Computer Technology Vocabulary for NOCTI Exam Study Questions and Answers 2024

Computer - A device that accepts input, processes data, stores data, and produces output, all according to a series of stored instructions Hardware - The physical electronic and mechanical parts of a computer and its peripheral devices Software - Specific instructions telling the computer how to accomplish specific tasks; programs, applications Input - Information/commands entered in to a computer Output - Information that is exited from the computer Input Device - A device used to insert data into a computer; keyboard, mouse, microphone Output device - A hardware component that allows the user to view, hear, or touch the information resulting from the computer's processes Peripheral Device - Any input, output, and/or secondary storage devices that plugs into a computer; keyboard, monitor, flash drive Storage Device - A hardware component that is used to store/save data, information, and instructions long-term Auxiliary Storage Device - Additional storage that is added to a basic computer system; network drives, flash drives, cloud storage (Google Drive/iCloud) Supercomputer - The most powerful computer that contain extremely fast processors; capable of performing complex actions; processes data for millions of users Mainframe - An expensive and large computer that can execute multiple tasks at one time at very high speeds; designed to have hundreds of users Mini-computer - A multi-user computer that is designed to perform specific and/or repetitive tasks; usually has fewer than 100 users Server - A computer specifically designed to serve many different computers in a network by running specialized software and managing information File Server - A computer used to store data and software that is shared by several users; used by networks (especially social networks) Workstation - A high-end desktop computer with massive computing power; less expensive than a minicomputer; the most powerful desktop computers Personal Computer - A stationary/mobile computer with average capacity and processing power designed to be used by one person at a time Portable Electronic Device - A small handheld computer; includes smartphones, tablets, smart watches, and game consoles Data - Information that can be read, used, and manipulated by a computer Bit - A binary digit; a 0 or a 1; the smallest amount of data a computer can process/store Byte - Approximately 8 bits of processed data/storage space on a computer; one character on a computer Kilobyte - (KB) Approximately 1,000 bytes of processed data/storage space on a computer Megabyte - (MB) Approximately 1,000 kilobytes or 1 million bytes of processed data/storage space on a computer Gigabyte - (GB) Approximately 1,000 megabytes or 1 billion bytes of processed data/storage space on a computer Terabyte - (TB) Approximately 1 million megabytes or 1 trillion bytes of processed data/storage space on a computer Drive - A location on a network/in a computer that is set aside for the collection/storage of data Hard Drive - The main storage device in a computer Flash Drive - A small/portable version of a standard hard drive Backup - To create a duplicate copy of a file, disk, or drive CD-ROM - A compact disk with read only memory; an optical disk that contains data that cannot be changed CD-R - A compact disk that is recordable; an optical disk on which you can burn information but cannot erase it