Basic Computer Terms and Glossary Notes for SSC Exams
Rahul Kumar
SSC Exam Expert & Content Editor
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The basic computer terms are the base of the computer section in SSC exams. Questions ask for the full form of a short word, the generation of a computer, the unit of memory or the inventor of a device. These basic computer terms and glossary notes for SSC collect all of them in simple tables.
Generations of Computers
| Generation | Period | Technology |
|---|---|---|
| First | 1940–1956 | Vacuum tubes |
| Second | 1956–1963 | Transistors |
| Third | 1964–1971 | Integrated circuits (IC) |
| Fourth | 1971 onwards | Microprocessors (VLSI) |
| Fifth | Present and future | Artificial intelligence |
Units of Memory
| Unit | Value |
|---|---|
| 1 bit | Smallest unit (0 or 1) |
| 1 nibble | 4 bits |
| 1 byte | 8 bits |
| 1 KB (kilobyte) | 1024 bytes |
| 1 MB (megabyte) | 1024 KB |
| 1 GB (gigabyte) | 1024 MB |
| 1 TB (terabyte) | 1024 GB |
| 1 PB (petabyte) | 1024 TB |
Types of Computers
| Type | Use |
|---|---|
| Supercomputer | Very fast, used in weather forecasting and research (India has the PARAM series) |
| Mainframe | Used by big organisations such as banks and railways |
| Minicomputer | Medium-size, used by small companies |
| Microcomputer | Personal computers, laptops and tablets |
Important Full Forms
| Short form | Full form |
|---|---|
| CPU | Central Processing Unit |
| ALU | Arithmetic Logic Unit |
| RAM | Random Access Memory |
| ROM | Read Only Memory |
| BIOS | Basic Input Output System |
| USB | Universal Serial Bus |
| URL | Uniform Resource Locator |
| HTML | HyperText Markup Language |
| LAN | Local Area Network |
| GUI | Graphical User Interface |
| ISP | Internet Service Provider |
| SSD | Solid State Drive |
| HDD | Hard Disk Drive |
| Portable Document Format | |
| OCR | Optical Character Recognition |
| UPS | Uninterruptible Power Supply |
Inventors and Firsts
| Item | Person or name |
|---|---|
| Father of the computer | Charles Babbage |
| First programmer | Ada Lovelace |
| First general-purpose electronic computer | ENIAC |
| Mouse | Douglas Engelbart |
| World Wide Web | Tim Berners-Lee |
| Ray Tomlinson | |
| First microprocessor | Intel 4004 (1971) |
| First supercomputer of India | PARAM 8000 (1991) |
Input and Output Devices
| Input devices | Output devices |
|---|---|
| Keyboard, mouse, scanner, microphone, webcam, joystick | Monitor, printer, speaker, projector, plotter |
Tips
- Learn the full forms in alphabetical order and revise them weekly.
- Remember the generations with the technology: tube, transistor, IC, microprocessor and AI.
- Remember that 1 KB is 1024 bytes, not 1000.
Quick Tips
- Learn the generations with the technology used.
- Remember 1 byte = 8 bits and 1 KB = 1024 bytes.
- Revise the full forms in alphabetical order.
- Learn the inventors with their inventions.
Quick Revision Points
- The first generation used vacuum tubes and the fourth used microprocessors.
- 1 byte = 8 bits.
- Charles Babbage is the father of the computer.
- PARAM is the supercomputer series of India.
- CPU is the brain of the computer.
Practice Questions With Answers
- Who is called the father of the computer?
Answer: Charles Babbage - Which generation of computers used the microprocessor?
Answer: The fourth generation - How many bits are there in 1 byte?
Answer: 8 - How many bytes are there in 1 KB?
Answer: 1024 - What is the full form of CPU?
Answer: Central Processing Unit - Who invented the mouse?
Answer: Douglas Engelbart - Which is the supercomputer series of India?
Answer: PARAM - Which was the first general-purpose electronic computer?
Answer: ENIAC - Who is called the first programmer?
Answer: Ada Lovelace - What is the full form of URL?
Answer: Uniform Resource Locator
How to Practise This Chapter
Revise the tables every week and then test yourself with our practice papers and the previous year papers page. See all topics on the Computer Awareness notes page, and also read the Computer Knowledge notes and General Awareness notes. Read the next topic, Hardware, Software and Operating System.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the father of the computer?
Charles Babbage is called the father of the computer.
What technology did the first generation use?
The first generation used vacuum tubes.
What technology did the fourth generation use?
The fourth generation used microprocessors.
How many bits are there in a byte?
There are 8 bits in a byte.
How many bytes are there in a kilobyte?
There are 1024 bytes in a kilobyte.
What is the full form of RAM?
Random Access Memory.
What is the full form of ROM?
Read Only Memory.
What is a supercomputer?
It is the fastest and most powerful type of computer, used for weather forecasting and scientific research.
Who invented the World Wide Web?
Tim Berners-Lee.
Is this topic asked in SSC exams?
Yes. Basic computer terms are asked in the computer section of SSC exams.
Which exams have a computer section?
SSC CGL Tier 2 (computer test), SSC CHSL (skill test) and several other SSC exams have computer-related questions.
How many questions come from this topic in SSC exams?
Usually one or two questions, but the number changes from year to year.
Rahul Kumar
SSC Exam Expert & Content Editor
Rahul is a senior SSC exam strategist with 8+ years of experience helping aspirants crack CGL, CHSL and MTS exams. He writes in-depth notification breakdowns, exam pattern guides and preparation strategies.