Computer Hardware and Networking Terms List

1. Computer Hardware and Networking Terms List By: Christian Lawrence

2. Operating Systems • Operating System is an interface between software and hardware

3. CPU • A CPU is an electronic circuit that executes programs

4. RAM • RAM is a form of storage for computers

5. Hard Disk • A hard drive is a device that stores digitally encoded data on rapidly spinning platters with magnetic surfaces.

6. Serial cable • A serial cable is a cable that can transfer information between two devices using serial communication • Maximum transfer rate of 115 Kbps

7. Parallel Cable • A parallel cable sends several data signals simultaneously over several parallel channels • Maximum transfer rate is 150kbps

8. SCIS • SCIS is a set of standards for physically connecting and transferring data between computers and devices.

9. USB • USB is intended to replace many varieties of serial and parallel ports.

10. FireWire • FireWire is is a serial bus interface standard for high-speed communications and isochronous real-time data transfer. • 400 Mb/s

11. Ethernet • Ethernet is a family of frame-based computer networking technologies for local area networks (LANs).

12. Monitor • A monitor displays images generated by devices such as computers, without producing a permanent record. • CRT and LCD

13. Keyboard • A keyboard uses an arrangement of buttons or keys, to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches.

14. Mouse • A mouse is a pointing device that functions by detecting two-dimensional motion relative to its supporting surface. 

15. Drawing Tablet • A drawing tablet is a computer input device that allows one to hand-draw images and graphics, similar to the way one draws images with a pencil and paper.

16. Scanner • A scanner is a device that optically scans images, printed text, handwriting, or an object, and converts it to a digital image. 

17. Digital Camera • A digital camera takes video or still photographs, or both, digitally by recording images via an electronic image sensor.

18. Postscript • PostScript (PS) is a dynamically typed programming languagebest known for its use as a page description language in the electronic and desktop publishing areas

19. Inkjet printer • Inkjet printers operate by propelling variably-sized droplets of liquid or molten material (ink) onto almost any sized page.

20. Laser Printer • A printer rapidly produces high quality text and graphics on plain paper.

21. Imagesetter • An imagesetter is an ultra-high resolution large-format computer output device

22. Zip Disk • The Zip drive is a medium-capacity removable disk storage system .

23. Jaz disk • The Jaz drive was a removable disk storage system. • 250 MB

24. CD • A CD is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible. • 700 MB

25. DVD • DVD s an optical disc storage media format. • 4.7 GB

26. Removable Drive • A removable disk is storage media which is designed to be removed from the computer without powering the computer off.

27. Network • A computer network is a group of interconnected computers.

28. LAN • A local area network (LAN) is a computer network covering a small physical area, like a home, office, or small group of buildings, such as a school, or an airport.

29. WAN • Wide Area Network (WAN) is a computer network that covers a broad area.

30. Internet • The Internet is a standardized, global system of interconnected computer networks that connects millions of people.

31. Intranet • An intranet is a private computer network that uses Internet technologies to securely share any part of an organization's information or operational systems with its employees.

32. TCP • The Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is one of the core protocols of the Internet Protocol Suite.

33. Internet Protocal • The Internet Protocol (IP) is a protocol used for communicating data across a packet-switched internetwork using the Internet Protocol Suite.

34. Internet Backbone • The Internet backbone is made up of a large collection of interconnected commercial, government, academic and other high-capacity data routes and core routers that carry data across the countries, continents and oceans of the world.

35. Modem • Modem is a device that modulates an analog carrier signal to encode digital information, and also demodulates such a carrier signal to decode the transmitted information.

36. Cable Modem • A cable modem is a type of modem that provides bi-directional data communication via radio frequency channels on a cable television (CATV) infrastructure.

37. DSL • DSL is a family of technologies that provides digital data transmission over the wires of a local telephone network.

38. ISDN, T1, & T3 • Integrated Services Digital Network is a telephone system network.

39. Data transfer • Data transfer is the physical transfer of data (a digital bit stream) over a point-to-point or point-to-multipoint transmission medium.

40. Web browser • A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web.

41. Firewall • A firewall is a part of a computer system or network that is designed to block unauthorized access while permitting authorized communications.

42. ISP • An Internet service provider is a company that offers its customers access to the Internet.

43. NSP • A network service provider (NSP) is a business or organization that sells bandwidth or network access by providing direct backbone access to the Internet and usually access to its network access points. 

44. Router • A router is a networking device whose software and hardware are usually tailored to the tasks of routing and forwarding information.

45. WWW • The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet.