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Computer Science > 1.5 - Systems software > Flashcards

1.5 - Systems software Flashcards

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1
Q

What is systems software?

A

Software that governs the computer system

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2
Q

What’s the purpose of systems software?

A
  • Controls the hardware, including any peripherals
  • Allows applications to run
  • Provides a user interface
  • Maintains the system
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3
Q

What are the types of systems software?

A
  • Operating systems
  • Utilities
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4
Q

What is an operating system?

A

The software that manages the hardware and software resources in a computer system + provides the user interface

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5
Q

Name some roles of the operating system

A
  • Controlling hardware components
  • Providing a platform for software to run on
  • Providing a user interface
  • Has multitasking facilities
  • Managing the computer’s memory
  • Managing peripherals
  • Managing files
  • Managing users
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6
Q

Give some examples of operating systems:

A
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Apple OS X
  • Linux
  • IOS
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7
Q

What is a user interface?

A

A program, or suite of programs that allows a user to interact with a computer

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8
Q

What are the types of user interface?

A
  • GUI (or WIMP)
  • CLI
  • Mobile UI
  • Menu driven interface
  • Sound interface
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9
Q

What does GUI stand for?

A

Graphical user interface

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10
Q

What does WIMP stand for?

A

Windows
Icons
Menus
Pointers

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11
Q

What does CLI stand for?

A

Command line interface

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12
Q

What does Mobile UI stand for?

A

Mobile user interface

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13
Q

What is a graphical user interface?

A
  • All objects are represented by icons
    —> Icons represent functions
  • Right clicking brings up content sensitive menus
  • Different shaped pointers have different uses
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14
Q

How do users interact with a GUI?

A

By a mouse and on screen pointer

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15
Q

Give some advantages of using GUI?

A
  • Powerful
  • Easy to use
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16
Q

Give some disadvantages of using GUI?

A
  • Requires a lot of processing power
  • Needs more RAM
  • Slow for experienced programmers
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17
Q

What is a command line interface?

A
  • All user commands must be typed in as text
  • No graphics
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18
Q

Give some advantages of using CLI?

A
  • Quicker for expert users who know the commands
  • Takes less space on the disk and in RAM
  • Needs less memory to function
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19
Q

Give some disadvantages of using CLI?

A
  • Users require training to understand the commands
  • More difficult to present the user with options for commands
  • Users will generally need to memorise CLI commands
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20
Q

Give an example of a CLI:

A

DOS

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21
Q

What does DOS stand for?

A

Disk Operating System

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22
Q

What is a menu interface?

A

User is offered a menu
—> Can choose an option from it

23
Q

Give some advantages of using Menu interface?

A
  • Very easy to use
  • Doesn’t need a lot of processing power
  • You don’t need to learn/remember the commands
24
Q

Give some disadvantages of using Menu interface?

A
  • May be slow to use
25
Q

Give an example where menu interfaces are used:

A

Cashpoint ATMS

26
Q

What is a mobile interface?

A
  • Similar to GUI but responds to touch
  • Fingers are used to open programs and interact with them
  • Gestures: swiping (for scrolling) and pinching (resizing)
27
Q

Where are Mobile UIs found?

A

Smartphones & Tablets

28
Q

What type of interface is this?

A

GUI

29
Q

What type of interface is this?

A

CLI

30
Q

What type of interface is this?

A

Mobile UI

31
Q

What does multitasking mean?

A

To be able to run more than one program simultaneously

32
Q

Why does computer memory need to be managed?

A
  • More than one program can run at the same time
  • More than one document can be opened at the same time
33
Q

What does file handling allow the user to do?

A
  • Create, modify and delete files and folders
  • Copy and duplicate files and folders
  • Move files and folders
  • Rename files and folder, sort items into different orders, according to name, file type, date created and more
    search for particular files and folders
  • Restore deleted files
  • Set access rights to files such as read only or edit
34
Q

How does the OS do user management?

A
  • Individual users to be created and deleted
  • Access levels to be given to users, such as administrator rights or standard user rights
  • Keeping a log of files a user creates, accesses, edits and deletes
35
Q

What is the device driver?

A

Software that controls and communicates with peripherals

36
Q

What is the purpose of the device driver?

A

Translates the OS’ instructions into a format the specific hardware can understand

37
Q

What is a Peripheral?

A

An external device connected to a computer system to input or output data

38
Q

What is used to temporarily store data until it can be processed?

A

A buffer

39
Q

What’s the advantages of using device drivers?

A
  • Any device can be used with the operating system (as long as a driver is available for it)
  • Drivers can be updated, usually to give better performance or to remove a bug
40
Q

Give some examples of utility softwares

A
  • Encryption software
  • Defragmentation software
  • Data compression software
  • Backup software
41
Q

What was the purpose of utility software?

A
  • Provides extra functionality that make it easier to use
  • Configure & maintains computer
42
Q

What is utility software?

A

Dedicated programs used for the maintenance & organisation of a computer system

43
Q

What is the purpose of Encryption software?

A

Disguises the contents of files so they can only be understood by authorised users

44
Q

What’s the purpose of Automatic backups?

A

Regular copies of the data are be made

45
Q

What’s the purpose of Defragmentation software?

A

Takes fragmented files and rearranges segments so that they can run continuously

46
Q

When does fragmentation occur?

A

When there is limited contiguous space in which to store a file:
* Data may be stored then deleted on the hard drive
* New files may be bigger than spaces left by deleted files
* New files are split up

47
Q

How does defragmentation work?

A

Empty spaces are collected together on the hard disk drive & file fragments are moved together to be stored together
—> Fewer disk accesses are needed

48
Q

What is a problem with fragmented files?

A

Increases access time - Takes longer to read & load bc of distance between fragments of the file

49
Q

What are the effects of defragmentation on a file?

A
  • Takes less time to read & access –> Data is stored contiguously
  • Quicker to save new files
50
Q

Why does a file take less time to read & access when it has been defragmented?

A

Read/ write head of hard drive doesn’t need to move as far to read the next piece of data bc it’s in the adjacent memory location

51
Q

Why is it quicker to save new files when a file has been defragmented?

A

There is more free space together so it doesn’t need to split the file & can store the data contiguously

52
Q

What are the advantages of Defragmentation software?

A
  • Reduces performance time
  • Frees up space
53
Q

What’s the purpose of compression software?

A
  • Reduces the size of a file stored on secondary storage
  • Allows utilities (e.g. WinZip) enables users to compress & decompress files/folders
54
Q

What are the advantages of compression software?

A
  • Reduces bandwidth usage & data compression
  • Increases the amount of data that can be stored/ archived on a disk
  • Can enable files to fit with strict email attachments

Computer Science (13 decks)

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