Vol 4 Unit 1

Question 1

What are the primary elements of a computer operating system?

Answer 1

Supervisor, input/output (I/O) manager, file manager, command processor, and transient utility programs.

Question 2

Name two types of computer operating systems.

Answer 2

Multi-tasking, and real-time.

Question 3

Why did Microsoft create the “Windows” application?

Answer 3

To place a GUI (graphics user interface) system over the top of the main operating system used in IBM PC compatibles.

Question 4

What was the Macintosh operating system originally designed for?

Answer 4

The Macintosh® system was originally designed to be a graphical system and has become extremely popular for image scanning and editing, multimedia production, desktop publishing, as well as graphic design.

Question 5

What type of information file is a word processing document?

Answer 5

Data file.

Question 6

What is the primary directory on every disk called?

Answer 6

The root directory.

Question 7

Why would you move a file?

Answer 7

Generally, you move a file when you are organizing a disk, and find that you want a file in a different
directory than you have it in, or if you want to take a file off of one disk and put it onto another.

Question 8

Why does performing a quick format on a disk not really reformat the disk?

Answer 8

It just clears out the File Allocation Table (FAT) and the root directory so that the disk no longer has any
record of having files on it. However, the sectors still contain recoverable data.

Question 9

What provides the CPU a way to talk to external devices?

Answer 9

To provide the CPU a way to talk to these external devices, the computer uses standard I/O ports. The
connectors let you attach cables that go to the devices.

Question 10

How many peripherals can you daisy chain at one time on a SCSI port?

Answer 10

You can daisy chain up to eight peripherals at one time.

Question 11

Name the ports that were designed to relieve “bottlenecking” of data transfer.

Answer 11

Universal Serial Bus (USB) and FireWire.

Question 12

When printing photographic images, what printer offers the highest quality output?

Answer 12

Dye sublimation printers.

Question 13

Which printer squirts pressurized ink through its nozzles by electrically charging its crystals?

Answer 13

Piezo.

Question 14

When choosing paper stock, why should you consider if the stock has an alkaline or acid base?

Answer 14

Alkaline is a better paper preservative. Aging acid-based paper turns brittle and yellow.

Question 15

Why are some three-dimenionsal objects better to scan on a flatbed scanner?

Answer 15

The lens on a flatbed scanner has a greater depth of field than other scanners.

Question 16

What is the major advantage of vector images over raster images?

Answer 16

When raster images change size, interpolation either creates or discards pixels. This changes the image
quality. When vector-based images are scaled, no information is gained or lost – so quality is unaffected.

Question 17

What is an example of data?

Answer 17

Inventory figures, gas meter readings, school attendance records, production figures, and medical statistics.

Question 18

What does the acronym ASCII represent?

Answer 18

American Standard Code for Information Interchange.

Question 19

Describe a LAN in simple terms.

Answer 19

A selected group of computers connected together.

Question 20

What is the heart of a LAN system?

Answer 20

File server.

Question 21

What do fiber optics use to transmit data?

Answer 21

Fiber optics are made of glass, are thinner than copper cable and use light instead of electricity to transmit the data.

Question 22

How does file transfer protocols (FTP) work?

Answer 22

FTPs break files into smaller sections called packets, and make sure that each packet arrives at the other computer with its data intact.

Question 23

What are the minimum functions of an access point in a typical Wireless LAN configuration?

Answer 23

At a minimum, the access point receives, buffers, and transmits data between the Wireless LAN and a wired network infrastructure.

Question 24

Why is the hard disk drive probably the most critical part of your computer system?

Answer 24

Any other part that fails can be replaced. If the hard disk drive is lost, and there is no backup, all work done on that drive could be lost forever.

Question 25

If your computer has a RAM problem, such as not starting or acting sluggish, what is the first thing you do?

Answer 25

Call your computer administrator

Question 26

On an optimized hard drive, the files on the drive are placed in certain locations dependent on how you want to use the drive. Why does the location of the files on the drive matter?

Answer 26

At the innermost track of the drive, there are fewer sectors to write on than in the outermost track. Since the outer and innermost tracks both make one complete revolution in same amount of time, more information can be read from the outer track.

Question 27

What is the best method to backup your files?

Answer 27

It is the method that works best for you.

Question 28

Who should you contact if you suspect a computer virus?

Answer 28

Disconnect your computer from any network and contact your CSA immediately.