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IT 4th form > Computer fundamentals > Flashcards

Computer fundamentals Flashcards

1
Q

Define Information Technology

A

the use of computers to store, retrieve, manipulate and send information

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2
Q

What is a computer?

A

an electronic device that manipulates information, or data and outputs the results

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3
Q

What are computer systems?

A

a collection of hardware and software that are designed to retrieve, process and manage the instruction given by the user and return output in the form of human readable information

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4
Q

Define hardware

A

hardware is the parts of the computer that can be touched, or is tangible.

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5
Q

Hardware components are split into two main categories, what are they?

A

essential and peripheral

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6
Q

Name two of the fastest drives on a computer?

A

solid state drive and hard disk drive

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7
Q

What are essential components?

A

the parts that the computer system could not operate without

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8
Q

Examples of essential hardware components?

A

,motherboard, CPU, RAM, ROM, and Power supply

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9
Q

What are peripheral hardware components?

A

are the hardware components usually outside the system unit that are not needed for the basic operation of the computer system

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10
Q

examples of peripheral components?

A

speaker, keyboard, mouse, scanner, disk drivers , etc.

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11
Q

Define peripheral devices

A

devices that are not needed for the basic operation of a computer. A computer can work without a peripheral device

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12
Q

Three categories of peripheral devices?

A

Input, Output and Storage devices

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13
Q

Give three examples of Source data automation input devices

A

optical mark readers, character readers, magnetic strip reader, barcode reader, document scanner, digital camera, biometric systems, sensors, remote control, sound capture, voice responsive unit, webcam

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14
Q

What does OMR stand for?

A

optical mark readers

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15
Q

Give two examples of key input devices

A

gaming keyboard, disabled keyboard

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16
Q

Give three examples of point and draw input devices

A

mouse, joy stick light pen, touch terminals, touch screens (tablets, point of sale, atm) pointing devices ( trackball, stylus)

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17
Q

Give three examples of visual output devices

A

monitors, printers (laser, inkjet, dot matrix, thermal, plotters, 3D printers) microfilm

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18
Q

Give three examples of audible output devices

A

speakers, headphones, earphones

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19
Q

Characteristics of computers?

A

speed, communication, accuracy, reliability, storage

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20
Q

Explain the five characteristics

A

speed- a computer can process billions of instructions in a single second.

reliability- modern computers have a low failure rate and they produce consistent results. Computers can work continuously and never go on a strike.

accuracy- the computers produces error free results if the data is entered correctly. (GIGO)

storage- a computer stores large amounts of data in a very small place for later use. Spare copies or backup can also be stored in case of accidents.

communication- communication devices such as modems allow 2 or more computers to share stored data and information.

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21
Q

What does GIGO stand for and what is it?

A

garbage in garbage out

It means that regardless of how accurate a program’s logic is, the results will be incorrect if the input is invalid.

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22
Q

What are some drawbacks of computer use?

A

computers can replace people so that leads to unemployment.

computers hold personal information which could be misused

problems arise when a computer cannot be used. certain tasks have to be done manually or postponed.

staff need to be trained. training can be expensive and if the current staff member leaves a new staff member will have to be trained.

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23
Q

What are the different computer systems?

A

supercomputers, mainframes, microcomputers, desktop systems, mobile devices, embedded devices

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24
Q

Give an example of a supercomputer

A

Cray

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25
Q

Give an example of a mainframe computer

A

IBM z Enterprise system

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26
Q

Give an example of a desktop system

A

PC

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27
Q

Give examples of mobile devices

A

laptops, notebooks, netbooks, smartphones, tablets and game consoles

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28
Q

Give examples of embedded devices

A

special purpose systems such as controllers in microwaves, car ignition systems, answering machines

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29
Q

What are peripherals?

A

hardware components usually outside the system unit, not needed for the basic operation of the computer system.

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30
Q

examples of peripherals?

A

speaker, keyboard, mouse, scanner, disk drives etc

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31
Q

What are the main types of primary storage

A

RAM and ROM

32
Q

Which type of storage is accessed directly by the CPU

A

primary storage

33
Q

Define primary storage

A

the section of computer memory which is accessed directly by the CPU and which contains storage devices that the computer cannot function without

34
Q

What is the main memory of the compuiter?

A

RAM

35
Q

Define volatile and non volatile

A

volatile- data is lost when the power on the computer is turned off

non volatile- contents are not lost when power is shut off.

36
Q

What does DRAM stand for?

A

dynamic random access memory

37
Q

What does SRAM stand for?

A

static random access memory

38
Q

what does BIOS stand for?

A

Basic Input Output System

39
Q

What does PROM stand for

A

permanent read only memory

40
Q

What does EPROM mean

A

erasable programmable read only memory

41
Q

What does EEPROM mean

A

Electrically erasable programmable read only memory

42
Q

Define secondary storage

A

secondary storage is non volatile , usually has a large storage capacity and stores data permanently. It can either be internal or external to the computer

43
Q

What is media and give an example

A

material used to store data
eg. CD

44
Q

What are storage devices and give an example

A

used to manage media
eg. CDROM drive

45
Q

Magnetic devices use ____

A

magnets

46
Q

optical devices use _____

A

lasers

47
Q

flash memory is _____________ programmed/erased

A

electronically

48
Q

Give examples of storage devices

A

cassette reader, flash drive, read/write head

49
Q

Give examples of storage media

A

hard disk (platters), floppy disk, CD, magnetic tape, memory stick

50
Q

What is a thumb drive?

