Vocabulary notes

Available - able to be used, able to be present

To range - to vary between limits

To perform -to execute

To deal with - to handle, to manage, to cope with

Incredibly – unbelievably

Impact - strong effect

Simultaneous - happening or done at the same time

Versatile - having various uses

Mainframe - основний, дуже великий комп'ютер, мейнфрейм

То process data - обробляти дані

Server - сервер, обслуговуючий прилад

Terminal - термінал

Network - мережа

A desktop PC (personal computer) - настільний персональний комп'ютер Memory capacity - об'єм пам'яті

Touchpad - сенсорна кнопка

CPU - Central Processing Unit - процесор, прилад для обробки даних та виконання команд - ЦПБ

Monitor - монітор, дисплей

Tower - (вертикальний) системний блок

Keyboard - клавіатура

Pointer - курсор

Peripherals - периферійні пристрої (всі пристрої, крім ЦПБ та основної пам’яті)

IBM - International Business Machines Corporation

USB (Universal Serial Bus) - універсальна послідовна шина

USB port - порт, засіб під єднання зовнішнього пристрою до шини вводу/виводу комп'ютера

slot - слот, роз'єм (дня встановлення плат розширення)

1. Mainframe computers are used by:

a. students and teachers at school

b. executives and businessman

c. large organizations processing enormous amounts of data

2. "Multitaking" means:

a. access to a minicomputer through terminals

b. doing a number of tasks at the same time

c. connection to a "host" computer network so that many users have access to data and programs

3. The most suitable computer for home use are:

a. mainframes b. minicomputers c. microcomputers (PCs)

4. The smallest computers are known as:

1. Desktop pCs 2. Laptops and notebooks 3. PdAs What is a Computer (I)

From the first electronic digital computers of the forties to today's versatile computers very little has changed as far as the basic computer operation is concerned. Modern digital computers still use the same logical operations as their predecessors. For the most part, human beings can do whatever computers can do, but computers can do it with much greater speed and accuracy. A computer is faster and more accurate than people It is a high-speed machine which can process and store data, solve problems and display the results. To do this it needs a complete set of instructions that tells it exactly what to do. This set of instructions is called a program. Programs are placed into the computer's memory unit. The programs which make the computer process data and give the result are called software.

The computer itself and all the devices connected to it are known as hardware. The programs which make the computer give answers to the given problems are called software. Software is the term used to describe the instructions that tell the hardware how to perform the task. Thus all tangible parts of a computer (the parts you can touch), such as the monitor or the keyboard are hardware. But without software (something intangible) hardware is useless.

There are three kinds of computers: digital, analogue and hybrid. A digital computer computes by using numbers or digits. An analogue computer computes by using physical analogues of numbers. A hybrid computer is a machine which combines some properties of digital and analogue computers.

Computer technology changes fast, but a desktop PC (personal computer) usually has a tower, a separate monitor, a keyboard and a mouse. The CPU (Central Processing Unit), modem, CD-ROM and disk drives are usually inside the tower. The CPU controls how fast the computer processes data, or information. We measure its speed in gigahertz (GHz). The higher the speed, of the CPU the faster the computer will run. "