Computer Concepts Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What is the term for processing results produced by a computer?

Input

Storage

Output (correct)

Data

What is the device used to establish an Internet connection that can be built into a PC?

Network card

What gives the computer instructions to complete a task?

Executable file

What consists of 8 bits?

Byte Signup and view all the answers

What is the most widely used PC operating system?

Microsoft Windows Signup and view all the answers

What controls all of the activities on a computer?

Operating system Signup and view all the answers

What converts a computer's digital signals to transmit over phone lines?

Modem Signup and view all the answers

What is a series of characters used to verify a user ID to access information online?

Password Signup and view all the answers

What connects a Web page to a related document or media file?

Hyperlink Signup and view all the answers

What is the unique address that identifies a web page?

URL Signup and view all the answers

Where are E-mail messages that have been written but not sent held?

Outbox Signup and view all the answers

What term refers to the symbols a computer uses to represent facts, objects, and ideas?

Data Signup and view all the answers

What is a portable computer with a touch-sensitive screen called?

Tablet computer Signup and view all the answers

What term describes one of the fastest computers in the world at the time of its construction?

Super computer Signup and view all the answers

What is considered the primary input device for most computers?

Keyboard Signup and view all the answers

What changes a computer's signals to transfer them over TV links?

Cable modem Signup and view all the answers

What is the web page that appears every time you start the browser?

Browser's home page Signup and view all the answers

What code tells a browser how to display information on a Web page?

HTML tag Signup and view all the answers

What term describes devices that process data?

Hardware Signup and view all the answers

What refers to a network in a limited geographical area?

LAN Signup and view all the answers

What memory type can be easily lost?

Volatile Signup and view all the answers

What term describes a disk, hard drive, tape, memory card, CD, or DVD that holds data?

Storage medium Signup and view all the answers

What are CD and DVD drives, tape drives, card readers, and hard disk drives collectively known as?

Storage devices Signup and view all the answers

What is a term for hard disks, floppy disks, and tape?

Magnetic storage Signup and view all the answers

What describes how data is stored as microscopic light and dark spots on a disc surface?

Optical storage Signup and view all the answers

What are the dark spots on optical storage called?

Pits Signup and view all the answers

What are the light spots on optical storage called?

Lands Signup and view all the answers

What has a capacity of 1.44 MB?

Standard floppy disk Signup and view all the answers

What describes the slow access time of a tape drive?

Sequential Access Signup and view all the answers

What is a 'parking space' for a storage device called?

Drive bay Signup and view all the answers

What can occur when the hard disk is jarred while in use?

Head crash Signup and view all the answers

What is a flat disk made of aluminum or glass and coated with magnetic iron oxide particles?

Hard disk platter Signup and view all the answers

What does a hard drive storage device include?

Controller Signup and view all the answers

What is designed for computer-specific tasks, such as opening the Help window?

Function keys Signup and view all the answers

What includes keys such as Ctrl, Alt, and Shift?

Modifier keys Signup and view all the answers

What is a combination of a modifier key and another key to perform a task?

Keyboard shortcut Signup and view all the answers

What is a pointing device that resembles a car's stick shift?

Joystick Signup and view all the answers

What uses an onboard chip to track a light beam as it bounces off a surface?

Optical mouse Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the maximum number of pixels displayed on the screen?

Resolution Signup and view all the answers

What refers to the number of pages a printer can produce in a month?

Duty cycle Signup and view all the answers

What describes the density of the grid of dots that create an image?

Resolution Signup and view all the answers

What is a socket on the motherboard into which you can plug a small circuit board?

Expansion slot Signup and view all the answers

What is an expansion card that allows data to transmit over the phone lines?

Modem card Signup and view all the answers

What is used to connect a PC to a LAN?

Network card Signup and view all the answers

What is also called a 'jack' or 'connector'?

Expansion port Signup and view all the answers

What is used to modify or expand a computer system?

Peripheral device Signup and view all the answers

What consists of computer programs, support programs, and data files that work together to provide computers with instructions and data to perform tasks?

Software Signup and view all the answers

What type of software accomplishes tasks such as calculating numbers and creating documents?

Application software Signup and view all the answers

What part of the software package is launched by a user?

Executable file Signup and view all the answers

What converts all of the instructions for a program as a single batch?

Compiler Signup and view all the answers

What converts instructions one at a time while a program is running?

Interpreter Signup and view all the answers

What are instructions that are hardwired into the processor's circuits?

Machine language Signup and view all the answers

What type of software controls the activities within a computer system?

Operating system Signup and view all the answers

What small program stored in ROM supplies instructions to start the operating system?

Bootstrap program Signup and view all the answers

What part of the operating system controls memory and file access?

Kernel Signup and view all the answers

What happens when you are typing too fast for the computer?

Buffer Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of presentation software?

Microsoft PowerPoint Signup and view all the answers

What type of software allows you to create a movie and transfer it to DVD?

Video editing Signup and view all the answers

What is used by musicians to compose, edit, and print their musical compositions?

Notation software Signup and view all the answers

What can be used for creating sound effects?

MIDI sequencing software Signup and view all the answers

What is a generic term for software that helps multiple users collaborate on a project?

Groupware Signup and view all the answers

What type of software automates patient billing for a hospital?

Vertical market software Signup and view all the answers

What software prepares payroll and facilitates W2 forms?

Horizontal market software Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of mathematical modeling software?

MathCAD Signup and view all the answers

What type of software helps users discover patterns and relationships among large sets of data?

Statistical software Signup and view all the answers

What are Social Security numbers, addresses, and names examples of?

Character data Signup and view all the answers

What is the company whose processors are the chief competition to Intel's processors?

