Chapter 2 Study Guide

Question 1

C______ P_________ UNIT (CPU) the part of the computer that consists of three associated elements: the arithmetic/logic unit, the control unit, and the register areas.

Answer 1

CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT (CPU) the part of the computer that consists of three associated elements: the arithmetic/logic unit, the control unit, and the register areas.

Question 2

A___________/L______ UNIT (ALU) the part of the CPU that performs mathematical calculations and makes logical comparisons.

Answer 2

ARITHEMETIC/LOGIC UNIT (ALU) the part of the CPU that performs mathematical calculations and makes logical comparisons.

Question 3

CONTROL UNIT the part of the CPU that s__________ accesses program instructions, decodes them, and coordinates the flow of data in and out of the ALU, the registers, the primary storage, and even secondary storage and various out-put devices.

Answer 3

CONTROL UNIT the part of the CPU that sequentially accesses program instructions, decodes them, and coordinates the flow of data in and out of the ALU, the registers, the primary storage, and even secondary storage and various out-put devices.

Question 4

CLOCK SPEED A series of electronic p_______ produced at a predetermined rate that affects machine cycle time.

Answer 4

CLOCK SPEED A series of electronic pulses produced at a predetermined rate that affects machine cycle time.

Question 5

BYTE eight bits that together represent a single c_________ of data.

Answer 5

BYTE eight bits that together represent a single character of data.

Question 6

RANDOM ACCESS MEMROY (RAM) a form of memory in which instructions or data can be t_________ stored.

Answer 6

RANDOM ACCESS MEMROY (RAM0a form of memory in which instructions or data can be temporarily stored.

Question 7

HARDWARE refers to the physical components of a computer to perform the i______, p_________, s_________, and o_______ activities.

Answer 7

HARDWARE refers to the physical components of a computer to perform the input, processing, storage, and output activities.

Question 8

READ ONLY MEMORY (ROM)a non-v________ form of memory

Answer 8

READ ONLY MEMORY (ROM)a non-volatile form of memory

Question 9

MULTIPROCESSING simultaneous execution of two or more i________________

Answer 9

MULTIPROCESSING simultaneous execution of two or more instructions.

Question 10

PARALLEL COMPUTING the simultaneous execution of the same task on multiple p___________ to obtain results much faster.

Answer 10

PARALLEL COMPUTING the simultaneous execution of the same task on multiple processors to obtain results much faster.

Question 11

G_____ COMPUTING the use of a collection of computers, often owned by multiple individuals or organizations, to work in a coordinated manner to solve a common problem.

Answer 11

GRID COMPUTING the use of a collection of computers, often owned by multiple individuals or organizations, to work in a coordinated manner to solve a common problem.

Question 12

MAGENTIC TAPE a type of sequential s__________ storage medium, now used primarily for storing backups of critical organizational data in the event of a disaster.

Answer 12

MAGENTIC TAPE a type of sequential secondary storage medium, now used primarily for storing backups of critical organizational data in the event of a disaster.

Question 13

HARD DRIVE (HDD) provides direct access to stored data. The read/write head can move directly to the location of a desired piece of data, dramatically reducing a_______ times as compared to magnetic tape.

Answer 13

HARD DRIVE (HDD)provide direct access to stored data. The read/write head can move directly to the location of a desired piece of data, dramatically reducing access times as compared to magnetic tape.

Question 14

REDUNDANT ARRAY OF INDEPENDENT/INEXPENSIVE DISC (RAID) a method of storing data that generates extra bits of data from existing data, allowing the system to create a “r______________ map” so that if a hard drive fails, the system can rebuild the lost data.

Answer 14

REDUNDANT ARRAY OF INDEPENDENT/INEXPENSIVE DISC (RAID) a method of storing data that generates extra bits of data from existing data, allowing the system to create a “reconstruction map” so that if a hard drive fails, the system can rebuild the lost data.

Question 15

STORAGE AREA NETWORK (SAN) special purpose, high speed network that provides h_____-speed connections among data storage devices and computers over a network.

Answer 15

STORAGE AREA NETWORK (SAN) special purpose, high speed network that provides hig-speed connections among data storage devices and computers over a network.

Question 16

RFID a technology that employs a microchip with an a_________ to broadcast its unique identifier and location to receivers.

