Software, File Management, Graphics Flashcards
What is hardware?
Physical components of a computer.
What is software?
Programs that run on a computer.
What are the three software sections?
Utility (configuration and maintenance), operating systems (manage the computer’s hardware) and application software (produce digital products).
What four things does utility software do?
It allows for backups (create copies of files), defragmentation (reordering data), compression (reduce file size) and formatting (preparing storage media for first use).
What four things do operating systems do?
Memory management (allocates RAM to applications and creates virtual memory if needed), resource management (allocates system resources), security (keep the device secure) and print spooling (keeping pages queued to be printed).
What is application software and some examples?
A computer program designed to carry out a task which doesn’t relate to the computer. Some examples are word processing, graphics software, presentation software and spreadsheet software.
What is software licensing?
A legal agreement which gives the user the right to install and use software.
What is free/open source software?
Users can study, modify, copy or distribute a program. The user can charge a price for a copy of the software, and the user can change it as there are no restrictions. Open source means the source code is available to all users.
What is proprietary software?
Software that is distributed under a brand name. The software owner decides how much it costs, but it can be free. The source code is typically not available. PS3, Windows and iTunes are examples.
What are software updates?
Released by software develops to fix bugs, add new features, improve usability, improve performance and security. They are available via download, can be scheduled automatically and backup the system before the update.
What is file management?
The act of keeping files secure, organised and sensibly named.
What are graphics?
The range of pictures, drawings and images which can be produced by a computer
What are vector graphics?
Made up of lines and curves. Can be rescaled to any size and maintain their quality. The computer stores information about points and curves rather than every pixel.
What are bitmap images?
Made up of pixels. Used for photos and documents. Lose their quality when rescaled. The computer stores information about every pixel.
