CPU - Central Processing Unit. The brains of the computer

Motherboard - This houses all the components of the computer

Hard Disk - Contains all the information you save

RAM - Random Access Memory - This is used to temporarily store information

Video Card - Used to send information from the CPU to your monitor

Sound Card - Used to gather information from the cpu and convert it into a sound humans can hear.

Hz - Hertz. Unit used to measure speed in terms of computers.

Byte - Used to measure capacity in computers. 8 bits make a byte.

Modem - This device is used so that you can connect to the internet. It uses your phone line to communicate with other computers.

ISP - Internet Service Provider. Simply a company with a large computer with a number of phone lines, allows you to connect to their computer and through that connect to the internet.

Software - Software is the programs that you install onto your computer through some sort of storage device, being cd-rom or floppy disk

. Hardware - Hardware is the electronic components stored inside your computer case, they run all operations of the computer.

OS - Operating System. This is the program that runs your whole computer.

Voodoo - The 3d gaming graphics standard.

DVD - The new alternative to cd-roms. They hold 6 times the amount of data that a cdrom can hold!

IDE - The standard which hardware devices run off.

SCSI - Improved version of IDE, which is faster.

Pentium - A CPU made by intel, used widely as a speed standard.

USB - Universal Serial Bus. Newer method allowing the CPU to access hardware at a faster rate.

BIOS - Basic Input Output System. This is hardcoded software written to boot the computer up and recognize hardware.

HUB - A device allowing many computers to be connected to one super computer.

KBPS - KiloBytes per second. Speed standard used to measure access to the internet.

FTP - File Transfer Protocol. Faster means of downloading files from the web.

PCI - Peripheral Components Interconnect. A standard which harware abides by.

AGP - Advanced Graphics Port. Faster version of PCI, mainly used for video cards.

BUS - Wiring used to connect hardware to the CPU.

ISA - Early version of PCI. Not used anymore by modern machines.

COM Port - A means of communication between external devices to the computer, such as your mouse.

PS/2 - An alternative to COM, faster than COM. Used maily for keyboards and mice.

LPT - Parallel Port. Also used to connect external devices to the computer. Mainly used for printers and scanners.