Computer Systems Flashcards
what is hardware and give a named example.
The physical components of a computer.
e.g. Keyboard, mouse, monitor,
what is system software?
any software that assists with the running or maintenance of a computer system. OR.
It helps the user to manage the computer system.
what is application software?
Software added to the system to allow the user to perform a task.
what is an input?
A piece of hardware that provides an input
What is an output?
A piece of hardware that provides an output.
What is an operating system?
It is a collection of programs that manage and control the computer.
name 3 examples of operating systems.
Examples can be three of five: Microsoft Windows Apple OS X Linux Android IOS
what do operating systems use to control its
peripherals?
They use Device drivers to control its peripherals
What is are utility programs? Give the four types of utility software
Utility software helps maintain the system. Utility software includes:
encryption software
defragmentation software
data compression software
backup software
What is encryption?
Encryption software disguises the contents of files so they can only be understood by authorised users.
what is clock speed measured in?
Hertz
what are the components of the CPU?
Registers, read only memory (ROM) and cache
What is a register?
A register is a small amount of high speed RAM contained within the processor. It is not a small computer that forms part of a larger system.
what is “Von neumann Architecture”?
In Von Neumann architecture, data and instructions are both stored in main memory.
Which register holds the address of the next instruction to be fetched from memory?
The program counter holds the address of the next instruction to be fetched from memory. The MAR holds the address of the instruction about to be fetched from memory.
