"Brief dictionary computer
terms for beginners."

Often, when novice users hear certain words and expressions exchanged between more experienced computer and Internet users, they cannot understand what they are talking about.

Therefore, I suggest you familiarize yourself with the most frequently used computer expressions in everyday communication.

ID, ID, ID (Identifier)- an identification number. For example, any product in the catalog of an online store. ID is often understood as the user’s login on the site (i.e. his name, identifier account, required for authorization on the site).

IE, IE– Internet Explorer. Browser (program for viewing websites) built into Windows.

IMHO, IMHO– “In my humble opinion” (English). Can be used wherever interlocutors express their opinions and make it clear that they respect the opinions of other participants in the discussion: on forums, blogs, articles, etc.

A variation of this abbreviation is IMO when the author does not consider his opinion modest.

LOL– “I want to laugh out loud” (English). Used to indicate the irony or absurdity of a situation.

FAQ– answers to frequently asked questions about something (Frequently Asked Questions, English). Another version of this abbreviation is FAQ("FAQ").

Account– a user’s personal area on a website, into which he enters after undergoing authorization (most often by entering a login and password).

Glitch– a single failure in the operation of a program, website, etc.

Bug– repeated failure (glitch) in the operation of a program, website, etc.

Browser– a program for viewing web pages. The most common browser is Internet Explorer because it is built into the Windows operating system. There are also other browsers that are considered more convenient and reliable: Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Google Chrome...

Clipboard– a memory area on a computer where a copied object (file, text, picture, etc.) is temporarily placed. When you turn off your computer, the clipboard is cleared, so if the content copied to it is not pasted into a document or saved to disk, it will be lost from the clipboard.

Windows– Windows operating system.

Domain– simply put, this is the address of a website on the Internet, which the user types in the address bar of the browser in order to access this site. There are different levels, for example, google.com is a second-level domain; maps.google.com is a third-level domain.

Drivers, "firewood"- small utility programs (system modules) that ensure interaction of the processor with other computer components: video adapter, disk drives, keyboard, printer, etc. The operation of drivers is not directly visible to the user, but it is thanks to them that all computer components are able to function.

Iron– personal computer hardware: processor, hard drive, video adapter and its other components.

PS– postscript. This abbreviation is often used instead P.S., so that when typing you do not switch to English and back (Russian letters ZY are on the same keys as the Latin letters PS).

Installation– the process of installing a program on a computer, as well as a group of files necessary to install the program (in one word, these files are called “distribution”).

Login– user identifier in a system that requires authorization, i.e., most often, entering a name (login) and password.

Moderator– a user on a forum or social network, which is empowered to monitor compliance with the rules of communication and apply sanctions to those who violate them: delete or correct messages, block violators.

Soap– e-mail (from the English “Mail”).

Offtopic– a message that is not related to the topic.

Conductor- a file and folder management program built into Windows.

Topic– topic of discussion (usually on a forum).

Subject– what is included in the topic title (“Subject”).

Screenshot– a screenshot of a computer screen. Used to illustrate a particular situation that occurs in a computer.

Software– computer software: operating system, user programs, utility utilities, etc.

User– user of a personal computer (from the English “User”).

Upgrade- (English: Upgrade) - updating, upgrading a PC (personal computer), i.e. replacement of outdated components with more modern ones.

Archiving- data compression in order to reduce its volume. Used for more efficient storage and transmission of data. For archiving, special archiving programs are used (for example, WinRar).

Bit- the minimum unit of information in the binary system. The bit value is always either 0 or 1.

Byte- usually 8 bits.

Browser- a program with which you can view pages on the Internet (Internet Explorer, Opera, Netscape, etc.).

Clipboard- region random access memory a computer in which data in various formats can be stored for transferring or copying between applications or parts of one application.
Typically, content copied to a buffer erases its previous content.
The most common combinations for working with the clipboard:
Ctrl+C - copy selected objects to the clipboard.
Ctrl+X - cut selected objects to the clipboard (for moving).
Ctrl+V - paste from clipboard.

Virus(computer) - a harmful program that enters a computer most often from the Internet or from an “infected” disk. Performs the harmful actions prescribed in it, preventing it from working normally. Destroyed by antivirus programs.

"Winchester"- a disk on which all information is stored on a PC. Located inside system unit. The second name is hard disk (English: Hard Disk Drive - HDD).

Driver- a program that provides data exchange between a computer and equipment connected to it (for example, a printer, scanner, etc.). Until the driver is installed, the equipment does not work. Many drivers are installed during installation of the system on the PC.

