| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Hardware | The physical parts of an computer |
| Software | The programs and applications which run on the computer |
| VDU | Another word for monitor or screen (Visual Display Unit) |
| Optical media | Disks such as CDs and DVDs which are read by a laser |
| Magnetic media | Hardware such as floppy disks and backup tapes |
| Base unit | The 'box' of the the PC which holds the internal components |
| Consumables | Resources such as toner, ink, paper which get used up |
| Mainframe | A large very large scale computer |
| RAM | The main memory of the computer. Data saved here will be lost when it is switched off (Random Access Memory) |
| ROM | Permanent memory of the computer which cannot be altered stores the basic information the computer needs (Read Only Memory) |
| Operating System | The software which allows the computer to run, load other programs, manage files etc. (e.g. Windows) |
| Processor | The 'brain' of the computer (CPU) |
| CPU | Central Processing unit - the 'brain' of the computer |
| The processing cycle | input-process-output-storage |
| System tools | Small built in applications to help manage the PC. (e.g. disk defragmenter, scheduler) |
| Defragmentation | When files get moved and deleted they can end up "spread out" over the hard drive. You can recover the wasted space by moving them all back together |
| Subfolder | A folder inside another folder |
| Directory | Another word for folder |
| Ergonomics | The study of safe and comfortable working environments |
Combine with other sets
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