Computer Basics Quiz

MAR stands for Memory Address Register. It holds the address of the memory location that the CPU wants to access. Think of it as a pointer to a specific location in memory.

Optical disks are a viable choice for secondary storage because they offer high capacity and the ability to access data quickly. This makes them suitable for storing large amounts of data, like movies or games.

Optical disks use a laser beam to read and write data. The laser beam focuses on the reflective surface of the disk, reading the data as it reflects back. Think of it like a flashlight shining on a mirror, reflecting back information.

The storage capacity of an optical disk is calculated by multiplying the number of sectors by the number of bytes per sector. Think of it like a grid with rows and columns, the total capacity is the number of cells in the grid.

The rotation speed of an optical disk needs to decrease as the radius increases to ensure that the data is read or written at a constant rate. Think of a spinning record, the outer part moves faster than the inner, so the speed needs to adjust to keep the playback smooth.

The size of sectors in optical disks remains the same, meaning that each sector has the same number of bytes. Think of it as a grid where each square has the same size.

Optical disks typically have access times in the range of 100 to 300 milliseconds. While this is faster than magnetic disks, it's still slower than memory access. Think of it as a quick but not instant retrieval from a library.

A Winchester is a type of hard disk drive, not an optical disk. It uses magnetic platters to store data, unlike optical disks which use laser beams. Think of it as a spinning turntable with magnetic plates, not a shiny disc.

Another name for memory, often referred to as primary storage, where data is temporarily stored while a computer is running.

Classifications of computers based on size, processing power, and intended use.

A very powerful computer designed for large-scale processing, often used by organizations like banks or universities.

A small, portable computer that runs on batteries, commonly used for personal tasks and entertainment.

A very small and compact personal computer, often used for basic tasks, browsing the internet, and mobile gaming.

A display technology that uses a flat panel to produce images.

A type of display technology that uses a cathode ray tube to produce images.

A type of display technology that is lighter and slimmer than a CRT display.

A device for recognizing and converting text from images into a digital format.

An electronic circuit board that processes graphic data and outputs it to a display.

A type of operating system that can only run one application program at a time.

A type of operating system that can run multiple application programs concurrently.

An operating system feature that allows users to execute multiple programs concurrently, switching between them smoothly.

The ability of an operating system to take on a large number of different tasks simultaneously.

An operating system that offers advanced features and functionality compared to others, such as the ability to manage multiple users and high-performance computing.

EBCDIC (Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code) is a character encoding standard primarily used in IBM mainframe computers. It assigns unique binary codes to represent various characters, including letters, numbers, and special symbols. It allows representing up to 128 distinct characters.

In EBCDIC, each character is represented by a unique 8-bit code. Since there are 256 possible combinations with 8 bits, EBCDIC can potentially represent up to 256 characters. However, only 128 characters are assigned specific codes, leaving room for future expansion.

Although EBCDIC uses 8-bit codes, it can represent a maximum of only 128 characters due to the specific allocation of codes to characters. The full potential of 256 characters remains unused.

While EBCDIC can potentially represent 256 characters, it only uses 128 currently. This limits the number of characters that can be used in the encoded data.

The set of instructions that a CPU can understand and execute.

A unique code that identifies the specific operation an instruction performs.

The size of a register, usually measured in bits or bytes.

A new CPU is backward compatible with its predecessor if it can run all the instructions that the old CPU could.

A new CPU is fully compatible with its predecessor if it can run all the instructions that the old CPU could, and any new instructions that have been added.