History And Introduction To Computers Flashcards
What is a computer?
A device, usually electronic that can store, retrieve and process data
What is the hardware of a computer?
The physical machinery of the computer that consists of several hardware devices
What is the software of a computer?
The programs that tell the machine what to do with many different programs written in different languages usually working together
What are some input devices?
Keyboard, mouse, touchpad, joystick, pen & tablet, perforated cards
What Are Some Output Devices?
Printer, Screen, Teletype
What are some input and output devices?
Auxiliary Devices, like disks and tape drives, touch screen and network cards, like intranet and internet
What are some hardware that use permanent memory?
Disks and other I/O devices
What are some volatile memory hardware?
Main memory and graphic memories
What are the 3 main memory types?
Permanent (non-volatile), volatile and virtual
What does CPU stand for?
Central Processing Unit
What does a CPU contain?
An ALU and a control unit
What does ALU stand for?
Arithmetic Logic Unit
What is the roles of the CPU?
Stores data in memory, retrieves data from memory, performs computations and sends and receives data from other devices
What is a bus?
A group of wires through which the other devices communicate
What does RAM stand for?
Random Access Memory
What is primary storage?
RAM
What is secondary storage?
Permanent storage like disk storage
How many generations of computers is there?
4
When was the first generation of computers?
1948-1956
When was the second generation of computers?
1956-1964
When was the third generation of computers?
1964-1973
When was the fourth generation of computers?
1973-present
What is the name of the first generation of computers?
Vacuum Tubes
What is the name of the second generation of computers?
Transistors
What is the name of the third generation of computers?
SSI Silicone Chips
What is the name of the fourth generation of computers?
LSI Silicone Chips
What does SSI mean when talking about Silicone Chips?
Small-Scale Integration
What does LSI mean when talking about Silicone Chips?
Large-Scale Integration
What is an example of some registers?
Program Counter, Current Instruction Register, Memory Address Register, Memory Data Register
What does the ALU do?
Holds data temporarily and performs calculations and comparisons
What does the Control Unit do?
Controls and interprets the execution of instructions, follows a sequence of actions corresponding to the FDE cycle
What is the primary printed circuit board in a PC?
The Motherboard
What are some examples of the system software?
Programs written for computer systems, like compliers and operating systems
What are some examples of application software?
Programs written for computer users, like word-processors and spreadsheets
What are some of the several essential services providing by the operating systems?
Loading and running application programs, allocating memory and processor time, proving input and output facilities and managing files of information
What are 3 examples of ways computers communicate between each other and connect on servers?
Client-Server Computing, Cloud Computing and Peer-to-Peer Computing
What are some examples of client-server computing?
Email services, file services and print services
What are some advantages of client-server architecture?
Easier administration, easier availability and location by users, consistency of resources such as files and data can be managed and assured, consistency of resources and more efficient and cost-effective hardware
What type of architecture is client-server?
Multi-tier architecture, for example two-tier, three-tier and n-tier
Types of cloud computing?
Software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a service (Iaas)
Advantages of cloud computing?
Client datacentre needs are simplified, reduced costs, support collaboration, reduced maintenance downtime, lower investment for short-term projects
Disadvantages of cloud computing?
Quality of security is critical, outages or loss of connectivity can stop the user from working, requires long-term commitment
Advantages of peer-to-peer computing?
Sharing files is easy between computers and internet file sharing
Disadvantages of peer-to-peer computing?
Difficult to establish centralised control of services, difficult to locate services, difficult to synchronise versions of files or software and difficult to secure network from unauthorised access and form viruses