A

a solid state drive that connects to the USB port

or

are pen drives or USB, which are used to retrieve data,

51
Q

What is a flash drive?

A

a small electronic device containing flash memory that is used for storing data or transferring it to or from a computer, digital camera, etc.

or
small integrated chips that can be electronically programmed and erased before they are used again.

52
Q

Which two drives are used for the transferring and storage for the data?

A

flash drive and thumb drive

53
Q

What storage capacity does a flash drive have?

A

512GB - 1TB

54
Q

what storage capacity does a thumb drive have?

A

16, 32 or 64GB

55
Q

Thumb drives have three main USB specifications, what are they?

A

USB 1.0, USB 2.0 and USB 3.0

56
Q

What are some advantages of using cloud storage?

A

cost- purchasing physical storage can be expensive. Without the need for hardware cloud storage is exceptionally cheaper per GB than using external devices

accessibility- using the cloud for storage gives you access to your files from anywhere that has an internet connection

recovery- in the event of a hard drive failure or other hardware malfunction, you can access your files on the cloud. It acts as a backup solution for your local storage on physical drives.

syncing and updating- when you are working with cloud storage, every time you make changes to a file it will be synced and updated across all of your devices that you access the cloud from.

security- cloud storage providers add additional layers of security to their services. Since there are many people with files stored on the cloud, these providers go to added lengths to make sure your files don’t get accessed by someone who shouldn’t.

57
Q

What are some disadvantages of cloud storage?

A

internet connection- cloud based storage is dependent on having an internet connection. If you are on a slow network you may have issues in accessing your storage. In the event you find yourself somewhere without internet, you won’t be able to access your files.

costs- there are additional costs for uploading and downloading files from the cloud. These can quickly add up if you are trying to access lots of files often.

hard drives- cloud storage is supposed to eliminate our dependency on hard drives but some business cloud storage providers require physical hard drives as well.

support- support for cloud storage isn’t the best, especially if you are using a free version of a cloud provider. Many providers refer you to a knowledge base or FAQs.

privacy- when you use a cloud provider, your data is no longer on your physical storage.

58
Q

advantages of local storage?

A

speed- if configured and set up correctly, local storage can be faster than cloud storage. Mostly this is because with cloud services you are limited because of your internet connection’s speed.

complete control over the data- since the data is stored on the server locally, the hardware is all under your control. However, for the hardware to function properly, hardware maintenance is important.

accessibility- having your data on premises right at your fingertips is nothing but a convenience in local storage.

survivor- local storage isn’t dependent on an internet connection. Once stored on premises, internet service would be the last of your concerns.

59
Q

Disadvantages of local storage?

A

the data dies within the server- data locally authorizes events like floods and fires, making it one of the major concerns as all local storage and backups would be lost.

cost- storing data locally requires you to buy hardware, such as network cabling and file services which can be expensive.

data security and safety- on site data storage crashes at any time, leaving with no data and at a loss. This potential threat can be avoided by putting your data online unless the internet goes down.

60
Q

what is a bistable device, give examples

A

a device that is either on or off
eg. switch, transistor

61
Q

What is a bit?

A

the smallest chunk of data a computer can manage, either 1or 0

62
Q

how bits make up a byte?

A

8 bits

63
Q

how many bytes make up a kilobyte?

A

1024 bytes

64
Q

how many bytes make up a megabyte?

A

2^20 bytes

65
Q

what are the basic functions of a computer system?

A

input- accept/get data
process- manipulate data
output- produce results
storage- keep data for future use

66
Q

what does IPO cycle mea?

A

input process output cycle

67
Q

four examples of input devices

A

keyboard, mouse, camera, mic

68
Q

what are three CPU components?

A

ALU (arithmetic & logical unit)
CU (control unit)
registers

69
Q

Three examples of output devices?

A

monitor, speaker, printer

70
Q

Name two types of memory

A

RAM (random access memory)
ROM (read only memory)

71
Q

Give another name for the CPU chip

A

microprocessor

72
Q

The CPU chip is connected to?

A

the motherboard

73
Q

What is the purpose of the microprocessor?

A

it is designed to perform arithmetic & logical operations that make use of small number holding areas called registers.

74
Q

four examples of processors?

A

intel Pentium D
intel Pentium 4
AMD Sempron
AMD 64 Athlon X2

75
Q

The CPU processes the instructions it receives from input devices and gives the required output using output devices. What are the four basic functions performed by the CPU to carry out this task?

A

fetch instructions from memory

decode into binary instructions

execute action and move to the next step

store by writing output to memory

76
Q

What are the two components of the machine cycle

A

IT 4th form (3 decks)

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