Advanced Micro Devices Signup and view all the answers

What is performed to gauge overall processor speed?

Benchmarks Signup and view all the answers

What memory type holds portions of the operating system and application programs waiting to be stored, processed, or printed?

RAM Signup and view all the answers

What is used when RAM space is exceeded to store data and program instructions?

Virtual memory Signup and view all the answers

What is the computer's ROM chip required for its function?

BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) instructions Signup and view all the answers

What memory is stored on a chip and powered by a small battery?

CMOS memory Signup and view all the answers

What is referred to as the main directory of a disk?

Root directory Signup and view all the answers

What defines a computer's file location?

File specification Signup and view all the answers

What is useful for determining the most recent version of a file with slightly different file names?

File date Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of Mac OS file management tools?

Finder Signup and view all the answers

What is a utility that helps you find information in files and folders called?

Desktop search tool Signup and view all the answers

What displays the computer's hierarchy of storage devices and folders?

The left pane Signup and view all the answers

What shows files and folders stored in the currently selected device or folder?

The right pane Signup and view all the answers

What indicates that a device or object has been expanded in the left pane of Windows Explorer?

Minus sign Signup and view all the answers

What is a copy of your files made for safekeeping called?

Backup Signup and view all the answers

What occurs when a disk is formatted, dividing it into tracks and wedges?

Sectors Signup and view all the answers

What is a group of sectors on a disk called?

Cluster Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the plan for transporting data over a network devised by Bob Metcalfe?

Ethernet Signup and view all the answers

What measures the capacity of a network for carrying data?

Bandwidth Signup and view all the answers

What consists of a network for carrying data?

Client/server network Signup and view all the answers

What is each connection point on a network called?

Node Signup and view all the answers

What connects devices through a common backbone cable?

Bus topology Signup and view all the answers

What connects all devices in a circle?

Ring topology Signup and view all the answers

What is a network device that connects several nodes of a LAN?

Hub Signup and view all the answers

What carries data signals for short distances and with a clear line of sight?

Infrared light Signup and view all the answers

What has a lower transmission capacity?

Narrowband system Signup and view all the answers

What is a software utility that sends a signal to an Internet address and waits for a reply?

Ping Signup and view all the answers

What is an abrupt and unwanted variation of signals traveling over the Internet called?

Jitter Signup and view all the answers

What are examples of top-level domains?

Biz, com, gov Signup and view all the answers

What is used to connect both the cable modem and a TV to a single CATV cable?

Splitter Signup and view all the answers

What is a cell phone that can also do e-mail, gaming, and Web browsing called?

Smartphone Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Output and Networking

Output: Refers to processing results produced by a computer.
Network Card: Can be built into a PC to establish an Internet connection.
Modem: Converts a computer's digital signals for transmission over phone lines.
Cable Modem: Changes signals to transfer data over TV links.
LAN: Local Area Network, a network in a limited geographical area.

Software and Files

Executable File: Provides instructions for the computer to complete specific tasks.
Application Software: Used for tasks like calculations and document creation.
Software: Comprises programs, support tools, and data files for task execution.
Horizontal Market Software: Prepares payroll and facilities creation of W-2 forms.
Vertical Market Software: Automates patient billing for hospitals.

Data and Storage

Byte: Consists of 8 bits; represents basic unit of digital information.
RAM: Holds portions of the operating system and applications waiting to be processed.
Volatile Data: Data in RAM that can be easily lost when power is off.
Storage Medium: Includes disks, hard drives, tapes, and other devices holding data.
Magnetic Storage: Involves hard disks, floppy disks, and tapes for data retention.

Hardware Components

Hardware: Refers to devices that process data in a computer system.
Peripheral Device: Used to modify or expand a computer system.
Function Keys: Designed for specific computer tasks (e.g., opening Help).
Controller: Circuit board within hard drive storage devices.
Drives: Hardware components providing storage spaces for devices.

Input Devices

Keyboard: Primary input device for most computers.
Optical Mouse: Tracks a light beam that bounces off a surface for cursor movement.
Joystick: Pointing device resembling a car's stick shift.

Networking Principles

Ethernet: Bob Metcalfe's plan for data transport over computer networks.
Node: Connection point in a network.
Hub: Device connecting several nodes within a LAN.
Bandwidth: Measures a network's capacity for carrying data.
Bus Topology: Connects devices through a common backbone cable.

Browsers and the Internet

Hyperlink: A web page feature connecting to a related document or media file.
URL (Uniform Resource Locator): Unique address for a web page.
HTML Tag: Code for displaying information on a web page.

File Management

File Specification: Defines a computer's file location.
Root Directory: Main directory of a disk.
Backup: Safeguard copy of files for protection.

Memory and Processing

BIOS: Basic Input/Output System instructions essential for computer operation.
Virtual Memory: Secondary memory space used when RAM is exceeded.
Machine Language: Instructions hard-wired into processor circuits.

Miscellaneous Concepts

Function of Statistics Software: Helps discover patterns in large data sets.
Pits and Lands: Components in optical storage; pits represent dark spots and lands represent light spots.
Smartphone: A cell phone capable of e-mail, gaming, and web browsing.

Printer and Scanners

Duty Cycle: Measurement of pages produced by a printer within a month.
Resolution: Maximum number of pixels displayed on a screen or the density of dots in an image.

This summarization presents an organized overview of critical computer concepts, highlighting essential definitions and functions.

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Test your knowledge with these flashcards on fundamental computer concepts. This quiz covers essential terms and their definitions, helping you to better understand the technology you use every day. Perfect for students and tech enthusiasts alike!