Pixel

The pixel (a word invented from "picture element") is the basic unit of programmable color on a computer display or in a computer image.

CD-ROM

CD-ROM (Compact Disc, read-only-memory) is an adaptation of the CD that is designed to store computer data in the form of text and graphics, as well as hi-fi stereo sound.

Floppy Disk

A removable device that magnetically stores data.

Byte

In most computer systems, a byte is a unit of data that is eight binary digits long.

Megabyte

According to the Microsoft Press Computer Dictionary, a megabyte means either 1,000,000 bytes or 1,048,576 bytes.

Gigabyte

Kilo, mega, giga, tera, and peta are among the list of prefixes that are used to denote the quantity of something, such as, in computing and telecommunications, a byte or a bit. Sometimes called prefix multipliers, these prefixes are also used in electronics and physics. Each multiplier consists of a one-letter abbreviation and the prefix that it stands for.

In communications, electronics, and physics, multipliers are defined in powers of 10 from 10^-24 to 10²⁴, proceeding in increments of three orders of magnitude (10³ or 1,000). In IT and data storage, multipliers are defined in powers of 2 from 2¹⁰ to 2⁸⁰, proceeding in increments of ten orders of magnitude (2¹⁰ or 1,024). These multipliers are denoted in the following table.

Bit

A bit (short for binary digit) is the smallest unit of data in a computer.

Peripheral

A piece of hardware attached to a computer, such as a printer or keyboard.

Virus

A program that disrupts the normal operation of a computer.

URL

Uniform resource locator.

E-mail

Messages sent from one person to another through a network.

Icon

A small picture on a screen that represents and object, such as a file or program.

Scanner

A device that translates information it sees on a page into a format a computer can use.

Network

A group of computers connected together to share information and equipment.

HTML

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is the set of markup symbols or codes inserted in a file intended for display on a World Wide Web browser page.

Spreadsheet

A program used to manage, analyze, and present financial information.

Database

A program that helps you manage large collection of information.

CPU

The main chip that processes instructions, performs calculations, and manages the flow of information through a computer system.

Hardware

Any part of a computer system that you can see or touch.

Software

A set of electronic instructions that tell a computer what to do.

RAM

Electronic memory that temporarily stores information inside a computer.

Modem

A device that lets computers exchange information through telephone lines.