Computer:

A computer is in fact a machine that had been designed by the people to carry out some numerical and mathematical operations. Due to its numerical ability it is known as a computer and it provides the solution to the people at much greater speed.

Input:
Whatever goes into the computer. Input can take a variety of forms, from commands you enter from the keyboard to data from another computer or device. A device that feeds data into a computer, such as a keyboard or mouse, is called an input device.

Output:
Anything that comes out of a computer. Output can be meaningful information or gibberish, and it can appear in a variety of forms -- as binary numbers, as characters, as pictures, and as printed pages. Output devices include display screens, loudspeakers, and printers.

Input device:
Any machine that feeds data into a computer. For example, a keyboard is an input device, whereas a display monitor is an output device. Input devices other than the keyboard are sometimes called alternate input devices. Mice, trackballs, and light pens are all alternate input devices.

Storage:
In a computer, storage is the place where data is held in an electromagnetic or optical form for access by a computer processor. There are two general usages. Storage is frequently used to mean the devices and data connected to the computer through input/output operations - that is, hard disk and tape systems and other forms of storage that don't include computer memory and other in-computer storage

Software:
Computer instructions or data. Anything that can be stored electronically is software. The storage devices and display devices are hardware. The terms software and hardware are used as both nouns and adjectives. For example, you can say: "The problem lies in the software," meaning that there is a problem with the program or data, not with the computer itself. You can also say: "It's a software problem." The distinction between software and hardware is sometimes confusing because they are so integrally linked. Clearly, when you purchase a program, you are buying software. But to buy the software, you need to buy the disk (hardware) on which the software is recorded.

Software is often divided into two categories:

systems software : Includes the operating system and all the utilities that enable the computer to function. applications software : Includes programs that do real work for users. For example, word processors, spreadsheets, and database management systems fall under the category of applications software.

Firmware:
Firmware is a combination of software and hardware. Computer chips that have data or programs recorded on them are firmware. These chips commonly include the following:

ROMs (read-only memory) PROMs (programmable read-only memory) EPROMs (erasable programmable read-only memory)

Firmware in PROM or EPROM is designed to be updated if necessary through a software update.

SYSTEM software:
Refers to the operating system and all utility programs that manage computer resources at a low level. Software is generally divided into systems software and applications software. Applications software comprises programs designed for an end user, such as word processors, database systems, and spreadsheet programs. Systems software includes compilers, loaders, linkers, and debuggers.

Application software:
Application software is the name given to the programs that perform specific tasks for users. For example, games, instant messengers, word processors, and antivirus programs are all applications.

Task:
An operating system concept that refers to the combination of a program being executed and bookkeeping information used by the operating system. Whenever you execute a program, the operating system creates a new task for it. The task is like an envelope for the program: it identifies the program with a task number and attaches other bookkeeping information to it.

Digital:
Digital describes electronic technology that generates, stores, and processes data in terms of two states: positive and non-positive. Positive is expressed or represented by the number 1 and non-positive by the number 0. Thus, data transmitted or stored with digital technology is expressed as a string of 0's and 1's. Each of these state digits is referred to as a bit (and a string of bits that a computer can address individually as a group is a byte).

Analog:
Also spelled analogue, describes a device or system that represents changing values as continuously variable physical quantities. A typical analog device is a clock in which the hands move continuously around the face. Such a clock is capable of indicating every possible time of day. In contrast, a digital clock is capable of representing only a finite number of times (every tenth of a second, for example). In general, humans experience the world analogically. Vision, for example, is an analog experience because we perceive infinitely smooth gradations of shapes and colors.

Refresh:
Generally, to update something with new data. For example, some Web browsers include a refresh button that updates the currently displayed Web pages. This feature is also called reload. (2) To recharge a device with power or information. For example, dynamic RAM needs to be refreshed thousands of times per second or it will lose the data stored in it.

Single user OS:

A single-user operating system that is a single task system is developed for use with a computer or electronic device that will only run one application at a time.

Multi user OS:

The multi user operating system is the operating system which had been designed in such a way that it can be used by two or more people effectively and efficiently and even in it usage it had been found out that the t is being used by some of the people. This is also used in some of the cases where the multi user operating system is referred to as the application software where it shows that the operating system can also be used as a software system as well other than using it as a hardware system.

Single task:
Singe tasking means the computer can process only only task (also called a job or process) at one time. So on a single tasking computer you can perform only perform only one task at a time e.g. reading emails or listening to songs

Multitasking:
Multitasking refers to the running of multiple independent computer programs on the same computer; giving the appearance that it is performing the tasks at the same time. Since most computers can do at most one or two things at one time, this is generally done via time-sharing, which means that each program uses a share of the computer's time to execute.

Multithreading:
Multithreading as a widespread programming and execution model allows multiple threads to exist within the context of a single process. These threads share the process' resources but are able to execute independently.

Thread:
In programming, a part of a program that can execute independently of other parts. Operating systems that support multithreading enable programmers to design programs whose threaded parts can execute concurrently.

Process:
A process is a program that is running on your computer. This can be anything from a small background task, such as a spell-checker or system events handler to a full-blown application like Internet Explorer or Microsoft Word. All processes are composed of one or more threads.