Review Exam 1 (final_version)

Make sure you can answer any question or problem previously assigned to you! (View your Blogger)

Random Access Memory (RAM) - The most common type of memory for a computer. A computer's volatile or temporary memory. RAM stores data and programs while they are being used and requires a power source to maintain its integrity.

Read-Only Memory (ROM) - Permanently stores its data, even when the computer is shut off. ROM is nonvolatile because it never loses its contents. ROM holds the instructions that the computer needs to operate.

World Wide Web – combines text, images and time-based media in a network of pages connected by links

Data (computer) – are the quantities, characters, or symbols on which operations are performed by a computer, being stored and transmitted in the form of electrical signals and recorded on magnetic, optical, or mechanical recording media.

Program - is a set of data that consists of a series of coded software instructions to control the operation of a computer or other machine.

Hypertext – linked pages of text. 

Hardware – the machines, wiring, and other physical components of a computer or other electronic system.

Software – the programs and other operating information used by a computer.

Title – The name by which the resource is formally known.

Creator – The person, organization or service who made the content of the resource, for instance, the writer of an article or the photographer who took a picture.

Subject – One of the topics of the resource. It is usual to choose keywords from an accepted classification scheme as the subject.

Publisher – The publisher is “responsible for making the resource available”. This might be a commercial publisher, an academic institution or an individual.

Contributor – A person or organization that has contributed to the content.

Format – The type of media of the resource.

MP3 – The best known form of audio compression.

Difference between analog and digital:

In analog technology, a wave is recorded or used in its original form. So, for example, in an analog tape recorder, a signal is taken straight from the microphone and laid onto tape. The wave from the microphone is an analog wave, and therefore the wave on the tape is analog as well. That wave on the tape can be read, amplified and sent to a speaker to produce the sound.
In digital technology, the analog wave is sampled at some interval, and then turned into numbers that are stored in the digital device. On a CD, the sampling rate is 44,000 samples per second. So on a CD, there are 44,000 numbers stored per second of music. To hear the music, the numbers are turned into a voltage wave that approximates the original wave.

File format – specific structure or arrangement of data stored as a computer file.

Cyberbully - The electronic posting of mean-spirited messages about a person (as a student) often done anonymously

Database - A database is an organized collection of related information that can be used for searches. An application that helps manage large collections of information. 

Desktop - The background on the windows, menus, and dialog boxes on a PC. It is supposed to represent a desk.

E-mail - Sending and receiving messages through a computer network. This process requires a computer, modem or network connection, and an e-mail address. 

Hacker - An unauthorized person who secretly gains access to computer files.

Home page - An introductory screen on a web page on the World Wide Web, used to welcome visitors. A home page can include special text or graphics on which you click to jump to related information on other pages on the Web. 

Keyboard - The hardware device used to enter letters into the computer.

Keyword - A word or reference point used to describe content on a web page that search engines use to properly index the page.

Password - A code for the security protection to allow access to a computer or the computer programs. 

Paste - To insert the last information that was cut or copied into a document. Cut and paste can be used to move information within or between documents. 

Retrieve - Open a saved document.

Search Engines - Software that searches, gathers and identifies information from a database based on keywords, indices, titles and text. 

URL Address - Uniform Resource Locator Website address. Example: http://www.iss.k12.nc.us 

User name - First part of an e-mail address. Example: jmwinton is the user name of the following e-mail address. jmwinton@iss.k12.nc.us  

Understand the information processing cycle!


Computer - A computer is an electronic device that processes data, converting it into information that is useful to people.

Personal Computers - A term that refers to any computer system that is designed for use by a single person.

Desktop Computer - The most common type of personal computer, designed to sit on (or under) a desk or table.

System Unit - The main component of a desktop PC, the case that houses the computer's critical parts, such as its processing and storage devices.

Workstation - A specialized, single-user computer that typically has more power and features than a standard desktop PC. These machines are popular among scientists, engineers, and animators who need a system with greater than average speed and the power to perform sophisticated tasks.

Notebook Computers - Or laptop computers, weigh less than 8 pounds and run on special batteries.

Tablet PC - Offer all the functionality of a notebook PC, but they are lighter and can accept input from a special pen called a stylus or a digital pen that is used to tap or write directly on the screen.

