Basic Computer Terms CPU Central processing unit; the brain of the computer; controls the other elements of the computer Disk Drive A peripheral device that reads and/or writes information on a disk Hard Drive A device (usually within the computer case) that reads and writes information, including the operating system, program files, and data files Keyboard A peripheral used to input data by pressing keys Modem A peripheral device used to connect one computer to another over a phone line Monitor A device used to display information visually Mouse A peripheral device used to point to items on a monitor NIC Network interface card; a board inserted in a computer that provides a physical connection to a network Printer A peripheral device that converts output from a computer into a printed image Software - Instructions executed by a computer - Applications Complete, self-contained programs that perform a specific funct...