Computers And Their Business Applications (definitions)

Question 1

Computer

Answer 1

A machine that accepts data as input, processes data without human intervention by using stored instructions and outputs information.

Question 2

Central processing unit (CPU)

Answer 2

The heart of a computer. It is divided into two components: the arithmetic logic unit (ALU) and the control unit.

Question 3

Arithmetic logic unit (ALU)

Answer 3

This unit performs arithmetic operations (+, -, *, /) as well as comparison or relational operations (<, >, =); the latter are used to compare numbers.

Question 4

Control unit

Answer 4

The control unit tells the computer what to do, such as instructing the computer which device to read or send output to.

Question 5

Bus

Answer 5

A link between devices connected to the computer. It can be parallel or serial, internal or external.

Question 6

Disk drive

Answer 6

A peripheral device for recording, storing and retrieving information.

Question 7

CPU case

Answer 7

Also known as a computer chassis or tower. It is the enclosure containing the computer’s main components.

Question 8

Motherboard

Answer 8

The main circuit board containing connectors for attaching additional boards. It usually contains the CPU, basic input/output system (BIOS), memory, storage, interfaces, serial and parallel ports, expansion slots, and all the controllers for standard peripheral devices such as the display monitor, disk drive and keyboard.

Question 9

Input devices

Answer 9

They send data and information to the computer. Examples include a keyboard and mouse.

Question 10

Output devices

Answer 10

They are capable of representing information from a computer. The form of this output might be visual, audio, or digital; examples include printers, display monitors and plotters.

Question 11

Main memory (memory device)

Answer 11

Main memory stores data and information is usually volatile; its contents are lost when electrical power is turned off. It plays a major role in a computer’s performance.

Question 12

Secondary memory

Answer 12

Secondary memory is nonvolatile, holds data when the computer is off or during the course of a program’s operation. It also serves as archival storage.

Question 13

Random access memory (RAM)

Answer 13

Volatile memory in which data can be read from and written to, it is also called read-write memory.

Question 14

Cache RAM

Answer 14

Resides on the processor. Because memory access from main RAM storage takes several clock cycles (a few nanoseconds) cache RAM stores recently accessed memory so the processor is not waiting for the memory transfer.

Question 15

Read-only memory (ROM)

Answer 15

Nonvolatile; data cannot be written to ROM.

Question 16

Magnetic disk

Answer 16

made of Mylar or metal, is used for random-access processing. In other words, data can be accessed in any order, regardless of its order on the surface.

Question 17

Magnetic tape

Answer 17

Is made of plastic material and stores data sequentially.

Question 18

Redundant array of independent disks (RAID)

Answer 18

A system that is a collection of disk drives used for fault tolerance and improved performance and is typically found in large network systems.

Question 19

Cloud storage

Answer 19

Used for online storage and backup. It involves multiple virtual servers that are usually hosted by third parties. Customers buy or lease storage space from third parties based on their current or future needs.

Question 20

Storage area network (SAN)

Answer 20

A dedicated high-speed network consisting of both hardware and software used to connect and manage shared storage devices, such as disk arrays. tape libraries and optical storage devices.

Question 21

Network-attached storage (NAS)

Answer 21

Essentially a network-connected computer dedicated to providing file-based data storage services to other network devices.

Question 22

Server

Answer 22

A computer and all the software for managing network resources and offering services to a network.

Question 23

Operating system (OS)

Answer 23

A set of programs for controlling and managing computer hardware and software. It provides an interface between a computer and and the user and increases computer efficiency by helping users share computer resources and by performing repetitive tasks for users.

Question 24

Application software

Answer 24

Can be commercial software or software developed in-house and is used to perform a variety of tasks on a personal computer.

Question 25

Machine learning

Answer 25

The first generation of computer languages, consists of a series of 0s and 1s representing data or instructions. It is dependent on the machine, so code written for one type of computer does not work on another type of computer.

Question 26

Assembly language

Answer 26

The second generation of computer languages, is a higher-level language than machine learning language but is also machine dependent. It uses a series of short codes, or mnemonics, to represent data or instructions.

Question 27

High-level languages

Answer 27

Machine independent and part of the third generation of computer languages. Many languages are available and each is designed for a specific purpose.

Question 28

Fourth-generation languages (4GLs)

Answer 28

These use macro codes that can take the place of several lines of programming. The commands are powerful and easy to learn, even for people with little computer training.

Question 29

Fifth-generation languages (5GLs)

Answer 29

These use some of the artificial intelligence technologies, such as knowledge-based systems, natural language processing (NLP), visual programming and a graphical approach to programming. These languages are designed to facilitate natural conversations between you and the computer.

Question 30

Object-oriented programming (OOP)

Answer 30

This language is organized around a system of objects that represent the real world as opposed to a series of computational steps used in traditional languages.

Question 31

Object

Answer 31

An item that contains both data and the procedures that read and manipulate it.

Question 32

Class

Answer 32

Define the format of the object and the action that it performs.