Answer 16

RFID a technology that employs a microchip with an antenna to broadcast its unique identifier and location to receivers.

Question 17

LCD flat display that uses liquid crystals—organic oil-like material placed between two p___________ to form character’s and graphic images on a backlit screen.

Answer 17

LCD flat display that uses liquid crystals—organic oil-like material placed between two polarizers to form character’s and graphic images on a backlit screen.

Question 18

S______ a computer used by many users to perform a specific task, such as running network or internet applications.

Answer 18

SERVER a computer used by many users to perform a specific task, such as running network or internet applications.

Question 19

BLADE SERVER a server that houses many individual computer mother-boards that include one or more p_________, computer memory, computer storage, and computer n________ connections.

Answer 19

BLADE SERVER a server that houses many individual computer mother-boards that include on or more processors, computer memory, computer storage, and computer network connections.

Question 20

____ 1. People involved in selecting their organization’s computer hardware need not understand current and future business requirements, they simply need to understand the technology so they can make informed acquisition decisions.

Answer 20

__F__ 1. People involved in selecting their organization’s computer hardware NEET TO understand current and future business requirements, AND to understand the technology so they can make informed acquisition decisions.

Question 21

____ 2. The clock speed affects machine cycle time and the rate at which the computer executes instructions.

Answer 21

__T__ 2. The clock speed affects machine cycle time and the rate at which the computer executes instructions.

Question 22

____ 3. Compared to main memory, secondary storage offers the advantages of non-volatility, increased capacity, and lower costs.

Answer 22

__T__ 3. Compared to main memory, secondary storage offers the advantages of non-volatility, increased capacity, and lower costs.

Question 23

____ 4. The overall trend in secondary storage devices is toward use of direct access methods, higher capacity, and increased volatility.

Answer 23

__F__ 4. The overall trend in secondary storage devices is toward use of direct access methods, higher capacity, and DECREASED volatility.

Question 24

____ 5. Chip-and-PIN cards employ a computer chip that communicates with a card reader using radio frequencies and require different terminals that those used for magnetic stripe cards.

Answer 24

__T__ 5. Chip-and-PIN cards employ a computer chip that communicates with a card reader using radio frequencies and require different terminals that those used for magnetic stripe cards.

Question 25

____ 6. To run, applications request services from the operating system through a defined application program interface.

Answer 25

__T__ 6. To run, applications request services from the operating system through a defined application program interface.

Question 26

____ 7. The ability of a computer to handle an increasing number of concurrent users smoothly is called multitasking.

Answer 26

__F__ 7. The ability of a computer to handle an increasing number of concurrent users smoothly is called multitasking.

Question 27

____ 8. Middleware is software that allows various systems to communicate and exchange data.

Answer 27

__T__ 8. Middleware is software that allows various systems to communicate and exchange data.

Question 28

____ 9. Proprietary software is a one-of-a-kind program developed for a specific purpose.

Answer 28

__T__ 9. Proprietary software is a one-of-a-kind program developed for a specific purpose.

Question 29

____ 10. Programming languages are sets of keywords, symbols, and rules for constructing statements that people can use to communicate instructions to a computer.

Answer 29

__T__ 10. Programming languages are sets of keywords, symbols, and rules for constructing statements that people can use to communicate instructions to a computer.

Question 30

____ 1. The _____ sequentially accesses program instructions, decodes then, and coordinates the flow of data in and out of the arithmetic and logic unit. a. CPU c. control unit b. ALU d. main memory

Answer 30

C. Control unit

Question 31

____ 2. Each central processing unit consists of two primary elements: the arithmetic/logic unit and the _____ unit. a. memory c. control b. input/output d. ALU

Answer 31

Control

Question 32

____ 3. A type of memory whose contents are lost if the power is turned off is said to be _____. a. multicore c. RAM b. nonvolatile d. volatile

Answer 32

volatile

Question 33

____ 4. _____ is the use of a collection of computers, often owned by many people or different organizations, to work in a coordinated manner to solve a common problem. a. cloud computing c. parallel computing b. grid computing d. none of the above

Answer 33

Grid Computing

Question 34

____ 5. RAID storage devices provide organizations with data storage that is _____. a. exceedingly fast c. extremely low cost b. fault tolerant d. unlimited in storage capacity