Installation- installation of a program or operating system on a PC.

Kilobyte(KB, KB) - a unit of measurement of the amount of information, equal to 1024 bytes. Used to indicate the amount of memory.

Logical hard drive partition- usually a hard disk (HDD) is divided for convenience into sections C:, D:, etc. These are logical partitions (or logical drives). One physical disk can be represented as several logical disks and we have, as it were, not one disk, but two or more (although we have one physical disk). Windows is usually installed in the C: partition.

operating system(OS) is the most important program that is installed on the computer first and ensures subsequent data exchange between the computer and a person (examples of OS - Windows, Linux).

Task bar- a panel at the bottom of the screen where you can quick access icons of programs that are used most often are placed.

- shutdown Windows and then immediately Windows startup. Often a reboot is used after installing some programs and drivers or if the PC is frozen (that is, does not respond to pressing the keyboard and mouse buttons).

Reinstallation- installing the operating system or program first. Reinstalling Windows often done when the system begins to malfunction.

Peripherals- additional devices for the computer (printer, scanner, etc.)

Desktop- this is the entire working area of ​​the screen. You place icons (shortcuts) of programs on the screen, like on a table, and you can move them as you wish.

Registry is a database for storing information about the computer and operating system. The registry contains data that Windows constantly accesses during startup, operation, and shutdown.

Software- the same as software (programs) that are installed on a PC.

Utilities- these are utility (non-application) programs that are used to configure, control, restore, and protect the operating system. These are just some of the functions that utilities can perform. There are actually a lot of them.

File- a collection of data (a piece of information) on a disk with a name that a PC user works with. This can be a document, a program (or its individual element). All information on the disk is stored in the form of files.

Disk formatting- disk partitioning process (HDD, floppy disks). Typically, formatting destroys all information on a hard drive.

Hosting- placement of your information (usually a website) on a 24/7 computer connected to high-speed Internet channels.

"Kettle"- a beginner in any business.

Chipset(chip) - a set of microcircuits that determines the characteristics of the system (computer). Created for specific processors and memory types.

"User"- (English user) user.

BIOS- a program that the processor executes to start the computer after it is turned on. In addition, the BIOS controls the exchange of data between the computer's operating system and the peripheral devices connected to it.

Other terms (slang) you can search for

Graphics adapter- a device that controls the display and provides output graphic images. Determines the display resolution (number of dots per unit screen area), number of colors.

Adapter local network (network adapter, network interface card - NIC) - an adapter for connecting a computer to a local network of computers. For example, to connect a personal computer to an Ethernet network, use the NE-2000 adapter.

Azo compounds- a class of organic compounds containing one (or more) azo group -N=N-. They are colored and many of them are used as dyes (azo dyes or azo dye). Can be used in recordable CD/DVD technologies.

Analog-to-digital converter(ADC) - a device that converts an analog signal into a digital signal and vice versa. For example, to transmit data over a digital telephone network using a modem, an analog-to-digital adapter is placed between the modem and the digital telephone channel.

Aperture- the actual opening of the optical system, determined by the dimensions of the lenses, mirrors or diaphragms. Angular aperture is the angle a between the outer rays of a conical light beam entering the system. The numerical aperture is equal to n sin α/2, where n is the refractive index of the medium. The illumination of the image is proportional to the square of the numerical aperture.

Open architecture- architecture developed by IBM for personal computers. Main features: the presence of a common information bus to which it is possible to connect various additional devices via expansion connectors; modular construction of a computer; compatibility of all new devices and software with previous versions on a top-down basis.

Von Neumann architecture- the architecture of a computer that has one arithmetic-logical unit through which the data flow passes, and one control device through which the command flow passes.

Asynchronous data transfer- a method of transmitting and a method of extracting data from a continuous stream of messages, in which the sending side enters start and stop bits into each data, indicating where the data begins and where it ends.

Audio adapter(Sound Blaster, sound card) - a board that allows you to record sound, play it back and generate it software using a microphone, headphones, speakers, built-in synthesizer and other equipment.

Basic I/O system(Basic Input/Output System - BIOS) - programs designed to perform the following functions: testing the main computer devices; recognizing the types of devices installed on the computer; calling the operating system boot block; servicing system interrupts. In most computers, the BIOS is written to a permanent storage device by the computer manufacturer and has no means for the user to change it.

