PROGRAM: A set of coded instructions directing a computer to perform a particular function.
PROGRAMING LANGUAGE: A special language of words and rules that is used to write programs so the computer can understand them.
RAM (Random Access Memory): The portion of the computer's memory in which data, instructions, and other information are stored temporarily. Also called read-write memory.
ROM (Read Only Memory): The portion of the computer's memory that contains information and instructions that are stored permanently. This memory cannot be altered or added to.
SEMICONDUCTOR: A material such as silicon with a conductivity between that of a metal and an insulator. It is used in the manufacture of solid-state devices such as diodes, transistors, and the complex integrated circuits that comprise computer logic circuits.
SOFTWARE: A general term for computer programs, procedural rules, and sometimes the documentation involved in the operation of a computer.
SYSTEM: The computer and all its related components, including hardware and software, that work together.
TERMINAL: A peripheral device through which information is entered into or extracted from the computer, usually with a keyboard and an output device such as a CRT or printer.
TIMESHARING: A method by which more than one person can use a computer at the same time at separate terminals.