Hardware

• QWERTY refers to the first 5 keys on the top left-hand side of a keyboard.
• Specialized Input devices include Joysticks, Game controllers and steering wheels.
• A Scanner is a device which works by converting a hardcopy of a document into a digital format.
• Magnetic Stripe readers have information encoded on the magnetic stripe of the card.
• RFIDs are tiny devices that store relevant data for an object. It can then be scanned and the data extracted.
• A Monitor is an electronic device used to display the output of a computer.
• LCD Monitors uses liquid crystals working with electricity to line the crystals up in the pattern of the image required. They use less electricity and weigh less as well.
• The two types of Non-Impact Printers are Inkjet and Laser printers.
• Inkjet Printers work with INK which is sprayed onto the page via Ink Cartridges.
• Laser Printers works in a similar way to a photocopy machine. They have a large magnetic drum which rotates. This drum is connected to the computer and receives the data of what image needs to be reproduced. The ink then magnetically attached to the drum according to the image produced on its surface.
• VGA cables only transmit VIDEO
• HDMI cables transmit video and audio signals
• A Hard Disk Drive consists of a set of 2/3 circular, spinning magnetic disks called platters upon which data is written.
• A Memory card is an example of electronic flash memory data storage and is commonly used for storing digital information.
• A Memory Card Reader is a device for reading data on a memory card. Multi Card readers are preferred when you need to read more than one type of flash memory.
• A motherboard is a piece of plastic upon which all the different chips and devices are mounted. Every input and output device need to be, in some way, connected to the motherboard.
• The CPU is the "brain" of the computer. It is responsible for converting data to information. it controls all the hardware devices, software programs and all operations of the computer.
• Modern CPUs have more than one controlling chip inside and are faster as a result. Examples include Dual Core, and Quad Core.
• The speed of the CPU is crucial to your computer operating faster. We measure the speed of the CPU in a unit of frequency called Hertz(Hz). This refers to how many processes can be done in a second. Modern computers run at speeds of 3GHz and above.
• ROM is a chip soldered onto the motherboard and stores information that is needed by the computer on a permanent basis such as the devices loaded on the computer.
• The BIOS chip stores information that is needed when the computer is switched on(booted) and controls how the computer switches on, when tasks are performed and helps the CPU control the other devices connected to the computer.
• The Power Supply Unit is used to convert the electricity from the wall socket down to voltage needed by the motherboard. It also supplies electricity to the other devices not directly powered from the motherboard.
• RAM is Volatile. This means that it changes when the power is switched off.
• Storage is Non-Volatile as it keeps its contents at all times.
• Green Computing is a term used to describe using computers in a way that is sensitive to the
• Electronic Waste refers to outdated or broken electronic equipment such as computer equipment and cell phones that get dumped.
• General Purpose Computers are computing devices which can run many different types of applications that can perform a wide variety of tasks.
• All-in-One computers are ones in which the "box" and the screen come as a single unit
• A Smartphone is a multi-purpose computing device that can also be used as a phone.
• Smartphones have their own operating system and can have applications(apps) installed to increase their usefulness.
• Dedicated devices perform only 1 task. They also have software and processors.
• Pointing Devices are used to move the pointer or cursor on the screen, enabling you to see and interact with the contents of the screen.
• Touchpads are pressure sensitive surfaces built into laptops.
• Touch Screens are also termed multi-touch as they allow for 2 or more fingers to be detected and used on the screen at one time.
• The Accelerometer detects movement. it allows a device to change the orientation of the screen and to act as a game controller.
• Storing something "in the cloud" means that you are uploading data to an internet-connected computer. This also allows you to be able to access that data from any computer in the world as long as you have an Internet Connection.
• RFID uses small radio devices to store and transmit data. This chip works over a short range and only starts transmitting the data when it is picked up by a reader.
• Optical Mark Recognition(OMR) is a technology that uses a laser beam to read information from a printed page.
• Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) is a technology that uses a magnetic ink to encode data on paper.
• Opitical Character Recognition(OCR) is the process of converting a scanned image of text into a form that can be processed by a computer.