1.2 + 1.3 hardware and software Flashcards
what is a PC?
a personal computer
what is a supercomputer?
a supercomputer is a computer that performs at the highest opperational rate
what is a mainframe computer?
they are computers mainly used by big organisations typicicly for bulk data
a touch screen is what type of device?
input
a joystick is what type of device?
input
a speaker is what type of device?
output
a l.e.d. screen is what type of device?
output
what is a graphics tablet?
a device which allows drawing to be inputted onto a computer
give two advantages of using a graphics tablet
its more natural to draw with a stylus than a mouse/high level of accuracy
give a disadvantages of using a graphics tablet
they are expensive
what is a Bar code scanner?
it is a scanner that can reader the bars of a barcode which allows a certain product to be selected
give three advantages of using barcode scanners
quick to enter/barcode errors can be avoided/prices can be changed easily/can be used to link to a stock control system
give three disadvantages of using barcode scanners
if there is a problem with the system the scanner wont work/ the barcode could be damaged or missing meaning the code has to be entered manually/ new products have to be entered to the system to keep the scanner up to date/staff need to be trained how to use them effectivly
what is a sensor?
a device that detects physical variables for input into a computer
a printer is what type of device
output
give three advantages of using a printer
cheaper than a laser printer/smaller and lighter than laser printers/produce good quality pictures and documents
give three disadvantages of using a printer
operation is noisy/cartilages dry out quickly/when a lot of ink is used on a page that page can crinckle
give three advantages of speakers as an output device
can be used to accompany a presentation/they can help blind people use a computer
what is RAM?
random access memory and the RAM is volatile which means when the computer system is shut down the RAM is lost
