Chapter 3 – Hardware Basics

Bar code reader	A reading tool that uses light to read universal product codes, inventory codes, and other codes created out of patterns of variable-width bars.
Blu-ray	A drive that can read and write on optical media that holds up to 50 gigabytes on two layers.
Cathode-ray tube	A computer display made from a large electronic vacuum tube, similar to the classic television display.
CD-R	Compact disc recordable, an optical disc you can write information on, but you cannot remove the information.
CD-ROM	Compact disc read-only memory, a type of optical disc that contains data that cannot be changed; CD-ROMs are commonly used to distribute commercial software programs.
CD-RW	Compact disc read-only memory, a type of optical disc that contains data that cannot be changed; CD-ROMs are commonly used to distribute commercial software programs.
Digital Camera	A camera that captures images and stores them as bit patterns on disks or other digital storage media instead of using film.
Digitize	Converting information into a digital form that can be stored in the computer's memory.
Display	An output device that displays text and graphics onscreen.
Dot matrix printer	A type of impact printer, which forms images by physically striking paper, ribbon, and print hammer together, the way a typewriter does.
DVD	Recordable DVD disc.
Ergonomics keyboard	A keyboard that places the keys at angles that allow your wrists to assume a more natural position while you type, potentially reducing the risk of repetitive-stress injuries.
Ergonomics	The science of designing work environments that enable people and things to interact efficiently and safely.
External drive	Disk drives, such as hard disks for additional storage, not included in a system unit but rather attached to it via cables.
Facsimile (fax) machine	An output device capable of sending, in effect, a photocopy through a telephone line, allowing for fast and convenient transmission of information stored on paper.
Fax modem	Hardware peripheral that enables a computer to send onscreen documents to a receiving fax machine by translating the document into signals that can be sent over phone wires and decoded by the receiving fax machine.
FireWire	An industry standard for relatively new, extremely fast serial communications protocol, especially well-suited for multimedia applications such as digital video. Apple, which developed the standard, refers to IEEE 1394 as FireWire.
Flash memory	A type of erasable memory chip used in cell phones, pagers, portable computers, and handheld computers, among other things.
Graphics tablet	A pressure-sensitive touch tablet used as a pointing device. The user presses on the tablet with a stylus.
Handwriting recognition software	Software that translates the user's handwritten forms into ASCII characters.
Hard disk	A rigid, magnetically sensitive disk that spins rapidly and continuously inside the computer chassis or in a separate box attached to the computer housing. Used as a storage device.
Hot swap	To remove and replace peripheral devices without powering down the computer and peripherals. Some modern interface standards such as USB and FireWire allow hot-swapping.
Impact printer	Printer that forms images by physically striking paper, ribbon, and print hammer together.
Inkjet printer	A nonimpact printer that sprays ink directly onto paper to produce printed text and graphic images.
Interface standards	Standards for ports and other connective technology agreed on by the hardware industry so devices made by one manufacturer can be attached to systems made by other companies.
Internal drive	Disk drives that are included in a system unit.
Keyboard	Input device, similar to a typewriter keyboard, for entering data and commands into the computer.
Laser printer	A nonimpact printer that uses a laser beam to create patterns of electrical charges on a rotating drum. The charged patterns attract black toner and transfer it to paper as the drum rotates.
Line printer	An impact printer used by mainframes to produce massive printouts. They print characters only, not graphics.
Liquid crystal display	Flat-panel displays, once primarily used for portable computers but now replacing bulkier CRT monitors for desktops.
Magnetic ink character reader	A device that reads numbers printed with magnetic ink on checks.
Magnetic tape	A storage medium used with a tape drive to store large amounts of information in a small space at relatively low cost.
Monitor	An output device that displays text and graphics onscreen.
Mouse	A handheld input device that, when moved around on a desktop or table, moves a pointer around the computer screen.
Multifunction printer	An all-in-one output device that usually combines a scanner, a laser or inkjet printer, and a fax modem.
Multi-touch	A type of input device that involves using multi-finger or multi-hand gestures to accomplish complex tasks quickly. A multi-touch device might be a touch-sensitive screen, a touch tablet, or a trackpad that can recognize the position, pressure, and movement of more than one finger or hand at a time.
Nonimpact printer	A printer that produces characters without physically striking the page.
Open architecture	A design that allows expansion cards and peripherals to be added to a basic computer system.
Optical character recognition	Locating and identifying printed characters embedded in an image, allowing the text to be stored as an editable document. OCR can be performed by wand readers, pen scanners, and OCR software.
Optical disk drive	A disk drive that uses laser beams to read and write bits of information on the surface of an optical disc.
Optical mark reader	A reading device that uses reflected light to determine the location of pencil marks on standardized test answer sheets and similar forms.
Pen-based computer	A keyboardless machine that accepts input from a stylus applied directly to a flat-panel screen.
Photo printer	A type of newer inkjet printer specially optimized to print high-quality photos captured with digital cameras and scanners.
Plotter	An automated drawing tool that produces finely scaled drawings by moving pen and/or paper in response to computer commands.
Pointing stick	A tiny joystick like device embedded in the keyboard of a laptop computer.
Point-of-sale terminal printer	A terminal with a wand reader, barcode scanner, or other device that captures information at the check-out counter of a store.
Radio frequency identification reader	A reading tool that uses radio waves to communicate with RFID tags.
Radio frequency identification tag	A device that, when energized by a nearby RFID reader, broadcasts information to the reader for input into a computer.
Random access	Storage method that allows information retrieval without regard to the order in which it was recorded.
Repetitive stress injuries	Conditions that result from repeating the same movements over long periods, such as keyboarding-induced carpal tunnel syndrome, a painful affliction of the wrist and hand.
Resolution	Density of pixels, measured by the number of dots per inch.
Scanner	Scanners used in publishing applications where image quality is critical.
Sensor	A device that enables digital machines to monitor a physical quantity of the analog world, such as temperature, humidity, or pressure, to provide data used in robotics, environmental climate control, and other applications.
Sequential access	Storage method that requires the user to retrieve information by zipping through it in the order in which it was recorded.
Solid-state storage	Storage, such as flash memory, with no moving parts. Solid-state storage is likely to replace disk storage in the future.
Sound card	A circuit board that allows the PC to accept microphone input, play music and other sound through speakers or headphones, and process sound in a variety of ways.
Storage device	Long-term repository for data. Disks and tapes are examples.
Tape drive	Storage device that uses magnetic tape to store information.
Touch screen	Pointing device that responds when the user points to or touches different screen regions.
Touchpad	A small flat-panel pointing device that is sensitive to light pressure. The user moves the pointer by dragging a finger across the pad.
Trackball	Pointing device that remains stationary while the user moves a protruding ball to control the pointer on the screen.
USB 2.0	A new, high-speed version of USB that offers fast transfer rates of 480 megabits per second.
USB flash drive	A portable storage device that stores data in flash memory and connects to a computer through a USB port. Also called thumb drives or jump drives.
USB	A data path standard that theoretically allows up to 126 devices, such as keyboards, digital cameras, and scanners, to be chained together from a single port, allowing for data transmission that is much faster and more flexible than through traditional serial and parallel ports.
Video projectors	A projector that can project computer screen images for meetings and classes.