CIS 105 Survey of Computer Information Systems

1
CIS 105 Survey of Computer Information Systems

• Essential Concepts and Terminology
• Study Unit 4

CIS 105 Concepts and Terminology Unit 4
2
Four Types of Input

• Software transfers from storage to memory, data,
  commands, and responses.

3
Keyboard.

• An arrangement of letter, number, and special
  function keys that acts as the primary input
  device to a computer.

4
Autorepeat.

• The keyboard function of entering multiple copies
  of of a character when a key is held down.

5
Dialog Box.

• An on-screen window that provides options
  associated with a command. A type of window that
  provides for input of information needed by the
  computer.

6
Enhanced Keyboard.

• The typical PC keyboard with 101 key. The
  equivalent Macintosh keyboard is called the
  extended keyboard.

7
Cordless Keyboard.

• Battery-powered keyboards that send signals with
  infrared or radio waves, also called "wireless
  keyboards."

8
Cursor-Movement Keys.

• Keys used to move the cursor (insertion point) in
  a document, including the arrow, the end, home,
  page up, and page down keys.

9
Numeric Keypad.

• A calculator-style input device for entering
  numbers and arithmetic symbols, part of the
  extended computer keyboard used enter numerical
  data quickly.

10
Toggle Key.

• A key, such as the "caps lock" or "num lock"
  keys, that switches a device back and forth
  between two modes.

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Function Keys.

• The keys numbered Fl through F12, located at the
  top of the computer keyboard, that activate
  program-specific commands. F1 is often used for
  Help.

12
Escape Key.

• A key labeled "esc" with program specific
  functions, generally used to interrupt or cancel
  an operation.

13
Modifier Keys.

• Keys that, while they are held down, modify the
  meaning and input of other pressed key. The
  "alt" and "ctrl" keys on PCs and the control and
  command (apple) keys on Macintosh computers.

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Diacritical Marks.

• Marks added to letters or symbols to distinguish
  it in some way, often indicating pronunciation.

15
Dead Key.

• A type of keyboard shortcut used to modify the
  following character, such as adding diacritical
  marks.

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Mouse.

• A palm-sized input device that allows the user to
  manipulate objects on the screen by mirroring
  movements on a surface.

17
Pointing Device.

• The device, typically a mouse or touchpad, that
  provides control of the on-screen pointer.

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Trackball.

• A pointing device consisting of a ball that is
  rotated to move the pointer on the computer
  screen.

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Touchpad.

• A pressure-sensitive input device used to control
  the on-screen pointer by moving the fingertips
  over the pad's surface.

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Joystick.

• An input device with a vertical lever moved to
  control pointing devices or on-screen objects.

21
Sound Card.

• A circuit board that gives a computer the ability
  to accept audio input and produce audio output.

22
Data Compression.

• The process of making a data file more compact.
  Image compression typically removes repetition or
  utilizes averaging. Text documents are
  compressed using abbreviations.

23
MPEG.

• A highly compressed file format for digital video
  and audio files. MPEG is short for "Moving
  Pictures Expert Group."

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Pixel.

• Short for picture element, a pixel is the
  smallest unit in a graphic image. Computer
  display devices use a matrix of pixels to display
  text and graphics, typically 72 pixels or dots
  per inch (dpi).

25
Charge-Coupled Device.

• A photosensitive computer chip that transforms
  light patterns into digital data.

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Download.

• The process of transferring a copy of a file from
  a remote computer to a computer's drive.

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Video Capture Card.

• Computer circuitry that transforms analog video
  into a digital video file, typically using
  on-the-fly data compression.

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Scanner.

• A charge-coupled device for digitizing images.

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Resolution.

• The density of the grid used to display or print
  text and graphics. The greater the horizontal and
  vertical density, the higher the resolution.

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Bit Depth.

• The number of bits used to represent a pixel.

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Optical Character Recognition (OCR).

• The process of converting images of text into
  digital text files.

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Facsimile Machine (FAX).

• A device that transmits scanned images of
  documents via telephone lines.

33
Frame Rate.

• In video output, the number of still images
  displayed per second.

34
Graphics Card.

• A computer circuit board to handle the display of
  text, graphics, animation, and videos. Also
  called a video card, video adapter, or display
  adapter. The video adapter determines the
  display quality.

35
Video Memory (VRAM).

• Memory located on a graphics card that store
  images as they are processed, accelerating
  processing by freeing RAM and the CPU to perform
  other tasks.

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Video Graphics Adapter (VGA) Standard.

• The 640 x 480 color graphic display standard.
  Super VGA is the 1024 x 768 standard.

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Color Depth.

• The number of colors that can be displayed at one
  time. Bit depth determines the range of possible
  colors. For example, an 8-bit color depth can
  create 256 colors, and a 24-bit depth displays
  16.7 million colors.

38
Refresh Rate.

• The update frequency rate of a display, measured
  in cycles per second.

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Monitor.

• An output device that displays an image by
  converting electrical signals into points of
  light.

40
Cathode Ray Tube (CRT).

• A display technology using a vacuum tube, similar
  to a television set. CRT technology used an
  electron stream and a phosphorescent screen.

41
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD).

• Flat panel computer display in which light passes
  through a thin layer of liquid crystal cells to
  produce an image.

42
Dot Pitch.

• A measure of image clarity, the diagonal distance
  between dots on a display, measured in
  millimeters.

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Multiscan Monitor.

• A monitor designed to adjust its refresh rate to
  the video adapter output rate.

44
Ink Jet Printer.

• A non-impact printer that creates imagery
  composed of tiny dots by spraying liquid ink.

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Laser Printer.

• A printer that uses laser-based technology,
  creating electrical charges on a rotating drum to
  attract toner. The toner is fused to paper
  using a heat process.

46
Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI).

• Text file standards to encode and transmit sound
  and music. FM synthesis is the older standard,
  and wavetable is the newer, higher-quality
  standard.

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End of Study Unit 4.

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CIS 105 Concepts and Terminology Unit 4
Created by James Q. Jacobs