Byte- a machine word of minimum size, addressed during data processing. The byte size - 8 bits - is adopted not only for representing data in most computers, but also as a standard for storing data on external media, for transmitting data over communication channels, and for presenting text information.

Bit(English Binary digiT - binary unit) - a unit of measurement of the amount of information, equal to the amount of information contained in an experience that has two equally probable outcomes. It is the smallest unit of information in a digital computer, taking the value "0" or "1".

Baud(baud, bit/s, bps) - unit of measurement for data transfer speed.

Drive performance- speed of reading/writing data in the drive. It is determined by two parameters: average access time and data transfer rate.

Processor speed- speed of operations performed by the processor. Since the speed of individual operations of a processor is different, the speed of the entire processor is taken to be either the speed of executing register-to-register commands or the speed of executing commands on floating point numbers. The latter has a special name - flops (from Flops - FLoating point Operations Per Second).

Vector graphics- a method of representing an image as a set of graphic elements (graphic primitives - segments, arcs, etc.), described in any way, including graphic commands.

Video adapter- an electronic board that processes video data (text and graphics) and controls the operation of the display. Contains video memory, input/output registers and BIOS module. Sends ray brightness control signals and image scanning signals to the display.

Video memory- additional memory to ensure high-quality images on the display. It is part of the video adapter and has a capacity of up to several tens of MB. Images of one or more screens are formed in video memory, which are then sent to the display. On some computers, video memory is allocated from RAM.

External devices(VU) - input/output and information storage devices. The devices are connected to the system using interfaces that implement certain parallel or serial communication protocols. The VU includes a keyboard, monitor, external storage devices using floppy or hard magnetic disks, optical disks (CD-ROM), magnetic tapes and other types of storage media, sensors and information converters (analog-to-digital or digital-to-analog), actuators ( indicators, printers, electric motors, relays and others). Because they are typically much slower than others, the control device must pause the program to complete an I/O operation on the corresponding device.

Fiber Optic Cable- a cable that transmits data using light, which increases the speed and quality of transmission. In the simplest case, a light guide is a fiber (flexible) dielectric made of quartz glass and surrounded by a cladding with a refractive index lower than that of the core.

Octal number system- positional number system with base 8. For example, 123 8 is equal to 1 * 8 2 + 2 * 8 1 + 3 * 8 0 =64 + 16 + 3=83 10

computer network. A set of computers, auxiliary equipment, communication channels and special software for transmitting data between network elements. Depending on the tasks, type of equipment and communication lines, computer networks are divided into local, corporate, territorial and global. Networks are created for more complete use of resources or their redistribution, for fast and automatic communication with the transfer of large volumes of data.

Clock generator- a device for generating a sequence of pulses at equal intervals of time. The time between two successive pulses is called a clock cycle. Some processor instructions are executed in several clock cycles. Pulses passing through all elements of the computer force them to work in a single clock cycle - synchronously. The frequency at which clock pulses are generated determines the speed of the computer.

Flexible magnetic disk- a disk made of flexible plastic in a protective plastic package, in which holes are cut for access to magnetic I/O heads. The disk is coated with a magnetic compound. Often called a floppy disk or floppy disk. Disks with a diameter of 5.25 and 3.5 inches are used.

Gigabyte(GB) is a unit of measurement containing 1024 MB. As an alternative, the IEC proposed GiB (Gibibyte) in 1998; 1 GiB=1024 MiB (Mibibyte).

Main (internal, random access) memory (RAM) of the computer- an ordered sequence (array) of bytes or machine words (memory cells).

Global computer network- a set of individual computers and local networks located in different countries, connected by different communication channels and operating in different software environments. This set has agreed upon interaction protocols.

Plotter- a device for outputting information from a computer in the form of graphs and drawings onto stationary or rotating paper on a drum (plotter).

Binary number system- positional number system with base 2. Binary digits 0 and 1 are used to write numbers. For example, in the binary system 101101 2 =1 * 2 5 + 0 * 2 4 + 1 * 2 3 + 1 * 2 2 + 0 * 2 1 + 1 * 2 0 =45 10 . Derived number systems (degree 2) are also known - octal and hexadecimal.

Double precision- numeric data (fixed or floating point), located in two machine words, requires support for special arithmetic operations.

Joystick(from the English joy stick - cheerful stick) - a lever input device designed to control the movement of graphic objects on the display screen, widely used in computer games and training equipment. It is usually made in the form of a handle equipped with buttons, which can be used to make inclined and rotational movements. These movements are converted into control electrical signals proportional to the angles of deviation of the handle from the vertical. By pressing buttons, you can provide some information to the running program or issue some commands.

