Home and Earth

Where We Live and Grow

A Tips and Information Site For Making Our Home and Earth A Better Place To Live

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CD

(Compact Disc) A compact disc is used to store music and computer data. Compact discs are read-only, which means that once the data has been recorded onto them, they can only be read, or played.

computer

A programmable machine that processes, stores, and outputs large amounts of data at high speeds according to programmed instructions. One type of computer used at home is called a personal computer or PC.

computer programs

The instructions for a computer. Programs tell the computer what to do.

content

The text, images, documents, or sound files that are on a web page.

CPU (central processing unit)

The brains of a computer and the part which controls all the other parts. The CPU is where most of the calculations take place.

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DVD

(Digital Video Disk and Digital Versatile Disk) Similar to a CD, but able to hold much more data. Commonly used for movies and other media using sound and graphics.

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freeware

Software programs that are provided at no cost.

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hard disk drive (storage space)

The mechanical device used to store information on a computer. Information is stored on spinning discs magnetically. Usually the main hard drive is known as the "C" drive in Windows Explorer and My Computer.

hibernate

Similar to standby mode, a computer can be put in a power off mode to save energy. It is commonly used to conserve battery power on laptops. The contents or data being worked on is saved from memory, and is written to the hard disk and the computer shuts down. When it is restarted, the data is loaded back into memory and work can be continued from where you stopped.

homepage

The opening or first page of a website.

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internet

Also known as the World Wide Web, the internet is a network of computers linking together computers all over the world by cable, telephone and satellite. Users can send and receive e-mail, pictures, music and other information.

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keyboard

A device with keys or buttons to enter data or letters and numbers into a computer.

keywords

Words and terms you type into a search engine to find what you are looking for.

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memory (ram)

Memory is a temporary storage area for programs and data when a computer is on. Anything stored in memory is lost when the computer is turned off.

modem

A modem is a communications device that can be either internal or external to your computer. It allows one computer to connect to another computer and transfer data over telephone or cable lines. The original dial-up modems are becoming obsolete because of their slow speeds and are being replaced by the much faster cable and DSL modems.

monitor

An electrical component (similar to a television) which displays viewable images generated by a computer.

motherboard

Also called systemboard or mainboard, is the primary circuit board within a personal computer. Many other parts are connected to the motherboard to make up a computer.

mouse

A hand held pointing device with one or more buttons that is moved around on a pad and detects directional motion. It allows a user to move a pointer or cursor on a computer screen to select text, click on icons and move things around on the screen.

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niche

A specialized market characterized by a particular interest, topic or subject.

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operating system

Software that controls all the main activities of a computer.

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printer

A device, usually attached to a computer, used to print text or images onto paper.

programs

In computer science, programs are a sequence of instructions that a computer interprets and executes.

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shareware

Also known as "try before you buy" software, are available for a free trial period (evaluation) with the understanding that users will voluntarily pay a fee to the author or publisher for continued use or to receive additional features or a manual. If no fee is paid, the software may only be available for a short amount of time, or does not have updates.

software

In computer science, software is written programs or procedures or rules and associated documentation pertaining to the operation of a computer system and that are stored in read/write memory.

standby (sleep mode)

A low power mode for electronic devices such as computers, televisions, and remote controlled devices. These modes save electrical consumption compared to leaving them fully on or when a device is idle. When a computer is in standby or sleep mode, it is not fully off and programs and data are stored in memory for reloading when ready to be used again. It can be powered back up by moving the mouse or pressing a key on the keyboard. Over time this small amount of power can waste electricity.

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video card

A circuit board that enables a computer to display screen information on a monitor.

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web address

The address or location to a website that you enter into the address bar of a web browser.

website

A collection of web pages, images, music and videos on the World Wide Web (internet) that are accessible from a URL (web address) and hosted on a web server. The different pages of a website can be accessed from the main URL called the homepage.

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