Folder (directory) - A sub-division of a computer's hard disk into which you put files.
Font - A particular sort of lettering (on the screen or on paper). Arial is a font. Times New Roman is another.
Format - All hard disks and floppy disks have to be electronically prepared for use by a process called formatting. Hard disks are pre-formatted by the computer manufacturer. If you buy a floppy disk that is not pre-formatted, you format it yourself, using a program that comes with your PC.
Graphics card - The equipment inside a computer that creates the image on the screen.
Hard disk - The main disk inside a computer used for storing programs and information. It is hard because it is metal. See floppy disk.
Icon - A small image or picture on a computer screen that is a symbol for folders, disks, peripherals, programs etc.
Internet - International network of computers that you connect to by telephone line. Two popular services of the Internet are the World Wide Web and electronic mail.
Kb, Mb, Gb - Kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes. Used to measure computer memory and storage.
Memory - Memory is for the temporary storing of information while a computer is being used. See RAM, ROM and Cache.
MHz - Megahertz. This describes the speed of computer equipment. The higher the MHz the better the performance.
Modem - Equipment connected to a computer for sending/receiving digital information by telephone line. You need a modem to connect to the Internet, to send electronic mail and to fax.
OCR - Optical Character Recognition. OCR lets a PC read a fax or scanned image and convert it to actual lettering.
Parallel port - A socket at the back of a computer for connecting external equipment or peripherals, especially printers.
PC card - A device that is the same size as a thick credit card, for plugging into a slot on notebook computers. You can buy memory, modems and hard disks as PC cards.
Peripheral - Any equipment that is connected externally to a computer. For example, printers, scanners and modems are peripherals.
Pixel - The image that you see on the screen is made of thousands of tiny dots, points or pixels.
Program Software that operates a PC and does various things, such as writing text (word-processing program), keeping accounts (accounts program) and drawing pictures (graphics program).
QWERTY - The first 6 letters on English-language keyboards are Q-W-E-R-T-Y. The first 6 letters on French-language keyboards are A-Z-E-R-T-Y.