Digitizer(or digitizer, from the English digitizer - digitizer) - devices for entering graphic data into a computer, based on different technical principles. As a rule, when using any of them, the outline of the image is outlined with a special pen.

Dynamic RAM(Dynamic Random Access Memory - DRAM - dynamic random access memory) - a type of semiconductor RAM. Each binary digit (bit) is stored in a circuit consisting of a transistor and a capacitor. If the capacitor is charged, then this corresponds to 1, a discharged capacitor corresponds to 0. The transistor controls access to the capacitor.

Disk- a data carrier in the form of a round plate on which recording is carried out different ways. A device that writes (reads) data to/from a disk is called a data drive. Disks differ in the way they write/read data, the ability to replace them, and recording density. According to the method of writing/reading, disks are divided into magnetic, laser (optical), and magneto-optical. Magnetic disks, in turn, are divided into flexible and hard. Often a “disk” refers to several disks combined into a package.

Drive- a device that controls the rotation of a magnetic disk, reading and writing data on it.

Display(monitor) - a device for visually displaying information (in the form of text, table, picture, drawing, etc.) on the screen of a cathode-ray device.

Track- a concentric circle on the magnetic surface of the disk where information is located. Tracks are numbered starting from 0 (track with the largest radius).

Driver(driver) - resident software module, which controls the external device and communicates with the operating system and application programs.

Hard magnetic disk(ZhMD, HDD) - a disk for long-term data storage on computers. Unlike a floppy disk, which is removable, a hard disk is integral with the drive.

Memory device(Memory) - a device for recording, storing and issuing data. There are devices: long-term and operational data storage, they are also non-volatile and volatile; read-only data (read-only memory - ROM, CDs) and both read and write. Depending on the physical principles of data storage, magnetic, magneto-optical, optical and semiconductor (circuit) devices are distinguished.

Star- a method of connecting computers into a network, in which one computer is allocated and called the main one (head), and all the others are connected directly to it. Data can only be transferred from one peripheral computer to another through the host computer. If the main computer fails, the entire network becomes inoperable.

Integrated circuit(IC) - the implementation of an electronic circuit that performs a certain function in the form of a single semiconductor crystal in which all the components necessary to implement this function are manufactured. Includes a set of transistors, diodes, capacitors, resistors and more, interconnected by microconductors. The IC is manufactured using technology that ensures extremely small dimensions and high reliability. Based on the number of elements, ICs are conventionally divided into small (MIS) - with the number of elements in a chip up to 102, medium (SIS) - up to 103, large (LSI) - up to 104, extra-large (VLSI) - up to 106, ultra-large (ULSI) - up to 109 and giga-large (GBIS) - more than 109 elements in a crystal.

Cartridge(English cartrige - cartridge, cassette) - a replaceable part of the device. Typically this is a protective shell that holds ink ribbon for printers, toner for laser printers or duplicating machines, ink for inkjet printers, and more. The cartridge is completely ready for use; all you have to do is insert it into place.

Kilobyte(KB) - a unit of measurement of the amount of data or memory capacity, equal to 10 3 = 1000 bytes. An alternative is the IEC proposed unit KiB (Kibibyte); 1 KiB=2 10 =1024 bytes. The discrepancy is 2.4%.

Keyboard- a device designed for manually entering data into a computer. Keyboards differ in the number of keys. Standard for IBM-like computers is a keyboard with 101 keys, where the following blocks are highlighted: function keys; letters, numbers and auxiliary symbols; cursor keys; numeric keypad (duplicated for ease of input).

Cluster(from the English cluster - group) - a unit of data storage on floppy and hard disks. A cluster contains several adjacent sectors.

Client(client) - a software and hardware complex that provides an interface with the user (another active party) when sending and receiving requests from the server.

Client server architecture(client-server) - distributed processing of requests on the network, implemented on two interacting software and hardware systems (client and server).

Coaxial cable(from Latin co - together and axis - axis). A cable consisting of two coaxial conductors with an insulator between them. Used in communication channels of computer networks. Used for transmitting signals with a carrier frequency of up to 3 * 10 10 Hz.

ASCII code(from the English American Standard Code for Information Interchange - American Standard Code for Information Interchange) - a standard for encoding characters of the Latin alphabet, numbers and auxiliary characters or actions in the form of a one-byte binary code (1 byte = 8 bits).

