Degauss Degaussing is the process of reducing a magnetic field. It can be used to reset the magnetic field of a CRT monitor or to destroy the data on a magnetic storage device. A CRT monitor displays images by firing electrons through a cathode ray tube (CRT) onto the screen. The electron beams are focused …
Desktop Computer A desktop computer (or desktop PC) is a computer that is designed to stay in a single location. It may be a tower (also known as a system unit) or an all-in-one machine, such as an iMac. Unlike laptops and other portable devices, desktop computers cannot be powered from an internal battery and …
Digital Camera A digital camera is a similar to a traditional film-based camera, but it captures images digitally. When you take a picture with a digital camera, the image is recorded by a sensor, called a “charged coupled device” or CCD. Instead of saving the picture on analog film like traditional cameras, digital cameras save …
Diode A diode is an electrical component designed to conduct electric current in only one direction. It has two ends (or terminals), each with an electrode of a different charge. The “anode” end has a positive charge relative to the negatively charged “cathode” end. Current naturally flows in the direction from the anode to the …
Disk Drive A disk drive is a device that reads and/or writes data to a disk. The most common type of disk drive is a hard drive (or “hard drive”), but several other types of disk drives exist as well. Some examples include removable storage devices, floppy drives, and optical drives, which read optical media, …
DisplayPort DisplayPort is a digital video and audio interface used to connect computers and monitors, standardized by the Video Electronics Standards Organization (VESA). The standard defines the DisplayPort connector and a smaller version called Mini DisplayPort. DisplayPort replaced the previous digital connection standard, DVI. DisplayPort is a fully-digital interface that sends video, audio, and data …
Docking Station A docking station, or dock, is a device that connects a laptop to multiple peripherals. It provides a single connection point that allows a laptop to use a connected monitor, printer, keyboard, and mouse. This allows a laptop to function like a desktop computer. Laptop manufacturers often build custom docking stations for their …
Dongle A dongle is a small device, typically about the size of a flash drive, that plugs into a computer. Some dongles act as security keys while others serve as adapters. While early dongles connected to parallel ports on PCs and ADB ports on Macs, modern versions typically connect to a USB port. Security Keys …
Dot Pitch Dot pitch, or “pixel pitch,” is a measurement that defines the sharpness of a display. It measures the distance between the dots used to display the image on the screen. This distance is very small and is typically measured in fractions of millimeters. The smaller the dot pitch, the sharper the picture. Dot …
Drive A drive is a computer component used to store data. It may be a static storage device or may use removable media. All drives store nonvolatile data, meaning the data is not erased when the power is turned off. Over the past several decades, drives have evolved along with other computer technologies. Below is …