Answer 34

Extremely low cost

Question 35

____ 6. ______ is a computer chip design company whose energy-efficient chip architecture is broadly used in smartphones and tablet computers. a. ARM c. IBM b. Dell d. HP

Answer 35

ARM

Question 36

____ 7. The _____ is an advanced optical disk technology still in development that would store more data than even the Blu-ray optical disk system. a. CD-ROM R/W c. RAID storage device b. virtual tape d. holographic versatile disc

Answer 36

Holographic versatile disc

Question 37

____ 8. _____ are frequently used to capture input in standardized tests such as the SAT and GMAT. a. MICR readers c. OMR readers b. Speech recognition devices d. OCR readers

Answer 37

OMR readers

Question 38

____ 9. An RFID tag on an inventory item might contain information _____. a. product information c. details about the item tagged b. location data d. all of the above

Answer 38

All of the above

Question 39

____ 10. _____ displays use thousands of smart cells consisting of electrodes and neon and xenon gases that are electrically turned into plasma to emit light. a. CRT c. OLED b. Plasma d. LCD

Answer 39

Plasma

Question 40

____ 11. A(n) _____ has an embedded chip that only needs to be held close to a terminal to transfer its data; no PIN number needs to be entered. a. smart card c. contactless card b. chip-and-PIN card d. all of the above

Answer 40

Contactless card

Question 41

____ 12. The _____ is a single user, nonportable computer designed to perform engineering, CAD, and software development work. a. workstation c. desktop b. netbook d. notebook

Answer 41

Workstation

Question 42

____ 13. _____ are the most powerful computers with the fastest processing speed and highest performance. a. Blade servers c. Mainframe computers b. Workstations d. Supercomputers

Answer 42

Supercomputers

Question 43

____ 14. Green computing is focused at the efficient and environmentally responsible _____ of IS related products. a. design and manufacture c. disposal b. operation d. all of the above

Answer 43

All of the above

Question 44

____ 15. People using commercially available software are usually asked to read and agree to a(n) _____ a. copyright agreement c. purchase order b. privacy statement d. end-user license agreement

Answer 44

end-user license agreement

Question 45

____ 16. ______ is a Web-delivered software application that combines hardware resources of the Web server and PC to deliver valuable software services through a Web browser interface. a. cloud computing c. rich Internet application b. grid computing d. none of the above

Answer 45

rich Internet application

Question 46

____ 17. The _____ features of the operating system allocates computer resources to make the best use of each system’s assets. a. task management c. user interface b. file management d. multitasking

Answer 46

Task management

Question 47

____ 18. An operating system with _____ capabilities allows a user to run more than one application at the same time. a. networking capability c. memory management b. multitasking d. hardware independence

Answer 47

Multitasking

Question 48

____ 19. A(n) _____ interface displays icons and menus that people use to send commands to the computer system. a. command driven c. natural user b. graphical user d. multitouch

Answer 48

Graphical user

Question 49

____ 20. _____ is a powerful operating system originally developed by AT&T for use on minicomputers but now runs on workstations, servers, and mainframe computers. a. z/OS c. AIX b. Unix d. Linux

Answer 49

UNIX

Question 50

____ 21. Embedded operating systems _____. a. represent a small, niche market c. are changing the way we interact with many household devices b. are used in a narrow range of applications d. all of the above

Answer 50

are changing the way we interact with many household devices

Question 51

____ 22. One difference between off-the-shelf software versus proprietary software is that _____ a. being involved in the development offers control over the results c. the software is likely to be highly customized to meet the specific business needs of the organization b. the initial cost is higher d. the software is likely to be of high quality because many customer firms have tested the software and helped identify its bugs

Answer 51

the software is likely to be of high quality because many customer firms have tested the software and helped identify its bugs

Question 52

____ 23. A risk involved with using an application service provider is that _____ a. sensitive information could be compromised c. a disaster could disable the ASP’s data center b. the ASP could be incapable of keeping its servers and network up and running consistently d. all of the above

Answer 52

All of the above

Question 53

____ 24. Many organizations are turning to _____, a set of integrated programs that manages a company’s vital business operations for an entire multisite, global organization. a. software suite c. ERP b. workgroup application software d. cloud computing

Answer 53

ERP

Question 54

____ 25. Literally thousands of programming languages have been developed, but only _____ are commonly used today. a. a couple c. a hundred or so b. one dozen d. a few dozen

Answer 54

a few dozen

Question 55

_____ is the component of the computer that rapidly provides data and instructions to the CPU

Answer 55

Main or Primary memory

Question 56

The _____ sequentially accesses program instructions, decodes them, and coordinates the flow of data in and out of the ALU, primary storage, and even secondary storage and various output devices.