Unicode code- standard for representing characters using 16-bit codes (2 bytes). Allows 65,536 characters. The standard should in the future replace ASCII, since it is more convenient to use one code for different languages ​​than to change conversion tables in ASCII code.

Codec(from the English Codec - COmpress-DECompress - compress, restore) - a hardware and software complex that ensures the operation of a personal computer with video information. The codec allows you to achieve the quality of the VCR through the use of hardware and software data compression methods.

Coding(coding) - establishing an agreed (legalized) correspondence between a set of characters and signals or bit combinations representing each character for the purposes of transmitting, storing or processing data.

Amount of information- the following basic units are used for measurement: 1 kilobyte (KB, KB)=1024 bytes=2 10 bytes; 1 megabyte (MB, MB)=1024 KB=2 20 bytes and bytes; 1 yeargabyte (GB, GB)=1024 MB=2 30 bytes ~ bytes. Recently, due to the increase in the volume of processed information, such derived units as 1 terabyte (TB, TV) = 1024 GB = 2 40 bytes ~ a byte have come into use; 1 petabyte (PByte, PB)=1024 TB=2 50 bytes ~ byte; 1 exobyte=10 18 bytes and so on. These are the so-called decimal units. As an alternative, the IEC proposed binary units in 1998: 1 KiB (KibiByte) - 2 10 = 1024 bytes; 1 MiB (MibiByte)=1024 KiB; 1 GiB (GibiByte)=1024 MiB (MibiByte) and so on

Ring- a method of connecting computers into a network, when data on the network is transmitted sequentially from one station to another. As a rule, data is transmitted only in one direction, therefore, in order to transmit a message to a nearby computer, but located opposite the flow of data, you need to go through all the computers on the network.

Team represents binary number, which consists of two parts (fields) - the operation code (OPC) and the address part (ADC). The operation code KOP specifies the type of operation performed by this command, and the ADC determines the choice of operands (addressing method) on which the specified operation is performed. Depending on the type of microprocessor, a command may contain a different number of bits (bytes). For example, Pentium processor instructions range from 1 to 15 bytes, and most RISC processors use a fixed 4-byte format for all instructions.

Modem command language(modem AT-command, Hayes AT command) - an element of the command language that controls the operation of a Hayes-compatible modem.

Switching- 1. The process of connecting or switching computing systems, including computers. 2. There is a distinction between message packet switching, which refers to the combination of some data and its transmission over communication channels.

Switched communication channels. General purpose communication channels that are used by a specific network only at the time of communication. In territorial and global computer networks, as a rule, general-purpose telephone channels are used, which are connected (switched) to this network upon call. Switched circuits are low-speed, unlike dedicated circuits.

CD- a disk for permanent data storage, which is a circle made of plastic or aluminum alloy, covered with a protective transparent film. Recording is done along one spiral-shaped, very long track so tightly that up to 700 MB of data can fit on a 5-inch disk. Recording is carried out in stationary conditions on special devices, and then read-only CDs (CD-ROM - Compact Disk Read Only Memory) are pressed for mass consumption.

Composite video(composite video) - video signals in which brightness and color signals are transmitted together (mixed). Home video devices typically use NTSC, PAL, and SECAM signals. The carrier signal Y (luminance signal) and the color signal located in the color strip are superimposed on each other, forming one signal.

Component video(component video) - video signals in which, to improve the quality of image transmission, brightness and color signals are transmitted separately. In high-definition television (HDTV), this refers to images that consist of three independent signals - Y (luminance signal) and Pb and Pr (chrominance signals).

Controller(from the English control - to manage) - a device that connects peripheral equipment or communication channels with the central processor, freeing the processor from direct control of the operation of this equipment. The controller interprets processor commands for individual devices.

Cursor- a luminous area on the display screen indicating the position at which the next character entered from the keyboard will be displayed.

Cache memory- super-RAM, access to which is much faster than operational memory, and in which the most frequently used sections of the latter are stored. When accessing memory, the required data is first looked for in the memory cache. In the absence, the RAM is accessed, as a result, the total memory access time is reduced.

Laptop(laptop, “knee pad”) - laptop, close in size to a briefcase. In terms of performance and memory, it is approximately equivalent to desktop personal computers.

Backbone-modular structure- a common computer structure in which individual devices (modules) included in the system exchange information via a common system bus - a highway.

