computer- an electronic device that accepts data, performs computations & make logical decisions to produe information in a form useful to humans.
General purpose computers- computers where borth computation and input/output processing capabilties support a wide array of applications.
Information- data in a form that humans can understand & use.
information/data processing- the process of sharing information between humans & computers. It includes sorting, classifying, calculating, summarizing, & comparing data.
information utilities- business or universitiesthat use large computers to store huge amounts of information aobut many subjects & make it available to the public.
application prgram- program that instructs the computer to perfom a specific user- defined task.
computer system- a combination of hardwar & software that interacts to accomplish a task.
harware- the tangible, physical equitment fo a computer, which includes input, processing, storage, & output devices. input- data that enters the computer system via an input or storage device.
input device- a hardware device that enables the computer to accept data.
microminiaturization- the ongoing technological process of size reduction that has enabled an entire microprocessor to occupy the space of a tiny chip.
output- data that leaves the computer system via any output device.
output device- a hardware device that reports information in an understandable form.
processing- activity whith in the computer processor where deatiled instructions, called software programs tell the computerwhat to do to produce the desiried information.
processor- a hardware device that processes data into meaningful information.
program- a series fo detailed, step-by-step instructions that tell the computer what to do.
raw data- data fed into the computer for processing.
software- the nonphysical electronic instructions that tell a computer what to do; software includes system & application programs
souce documents- paper forms on which data may be written before being entered into the computer.
system program- a program that controls the computer's circuity & hardware devices.
information superhighway- a global network of computers that provides access through digital, voice, & video communication to information resources anywhere in the world.
megahertz- on million cycles, or pulses, per second; this measurement is used to state the internal clock speed of the computer.
local area network- computer networks limited to a small area such as a school of an office building & generally connected with cables.
internet- the worlds largest wide area network. Begun by the U.S. defense department, it is how worldwide & includes governmental, educational, commerical, & personal compuers.

My WPM is 20 words per minute.