Computer Terms

AUP Acceptable Use Policy List of rules and guidelines

that must be followed if you are going to use the Clark County School

Districts computers

networkA group of connected computers that allow people to share information and equipment.

server A larger computer that manages all

the computers and devices at our school.

The server allows us to share programs and resources, such as printers. The server also lets us access the Internet.

After you log on to a computer in room 201, you need to connect to the server.

user name and password

User name is a code used by people that lets them access a network computer.

The user name is used in combination with a password.

warm boot• To re-start a computer that is

already on•A warm boot is sometimes

necessary when a program encounters an error from which it cannot recover. Like when the computer “freezes.”

•Press CTRL + Command + ESC to do a warm boot.

cold boot•The start-up of a computer from the off state.

•Press the POWER button.

crash•A serious computer failure•A computer crash means that the

computer itself stops working or that a program stops unexpectedly.

•A crash signifies either a hardware malfunction or a very serious software bug.

desktop•The on-screen background

•The screen that is displayed when there are no programs active.

dock•The bar of icons that sits at the bottom of the screen

iconA small picture that represents something

This is the icon for Type to Learn 4. Click on it to open the program.

active windowThe current viewing area on a computer screen

This is the active window.

menu barLocated at the top of the window

This contains a list of commands

internetThe worldwide network of computers that can communicate with each other.

Founded in the 1960's

World Wide Web (WWW)

An electronic collection of information posted on websites

Part of the internet

website•A location on the World Wide Web where information is presented using graphics, text, and sound

URLUniform Resource

LocatorThe address of a webpage on the World Wide Web

homepage•The first page of a website

hyperlink•A highlighted or underlined word or graphic on a website that takes you to a different location on the Internet

when you click on it

HTML (Hyper Text Markup

Locator)

•The computer language that is used to create a

website

“surfing” the web

•Clicking on a hyperlink word or picture will take you from one website to another. By clicking from picture to picture or page to page, you are doing what is called, “surfing” the web.

accuracy

• The ability to type without errors.

• Our accuracy goal for the end of this semester is 90%.

WPM

• Words Per Minute• How fast you can type• Our WPM goal for the end of

the semester is 25.

homerow When at rest, the fingers

are positioned, lightly, on the A-S-D-F keys for the left hand, and the J-K-L-; keys for the right hand.

It is called the home row because most of the time your fingers will be resting on or near these keys as a guide.

ergonomics

• The scientific study of human work conditions.

• Developing a comfortable position helps us work better.

What is HARDWARE?Any part of the computer you can touch physically.

Examples:monitor keyboard

What is SOFTWARE (programs)?

A list of instructions or steps that tells a computer what to do.

Examples:

Safari, Type to Learn, Microsoft Word, Video Games.

cyber -•A prefix that means “anything to do with computers”

cyberspace, cyberchat, cyberdating

modem• A device that allows a computer to

send information to another computer• Types of modems:

– telephone modem –cable modem –DSL modem (Digital Subscriber Line)–wireless modem

ISP - Internet Service Provider

•Any company that provides access to the internet

•Examples: Embarq, Cox

browser•Software that allows you to

access and navigate the contents of the internet.

•Netscape and Explorer are the two most popular browsers

search engine• A program that searches a

database of websites for words that you enter into the program. It provides a list of sites that contain those words.

• Google and Yahoo are popular search engines.

start menuClicking on the start menu brings up a list of shortcuts to start your programs.

task barMain job is to show what applications are currently running.Also holds the start menu button at the far left

open application

Each open application will have a button on the taskbar These are open

applications.

title barLocated at the top of a window

The name of the window is located on the title bar

minimize button

It makes the window collapse into the task bar Minimize button

maximize button

This will increase the size of the window to its full size maximize button

close buttonThis will close (exit) a window

close button

scroll barMoves the contents of the window

Faster than the scroll arrows

Scroll bar

scroll arrowsMoves the contents of the window

scroll arrows

wordprocessing•Using a computer to create, edit, and print documents

Microsoft Word is a wordprocessing program.

DOCUMENT

cursor

• A marker on the screen that shows where current input or output is going to happen

• It may appear as a blinking vertical line, an underline, or an arrow

header•text and/or pictures that appear at the top of each page of a document header

footer•text and/or pictures that appear at the bottom of each page of a document

footer

Document•A computer file that you type on.

Sentence: I created a document in Microsoft Word.

hard copy•The paper copy of a document

This printer is printinga hard copy.

That’s a hard copy!

Graphics/Clip Art

• pictures or clip art that can be added to a document

graphics

Page Orientation

•Portrait “like a school picture”

•Landscape“like an award”

margin•The strips of white space around the edge of the paper.

*Margins are usually preset at 1 inch, but you can change them.

margins

alignment•The way lines of text are arranged on the page

tabs A way of aligning text on the paper. Use the tab markers to set the tabs.

Then press the tab button each time you want to move to the next column.

Left Tabs Center Tab

Tab Button

zoom in/outClick on the button on the right to “zoom-in” - get a close-up view of your document

Click on the button on the left to “zoom-out” – get a far away view of you document

line spacingThe number of blank spaces between lines of type.

single-spacing and double-spacing are the most common

columns A way of aligning text on the

paper. Use the column buttons. Press

the one on the right to raise and the one on the left to lower.

font• A design for textExamples:Times New RomanComic Sans MS Arial

Change the font here.

