Glossary of computer terms

Lost in the abundance of IT acronyms and concepts? 🤯 This glossary is intended to help you!

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Discover all the components of the most frequently encountered computer equipment.

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If there are any IT-related terms or acronyms you don't understand that are missing from the glossary, contact us!

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Azerty - Qwerty

The letter sequences "Azerty" and "Qwerty" correspond to the first keys of the two most common types of keyboards.

The Azerty keyboard is mainly used in France and Belgium, while the Qwerty keyboard is used in the rest of the world. Why this difference? Historically, the Qwerty keyboard was designed to slow down the typing speed on mechanical typewriters, in order to avoid frequent keystrokes. The Azerty keyboard, on the other hand, was designed to accommodate the additional French characters used in the French language. Most of the keyboards imported in France are therefore Azerty, but it can happen that this is not the case.

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Graphics card

A graphics card is a physical computer component that is responsible for processing and displaying images on a computer. The graphics card is connected to the processor and, depending on its performance, it can speed up the rendering of complex images. Therefore, it improves the computer's graphics performance. A high-performance graphics card is therefore necessary for people who run graphics-intensive applications (video games, 3D modeling, graphic design, etc.).

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Connectivity

In computing, connectors are the term used to describe all the connectors, cables and other devices used to connect electronic devices to each other and to a computer or other system. These connectors are used to transmit data, audio and video, power, etc. Some common examples of connectors: USB, HDMI, Ethernet, VGA, etc. Important to follow, on a practical level: each connector has its own specific tip!

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Ethernet

Ethernet is a local area network communication protocol (see definition of a LAN) used to connect computers and other devices together. The purpose? To allow data and information to be shared between these devices. It was developed in the 1980s and has become one of the most commonly used protocols for local area networks.

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HDMI

Meaning of the acronym in English: High Definition Multimedia Interface.

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HDMI is a connector (see definition of connector) to link "High Definition" devices together. It is the replacement of the SCART socket. HDMI is used for TVs, projectors, Blu-ray players, etc. Using a single cable, video and audio data are transmitted in high digital quality.

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LAN

Meaning of the acronym in English: Local Area Network.

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This term refers to a local computer network, i.e. a set of computers and peripherals connected to each other by physical links (such as cables). These computers and peripherals communicate with each other via common protocols, such as the Ethernet protocol, for example. This LAN is a physical location (such as an office building or a house). LANs are most often found in companies that have a large number of computers, but they can also be found at home in a personal context (here is a common example: two computers and a printer connected to each other, thus constituting a LAN, as long as they are linked together by physical cables and thus exchange data).

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Processor

The processor is the brain of a computer. It is also called the CPU (Central Processing Unit) and is the main component of the computer, performing calculations and data processing tasks. The CPU is responsible for executing the instructions contained in the programs and applications you use on your computer! The faster and more technologically advanced a process is, the more data it can process in a short time.

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Electronic chip

A computer chip is a tiny component that contains integrated circuits, often called silicon integrated circuits (ICs). These circuits perform specific electronic tasks. Chips are used in a wide range of electronic products, from computers and smartphones to cars and home appliances, etc.

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RAM

Meaning of the acronym in English: Random Access Memory.

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RAM is random access memory. More precisely, it is a type of memory used in computers to temporarily store data while a program is running. It is used to allow quick access to this data and to make changes to it, in real time. The more RAM a computer has, the greater the number of applications that can be run simultaneously.

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Resolution

To be precise, the resolution of a screen refers to the number of horizontal and vertical pixels that make up the image displayed on the screen. In practical terms, this means that the higher the resolution - so the more pixels you have - the sharper and more precise the image will be.

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Optical mouse

An optical mouse uses a light source and an optical sensor to detect the movement of the mouse on a surface. This electronic mechanism replaces the traditional wheel system.

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SSD

Meaning of the acronym in English: Solid-State Drive.

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An SSD is a computer hardware that replaces traditional hard drives.

It offers faster read and write performance than hard disks (boot time and application load time are much better). SSDs are more reliable because their technology is less sensitive to shock and vibration, making them more suitable for laptops and embedded systems.

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Operating system

An operating system (also known as OS) is the central software that manages the computer resources of a computer. The most famous are Windows, Linux, macOS, and Android. Without them, a computer would be unusable! The OS is the link between the user (you) and the incredible services a computer can provide (think of all the software and applications that run on your computer or smartphone). The operating system coordinates resources, such as memory, peripherals and applications, and is responsible for managing the execution of tasks. Finally, it also provides a user interface that allows you to use a computer easily (pages, icons, etc.).

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USB

Meaning of the acronym in English: Universal Serial Bus.

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The term USB is, wrongly, mainly associated with the USB flash drive which, of course, contains a USB plug, but whose main role is to store data. However, USB is in fact a type of connector allowing the connection between different computer equipment for the transmission of data. The particularity of USB is that it was designed to replace the many different types of connectors and cables used before, to connect external devices. Its widespread use has made connecting and disconnecting these devices easier and more convenient. USB uses a standard connector, which plugs into a USB port on the computer, allowing multiple devices to be connected using a single port. New versions of USB are frequently released to make connections faster and faster (type A, type B, type C, etc.).

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VGA

Meaning of the acronym in English: Video Graphics Array.

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VGA and HDMI are the two most widely used video connectivity standards.

The main difference between the two is the following: the VGA cable is an analog cable (video data is transmitted via the 3 light beams: red, green, blue) while the HDMI is a digital cable that transmits digital data (binary code).

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Wifi

Meaning of the acronym in English: Contraction of "Wireless" and "Fidelity" (WI-FI).

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Wi-Fi is a technology that allows networking of computer equipment (printer, PC, speakers, etc.) but without the need for cables or physical connection hardware. It uses high frequency radio waves to transmit digital data between devices. The term Wifi is commonly used to refer only to Internet access, but this is in fact a shortcut. Indeed, accessing the Internet via Wi-Fi is not the only role of Wi-Fi technology, which can also be used to establish a connection between a PC (or a Mac!) and a printer, for example. When you connect to a Wi-Fi network, you can access the Internet or share files and printers with other devices connected to the same network.

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