1.2 Flashcards
Define ROM.
ROM (Read Only Memory) is primary storage that holds the BIOS and the boot up instructions.
Which has a larger capacity, RAM or ROM?
RAM has a much larger capacity compared to ROM.
What are the characteristics used to evaluate secondary storage devices?
Capacity, speed, cost, portability, durability, and reliability.
What does reliability mean for storage?
Reliability is the probability that the device will consistently perform its function properly.
What are the three types of secondary storage?
Magnetic, solid state, and optical storage.
Define magnetic storage.
Magnetic storage uses magnets (polarity) to store binary data on a magnetic surface.
Advantage and disadvantage of magnetic storage?
Magnetic storage has high capacity and low cost per gigabyte.
Magnetic storage has moving parts so it is not portable or durable.
Define solid state storage.
Solid state storage uses electronic circuits with no moving parts to store binary data.
Advantage and disadvantage of SSDs?
Solid state drives have very fast read/write speeds and are durable with no moving parts. Also small so high portability.
Solid state drives are very expensive per gigabyte of storage capacity.
Define optical storage.
Optical storage uses lasers to burn pits and lands onto a surface to store binary data.
Advantage and disadvantage of optical storage?
Optical storage is very cheap per disc and has no moving parts.
Optical storage has very low capacity, slow speeds, and can be scratched easily.
Define nibble.
A nibble is a group of 4 bits.
Define character set.
A character set is a defined list of characters that can be understood by a computer, where each character is given a unique binary code.
What is ASCII?
ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) is a character set that uses 7 bits, allowing it to represent a maximum of 128 characters.
What is the definition of extended ASCII?
Extended ASCII is a character set that uses 8 bits, allowing it to represent a maximum of 256 characters.
