3D Printer Arithmetic/logic Unit (ALU) Barcode Barcode Printer Barcode Reader Biometric Reader BIOS (Basic input/output system) Bit Bus Bus Interface Unit
A printer that uses molten plastic during a series of passes to build a 3D version of the desired output. The part of a CPU core that performs logical operations and integer arithmetic. Machine-readable code that represents data as a set of bars. A printer used to print barcodes. An input device that reads barcodes. A device used to input biometric data, such as an individual's fingerprint or voice. The sequence of instructions the computer follows during the boot process. The smallest unit of data that a binary computer can recognize. An electronic path over which data travels. The section of a CPU core that allows the core to communicate with other CPU components.
Byte Cache Memory Central Processing Unit (CPU or Processor) Circuit Board Clock Speed Cluster Computer Chip Control Unit CRT Monitor Cylinder
Eight bits grouped together A group of very fast memory circuitry located on or close to the CPU to speed up processing. The chip located on the motherboard of a computer that performs the processing for a computer. A thin board containing computer chips and other electronic components. A measurement of the number of instructions that a CPU can process per second. The smallest storage area on a hard disk formed by one or more sectors. A very small piece of silicon or other semi-conducting material that contains integrated circuits (IC's) and transistors. The part of a CPU core that coordinates its operations. A display device that uses cathoderay tube technology. The collection of tracks located in the same location on a set of hard disk surfaces.
Data Projector Decode Unit Disk Access Time Disk Cache Display Device Display Screen Dots Per Inch (DPI) Expansion Bus Expansion Card (Interface Card) Expansion Slot
A display device that projects computer output to a wall or projection screen. The part of a CPU core that translates instructions into a form that can be processed by the ALU and FPU. The total time that it takes for a hard drive to read or write data. Memory used in conjunction with a magnetic hard drive to improve system performance. An output device that contains a viewing screen. A display device built into a notebook computer, netbook, UMPC, or other device. A measurement of resolution that indicates the quality of an image or output. A bus on the motherboard used to connect peripheral devices. A circuit board used to give desktop computers additional capabilities. A location on the motherboard into which an expansion card is inserted to connect it to the motherboard.
File FireWire (IEEE 1394) Flash Memory Flash Memory Card Flat-panel Display Floating Point Unit (FPU) Hard Copy Hard Drive Hybrid Hard Drive Ink-jet Printer
A named collection of bytes that represent virtually any type of data. A high-speed bus standard used to connect devices -particularly multimedia devices like digital video cameras- to a computer. Nonvolatile chips that can be used for storage by the computer or the user. A small rectangular flash memory medium. A slim display device that uses electronically charged chemicals or gases to display images. The part of a CPU core that performs decimal arithmetic. A permanent copy of output on paper. Hardware used to store most programs and data on a computer. A combination flash memory/magnetic hard drive. An output device that forms images by spraying tiny drops of liquid ink from one or more ink cartridges onto paper.
Input Device Interferometric Modulate (IMOD) Display Keyboard Laser Printer LED (Light Emitting Diode) Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) Machine Cycle Magnetic Hard Drive Magnetic Tape Memory
Any piece of equipment that is used to enter data into the computer. A flat-panel display technology that uses external light to display images. An input device containing keys used to enter characters on the screen. An output device that forms images with toner powder (essentially ink powder). A common flat-panel technology. A type of flat-panel display that uses charged liquid crystals to display images. The series of steps performed by the computer when the CPU processes a single piece of microcode. A hard drive consisting of one or more metal magnetic disks permanently sealed, with an access mechanism and read/write heads, inside its drive. Storage media consisting of plastic tape coated with a magnetizable substance. Chips located inside the system unit used to store data and instructions while it is working with them.
Monitor Motherboard Mouse Multi-core CPU Multifunction Device (MFD) Network Attached Storage Online Storage (Cloud Storage) Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Optical Disk Optical Drive
A display device for a desktop computer. The main circuit board inside the system unit. A common pointing device that the user slides along a flat surface to move the pointer on the screen. A CPU that contains the processing components or cores of multiple independent processors in a single CPU. An output device that can copy, scan, fax and print documents. A high-performance server connected individually to a network to provide storage for computers on that network. Remote storage devices accessed via the Internet. The ability of a computer to recognize scanned text characters. A storage medium in the shape of a thin circular disk made out of polycarbonate substrate read from and written to using a laser beam. A drive designed to read optical disks.
Optical Mark Reader (OMR) Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) Output Device Pages Per Minute (PPM) Pixel Plasma Display Pointing Device Port Portable Printer Prefetch Unit
A device that inputs data from special forms to score or tally the data on those forms. A type of flat-panel display that uses emissive organic material to display brighter and sharper images. A device that accepts processed data from the computer and presents the results to the user. The typical measurement of print speed. The smallest colorable areas on a display device. A flat-panel display technology that uses a layer of gas between two plates of glass instead of liquid crystals or organic matter. An input device that moves an onscreen pointer used to select and manipulate objects and to issue commands to the computer. A connector on the exterior of the system unit case that is used to connect an external hardware device. A small, lightweight printer that can be used on the go, such as with a notebook computer or mobile device. The part of a CPU core that attempts to retrieve data and instructions before they are needed for processing in order to avoid delays.
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) RAM (Random Access Memory) Register Remote Storage RFID Reader RFID Tag ROM (Read-Only Memory) Scanner Sector
A technology that can store, read, and transmit data in RFID tags. A method of storing data on two or more drives that work together. Memory used to store data and instructions while the computer is running. High-speed memory built into the CPU. A storage device that is not connected directly to the user's computer. A device that reads the data in an RFID Tag. A tiny chip and radio antenna attached to an object so it can be recognized using RFID technology. Nonvolatile chips on the motherboard that permanently store data or programs. An input device that reads printed text or captures the image of an object, and then transfers that data to a computer. A pie-shaped section on the surface of a hard disk.
Smart Card Solid State Drive (SSD or flash memory hard drive) Speech Recognition System Storage Area Network (SAN) Storage Device Storage Medium Storage Server Stylus Surface-Conduction Electron- Emitter Display (SED) System Clock
A credit card-sized piece of plastic that contains a chip and computer circuitry that can store data. A hard drive that uses flash media memory. Hardware and software that enable a computer to recognize voice input. A network of hard drives or other storage devices that provide storage for another network. The hardware where the storage medium is read from or written to. The hardware where the data is actually stored. A storage device containing multiple high-speed hard drives connected to the computer system or network. A pen-line device used for input by writing, drawing, or tapping on the screen. A high-definition display technology that is in development. A small quartz crystal located on the motherboard that synchronizes the computer's operations.
System Unit Throughput (Bandwidth) Touch Pad Touch Screen Track Trackball Transistor Universal Serial Bus (USB) USB Flash Drive Word
The main case of a computer The amount of data that can be transferred via the bus in a given time period. A rectangular pad across which a fingertip or thumb slides or taps to control the pointer. An input device that is touched with the finger to select commands or otherwise provide input to the computer. A concentric ring on the surface of a hard disk where data is recorded. A pointing device similar to an upside-down mechanical mouse with the ball mechanism on top. A device made of semiconductor material that controls the flow of electrons inside a chip. A versatile bus architecture widely used for connecting peripherals. Flash memory media integrated into a self-contained unit that plugs into a USB port. The amount of data (measured in bits or bytes) that a CPU can manipulate at one time.