Computer Systems, Information Technology, and Computing History

Vocabulary flashcards based on lecture slides covering Information Technology, computer system components, CPU architecture, memory vs. storage, digital literacy, and the historical evolution of computing.

Information Technology (IT)

The use of computers, software, networks, digital devices, and related technologies to create, collect, process, store, retrieve, protect, and communicate information.

Data

Raw facts, observations, measurements, symbols, or values that have not yet been given meaningful context.

Information

Data that has been processed, organized, interpreted, or given context so that it becomes meaningful and useful.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

A broader concept than IT that emphasizes technologies used to create, process, store, access, transmit, and communicate information, with a strong emphasis on communication and connectivity.

Digital Transformation

The process of using digital technologies to significantly improve or change how individuals, organizations, and societies operate, deliver services, and create value.

Computer System

A combination of hardware, software, data, people, and procedures that work together to perform tasks involving information.

IPOS Model

A foundational computer system model consisting of four stages: Input, Processing, Output, and Storage.

Hardware

The physical components of a computer system that can be physically touched.

Software

Programs, instructions, and related digital components that tell computer hardware what to do.

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The main component or 'brain' of the computer that carries out program instructions and controls the operations of all parts of the computer system.

Control Unit (CU)

A major component of the CPU that acts as the director, coordinating processor activities, fetching instructions from memory, decoding them, and sending control signals.

Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)

A major component of the CPU that performs arithmetic operations, comparisons, and logical operations.

Registers

Small, very fast storage locations within the processor used to hold data, instructions, and addresses needed during processing.

Accumulator (ACC)

A common purpose register in the CPU that stores intermediate results of computations.

Program Counter (PC)

A common purpose register in the CPU that holds the address of the next instruction to be executed.

Instruction Register (IR)

A common purpose register in the CPU that holds the current instruction being executed.

General Purpose Registers

Registers inside the CPU that store data temporarily during processing.

Memory (RAM)

Volatile, high-speed storage used primarily to hold data and instructions that the computer needs quickly and currently, which loses its data when power is turned off.

Storage

Non-volatile technology used to retain files, programs, and digital information for long periods, retaining data even when power is turned off.

Abacus

One of the earliest known calculating devices that uses beads arranged on rods to represent numerical values.

Pascaline

A mechanical calculator developed by Blaise Pascal in the 17th century capable of performing arithmetic operations.

Leibniz's Calculator

A mechanical calculating machine developed by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz in the 17th century capable of performing complex arithmetic operations.

Difference Engine

A mechanical machine designed by Charles Babbage in the 19th century to automatically perform mathematical calculations.

Analytical Engine

An early programmable machine design conceptualized by Charles Babbage in the 19th century that featured input, processing, memory, output, and programmability.

Ada Lovelace

An early pioneer of computer programming who worked on Babbage's Analytical Engine and understood that a programmable machine could manipulate symbols beyond numbers.

First Generation Computers

Computers from the 1940s–1950s characterized by the use of vacuum tubes, large physical size, high cost, and high heat generation.

Second Generation Computers

Computers from the 1950s–1960s that replaced vacuum tubes with transistors, utilized assembly language, and were smaller, faster, and more reliable.

Third Generation Computers

Computers from the 1960s–1970s that introduced integrated circuits (ICs) and operating systems, making machines more compact, powerful, and reliable.

Fourth Generation Computers

Computers from the 1970s–present utilizing microprocessors, which enabled widespread personal computing, GUIs, and networking.

Fifth Generation Computers

Present and future computing devices based on AI, machine learning, natural language processing, and quantum computing, characterized by adaptive and intelligent connected systems.

Digital Literacy

The ability to effectively, responsibly, critically, and safely use digital technologies to access, evaluate, create, communicate, and share information.

Computing

Computational processes, algorithms, and computer systems broadly used to process information and solve problems.