Magneto-optical storage- drive for working with magneto-optical disks. The magneto-optical disk (MO disk) is made of aluminum alloy and enclosed in a plastic shell. Data recording technology: a laser beam heats a point on the disk, and an electromagnet changes the magnetic orientation of this point depending on what needs to be recorded - “0” or “1”. Reading is performed by a laser beam of lower power (than when writing), which, reflecting from this point, changes its polarity.

Manipulator(from Latin manus - hand) - a device that allows you to control the state of the computer, including entering data using your hands. Manipulators include joystick, mouse, trackball, Touchpad, pen, trackpoint, J-key.

Router- an electronic device, sometimes with a software unit, that determines the optimal path (route) of a packet of messages in computer networks.

Array RAID disks (from the English Redundant Arrays of Independent / Inexpensive Disks - an array of independent disks with redundancy) - a set of HDDs structurally combined into one unit with a common controller. Typically used in servers to ensure reliability by duplicating data.

Scalability- a property of a system or its individual parts, characterizing the ability of the system to adapt to a decrease or increase in its individual parameters. For example, operating rooms Windows systems have a scalable user interface that provides the same look and feel across different display sizes.

Matrix printer- a printer in which the printing unit is a metal plate with holes (matrix) in which pins (needles) move freely. Pins, controlled by a magnet, strike an ink ribbon (the same as on a typewriter) and a character is created on the paper by dots.

Machine word(MS) - an ordered set of binary bits used to store program commands and processed data. Each digit, called a bit, is a binary number that can only take the values ​​0 or 1. The bits in an MS are usually numbered from right to left, starting with 0. The number of bits in an MS is called the dimension of the MS or its bit depth. The typical length of the MS is 16 or 32 bits.

Machine language- a set of computer machine commands, distinguished by the number of addresses in the command, the purpose of the information specified in the addresses, the set of operations that the machine can perform, and more

TIR structure- “metal-dielectric-semiconductor” structure used in the creation of electronic devices, including microprocessors, memory for computers. It is an ordered collection of very thin (less than 1 micron) layers of metal and dielectric deposited on a semiconductor wafer. If oxides (aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide) are used as a dielectric, then a MOS structure (“metal-oxide-semiconductor”) is formed. The method of creating devices based on such structures is called MIS technology or MOS technology.

Megabyte(MB) - a unit of measurement for the amount of data or memory capacity, equal to 10 ⁶=1,000,000 bytes. An alternative is the proposed IEC unit MiB (Mibibyte); 1 MiB=1024 Kibibyte. The discrepancy is more than 4.8%.

Slow connection- Connection via modem (speed from 9600 to 28,800 bps).

Microcommand- an elementary action that ensures the execution of a given operation; the processor control unit generates a sequence of microcommands in accordance with the code of the received command. Each microinstruction is executed within one machine cycle.

Micrometer(µm) - 10 -6 m, 1000 nanometers (nm).

Microprocessor- a device that processes data and controls this process, made in the form of one or several large (ultra-large) integrated circuits. Microprocessors are built into control devices and are the main part of the computer. For example, a BMW car has 54 integrated circuits that control anti-lock brakes and airbags. The microprocessor includes: an arithmetic-logical unit that performs arithmetic and logical operations; control and synchronization unit; input/output block; registers and so on.

Microsecond(ms) - 10 -6 s, 1000 nanoseconds (ns).

Modem(modulator-demodulator, modem) - a device for converting digital information into analog and back through modulation/demodulation of the carrier frequency for data transmission over telephone lines. Discrete (binary) data from the computer enters the modem, where it is encoded accordingly (modulated) and transmitted to the communication line.

MOS structure(“metal-oxide-semiconductor”) - the structure of the material from which transistors, capacitors and other electronic devices are made.

Multimedia- a collective concept for various computer technologies that use several information media, such as graphics, text, video, photography, moving images (animation), sound effects, high-quality sound.

Mouse(mouse, mice) - a manipulator that allows you to select data on the display and enter graphic data. The ball sensor makes the cursor move around the screen, and the buttons act as keys (input) and (exit).

Pulse/tone dialing(dialing pulse/tone) - connection establishment operations over dial-up telephone channels performed by a modem.

Storage device- a device for writing/reading data to/from a specific medium(s). Drives are classified as external storage devices. There are drives on disks (MD, CD), tapes (ML), cards. There are also drives: with removable media (in this case, the data carrier can be replaced, for example, floppy disks, magnetic tapes); with permanent media (in this case, the media is built into the drive and cannot be replaced, for example, a hard magnetic disk).

Nanometer(nm) - 1 nm=10 -9 m=0.001 micrometer (µm).

