Digital Culture and Hardware Lecture Notes

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the history of computing, hardware components, networking basics, and artificial intelligence concepts.

Boulier (Abacque)

A wooden calculating machine created in Ancient China around 3000 BC, used for arithmetic operations and square roots.

ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer)

The first fully electronic and programmable computer (1940–1950), which weighed 27 tonnes and used a decimal system rather than binary.

Transistor

A semiconductor invention from 1955 that replaced vacuum tubes, leading to smaller, more reliable, and energy-efficient second-generation computers.

TRADIC (Transistor Digital Computer)

The first computer entirely based on transistors, put into service in 1954 for the US Air Force.

Circuit Intgr

An innovation of the 1960s that integrated multiple transistors on a single silicon chip, leading to the era of mini-computers like the IBM System-360.

Microprocesseur

A single integrated circuit containing all the functions of a computer's central processing unit, enabling the micro-computer revolution of the 1970s.

Micral N

Introduced in 1972, this is often considered the first commercial micro-computer, utilizing the Intel 8008 microprocesseur.

Xerox Alto

A revolutionary 1973 micro-computer equipped with a keyboard, monitor, and a mouse, introducing the first Graphical User Interface (GUI).

CPU (Central Processing Unit)

The brain of the computer that interprets and executes instructions from software; its performance is measured in frequency using Hertz(Hz), representing cycles per second.

RAM (Random Access Memory)

Volatile short-term storage used to temporarily hold data for active programs; all stored information is lost when the power is turned off.

ROM (Read-Only Memory)

Non-volatile memory that preserves information even when power is off, typically containing essential firmware like the BIOS.

BIOS (Basic Input/Output System)

A set of directives stored in ROM that manages communication between the operating system and hardware during the computer's startup process.

SSD (Solid State Drive)

A storage device using flash memory chips with no moving parts, offering faster data transfer and greater shock resistance than traditional HDDs.

Octet (Byte)

A unit of digital information consisting of 8bits, where each bit represents a binary value of 0 or 1.

Priphrique informatique

A device connected to a central processing system (such as a computer or smartphone) that adds functionality or allows communication with the outside world.

Loi de Moore

A principle stating that the number of transistors on a microprocesseur doubles approximately every 2years.

Q-bit (Quantum Bit)

The basic unit of information in quantum computing that can take the value of 0, 1, or a superposition of both simultaneously.

Sikamor

Google's quantum computer equipped with 54qbits, capable of performing specific calculations in minutes that would take classical computers thousands of years.

Systme d'exploitation (OS)

A set of tools and software that ensures the liaison between hardware resources, the user, and applications.

Kernel (Noyau)

The core component of an OS that allows hardware and software to communicate, managing processes, memory, and file manipulation.

MS-DOS

The dominant operating system for PCs in the 1980s and early 1990s, characterized by a command-line interface and mono-tasking/mono-user capabilities.

ARPANET

The precursor to the Internet, established in 1971 by the US to create a decentralized communication network tolerant to path failures or attacks.

Adresse IP (Internet Protocol)

A unique identifier for every device on the internet, existing in versions like IPv4 ($32-bit$) and IPv6 ($128-bit$).

DNS (Domain Name System)

The service that acts as a translator between human-readable domain names and numerical IP addresses.

HTTP / HTTPS

Protocols used for exchanging resources on the web; the "S" version (Secure) utilizes encryption to protect sensitive data like passwords.

HTML (HyperText Markup Language)

The foundation language for web development used to structure content on a page through the use of tags.

Intelligence Artificielle (IA)

A collection of theories and techniques used to create machines capable of simulating human intelligence or performing tasks associated with intelligent beings.

Alan Turing

A pioneer of computer science who developed the concept of the Turing machine and created the "Victory" machine to decrypt the German Enigma code.

IA Gnrative

A subset of deep learning that creates new content (text, images, or audio) based on patterns learned from existing unstructured data.

GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer)

A Large Language Model (LLM) that uses predictive writing to provide coherent responses based on the most probable sequence of words for a given context.

RLHF (Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback)

A training method used for ChatGPT where human supervisors rank multiple AI responses to reinforce consistency and avoid inappropriate content.