Chapter 1 - Types and Components of a Computer System Flashcards
What is “Hardware”
Physical components that make up a computer system
What is “Software”
Programs that control the computer system
What are the 7 internal hardware devices
Motherboard RAM (Random Access Memory) ROM (Read-Only Memory) Video cards Sound cards HDD (Hard Disk Drive) SSD (Solid State Drive)
What is an “Application Software”
Programs that allow the user to do specific tasks
What are the 8 application softwares
Word processor Spreadsheet Database Control and measuring software Apps (Applications) Photo editing software Video editing software Graphics manipulation software
What is a word processor software used for
Manipulate text documents
- essay
- report
What are the functions of a word processor software
creating/editing/saving/manipulating text copy and paste spell checkers/thesaurus importing photos/images translation
What is a spreadsheet used for
organise and manipulate numerical data
What are the functions of a spreadsheet
use of formulas to carry out calculations
ability to produce graphs
ability to do modelling and ‘what if’ calculations
What is a database used for
organise, manipulate, and analyse data
What are the functions of a database
Ability to carry out queries on database data and produce a report
Add/delete/modify data in a table
What is a control and measuring software used for
Allows computer or microprocessor to interface with sensors so it’s possible to:
- measure physical quantities (temperature)
- control applications (chemical process) by comparing sensor data with stored data
What are apps used for
Runs on mobile phones or tablets
Give examples of apps
Video and music streaming
GPS (global positioning system)
Camera facilities
What is a photo editing software used for
Allows user to manipulate digital photographs stored on a computer (photoshop)
What is a video editing software used for
Allows user to manipulate videos to produce an edited video
What is a graphics manipulation software used for
Allows bitmap and vector images to be changed
What is a “System Software”
Programs that allow the hardware to run properly and allows the user to communicate with the computer
What are the 5 different types of system software
Compiler Linkers Device driver OS (operating system) Utilities
What is a “Compiler”
Computer program that translates a program written in a high-level language (HLL) into machine code so that it can be directly used by a computer to perform a required task
What is the original and code after compilation called in a compiler
Source code
Object code
What is a “Linker”
Computer program that takes one or more object files produced by a compiler and combines them into a single program that can be run on a computer
What is a “Device Driver”
Software that enables one or more hardware devices to communicate with computer’s operating system
What is a “Operating System”
Software in the background of a computer system that manages basic functions
What do operating systems allow
Input/output operations Users to communicate with the computer Error handling to take place Loading and running of programs to occur Managing of security (user accounts/passwords)
What are “Utility programs”
Software that has been designed to carry out specific tasks on a computer
Programs that help manage, maintain, and control computer resources
Give examples of utility programs
Antivirus Anti-spyware Backup of files Disk repair File management Security Screensavers Disk defragmenter
What is a “Motherboard”
Printed circuit board found in all computers
What is “RAM”
Random Access Memory
Internal chip where data is temporarily stored when running applications (can be written and read)
What is “ROM”
Read-Only-Memory
Memory used to store information that needs to be permanent
Contains coding known as “boot file”
- tells computer what to do on start up: referred as BIOS (Basic Input/Output System)
What is a “Video card”
Allows computer to send graphical information to a video display device such as a monitor/television/projector
Usually connects to motherboard
What is a video card made up of
Processing unit
Memory unit (RAM)
Cooling mechanism
Connections to a display unit (monitor/television/projector)
What is a “Sound card”
Integrated circuit board that provides a computer with
the ability to produce sounds
What are the two basic methods for a sound card to translate digital data into analogue signals
FM synthesis - mimics different musical instruments according to built-in formulas
Wavetable synthesis - relies on recordings of actual instruments to produce sound
What is HDD and SSD
Internal storage
Hard Disk Drive - magnetic in nature, stores data/files/most of the system and application software
Solid State Drive - same function as HDD (newer storage system)
What is “CPU”
Central Processing Unit (may be referred as microprocessor) - contained on motherboard
Part of the computer that interprets and executes the commands from the computer hardware and software
What are the 4 key components of internal hardware devices
CPU (Central Processing Unit)
HDD (Internal Hard Disk Drive)
RAM (Random Access Memory)
ROM (Read-Only-Memory)
What is “CMOS”
Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor - non-volatile chip where the BIOS stores date/time/system cofiguration
What are the general tasks of an operating system
Control of the operation of the input, output, and backing storage devices
Supervising the loading, running, and storage of applications programs
Dealing with errors that occur in application programs
Maintaining security of the whole computer system
Maintaining a computer log (details computer usage)
Allowing communication between user and computer system (user interface)
What is “CLI”
Command Line Interface - requires user to type in instructions, need to type in commands
What is “GUI”
Graphical User Interface - allows user to interact with a computer using pictures or icons rather than typing in commands Uses WIMP (Windows Icon Menu Pointing Device)
List 3 advantages of CLI
User is in direct communication with computer
User is not restricted to a number of predetermined options
Possible to alter computer configuration settings
List 4 disadvantages of CLI
User needs to learn number of commands to carry out basic operations
All commands need to be typed in - time and error-prone
Each command must be typed in correctly