Nanosecond(ns) - 1 ns=10 -9 s=0.001 microseconds (ms).

Nanotechnology- integrated circuit manufacturing technology, which is based on quantities corresponding to nanometers and nanoseconds. For example, the expression “130 nanometers (or 0.13 microns) technology (process)” means that the dimensions of the structural elements of the microcircuit do not exceed 130 nm.

Hum- unit of brightness (candela per square meter, cd/m 2, cd/m 2).

Laptop(notebook) - a portable computer, similar in size to a large-format book. Fits in a briefcase. Usually equipped with a modem and a CD-ROM drive.

RAM(RAM, same as random access memory, RAM). Designed to store programs and the data they manipulate. Physically implemented in the form of a certain number of microcircuits. Logically, the OP can be represented as a linear collection of cells, each of which has its own number, called an address (or a matrix, the intersection of rows and columns of which determines a specific memory bit).

Open systems interoperability(OSI - Open system Interconnection reference model) - a set of ISO requirements for establishing the interaction of open systems in networks.

Palmtop(palmtop, “handheld”) is the smallest modern personal computer that fits in the palm of your hand. Magnetic disks are replaced by non-volatile electronic memory; information is exchanged with conventional computers via communication lines.

Device ports- electronic circuits containing one or more input-output registers and allowing you to connect computer peripheral devices to external buses of the microprocessor. The serial port exchanges data with the processor byte by byte, and with external devices - bit by bit. The parallel port receives and sends data byte by byte.

Read Only Memory(ROM). Used to store constants and standard (immutable) programs. ROM usually stores initialization (boot) programs for systems, test and diagnostic programs, and other service software that does not change during system operation.

Primitive(from the English primitive - primary, simple, basic) - one of the simplest elements that form vector images. Basic primitives are geometric objects such as points and line segments.

Printer- a printing device that converts the encoded information coming out of the processor into a form convenient for reading on paper.

Progressive scan(progressive scanning) - a method of scanning an image in which image data is scanned sequentially from top to bottom, rather than across a line, as occurs with interlaced scanning.

Translucent screen(transparent screen) - a screen used for rear projection. Translucent screens play a role opposite to reflective screens. If the purpose of the latter is to reflect the maximum amount of light, then the task of translucent screens is to transmit all the light without delaying it. Translucent screens have a glass or acrylic base.

Communication protocol- an agreed set of specific rules for the exchange of information between different devices data transmission. There are protocols for transmission speed, data formats, error control and more

CPU - central device computer, designed to control the operation of a computer according to a given program. The capabilities of a computer as a universal performer for working with information are determined by the processor command system. This command system is a machine command language (MCL). A separate command defines a separate operation (action) of the computer.

Display (projector) resolution- the physical number of elements (pixels, pixel - picture element) in the columns and rows of the image. There are standard resolution types - VGA (640 x 480), SVGA (800 x 600), XGA (1024 x 768), SXGA (1200 x 1024), UXGA (1600 x 1200), QXGA (2048 x 1536).

Register- a storage element of the processor that performs the functions of short-term storage of numbers or commands and performing certain operations on them.

Command register- register CU for storing the command code for the period of time necessary for its execution.

Status register SR (State Register, called EFLAGS on Pentium microprocessors). Determines the current state of the processor when the program is running. The register contains control bits that specify the operating mode of the processor, and attribute bits (flags) that indicate the characteristics of the result of the performed operation.

Sector- each track located on the disk is divided into sectors (blocks). For MS DOS, each sector is 512 bytes in size.

Server(server) - a network computer on which resources available to clients are located. Server resources can be files, printers, or application servers (such as multi-user databases).

Computer network- a set of computers connected via communication channels and switching means into a single system for messaging and user access to software, technical, information and organizational resources of the network. According to the degree of geographical distribution, networks are divided into local, city, corporate, global and others. A local network (LAN) connects a number of computers in an area limited by the boundaries of one room, building or enterprise. Global network(WAN) connects computers that are geographically distant from each other. It differs from a local network in more extensive communications (satellite, cable, etc.). The urban network serves the information needs of a large city.

Data network(data transfer network) - a complex of communication equipment and control computers that provides data transfer for various applications.

Command system. Processors execute a set of commands that implement the following main groups of operations: transfers; arithmetic; brain teaser; shift; comparisons and testing; bit operations; program management; processor control.

