Compaq 277958-001 manual Information that can be processed by a computer. See digital

Understanding Computer Terms

close session

When a session is closed, information about its contents is written into the Table of Contents of the CDs, and a lead-in and lead-out are written to prepare the CD for subsequent sessions.

coaster

Popular term for a ruined recordable CD, named after the round object you rest your drinking glass on to avoid marking the table.

component

a device installed inside the computer. Examples are the CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, Zip, disk, and hard drives, memory chips, modem, graphics cards, and sound cards. See peripheral.

cursor

The blinking vertical line on the screen that indicates where the next character appears when you type.

D

data

Information that can be processed by a computer. See digital.

data file

Files that you create with a computer program. Most programs are designed to process a specific type of data. For example, spreadsheet programs allow you to create data files primarily with numbers; word processing programs primarily with letters; page design programs, with text and graphics; drawing programs, with lines; photo manipulation programs, with photos and drawings; and music programs, with sounds.

database

Collection of related data designed to retrieve useful information easily.

5–8 Learning More About Your Computer