More difficult to edit commands once entered
List 3 advantages of GUI
User doesn’t need to learn any commands
User-friendly
Pointing device is used to click on icon to launch application - simpler than typing in commands
List 3 disadvantages of GUI
Uses up more memory than CLI interface
User is limited to number of icons provided on screen
Requires an operating system (Windows) to operate - uses up memory
Who uses CLI and GUI
CLI: programmer
GUI: end-user ( a person who uses the computer to run software or play games or store/manipulate photographs)
What is a “PC/desktop computer”
Personal Computer
General-purpose computer made up of a separate monitor, keyboard, mouse, and processing unit
List 5 advantages of a PC
Spare parts and connections tend to be standardised - lower cost
Desktop tends to have a better specification for a given price
Power consumption is not critical
Less likelihood of computer being damaged since it’s fixed in one spot
Internet access is more stable
List 3 disadvantages of a PC
Not portable
Necessary to copy files to work elsewhere
More complicated (more components (carry keyboard and mouse)
What is a “Laptop/notebook” computer
Monitor, keyboard, pointing device and processor are all together in one single unit - portable
List 3 key features of a laptop
Lightweight (portability)
Low power consumption (long battery life)
Processor doesn’t generate too much heat
List 4 advantages of laptop computers
Portability
No trailing wires
Takes full advantage of wifi
Links into any multimedia system (portable)
List 3 disadvantages of laptop computers
Easy to lose
Limited battery life
Keyboards and pointing device can be hard to use
What are “Tablets”
Internet-enabled portable computer
List features of a tablet
high -definition, anti-glare displays
front- and back-facing cameras
lower weight and longer battery life than laptops
Bluetooth connection
flash (solid state) memory and cloud storage facilities to back up and synchronise
sensors:
- proximity sensors to detect if the device is close
- accelerometer, which detects movement and orientation of the device
- sophisticated speech-recognition systems (such as Siri)
What is the name of the device that’s a hybrid between a smartphone and a tablet called
Phablet
List 7 advantages of tablets
very fast to switch on
portable
touch-screen technology
can use several Apps as standard
don’t generate any heat
battery life of a tablet is a lot longer
when the power button is pressed it goes into standby but remains connected to the internet, so the user still hears alerts when emails or other ‘events’ are received.
List 5 disadvantages of tablets
limited memory or storage
expensive to run if the internet is being accessed frequently via 3G/4G/5G
typing on a touch screen can be slow and error-prone compared to a standard keyboard
transferring of files often has to be done through an ‘Apps store’
laptops tend to support more types of file format than tablets
What are “Smartphones”
normal phone calls to be made but also have an operating system (such as iOS, Android or Windows), allowing them to run a number of computer applications
List functions of a smartphone
send/ receive emails surf the net gps calendar telephone banking Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) - telephone network using the internet, which also allows video calling streaming of videos/music social media instant messaging
List 5 advantages of smartphones
portable - small and light
phone calls as well as connect to the internet while on
the move be used almost anywhere because wifi
they have hundreds of Apps
they have a reasonable battery life compared to laptops.
List 6 disadvantages of smartphones
the small screens make pages difficult to read and small keyboards make typing things in more difficult and slower
web browsing and photography can drain the battery quickly
memory size in most phones isn’t very large when compared to laptops and PCs
not all website features are compatible with smartphone
operating systems
easier to lose
the data transfer rate using mobile phone networks is slower than with Wi-Fi- this makes streaming of video or music, for example, less than satisfactory at times.
What are “Smartwatches”
Allows user to wear a min-computer on their wrists
List 6 functions of smartwatches
Internet connectivity Ability to make and take phone calls Messaging via text/video Weather forecasts Fitness/health monitoring capability GPS
List 2 advantages of smartwatches
More convenient than smartphones since tech delivers notification straight to user’s wrist
Easy to use for fitness and health regimes
List 2 disadvantages of smartwatches
Large and bulky - may be uncomfortable to wear
Unattractive in design
What is a “Mainframe computer”
Large, very powerful, computer system
List 6 main features of mainframe computers
Several CPUs Very fast processor speeds Supports multiple operating systems Huge amounts of storage capacity Huge internal memories Operate using time sharing or batch processing
What are the 7 emerging technologies
AI (Artificial Intelligence biometrics) Vision enhancement Robotics Quantum cryptography CAT (Computer-Assisted Translation) 3-D and holographic imaging Virtual reality
How does AI overcome common problems with biometric technology
Uses dynamic profiling where system learns by using AI about a person’s fingerprints on every scan
AI not confused by soft biometric changes
What is LVES
Low-vision enhancement system
What is NVE
Night vision enhancement
What is an application of robotics
Drones
What is “Quantum Cryptography”
Making a message unintelligible to any unauthorised user (hacker)
Encryption
What are the two tools CAT uses
Terminology databases - linguistic databases that grow and learn from translations
Translation memories - automatically insert known translations for words phrases and sentences
What is “Holography”
Technology that allows 3-D images to be produced
List 10 applications of holograms
CAD (Engineering design) Architecture Simulations Medical imaging Cinema Gaming Advertising Holographic televisions Holographic computer memories Optical computers
What is VR
Virtual Reality
Artificial environment created by software
uses data goggles/sensor suits/data gloves/helmets to get a feeling of reality
List 12 applications of VR
Military Education Healthcare Entertainment Fashion Heritage Business Real estate Engineering Sport Media Scientific visualisation
