3.3 Computing Devices

Embedded computers

Designed for specific tasks, like the computer in a smart refrigerator.

Moore's law

States the number of transistors in a dense integrated circuit doubles every two years.

Personal Computers

Designed for individual use, including laptops, tablets, and mobile devices.

Mainframe

The largest commercial server in terms of size and capacity.

Server

A large computer dedicated to managing network resources.

Supercomputer

High-performance systems used for scientific and engineering work requiring fast computations.

Clock Speed

Number of pulses generated by the CPU, determining processing speed.

Cache

Small memory embedded in the CPU for faster data access.

Core

Refers to the number of processors in a CPU.

Motherboard

Circuit board enabling data transfer between computer components.

RAM

Temporary data storage while the computer is in use.

Secondary Storage

Long-term storage like hard disks or solid-state drives.

GPU

Graphic Processing Unit for handling images and videos.

User Interface

How a user interacts with digital technology, ranging from awkward to intuitive.

Haptic surface

Interacting with a device through body movements and sensations.

Operating System

Manages hardware, software, and user experience on a computer.

Open Source Software

Free software with freely available source code for customization.

GUI

Graphical User Interface for user-device interaction.

Device driver

Software enabling OS communication with hardware like printers.

Utility Software

Assists in configuring and maintaining a computer.

Proprietary software

Paid software with restricted modification rights.

Application software

Programs serving specific purposes, visible to users.

Machine code

Binary instructions understood by computers.

Assembly language

Intermediate code used by programmers.

High level languages

Programming languages close to human language.

Vacuum Tube

Large tube controlling electricity flow in early computers.

Transistors

Smaller semiconductor devices replacing vacuum tubes.

Microprocessor

CPU with integrated data processing on a single chip.

Quantum Computing

Uses qubits to process data more efficiently than binary systems.

Nanotechnology

Utilizes materials like carbon nanotubes for faster, cooler computing.