{"id":192,"date":"2020-11-27T14:43:30","date_gmt":"2020-11-27T19:43:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/computerstudies\/chapter\/basic-computer-terminologies-and-acronyms\/"},"modified":"2022-07-25T14:44:33","modified_gmt":"2022-07-25T18:44:33","slug":"basic-computer-terminologies-and-acronyms","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/computerstudies\/chapter\/basic-computer-terminologies-and-acronyms\/","title":{"raw":"Topic C: Basic computer terminologies and acronyms","rendered":"Topic C: Basic computer terminologies and acronyms"},"content":{"raw":"

Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.<\/p>\r\nhttps:\/\/media.bccampus.ca\/id\/0_1i5zn5hs?width=608&height=70&playerId=23449753\r\n

Basic Internet Terms and Acronyms<\/h1>\r\n[pb_glossary id=\"431\"]Internet[\/pb_glossary] - A globally connected massive computer network system.\r\n\r\n[pb_glossary id=\"461\"]World Wide Web (WWW or the web)[\/pb_glossary] - A system of Internet servers that is made from millions of interlinked websites and web pages.\r\n\r\n[pb_glossary id=\"506\"]Firewall[\/pb_glossary] - A network security device designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a network.\r\n\r\n\"A\r\n\r\n[pb_glossary id=\"476\"]Router[\/pb_glossary] - A device that transfers data between computer networks to provide access to the Internet.\r\n\r\n[pb_glossary id=\"498\"]ISP (Internet Service Provider)[\/pb_glossary] - A company that provides Internet service to customers.\r\n\r\n[pb_glossary id=\"500\"]HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)[\/pb_glossary] - A set of rules (a protocol) for transferring and accessing data using the web.\r\n\r\n[pb_glossary id=\"396\"]URL (Uniform Resource Locator)[\/pb_glossary] - A web address of a specific web page or file on the Internet. An example is https:\/\/www.princegeorgecitizen.com.\r\n\r\n[pb_glossary id=\"499\"]IP (Internet Protocol)[\/pb_glossary] - A set of rules (a protocol) for sending data from one computer to another on the Internet. Each computer has a unique IP address that distinguishes it from all other computers on the Internet.\r\n\r\n[pb_glossary id=\"503\"]FTP (File Transfer Protocol)[\/pb_glossary] - A set of rules (a protocol) for transferring files between computers over the Internet.\r\n\r\n[pb_glossary id=\"410\"]Cookie[\/pb_glossary] - A small text file stored in a user's computer by a website that the user has visited so that it can remember something about the user at a later time. For example, cookies are used for online shopping. Without cookies, login information would have to be entered before every product was added to the shopping cart.\r\n\r\n[pb_glossary id=\"494\"]Link (hyperlink)[\/pb_glossary] - A word, phrase, image, etc., within a file or web page that a user can click on to jump to another document, section of the same document, or web page.\r\n

Basic Computer Terms and Acronyms<\/h1>\r\n[pb_glossary id=\"430\"]PC (Personal Computer)[\/pb_glossary] - a small computer designed for use by a single user at a time.\r\n\r\n[pb_glossary id=\"493\"]Mac (Macintosh)[\/pb_glossary] - a type of personal computer made by Apple Inc. It runs a version of the macOS (Apple's operating system, pronounced \"mack-oh-ess\").\r\n\r\n\"A\r\n\r\n[pb_glossary id=\"443\"]OS (Operating System)[\/pb_glossary] - a powerful program that controls and coordinates a computer's hardware devices and runs software and applications. Examples includes Windows, Android, OS X, and Linux.\r\n\r\n[pb_glossary id=\"481\"]Reboot[\/pb_glossary] - to shut down and restart a computer, allowing its operating system and programs to be reloaded.\r\n\r\n[pb_glossary id=\"429\"]CPU (Central Processing Unit)[\/pb_glossary] - the brain or engine of a computer, where most of the processing and operations take place.\r\n\r\n\"A\r\n\r\n[pb_glossary id=\"482\"]RAM (Random-Access Memory)[\/pb_glossary] - a type of data storage (memory element) used in computers that temporarily stores programs and data. RAM is a kind of volatile memory, meaning its contents are lost when the computer is turned off.\r\n\r\n\"A\r\n\r\n[pb_glossary id=\"479\"]ROM (read-only memory)[\/pb_glossary] - A type of data storage used in computers that permanently stores data and programs. ROM is a kind of non-volatile memory, meaning its contents are retained even when the computer is turned off.\r\n\r\n\"A\r\n

Bits and Bytes<\/h1>\r\n\"Rows\r\n\r\n[pb_glossary id=\"522\"]Bit (Binary Digit)[\/pb_glossary] - the smallest, most basic unit of measurement for computer data storage, represented as either a 0 or a 1. One byte is equal to 8 bits.\r\n\r\n[pb_glossary id=\"517\"]Byte (Binary Term)[\/pb_glossary] - a unit of measurement for data storage. One byte is equal to 8 bits.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Data Storage Units and Their Properties<\/caption>\r\n
Data Storage Unit<\/th>\r\nSymbol<\/th>\r\nPower of 10<\/th>\r\nOne Unit Equals<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Byte<\/td>\r\nB<\/td>\r\n101<\/sup><\/td>\r\n8 bits<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Kilobyte<\/td>\r\nkB<\/td>\r\n103<\/sup><\/td>\r\n1024 B<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Megabyte<\/td>\r\nMB<\/td>\r\n106<\/sup><\/td>\r\n1024 kB<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Gigabyte<\/td>\r\nGB<\/td>\r\n109<\/sup><\/td>\r\n1024 MB<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Terabyte<\/td>\r\nTB<\/td>\r\n1012<\/sup><\/td>\r\n1024 GB<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Petabyte<\/td>\r\nPB<\/td>\r\n1015<\/sup><\/td>\r\n1024 TB<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>","rendered":"

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