Answer 56

Control unit

Question 57

_____ storage devices store devices in memory chips rather than magnetic or optical media.

Answer 57

Solid state

Question 58

A(n) _____ is a dot of color on a photo image or a point of light on a display screen.

Answer 58

pixel

Question 59

_____ is a data storage model in which a data storage service provider rents space to people and organizations.

Answer 59

Storage as a service

Question 60

The digital media equivalent of a conventional printed book is called a(n) _____.

Answer 60

E-book

Question 61

_____ describes the program functions to help the user operate the computer systems

Answer 61

Documentation

Question 62

The scope of the problems and opportunities addressed by a particular organization is called its ______.

Answer 62

Sphere of influence

Question 63

Before you can use any type of software, it must be ______ on a computer.

Answer 63

Installed

Question 64

_____ allows a user to run several programs or tasks at the same time.

Answer 64

Multitasking

Question 65

Most analysts classify Windows _____ as “Vista done right.”

Answer 65

7

Question 66

Google has developed its own Linux-based operating system called _____.

Answer 66

Chrome

Question 67

______ operating systems are embedded with a device and are typically designed to perform specialized tasks.

Answer 67

Embedded

Question 68

_____ is software that is mass produced by software vendors to address needs that are common across business, organizations, or individuals.

Answer 68

Off the shelf

Question 69

_____ are sets of keywords, symbols, and rules for constructing statements that people can use to communicate instructions to a computer.

Answer 69

Programming languages

Question 70

Briefly discuss how the processing of data in a computer involves the interplay between its various hardware components.

Answer 70

ANS: Each central processing unit consists of two primary elements: the arithmetic/logic unit and the control unit. The ALU performs mathematical calculations and makes logical comparisons. The control unit sequentially accesses program instructions, decodes them, and coordinates the flow of data in and out of the ALU, primary storage, and even secondary storage and various output devices.

Question 71

What is grid computing and how does it work?

Answer 71

ANS: Grid computing is the use of a collection of computers, often owned by many people or organizations, to work in a coordinated manner to solve a common problem. Key to the success of grid computing is a central server that acts as a grid leader and traffic monitor. This controlling computer divides the computing task into subtasks and assigns the work to computers on the grid that have (at least temporarily) surplus processing power. The central server also monitors the processing, and if a member of the grid fails to complete a subtask, it will restart or reassign the task. When all the tasks are completed, the controlling server combines the results and advances to the next task until the whole job is completed.

Question 72

Identify three advantages of the use of solid state secondary storage devices over magnetic or optical media.

Answer 72

ANS: Solid state storage devices store data in memory chips rather than magnetic or optical media. The memory chips require less power and provide faster data access. In addition, because SSDs have fewer moving parts, they are less fragile than hard disk drives and less likely to fail.

Question 73

Identify and briefly discuss the software available from Google.

Answer 73

ANS: Over the years, Google has extended its reach from providing the most popular search engine to application software (Google Docs), mobile operating system (Android), Web browser (Chrome), and PC operating system (Chrome OS). Today, over 100 million people are using Google’s Android operating system in smartphones and mobile devices. Google’s Gingerbread operating system was designed for smartphones and other mobile devices. Chrome OS is a Linux-based operating system for netbooks and nettops. Chrome OS for personal computers does not need application software. All applications can be accessed through the Internet. An open-source version of Chrome OS, named Chromium OS, is now available.

Question 74

What are some of the disadvantages of using proprietary software?

Answer 74

ANS: It can take a long time and significant resources to develop the required features. In house system developers may become hard pressed to provide the required level of ongoing support and maintenance because of pressure to move on to other projects. The features and performance of software that has yet to be developed presents potential risk.