Input, output and storage Flashcards
The characteristics of contemporary processors,input,output and storage devices
Define hardware
Hardware is the description given to the physical components of a computer system.
What is the general hardware of the computer?
- A computer system has a CPU and memory.
- There is a form of storage
- There are devices to input data into and output information from the computer
What is the peripheral hardware of the computer
the term given to hardware attached to and used with a computer, but not an integral part of it.
- speakers
- webcams
what is an input device
Allow data to be entered into the computer
Eg. keyboard, mice, microphone, scanners and joysticks
What is an output device
Allow information to be retrieved from a computer
Eg. printers, speakers, monitors and actuators
What is magnetic storage
Uses a magnetisable material. Patterns of magnetisation are then used to represent binary sequences.
positives of magnetic storage
- Portable: Lightweight and easy to carry.
- Durable: Resistant to water and dust.
- Inexpensive: Cheap for distributing content like movies or software.
- Read-only option: Protects data from being accidentally modified (e.g., CD-ROMs).
- Wide compatibility: Can be read by most computers with an optical drive.
negatives of magnetic storage
- Low capacity: Typically holds less data than hard drives or flash storage (e.g., CDs: 700MB, DVDs: 4.7GB).
- Fragile: Easily scratched or damaged, leading to data loss.
- Slow access speed: Slower read and write speeds compared to other storage types.
- Obsolescence: Optical drives are becoming less common in modern devices.
- Limited rewritability: Some formats can only be written to once (e.g., CD-R, DVD-R).
Examples of magnetic storage
magnetic tape,floppy disks and hard disk drives
What is optical Storage
Uses a laser and by looking at its reflection, determines where there are pits on a surface, which repents 1s and 0s
positives of optical storage
- Portable: Lightweight and easy to carry.
- Durable: Resistant to water and dust.
- Inexpensive: Cheap for distributing content like movies or software.
- Read-only option: Protects data from being accidentally modified (e.g., CD-ROMs).
- Wide compatibility: Can be read by most computers with an optical drive.
negatives of optical storage
- Low Capacity: Holds less data than flash or HDD storage (e.g., CDs: 700MB, DVDs: 4.7GB).
- Fragile: Easily scratched or damaged, leading to data loss.
- Slow Access Speed: Slower read and write speeds compared to flash storage.
- Obsolescence: Optical drives are becoming less common in modern devices.
- Limited Rewritability: Some formats can only be written to once (e.g., CD-R, DVD-R).
Examples of optical storage
Compact disc (CD), DVD, Blue-ray disc
What is Flash Storage
Uses a special type of read-only memory that can be overwritten. While expensive,
positives of flash storage
- High Speed: Faster read and write speeds compared to optical and HDD storage.
- Portable: Small, lightweight, and easy to carry.
- Durable: No moving parts, making it shock-resistant.
- High Capacity: Offers large storage sizes in a small form factor.
- Energy Efficient: Uses less power than HDDs.
- Reusable: Supports many write/erase cycles.