Term 2 Flashcards
What are the 5 types of hardware and their definitions?
Input - Devices which can be used to enter data in a computer system
Storage - Devices which are used to retain data after power supplies are turned off
Output - Devices which are used to display or output data from a computer system in some physical form
Internal components - Devices that collectively work together to process or store the instructions delivered by a program or operating system
Peripheral devices - Devices that can be plugged into a computer system
What’s RAM?
RAM
- Used for the operating system
- Applications that are being run
- Temporary memory bank where data can be retrieved quickly
- Can be read and changed in any order
- Volatile
What’s ROM
ROM
- Stores data manufacturer and put in computer
- Boot sequence is loaded form ROM, when computer starts up
- Data can’t be changed
- Stores BIOS
- Non-volatile
What’s cache memory?
Cache memory
- Built into CPU
- Small amount of data
- Very expensive
- Volatile
- Three levels of cache - L1,L2,L3
What’s the difference between primary storage and secondary storage?
- Primary storage allows for fast access to the CPU
- Secondary storage is long - term storage and has a large storage capacity which makes it slower than primary storage.
What does secondary storage do?
- To use software and access it again later
- To save files, images, videos, databases
What does optical storage do? What are some examples?
- A laser light creates marks in a pattern on the disk
- The laser light detects these marks and translates them in a readable format
- CD, DVD, Blu Ray
What does magnetic storage do? What are some examples?
- To write, the head magnetises or demagnetises a section of a disk
- To read, the checks if a section is magnetised or not.
- Hard disk drive, tape drive
What is flash storage? What are some examples?
- Made of microchips
- Solid State Drive, SD card, USB pen drive
What is the role of utility software?
To perform certain functions properly in order to provide the best possible performance
How does security software do its job?
Security software
- Antivirus
- Spyware protection
- Firewalls (Protect from unauthorised access to your computer)
How does disk organisation software do its job?
- Formatting: Ensures devices are clear of unnecessary data and is readable by the computer
- File transfer: Helps user transfer files
- Defragmentation: Allows user to rearrange order of computer’s memory in a more logical way, which may help the computer process quicker
How does backup software do its job?
- Creates copies of files, databases or entire computers to restore original contents of data that had been lost
How does system maintenance do its job?
- Diagnostics
- Clean up tools
- Automatic updates
What is an operating system responsible for?
- Memory management
- Storage management
- Device management
- Manages security
- Provides interface
