Operating System Fundamentals

Question 1

Aero

Answer 1

A colour scheme available in Windows Vista and Windows 7 that provides a visually rich experience, with a glossy and transparent interface and dynamic visual effects.

Question 2

CLI (Command Line Interface)

Answer 2

A text-based interface for an operating system.

Question 3

cmdlet

Answer 3

A lightweight command that runs in the Windows PowerShell environment.

Question 4

Dock

Answer 4

A bar along the bottom or side of the screen that contains icons for apps that come with a Macintosh computer.

Question 5

File Attribute

Answer 5

A characteristic that can be associated with a file or folder that provides the operating system with important information about the file or folder and how it is intended to be used by system users.

Question 6

Gadget

Answer 6

A mini application in Windows that can perform an information display task.

Question 7

iOS

Answer 7

The operating system designed for Apple devices. It is the base software that allows all other applications to run on an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad.

Question 8

Linux

Answer 8

An open-standards UNIX derivative originally developed and released by a Finnish computer science student named Linus Torvalds.

Question 9

Local Users and Groups

Answer 9

An administrative tool that is used to manage user accounts on the local system.

Question 10

Open Handset Alliance

Answer 10

An association of 84 firms for developing open standards for mobile devices.

Question 11

ReadyBoost

Answer 11

A performance enhancer, available on Windows Vista and Windows 7, that allows the user to supplement the computer’s memory with an external storage device like a flash drive.

Question 12

Sidebar

Answer 12

A designated area of the Windows 7 and Windows Vista desktop, displayed vertically along the side of the desktop, where users can add gadgets of their choice to provide information and access to frequently used tools and programs.

Question 13

Spot Light

Answer 13

A feature of OS X that enables users to search for apps, documents, images and other files.

Question 14

System Files

Answer 14

The files necessary for the operating system to function properly.

Question 15

System Restore Point

Answer 15

A snapshot of the system configuration at a given moment in time that contains information about any changes to these components and is stored on the computer’s hard disk. Restore points can be used to restore system settings to an earlier state without affecting changes in user data since that time.

Question 16

UNIX

Answer 16

A family of operating systems developed at Bell Laboratories and characterised by portability, multi-user support and built-in multitasking and networking functions.

Question 17

User Authentication

Answer 17

A security measure in which a computer user proves its identity in order to gain access to resources.

Question 18

XP Mode

Answer 18

A downloadable add-on for Windows 7 that allows users running Windows 7 to access and use Windows XP-compatible software and programs directly on their desktops.