CCAS chapter 1 quiz

Information Technology (IT)

helps produce, manipulate, store, communicate, and/or disseminate information (ex. personal computers & various forms of handheld devices, televisions, appliances, and other machines)

2 parts of IT

computers & communications

Computer

a programmable, multiuse machine that accepts data–raw facts and figures–and processes, or manipulates, it into information we can use, such as summaries, totals, or reports

Communications technology (telecommunications technology)

consists of electromagnetic devices and systems for communicating over any distance (ex. telephone, radio, satellite, broadcast television, cable TV)

Online

using a computer or some other information device, connected through a network, to access information and services from another computer or information device

Network

a communications system connecting two or more computers; the Internet is the largest such network

Email (“electronic mail”)

messages transmitted over a computer network, most often the internet

“Intelligent tutoring systems” software

gives students individualized instruction when personal attention is scarce

Avatars

computer depictions of humans

Telemedicine

medical care delivered via telecommunications

Image transfer technology

allows radiologic images such as CT scans and MRIs to be immediately transmitted to electronic charts and physicians’ offices

Robots

automatic devices that perform functions ordinarily performed by human beings

Crowdfunding

creating fund-raising sites on the web to raise money to pay for out-of-pocket costs

Virtual

when something is created, simulated, or carried on by means of a computer network but also that it seems almost real

Showrooming

the practice of customers examining merchandise in traditional brick-and-mortar retail store without buying it and then shopping online to find a lower price

Telecommuters

people who work from home at least one day a week

Database

a computer system with a collection of interrelated files

Blogs (weblogs)

frequently updated sites on the World Wide Web intended for public consumption that contain a writer’s observations, opinions, images, and links to other websites

Online relationship sites (online dating sites)

provide electronic forums that people may join in the hope of meeting compatible companions or mates

“Cyberspace”

encompasses not only the online world and the Internet in particular but also the whole wired and wireless world of communications in general–the nonphysical terrain created by computer and communications systems

Two most important aspects of cyberspace

the Internet and that part of the Internet known as the World Wide Web

Internet

• Also called the “Net” or “net”; a worldwide computer network that connects hundreds of thousands of smaller networks

• These networks link educational, commercial, nonprofit, and military entities, as well as individuals.

World Wide Web

• Also called the “Web” or the “web”; an interconnected system of Internet computers (called servers) that support specially formatted documents in multimedia form

• Made the Internet popular, apart from email

Multimedia

refers to technology that presents information in more than one medium, such as text, still images, moving images, and sound

Texting (text messaging)

sending and receiving short written messages between mobile phones or other portable or fixed devices

6 Ways Becoming Tech Smart Benefits You

• Make better buying decisions

• Fix ordinary computer problems

• Upgrade your equipment & integrate new technology

• Use the internet effectively

• Protect yourself against online dangers

• Know what kinds of technological uses can advance your career

Applications (apps)

small, specialized programs downloaded onto mobile devices

Downloading

transferring data from a remote computer to one’s own computer or mobile device

Uploading

transferring data from your own device to a remote computer

5 different basic computer sizes

supercomputers, mainframes, workstations, microcomputers (personal computers), microcontrollers (embedded computers)

Supercomputers

• High-capacity machines with thousands of processors that can perform more than several quadrillion calculations per second. These are the most expensive and fastest computers available.

• Used for tasks requiring the processing of enormous volumes of data, such as doing the U.S. census count, forecasting weather, designing aircraft, modeling molecules, and breaking encryption codes

• More recently, they have been employed for business purposes–for instance, sifting demographic marketing information–and for film animation.

• The fastest computer in the world is the Titan supercomputer.

Mainframes

• Water- or air-cooled computers that cost $5,000-$5 million and vary in size from small, to medium, to large, depending on their use

• Used by large organizations–such as banks, airlines, insurance companies, and colleges—for processing millions of transactions

Workstations

• Expensive, powerful personal computers usually used for complex scientific, mathematical, and engineering calculations and for computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing; usually connected to a network

• Used for such tasks as designing airplane fuselages, developing prescription drugs, and creating movie special effects

• Used to breathe three-dimensional life into movies such as Avatar, Harry Potter, Iron Man, and Lord of the Rings

Microcomputers (personal computers)

• Cost $500 to over $5,000, can fit next to a desk or on a desktop or can be carried around

• They either are stand-alone machines or are connected to a computer network, such as a local area network.

• Examples: desktop PCs, tower PCs, notebooks (laptops), netbooks, tablets, mobile devices, and personal digital assistants (handheld computers or palmtops)

• Some are powerful enough to be used as workstations.

Microcontrollers (embedded computers)

• Tiny, specialized microprocessors installed in “smart” appliances and automobiles

• Have been used to develop a new universe of experimental electronic appliances—e-pliances

• Helped run things like digital cameras and digital music players, as well as household appliances

Microprocessor

an integrated circuit that contains all the functions of a central processing unit of a computer

Nanotechnology

molecule-size nanostructures are used to create tiny machines for holding data or performing tasks

Terminal

has a display screen and a keyboard and can input and output data but cannot by itself process data

Local Area Network (LAN)

connects, usually by special cable and also wirelessly, a group of desktop PCs and other devices, such as printers, in an office or a building

Desktop PCs

the original style of microcomputers whose case or main housing sits on a desk, with keyboard in front and monitor (screen) often on top

Tower PCs

microcomputers whose case sits as a “tower,” often on the floor beside a desk, thus freeing up desk space

Notebook computers (laptop computers)

lightweight portable computers with built-in monitor, keyboard, hard-disk drive, CD/DVD drive, battery, and AC adapter that can be plugged into an electric outlet

