SJH Computing

About SJH Computing - Jargon

The world of computing can be a confusing place. We at SJH Computing have put together a simple jargon buster to help you understand some basic aspects of the world of computing.

Anti-virus: Anti-virus software provides you with extra security from computer viruses.

Broadband: Broadband is a method of connecting to the internet. Broadband enables large amounts of data to be transferred at faster speeds than dial-up.

Browser: A browser is a computer program that enables you to read hypertext documents over the Internet.

Computer Programs: Computer programs contains a set of instructions for your computer to follow. A computer program does not run its instructions unless executed by the CPU.

CPU: The CPU or processor, is the brains behind your computer. The CPU is responsible for executing your computer programs.

Dial-up: Dial-up is a way to connect to the Internet using a telephone line and a modem.

Email: Email is the exchange of electronic mail between users around the world.

Firewall: Firewalls provide extra security which protects your computer from unauthorised access by crackers.

Graphics Card: A Graphics Card, also known as a video card, is a component which generates and outputs images to a display.

Hacker: Hackers are people who enjoy exploring and learning about computer systems. They are often confused with crackers, who often break into computer systems to steal information and cause as much trouble as possible.

Hard Drive: The Hard Drive stores your data on your computer. Unlike RAM memory, when power is lost, the data remains intact.

Hypertext: A piece of text or image, that when clicked takes you another web page.

Internet: The Internet is a network of networks around the world. The Internet is responsible for data communication.

IP address: An IP address is a unique numerical number assigned to devices connected to a network.

Memory: The main type of memory inside your computer is RAM. Ram (random access memory) stores data temporarily in your computer. When the computer is switched off, the data is lot/erased from the RAM.

Modem: A modem is a device that allows computers to send and receive data over telephone lines.

Motherboard: The motherboard is a circuit board, which provides a way for your devices to communicate with each other.

Network: A Network is when two or more computers are connected together to share resources and information.

Router: A router is a device that allows two or more networks to be connected together so data can be transferred between them.

Server: Is a powerful computer system on a network that stores data and also responsible for resource management.

Sound Card: A Sound Card is a component which generates and outputs audio/sound to a set of speakers

Switch: A device that networks two or more computers together.

URL: URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is a way to locate a file/website over the Internet. For instance, the URL for SJH Computing is http://www.sjhcomputing.co.uk

USB: USB (Universal Serial Bus) is a way to connect different devices, such as digital cameras to your computer.

Virus: A computer virus is a program that is designed to cause damage to your computer.

Web page: Is a document hosted on the Internet, which when combined with other web pages creates a web site.

World Wide Web: The World Wide Web is a collection of interlinked hypertext documents which is accessed via the Internet.