CAT Terminology and Definitions Kirsten Rodrigues
➢ After-sales service: Any service that is provided after a product has been bought. This
involves guarantee, warranty, training, upgrades, and repairs.
➢ AGP: (accelerated graphic port) is an expansion slot that is for graphic cards.
➢ Bargain prices: Prices that cost less than the standard price. Therefore, people can buy
computers for less that still operate properly and have good specifications.
➢ Battery: Supplies power to a device without the need of a power cable. Batteries allow
for devices to be mobile as batteries do not need a power source as they are the power
source.
➢ Blog: A website that is up to date with news or events in chronological order.
➢ Card reader: A input device that can read data off cards that are embedded with a
magnetic strip, barcode, or computer chip.
➢ Clone: A piece of hardware that is designed and functions the exact way as another
piece of hardware.
➢ Communal computing: A community will share their computing resources by being
provided with low-cost computers with internet access.
➢ Cookies: A small text file created by a website that is stored on user’s computers/
devices permanently or temporarily.
➢ Cooling: The removal of lots of heat by introducing a heatsink and fans.
➢ CPU: Runs the operations of the computer by receiving input and giving out instructions.
This is the main component of a computer that identifies instructions.
➢ DDR DRAM: (double data rate dynamic random-access memory) is a type of computer
memory that transfers data at a faster rate (twice as fast).
➢ Decryption: The use of codes or keys to unlock data so it can be read/ understood by
you or a computer.
➢ Digital camera: Hardware that takes photographs in a digital format and stores them on
a memory card. A digital camera makes it easy to transfer images to a computer and
uses digital optical components to pick up on the intensity and colour of light.
➢ DIMM: (dual in line memory module or a RAM stick) Has multiple DRAM integrated
circuits.
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, CAT Terminology and Definitions Kirsten Rodrigues
➢ Disk Clean Up: Software that removes files and folders from the recycle bin and
removes temporary files to clear up space on the hard drive which increases the
processing rate.
➢ Dongle: Can provide security for certain software (prevents software piracy) or act as an
adapter (allows you to connect to the internet by providing the device with WIFI)
➢ Driver: Allows operating system to communicate with hardware.
➢ Dual core processor: A CPU that has 2 processors therefore can process information
twice as fast.
➢ Encryption: Encode data for security purposes.
➢ Entry level: The cheapest models to purchase. The hardware specifications are very low.
➢ Expansion cards: Adds more functionality to the computer and is inserted into the
expansion slot on the motherboard.
➢ Firewall: Hardware/software that restricts unwanted access to a network by other
computers.
➢ Flash memory: Commonly used to store BIOS settings in ROM. It is an electrically
erasable program.
➢ Front side bus: Also referred to a system bus as it connects the CPU to the RAM and
other components of a motherboard.
➢
➢ Gateway: A device used to connect 2 different networks.
➢ Gigahertz (GHz): The speed in which a CPU is measured.
➢ Hard disk drive: Non-volatile hardware that stores your data.
➢ Heatsink: Moves heat made from the device therefore keeping cool.
➢ Intranet: An organization’s private network.
➢ Joystick: An input device that is used as a controller in video games. It can also be useful
to disabled users.
➢ Keyboard (wireless and cable): A primary input device that allows for a user to type
input (numbers and text) usually with the QWERTY format. A cabled keyboard needs to
Page 2 of 6
➢ After-sales service: Any service that is provided after a product has been bought. This
involves guarantee, warranty, training, upgrades, and repairs.
➢ AGP: (accelerated graphic port) is an expansion slot that is for graphic cards.
➢ Bargain prices: Prices that cost less than the standard price. Therefore, people can buy
computers for less that still operate properly and have good specifications.
➢ Battery: Supplies power to a device without the need of a power cable. Batteries allow
for devices to be mobile as batteries do not need a power source as they are the power
source.
➢ Blog: A website that is up to date with news or events in chronological order.
➢ Card reader: A input device that can read data off cards that are embedded with a
magnetic strip, barcode, or computer chip.
➢ Clone: A piece of hardware that is designed and functions the exact way as another
piece of hardware.
➢ Communal computing: A community will share their computing resources by being
provided with low-cost computers with internet access.
➢ Cookies: A small text file created by a website that is stored on user’s computers/
devices permanently or temporarily.
➢ Cooling: The removal of lots of heat by introducing a heatsink and fans.
➢ CPU: Runs the operations of the computer by receiving input and giving out instructions.
This is the main component of a computer that identifies instructions.
➢ DDR DRAM: (double data rate dynamic random-access memory) is a type of computer
memory that transfers data at a faster rate (twice as fast).
➢ Decryption: The use of codes or keys to unlock data so it can be read/ understood by
you or a computer.
➢ Digital camera: Hardware that takes photographs in a digital format and stores them on
a memory card. A digital camera makes it easy to transfer images to a computer and
uses digital optical components to pick up on the intensity and colour of light.
➢ DIMM: (dual in line memory module or a RAM stick) Has multiple DRAM integrated
circuits.
Page 1 of 6
, CAT Terminology and Definitions Kirsten Rodrigues
➢ Disk Clean Up: Software that removes files and folders from the recycle bin and
removes temporary files to clear up space on the hard drive which increases the
processing rate.
➢ Dongle: Can provide security for certain software (prevents software piracy) or act as an
adapter (allows you to connect to the internet by providing the device with WIFI)
➢ Driver: Allows operating system to communicate with hardware.
➢ Dual core processor: A CPU that has 2 processors therefore can process information
twice as fast.
➢ Encryption: Encode data for security purposes.
➢ Entry level: The cheapest models to purchase. The hardware specifications are very low.
➢ Expansion cards: Adds more functionality to the computer and is inserted into the
expansion slot on the motherboard.
➢ Firewall: Hardware/software that restricts unwanted access to a network by other
computers.
➢ Flash memory: Commonly used to store BIOS settings in ROM. It is an electrically
erasable program.
➢ Front side bus: Also referred to a system bus as it connects the CPU to the RAM and
other components of a motherboard.
➢
➢ Gateway: A device used to connect 2 different networks.
➢ Gigahertz (GHz): The speed in which a CPU is measured.
➢ Hard disk drive: Non-volatile hardware that stores your data.
➢ Heatsink: Moves heat made from the device therefore keeping cool.
➢ Intranet: An organization’s private network.
➢ Joystick: An input device that is used as a controller in video games. It can also be useful
to disabled users.
➢ Keyboard (wireless and cable): A primary input device that allows for a user to type
input (numbers and text) usually with the QWERTY format. A cabled keyboard needs to
Page 2 of 6
