Business Vocabulary: Computers

Learning objectives

In this article, you will

• learn some vocabulary for talking about computers
• practice key vocabulary on the topic of computers and business
• practice prefixes.

Newsmart Level 2 (A2/B1, TOEIC 171–388, TOEFL iBT 30–40, IELTS 4)

Published: on 20 May 2016

Thirty years ago, someone would have easily been able to survive in the business world with little or no knowledge of computers. Back then, business was done in the old-fashioned way, with communication happening through a mixture of in-person meetings, telephone calls, paper reports, and snail mail.

Fast forward a quarter of a century and almost everyone seems to have at least one computer. Computers come in all shapes and sizes, from supercomputers to tiny chips embedded in small appliances. Businesses are filled with rows of computers that people sit at all day, and very few people these days are completely computer illiterate.

To test your knowledge of the language we use to talk about these vital business tools, let’s look at four main aspects of computers: computer hardware; computer software; computer use; and computer protection.

1. Computer hardware is the physical parts of a computer that you can touch and see. Over the years, computer hardware has evolved. The bulky desktops of the 1980s and 90s have given way to smaller, lightweight and portable laptops, net books, tablets (and phablets!), and smartphones. At the center of all of these devices is the computer’s “brain” or microprocessor.

2. Computer software is all the computer programs that instruct the hardware what to do. You can’t touch software, but you can see its results! A video game that you can play on your smartphone is a type of software, as is a web browser like Safari or Google Chrome, or any app that you can find in the App Store. The people who create software programs are called software developers or engineers.

3. Computer use. People use computers for a variety of different reasons to do with business or pleasure. Some of the main things that we use computers for are to surf the Web, send email and instant messages, play video games, go e-shopping, and download or listen to streaming music and videos.

4. Computer protection. Protecting computers has become so important that an entire industry has grown up to fill this role! The cybersecurity industry is largely concerned with protecting computer software against threats like hacking and viruses. There are some things that anyone can do to protect themselves against things like Trojan horses, spyware and phishing. One of the most important things that we can do is to install a good firewall.

Business life as we know it could not exist without computers. Businesses use computers to carry out a wide variety of daily tasks. They also make use of a wide variety of different types of computers, depending on their needs. With computers, employees are able to work anytime, anywhere. They are an essential business tool, so it’s a good idea to be able to talk about them!

Written by @Eltjam

Photo credit: Rob Kim for Getty

Originally published at www.getnewsmart.com.