Learning Aim A - Digital Devices in IT Systems Flashcards
What does AIO stand for?
All-in-one - An all-in-one device is one which is multifunctional also known as MFD’s.
What does MFD stand for?
Multifunctional Device - A MFD is a device which can perform several different purposes. For example a printer which can print, scan, photocopy, fax and email.
What is a Standalone Computer?
A computer that is not reliant on any other computers or digital devices to function hence it can be used independently.
What is a mobile device?
A mobile device is any digital device that can be carried around easily which is usually WIFI enabled.
What are mainframe computers?
When a computer occupies a large amount of space it is usually designated as a mainframe computer. These computers are known for processing large amounts of data. Mainframe computers are usually used by large organisations e.g. Amazon, eBay, IBM etc.
What are servers?
Servers provide services for computers or devices on a network. The network may consist of wired or wireless connections. Servers can not only hold data but also software applications, this helps relieve storage space on individual PC’s, this may commonly be found in school or offices. Servers also allow users to connect to other devices on the network e.g. printers, copying machines, fax machines etc. Another use of servers are cloud servers, these are servers that are in a geographically different place, however these will usually only be used as storage.
What are entertainment systems?
Entertainment systems are multi functional systems that compromise sound and vision. They usually manage music and video files which will tend to have large amounts of data, these systems may also come in the form of media servers. This is when the files are hosted on a separate device and are accessed by an external device e.g. A mobile phone.
Give some examples of entertainment systems
MP3 Players, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Roku
What are the two types of camera’s and what do they do?
Digital Camera - They capture two different types of images still and video. Video’s consist of a series of frames to make a film, they can include sound and edited in subtitles.
SLR camera - A single lens reflex camera which can capture the scope of the image you see. They are used by both amateur and professional photographers and have a much larger, better-quality sensor which provide a much better image quality.
What are navigation systems?
Navigation systems assist the user when going to specific locations. In addition to guiding the user navigation systems nowadays can provide information on; traffic congestion, road works, accidents, weather and points of interest. These systems will come in the form of GPS (Global Positioning System) and GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System). Some popular brands of GPS are tomtom and garmin but most mobile phones nowadays will have and application with the same functions.
What are data capture and collection systems?
Data capture and collection systems are also known as EDC (Electronic Data Capture). These devices are used to perform specific tasks which include but are not limited to; credit and debit card readers, biometric systems, personal digital assistants e.g. a barcode scanner for stock control and medical scanning and imaging machines.
Give some examples of communication devices
Satellites - A two-way method for transmitting data, this method is typically used where a broadband connection is unavailable.
WiFi - Connect devices through high frequency radio waves without wires.
FTTC (fibre to the cabinet) - Fibre optic broadband which is much faster than copper cabling.
FTTP (fibro to the premises) - Fibre optic broadband which is even faster than FTTC.
4G/LTE - These are mobile data connections for your mobile device which offer connectivity for people on the move.
Bluetooth - This is used in PAN’s (Personal Area Network) to connect various peripherals like headphones, mice, keyboards etc.
Name some uses of digital devices in Education and Training
Online learning - Application like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Discord etc have enabled students or employees to learn from home and interact with their teachers and mentors.
Interactive Whiteboards - These IWB’s connect to a pc and input device and enable a wide range of features. These features include but are not limited to work being; drawn over, manipulated and changed.
CBT - Computer Based Training, this is training that is available for almost every subject. this training can also include external resources like YouTube and Instructables.
Online Courses - Nowadays you many universities and academic organisations offer online courses or MOOCs to an unlimited number of people and are often self paced and certificated. With everything being online aswell it allows for research papers and journals to be accessed very easily and instantly as most of them have been digitised.
Applications - There are many applications nowadays that enable learning and training with others. For example applications like google docs enable many or few people to all work on the same document and see the changes in real time.
Name some personal uses of digital devices
Communication - Over the past few decades digital devices have enable us to speak with relatives all over the world, and even just basic communication is made easier through smart phones.
Entertainment - The use of digital devices has allowed us to watch, create and edit media which is not confined to specialist devices like DLSRs.
Finances - Digital devices have enabled things like transactions to be done with ease through banking apps or even paying for groceries using the appropriate devices.
Name some social uses of digital devices
With technology being so abundant now you can easily chat to friends, send videos or even video call at the click of a button. While all of these things are amazing benefits there are also some major drawbacks, many more people nowadays are spending more and more time on social media. It’s not just social media but we also have to keep up with incoming texts, emails etc. This is so apparent in the modern world as we are seeing more and more often people spending more time looking at social media rather than talking to one another.
