G12 IT Hardware & Software

• Laptop: A portable computer with a built-in screen keyboard and touchpad and a battery to power the device when away from a fixed power source.
• Convergence: The process of integrating different technologies into a single device or platform.
• E-reader: An electronic device designed specifically for reading digital books magazines and newspapers.
• Central Processing Unit the main processing chip in a computer that executes instructions and performs calculations.
• GHz: a unit of frequency that measures the number of cycles per second often used to describe the clock speed of a CPU.
• A multi-core CPU contains two or more cores that can run simultaneously.
• Cores: A single processing unit within a CPU.
• Memory: A type of computer data storage that holds information temporarily while a computer is running often referred to as RAM.
• Cache: A small amount of memory that is used to store frequently accessed data to speed up processing.
• Solid-State Drive a type of data storage device that uses flash memory to store and retrieve data electronically offering faster performance than traditional HDDs.
• Hard Disk Drive a type of data storage device that uses magnetic storage to store and retrieve data.
• Graphics Processing Unit a specialized processor designed to handle complex graphical calculations and rendering typically used in computers and gaming consoles.
• Bus: A set of electrical paths etched on a motherboard used to transfer data between different parts.
• Personal User: An individual who uses a computer for personal tasks such as browsing the web writing documents and emailing.
• Small Office/Home Office user an individual who uses a computer for business purposes and often operates a small business from home.
• Power User: An individual who need high end computer specifications for demanding tasks such as video editing 3D rendering or gaming.
• Entry Level: Refers to the most basic and inexpensive models in a product line typically intended for beginners or budget-conscious users.
• E-Book: Electronic version of a book read by using an e-reader or other e-book software.
• Smartwatch: A watch that offers additional computing power and sensors and can interface with a computing device.
• Cloud computing: The delivery of on-demand computing services over the internet including servers storage applications and other resources that can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection.
• Subscription fee: A payment model where users pay a recurring fee to access a service or product for a specified period such as monthly or yearly.
• Online storage: A type of data storage that allows users to store and access data over the internet from remote servers rather than on local storage devices.
• File syncing: The process of automatically synchronizing files and data across multiple devices or platforms ensuring that the latest version of a file is available on all devices.
• Backups: A copy of data or files made in case the original data or files are lost damaged or destroyed.
• Media repositories: A centralized location where multimedia files such as images videos and audio files are stored and managed and can be continuously accessed online.
• Cloud application: Software that is accessed over the internet through a web browser or a specialized application which runs on remote servers rather than on local computers or devices.
• Software as a Service is a cloud computing model where users can rent software instead of buying a license to use it forever. Pay a subscription fee to access the latest version of the software.
• Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) is a type of online game where a large number of players can interact with each other in a virtual world often with a focus on role-playing and character development.
• Virtualisation: The creation of a virtual version of something such as an operating system a storage device a server or a network.
• Service Level Agreement: A contract between a service provider and a customer that defines the level of service and support that will be provided including uptime guarantees response times and performance metrics.
• Scalability: The ability of a system or application to handle increased workload or demand either by adding more resources or by optimizing the use of existing resources.
• Ubiquity: The state of being everywhere or being available everywhere often used to describe technology that is widely available and accessible.
• Outsource hardware: The practice of using third-party vendors to provide and manage hardware infrastructure such as servers storage and networking equipment.
• Outsource software: The practice of using third-party vendors to provide and manage software applications such as customer relationship management (CRM) enterprise resource planning (ERP) or payroll systems.
• Virtual memory: An area of storage or disk space that the operating system uses as additional RAM.
• Virtualisation: Splitting the resources of a very powerful machine between multiple virtual machines each with it's own allocation of an operating system storage RAM and processor power.
• Virus: A computer program that can replicate itself and infect other computers. It can cause harm to the system by deleting or altering files and it can also spread to other computers through various means.
• Antivirus: A software program that is designed to detect prevent and remove viruses and other malicious software from a computer system.
• Firewall: A security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic. It can be hardware or software-based and is designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a network. It helps to protect the system from cyberattacks and other security threats.
• Update: A software patch or a new version of software that is released to fix bugs or security vulnerabilities improve performance or add new features to the software.