Netbooks

mini-notebooks–low-cost, lightweight, small computers with functions designed for basic tasks, such as web searching, email, and word processing

Tablet computer

a wireless portable computer that uses a touch screen (or a kind of pen called a stylus) to access information

Touch screen

a 7- to 10-inch screen on which you can manipulate words, images, and commands directly with your finger

Phablets

tablets that are also smartphones

Mobile devices

small, handheld multimedia devices for consumers and business professionals

Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs)

handheld computers that combine personal organization tools–schedule planners, address books, to-do lists–with the ability in some cases to send email and faxes

E-readers (e-book readers)

electronic devices that can download e-books–digital versions of regular books, articles, and magazines from various suppliers

Server (network server)

a central computer that holds collections of data (databases) and programs for connecting or supplying services to PCs, workstations, and other devices, which are called clients

Client-server network

clients in a server linked by a wired or wireless network

How Computers Work: 3 Concepts

• Data is turned into information.

• Hardware and software have their own specific functions.

• All computers involve input, processing, storage, and output, plus communications.

Data

consists of the raw facts and figures that are processed into information

Information

data that has been summarized or otherwise transformed for use in decision making

Hardware

consists of all the machinery and equipment in a computer system (the keyboard, the screen, the printer, and the processing device itself)

Software (programs)

consists of all the electronic instructions that tell the computer how to perform a task (CD, or compact disk, or an Internet download)

5 basic operations of a computer

input, processing, storage, output, communications

Input

whatever is put in (“input”) to a computer system

Processing

the manipulation a computer does to transform data into information

Primary storage (memory)

the internal computer circuitry (chips) that temporarily holds data waiting to be processed

Secondary storage (storage)

refers to the devices and media that store data or information permanently

Output

whatever is output from (“put out of”) the computer system–the results of processing, usually information

Communications

offers an extension capability (extends the power of the computer)

Input hardware

consists of devices that allow people to put data into the computer in a form that the computer can use (keyboard & mouse)

Output hardware

consists of devices that translate information processed by the computer into a form that humans can understand (print, sound, graphics, or video)

System unit (case or system cabinet)

the box that houses the processor chip (CPU), the memory chips, the motherboard (main circuit board), the power supply, and some secondary-storage devices

Processor chip (CPU)

a tiny piece of silicon that contains millions of miniature electronic circuits

Memory chips (RAM chips)

represent primary storage, or temporary, storage; they hold data before processing and information after processing, before it is sent along to an output or storage device

Motherboard (system board)

the main circuit board in the computer

Hard-disk drive

a device that stores billions of characters of data on a nonremovable disk platter

Compact Disk (CD) drive/Digital Video Disk (DVD) drive

a storage device that uses laser technology to read data from optical disks

System software

enables the computer to perform essential operating tasks and makes it possible for application software to run

Application software

enables you to perform specific tasks—solve problems, perform work, or entertain yourself

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

a chip device consisting of electronic circuitry that executes instructions to process data

Keyboard

an input device that converts letters, numbers, and other characters into electrical signals readable by the processor

Mouse

a nonkeyboard input device (“pointing device”) that is used to manipulate objects viewed on the computer display screen

Expansion slots

used for expanding the PC’s capabilities, which give you places to plug in additional or upgraded circuit boards

Peripheral device

any component or piece of equipment that expands a computer’s input, storage, or output capabilities

Video card

converts the processor’s output information into a video signal that can be sent through a cable to the monitor

Sound card

enhances the computer’s sound-generating capabilities by allowing sound to be output through speakers

Monitor

the display device that takes the electrical signals from the video card and forms an image using points of colored light on the screen

Speakers

the devices that play sounds transmitted as electrical signals from the sound card

Printer

an output device that produces text and graphics on paper

Modem

a device that sends and receives data over telephone lines, or wirelessly via a network, to and from computers

Installation

the process of copying software programs from a main secondary-storage source onto the system’s hard disk and some special chips, so that you can have direct access to your hardware

Operating system

the master control program that runs the computer

3 Areas of Computer Development

miniaturization, speed, affordability

Miniaturization

• ENIAC’s old-fashioned radio-style vacuum tubes gave way after 1947 to the smaller, faster, more reliable transistor.

• The next step was the development of tiny integrated circuits made of silicon.

• The miniaturized processor, or microprocessor, in a personal desktop computer today can perform calculations that once required a computer filling an entire room.

Speed

Thanks to miniaturization and new material used in making processors, computer makers can cram more hardware components into their machines, providing faster processing speeds and more data storage capacity.

Affordability

Processor costs today are only a fraction of what they were 15 years ago. A state-of-the-art processor costing less than $1,000 provides the same processing power as a huge 1980s computer costing more than $1 million.

3 Areas of Communications

connectivity, interactivity, multimedia

Connectivity

refers to the connection of computers to one another by a communications line in order to provide online information access and/or the sharing of peripheral devices

Interactivity

refers to two-way communication; the user can respond to information he or she receives and modify what a computer is doing

Multimedia

refers to technology that presents information in more than one medium–such as text, pictures, video, sound, and animation–in a single integrated communication

Convergence

describes the combining of several industries through various devices that exchange data in the format used by computers

Wikis

group-edited informational (encyclopedic) sites

Cloud computing

instead of storing your software and/or data on your own PC or your own company’s computers, you store it on servers on the Internet

Big Data

data so large and complex that it cannot be processed using conventional methods

Machine learning

where computers can derive meaning and make predictions from things like language, intentions, and behavior

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

a group of related technologies used for developing machines to emulate human qualities, such as learning, reasoning, communicating, seeing, and hearing