device, such as a printer, sound card, monitor, or scanner. New computers usually come with all the drivers already installed. But if you buy a new printer later or upgrade you video card, you will have to install the driver for it from the manufacturer.
Bytes – kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes	The primary specifications of hardware are rated in bytes; for example, an 80-gigabyte (80GB) disk holds 80 billion characters of software and data. A 256-megabyte (256MB) memory allows 256 million characters of instructions and data to be held internally for processing.
USB	(Universal Serial Bus) A widely used hardware interface for attaching devices to the computer. USB ports began to appear on PCs in 1997, and Windows 98 was the first Windows to support it natively. Within a few years, USB became popular for connecting almost every external peripheral device. Replacing the serial and parallel ports on a PC. Usually todays computer comes with at least four USB ports.
Port	A pathway into and out of the computer or a network device such as a hub, switch or router. There are numerous ports on the back of every desktop computer for hooking up the keyboard, mouse, modem, printer and network. Laptops have many ports as well, because external monitors, keyboards and mice are generally supported. On network devices, the ports are for communications, typically connecting Ethernet cables or telephone lines.
Smart drives / Flash drives	Small handy storage devices used for transferring files from one computer to another. The sizes (or storage capability) varies from 64 MB to a GIG. You attach them to your computer through a USB port.