ICDL Computer & Online Essentials (ICDL) flashcards
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32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- CPU
- Central Processing Unit; the chip that executes program instructions and performs arithmetic and logic operations, often described as the computer's brain.
- RAM
- Random Access Memory; volatile working memory that holds programs and data currently in use and is cleared when the computer is switched off.
- Hard disk vs SSD
- Both are non-volatile storage that keeps files when power is off; a hard disk uses spinning magnetic platters, while an SSD uses flash memory and has no moving parts.
- Operating system
- System software that manages hardware, memory and files, runs applications, and provides the user interface; examples include Windows, macOS and Linux.
- Application software
- Programs written to let the user perform tasks such as word processing, spreadsheets, browsing or image editing, as opposed to the operating system itself.
- File extension
- The suffix after the final dot in a file name, such as .docx or .jpg, which tells the operating system and applications what type of content the file holds.
- Folder
- A named container used to organize files on a drive; folders can hold files and other folders to form a hierarchical directory structure.
- Copy versus cut
- Copy leaves the original file in place and puts a duplicate on the clipboard; cut removes the original so it moves when pasted.
- Recycle Bin
- A temporary holding area for deleted files on Windows; items stay there until the bin is emptied, so deletion is reversible until then.
- Ctrl+Z
- The standard keyboard shortcut for Undo, which reverses the most recent action in most applications and file managers.
- Megabyte
- A unit of digital storage equal to 1024 kilobytes, or roughly one million bytes; larger units are the gigabyte (1024 MB) and terabyte (1024 GB).
- Backup
- A duplicate copy of data stored on separate media or a remote service so that files can be restored if the originals are lost or damaged.
- Strong password
- A password that is long and mixes upper and lower case letters, digits and symbols, avoids dictionary words and personal details, and is unique to one account.
- Software update
- A released patch or new version that fixes bugs and closes security holes; installing updates keeps the operating system and applications protected.
- Peripheral device
- Any hardware connected to and controlled by the computer, such as a keyboard, mouse, printer, scanner or external drive.
- Save versus Save As
- Save writes changes to the existing file and location; Save As writes the document to a new name, format or folder while leaving the original unchanged.
- URL
- Uniform Resource Locator; the full web address of a resource, containing a scheme such as https, a domain name and optionally a path.
- HTTPS
- The encrypted version of HTTP using TLS; data between browser and site is protected, shown by a padlock in the address bar.
- Browser history
- A record the browser keeps of pages visited, used for revisiting sites and autocompletion; it can be cleared without affecting bookmarks.
- Bookmark
- A saved link to a web page stored in the browser so the user can return to it quickly without retyping the address.
- Search engine
- An online service that indexes web pages and returns ranked results matching keywords the user enters, for example Google or Bing.
- Exact phrase search
- Placing keywords inside double quotation marks so the search engine returns only pages containing that exact sequence of words.
- site: operator
- A search prefix, written site: followed by a domain, that restricts results to pages from that single website.
- Cookie
- A small text file a website stores in the browser to remember information such as login state or preferences between visits; it is data, not a program.
- Cache
- A store of temporary copies of web files such as images and scripts, kept by the browser so pages load faster on repeat visits.
- To field
- The email header line naming the primary recipient or recipients for whom the message is principally intended.
- Cc
- Carbon copy; adds recipients who receive a visible copy of the message, with their addresses shown to all recipients.
- Bcc
- Blind carbon copy; adds recipients who receive the message while their addresses are hidden from other recipients.
- Reply All
- An email action that sends the response to the original sender plus every other recipient listed in the To and Cc fields.
- Email attachment
- A separate file, such as a document or image, sent together with an email message; size limits set by the mail service apply.
- Phishing
- A fraudulent email or site that impersonates a trusted organization to trick the recipient into revealing passwords or payment details.
- Cloud storage
- A service that stores files on remote internet servers so they can be accessed and shared from any device signed in to the account.