CI101 Computer Technology and Applications - Quiz 1 Vocabulary

Vocabulary terms covering computer hardware classifications, history, data representation, and system concepts from CI101 Quiz 1.

Computer

A programmable machine that converts raw data into useful information.

Convergence

The integration of multiple technologies into a single device, exemplified by a smartphone.

Embedded computer

A specialized computer present in devices such as automobiles, ATMs, traffic lights, supermarket checkouts, and appliances.

Processing

The step of the information processing cycle during which data is manipulated, calculated, or organized to create useful information.

Unicode

The binary code standard used on the Internet that can represent most currently used language characters as well as mathematical and graphic symbols.

Analytical Engine

A mechanical computer designed, but not built, in the early nineteenth century by mathematician Charles Babbage.

Turing test

A measure of a computer's ability to display intelligent behavior.

Artificial intelligence

The branch of science concerned with making computers behave like humans.

Transistor

A tiny electrical switch that made second-generation computers faster and more reliable than their predecessors.

Microprocessor

A complex, integrated circuit.

Workstations

Desktop computers attached to a network in a business setting.

Desktop Replacement

A portable computer that is thin and light, and has high-end processing and video capabilities.

Mac

A computer built by Apple that runs the OS X operating system.

Triangulation

A mathematical principle used by GPS to determine the location, time, and velocity of an object.

Backward compatibility

The ability to run some older programs on newer hardware.

Server

A multiuser computer system that provides services, such as internet access, email, or file and print services, to client systems.

Mainframe computers

Computers capable of performing millions of transactions in a day.

Distributed computing

The process of sharing the processing of a task across multiple computer systems or using a group of computers in one location.

Supercomputers

Very expensive computers used to perform complex mathematical calculations, such as those used in weather forecasting and medical research.

Vacuum tubes

Early computer components that resemble incandescent lights, give off a lot of heat, and are notoriously unreliable.

Ada Lovelace

Historical figure considered the first computer programmer.

Global Positioning System (GPS)

A system of 24 satellites put into orbit by the US Department of Defense that uses triangulation to determine location, time, and velocity.

Mobile devices

Small computers carried with us, such as smartphones and tablets.

Data

The unprocessed, or raw form, of information.

Binary number system (base 2)

A number system that has only two digits—$0$ and $1$.

Byte

A unit of digital information that consists of 8 bits; used to represent a single character in modern computer systems.

Internet of Things (IoT)

The connection of the physical world to the internet.

All-in-one computer

A compact desktop computer with the system unit integrated into the monitor.

Mobile application (mobile app)

A downloadable program that extends the functionality of a mobile device.

Ergonomics

The study of the relationship between workers and their workspaces, used to create work environments designed to reduce illnesses and musculoskeletal disorders.