Or change the font here.

point size•Used to measure the height of text

Examples: 12 point 16 point 24 point 32 point

Change the point size here.

Or change the point size here.

spreadsheetA computer application

where you can calculate formulas and create graphs

rowThe horizontal cells in one line of a spreadsheet

Identified by a numberrow

columnThe vertical cells in one line of a spreadsheet

Identified by a letter

column

cellThe intersection of a row and a column

cell

cell addressName the identifies a cell’s column and row

This is where you can find the cell’s address

active cellThe cell currently being worked on

This the active cell. It is outlined.

entry bar•Type text, numbers, or formulas here. When you press ENTER, it will appear in the active cell.

entry bar

formula A calculation entered into a

spreadsheet It always starts with an

equal sign!formula

copyright

piracy•The illegal use, copying, and sale of software

•Most software products instruct the user that only one copy of the product may be installed on a system at any given time

netiquette•The set of manners and rules of conduct for Internet users

hacker

• a person who illegally gains access to another person’s computer information - an unauthorized user

spam•Unwanted email - often rude

•Can include advertising

cookie•A small file on your computer that has information and identification allowing you faster access to a website

button bar•Pressing a button on the button bar gives access to menu commands and tools

Press to underline selected text.

Press to spell check.

Press to print.

show/hide toolsClick on the red toolbox to show the tool bar.

Click on the red toolbox again to hide the tool bar.

database•A computer application that

you use to store, sort, and search information

dataValues stored in a database

data

record A set of fields Contains information about

one thing

record

field The smallest unit of

information in a database A record is made up of fields

field

sort Sorting data in the

database based on certain criteria

report Generating a printed report

that contains certain predefined criteria

title bar

• Located at the top of a window

• The name of the program is here

That’s the title bar!! The blue one.

minimize button

• Click on this to make the window shrink and rest on the dock

That’s the minimize button!

maximize button

• Click on this to increase the size of a window to its full size.

That’s the maximize button!

close button

• Click on this to close (exit) a window

That’s the close button! The red one with the X.

LAN

• A Local Area Network (LAN) is a network where computers are located in the same building.

WAN

• A Wide Area Network (WAN) is a network where computers are located in different buildings.

• The internet is a WAN

landscape

• A way of printing so that the text appears the wide way on the paper.

• FILE>PAGE SETUP>ORIENTATION

portrait

• A way of printing so that the text appears the tall way on the paper.

• FILE>PAGE SETUP>ORIENTATION

alignmentAKA: justification

•The arrangement of text in relationship to the margin.

Left alignment means that text is lined up along the LEFT margin. Right alignment lines up

text along the RIGHT margin.

Centered alignment means that text is aligned around a MIDPOINT.

Justified alignment means that text lines up along BOTH margins.

file• Information stored as an organized

series of bits so it can be recognized by computer software.

• Not all files can be used by all software.

• Different types of files store different types of information. For example, program files store programs, whereas text files store text.

document

• A wordprocessing file That is a document!

format

• The layout or appearance of a document

• Includes margins, alignment, font, point size, etc.

clip art• Illustrations that can be inserted

into a document

• HOW TO INSERT CLIP ART: 1. (FILE>SHOW CLIPPINGS) -OR- (apple+2) 2. Type in the name of the item you are looking for 3. When the item appears, double click on it and it will appear on your page.

**To resize clipart proportionately hold the shift key while you are resizing.

supercomputer• Fastest, most powerful type of

computer• Supercomputing means "mass

computing at ultra high speed." • Used for weather maps,

construction of atom bombs, finding oil, earthquake prediction, and sciences where a lot of calculations must be done.

mainframe• Large, high power, expensive

computer• Used in large organizations or

companies• A typical mainframe from IBM weighs

between 1 and 2 tons. • The ENIAC and Mark I are two of the

first mainframe computers.

minicomputer• Multiuser computer with a size

and processing power between those of a microcomputer and a mainframe

• Minicomputers are often used in medium-sized businesses and in university departments

microcomputer• Small desktop or portable computer• Typically designed to be used by one

person at a time, although individual computers can be linked in a network so that users can share data and programs

• Microcomputers are the smallest of the four types of computers (the others are minicomputer, mainframe, and supercomputer.

bug•An error or defect in software or hardware that causes a program to malfunction

virus•A program that makes that computer

follow the wrong set of instructions• It is loaded onto your computer

without your knowledge and runs against your wishes

•They are manmade and can make copies of themselves

anti-virus program

•Software that monitors the computer for viruses by looking for irregularities in the system

worm•A program that replicates itself over a computer network and usually performs malicious actions such as using up the computer’s resources and possibly shutting the system down

freeware and

shareware•Copyrighted software distributed on a free-will donation

•Can usually be found on the Internet or passed along from person to person

hacking•Illegally entering a computer system without permission

Memory

Motherboard

Multimedia

Surge Protector

Laptop

RAM

ROM

Bit

telecommunicating

• Transmitting and receiving computer data over telephone lines by using a computer

LAN - Local Area Network

•A network where the computers are all located in the same building

WAN – Wide Area Network

•A network where the computers are all located in different buildings

email•Electronic messages•Mail sent over the internet

chat•An electronic conversation

Surfing the Web

•Moving from one website to another

client•A computer accessing the Internet