Handheld PC - Handheld personal computers are computing devices small enough to fit in your hand. A popular type of handheld computer is the personal digital assistant (PDA).

Smart Phones - A phone that doubles as a miniature PC. These phones offer advanced features not typically found in cellular phones, like internet access or email.

Network Servers, Mainframes, Minicomputers, and Supercomputers - are commonly used by organizations and support the computing needs of many users.

Network Server - is a powerful personal computer that is used as the central computer in an organization's network. In many companies, workers use their desktop systems to access a central shared computer.

Mainframes - are powerful, special-purpose computers that can support the needs of hundreds or thousands of users.

Minicomputers - support dozens or hundreds of users at one time.

Supercomputers - are the largest and most powerful computers made. 

A complete computer system consists of four parts:

• Hardward
• Software
• Data
• User

Hardware - Any part of the computer you can touch. A computer's hardware consists of interconnected electronic devices that you can use to control the computer's operation, input, and output. (The everyday term device refers to any piece of hardware.)


Software - A set of instructions that makes the computer perform tasks. In other words, software tells the computer what to do. (The term program refers to any piece of software.) Some programs exist primarily for the computer's use to help it perform tasks and manage its own resources. Other types of programs exist for the user, enabling him or her to perform tasks such as creating documents.

Data - consist of individual facts or pieces of information that by themselves may not make much sense to a person. A computer's primary job is to process these tiny pieces of data in various ways, converting them into useful information.

Users - People are the computer operators, also known as users.

The Information Processing Cycle - a set of steps the computer follows to receive data, process the data according to instructions from a program, display the resulting information to the user, and store the results.

The information processing cycle has four parts, and each part involves one or more specific components of the computer:

Input - During this part of the cycle, the computer accepts data from some source, such as the user or a program, for processing.

Processing - During this part of the cycle, the computer's processing components perform actions on the data, based on instructions from the user or a program.

Output - Here, the computer may be required to display the results of its processing. For example, the results may appear as text, numbers, or a graphic on the computer's screen or as sounds from its speaker.

Storage - In this step, the computer permanently stores the results of its processing on a disk, USB, or some other kind of storage medium.

ESSENTIAL COMPUTER HARDWARE

           A computer's hardware devices fall into one of four categories.

1. Processor
2. Memory
3. Input and output
4. Storage

Processing devices: The procedure that transforms raw data into useful information is called processing. To perform this transformation, the computer uses two components the processor and memory. The processor is like the brain of the computer, it organizes and carries out instructions that come from either the user or software. Term central processing unit (CPU) refers to a computer's processor.

Memory devices: In a computer, memory is one or more sets of chips that store data and/or program instructions, either temporarily or permanently. The most common type of memory is called random access memory (RAM). RAM is like an electronic scratch pad inside the computer. RAM holds data and program instructions while the CPU works with them.

Input and Output Devices: A personal computer would be useless if you could not interact with it because the machine could not receive instructions or deliver the results of its work. Input devices accept data and instructions from the user or from another computer system (such as a computer or the Internet). Output devices return processed data to the user or to another computer system. The most common input device is the keyboard, which accepts letters, numbers, and commands from the user. The function or an output device is to present processed data to the user. The most common output devices are the monitor and the printer.

Storage: A computer can function with only processing, memory, input, and output devices. To be really useful, however, a computer also needs a place to keep program files and related data when they are not in use. The purpose of storage is to hold data permanently, even when the computer is turned off.

Similar essay questions you might see:

Do you agree with the speaker's view that young adults' minds are being "digitally rewired"? Explain your answer.
Why does the narrator in the video argue that young people dislike a single-function device such as a wristwatch?
Why did Sir Tim Berner's Lee decide to make the World Wide Web free when he created it at CERN?
Why is it important to link information using the World Wide Web? What are the benefits of having instant access to information?
Name 3 input devices and 3 output devices. Examples: Output - Printer, speakers, headphones. Input - Keyboard, Mouse, digital camera.
Know the units of measure for computer memory and storage. 

• Kilobyte (KB) - Smallest
• Megabyte (Mb)
• Gigabyte (GB)
• Terabyte (TB) - Largest