Computer Hardware: Input and Output Devices

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What marked the beginning of widespread commercial use of mainframe computers?

The introduction of the IBM 360 series
The introduction of the IBM 1401 and 7090 transistorized machines (correct)
The development of online remote terminals
The proliferation of PCs in the 1980s and early 1990s

When did the mainframe computer truly come into its own?

In 1965 with the introduction of the IBM 360 series (correct)
In the 1970s with the development of online remote terminals
In 1959 with the introduction of the IBM 1401 and 7090 transistorized machines
In the 1980s and early 1990s with the proliferation of PCs

What was the impact of the proliferation of PCs in the 1980s and early 1990s?

It resulted in the introduction of transistorized machines
It led to the development of online remote terminals
It launched a spate of personal desktop productivity software tools (correct)
It caused a decline in the use of mainframe computers

What was a notable characteristic of mainframe computers in the General-Purpose Mainframe and Minicomputer Era?

Supporting thousands of online remote terminals using proprietary communication protocols (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of a coprocessor in the system unit?

Improving specific computing operations such as handling 3D images and encrypting data (B) Signup and view all the answers

What does ROM (Read-only Memory) do in the system unit?

Stores startup information and handles keyboard input (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of flash memory in the system unit?

Can be updated like RAM and is non-volatile like ROM, containing startup information (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of bus lines in the system unit?

Pathway for bits representing data and instructions (C) Signup and view all the answers

In the client/server computing model, what is the role of the client?

User point of entry (A) Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'server' refer to in client/server computing?

Physical computer on which the network software runs (C) Signup and view all the answers

What does cloud computing refer to?

Access to a shared pool of computing resources over a network (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the system unit in a computer system?

Housing most of the electronic components (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT considered an input device?

Curved monitor (A) Signup and view all the answers

What type of pointing device can be touched with more than one finger and is common on mobile devices and notebook computers?

Touchpad (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which type of scanner is used for reading bar codes or zebra striped marks printed on product containers?

Wand reader (A) Signup and view all the answers

What type of devices use a microphone, sound card, and special software to enable users to operate computers and create documents using voice commands?

Voice recognition systems (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of OLED in electronic devices?

To produce light using a thin layer organic compound (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of drones or UAVs?

To take input from a controller and send back video and sound to the user (A) Signup and view all the answers

What are the important characteristics of secondary storage?

Media, capacity, storage devices, access speed (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of internal hard disks?

To save files by altering the magnetic charges of the disk’s surface to represent 1s and 0s (B) Signup and view all the answers

What type of storage device uses reflected light to represent data?

Optical Discs (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which technology allows the perception, measurement, operation, and construction of materials at the nanometer scale?

Nanotechnology (C) Signup and view all the answers

What will potentially extend Moore’s Law into the next decade, constrained only by the laws of physics?

Quantum Computing (B) Signup and view all the answers

What technology will be a fundamental solution to address bandwidth, latency, and energy challenges in high-end systems?

Photonics (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which storage device can hold over 128 gigabytes (GB) of data and use tracks and sectors to organize and store files?

Portable Optical Discs (C) Signup and view all the answers

IBM 1401 and 7090

Introduction marked beginning of widespread mainframe use.

IBM 360 series

Mainframe computer revolutionized in 1965 for unified architecture.