Notation- a set of rules for naming and representing numbers using a set of symbols called numbers. Number systems are divided into positional and non-positional. An example of a non-positional number system is Roman; positional number systems include binary, decimal, octal, and hexadecimal.

System bus contains several dozen (in complex systems more than 100) conductors (lines), which, in accordance with their functional purpose, are divided into separate buses - address A, data D and control C.

Scanner- a device for entering documents into a computer - texts, drawings, graphs, drawings, photographs. Creates a digitized image of a document and places it in computer memory.

Standard machine word- a machine word, the dimension of which coincides with the processor bit capacity. Most processor instructions use standard machine words to process data.

Stack- a set of memory cells that are not available in random order, but only in a stack (“magazine”): LIFO - “last in, first out,” like cartridges in the clip (magazine) of a rifle (machine gun), for example, an environment for storing data for returns from subroutines, as well as their arguments.

Superparamagnetic effect- a state in which the magnetic domains in a magnetized material (as well as the spaces between them) are so small that their magnetic orientation can easily change under the influence of the thermal movement of molecules.

Superscalar processor structure. Provides increased processor performance by introducing into the processor structure several parallel operating devices that provide simultaneous execution several operations. In such processors, parallel operation of several execution pipelines is implemented, each of which receives one of the selected and decoded instructions for execution.

Command address counter(SchAK), command address register (PAK), program counter, Program Counter (PC), in x86 - Instruction Pointer (IP) - a processor register that is used to store the address of the next command and the contents of which are automatically increased by 1 after fetching the next command .

Terabyte(TB) - a unit of data amount equal to 1000 GB. As an alternative, the IEC proposed TiB (TibiByte) in 1998; 1 TiB=1024 GiB (GibiByte).

Terminal(terminal) - terminal device, a combination of data input and output devices in a computer.

Data type- form of data presentation, which is characterized by the way data is organized in memory; set of valid values; a set of operations. In other words, a data type is a scheme for a certain type of variable embedded in the translator. The integer data type (int, fixed, etc.) specifies the properties of an entire variable - it can only take integer values ​​in a certain range, depending on the processor bit depth, for example, -32,767 ... +32,767. REAL data type (double, FLOAT, etc. ) specifies the properties of a floating point variable.

Topology computer network - logical and physical method connections between computers, cables, and other components that make up a network. Topology characterizes the properties of networks that do not depend on their size. This does not take into account the performance and operating principle of these objects, their types, and channel lengths, although these factors are very important when designing.

Trackball- cursor control device. A small box with a ball built into the top of its body. The user rotates the ball with his hand and moves the cursor accordingly.

Control device(CU) - part of the processor that performs the functions of controlling computer devices.

File(file) is a named, organized set of data of a certain type and purpose, under the control of the operating system. This is a set of information, homogeneous in its composition and purpose, stored on a storage medium and having a name.

File system(file management system) is a dynamically maintained information structure on direct access devices (disks) that provides the function of managing data from operating systems through name-address communication.

Fixed point(fixed) - the simplest type of numeric data, when the number is placed in a machine word, and the range of values ​​​​depends only on the bit depth of the word.

Floppy Disk(floppy disk) - a removable flexible magnetic disk.

Host machine(host computer) - the main computer (online or offline) that supports information and computing resources and provides them to remote users.

Color difference signal(color differential signal) - signal transmission via three cables - Red-Bright (bright red, R-Y), Bright (bright, Y) and Blue-Bright (bright blue, B-Y). This allows composite signals to be projected more clearly (RGB and their luminance signals are carried over a single cable).

Cylinder- combining tracks with the same number located on different surfaces of the disk (for a floppy disk, a cylinder means two tracks).

Regeneration frequency(refresh rate). The luminous display element can maintain the same brightness and color for a very short time. Therefore, the image must be refreshed periodically, and the number of such cycles per second is called the “refresh rate” and is expressed in Hertz (Hz).

Interlace scanning(interlaced scanning) - a scanning method in which image data is divided into horizontal lines that are reproduced sequentially from left to right and from top to bottom across the screen. Even and odd lines are played alternately.

Floating point numbers(float) - a numeric data placed in a machine word in the form of a mantissa and order, which allows you to represent a wide range of values; assumes the presence of built-in or emulated arithmetic (floating point operations).

Sensitive screen. Allows you to communicate with the computer by touching your finger to a specific place on the monitor screen.

Tire(bus) - a device capable of controlling at least one other device. Adapter boards are connected to the bus. From the point of view of the Plug & Play subsystem, a bus is any device capable of providing resources.