IS 310 Chapter One

What is assembly language?

An interface between high-level language and machine code.

What is a mainframe?

A high-performance computer with large memory used for large-scale applications.

What is a supercomputer?

A high-performance computer mainly used for scientific applications requiring high speed.

What is cloud computing?

A set of computing resources virtually configured to allow flexible capacity.

What is a desktop computer?

A computer designed primarily for individual users.

What is a laptop/PC?

A portable computer that supports most desktop functions.

What is a tablet?

A very portable computer with more limited performance.

What is an embedded computer?

A computer built into another product for a focused purpose.

What are the four major computer system components?

Hardware, software, data, and communications.

What is hardware?

The physical computer components that process data, execute instructions, and provide input and output.

What is software?

Applications and system software containing instructions that tell hardware what tasks to perform and in what order.

What is data?

The fundamental representation of facts and observations.

What is communication in a computer system?

Sharing data and processing among different systems.

What is the CPU?

The component that executes computer program instructions.

What does the ALU do?

Performs arithmetic and Boolean logical calculations.

What does the Control Unit do?

Controls instruction processing and movement of data within the CPU.

What does the interface unit do?

Moves instructions and data between the CPU and other hardware components.

What is a bus?

A bundle of wires that carries signals and power between computer components.

What is input?

Data entering the computer through devices such as a keyboard, mouse, scanner, microphone, or touchscreen.

What is processing?

The CPU executing the computer program.

What is output?

Information produced through devices such as a monitor, printer, or speaker.

What are examples of storage?

Hard drives, optical media, disks, and cloud storage.

What is RAM?

Random access memory that can be accessed directly.

What is cache memory?

Temporary memory that can be accessed faster than RAM.

How does cache compare with RAM?

Cache is faster temporary memory, while RAM is the computer's main memory.

What does disk capacity determine?

The amount of data and the size of programs that can be stored.

What are examples of operating systems listed in Chapter 1?

Linux, IBM z/OS, Windows, and Mac.

What are some functions of an operating system?

File management, I/O, memory management, resource scheduling, program communication, security, and networking.

What is an API?

Application Program Interface.

What are standards used for?

To ensure universal compatibility of data formats and protocols.

How can a standard be created?

By a committee or by becoming a de facto standard through popular use.

What does de facto standard mean?

A standard that becomes accepted because it is widely used.

What are examples of computer language standards?

Java, SQL, C, and JavaScript.

What are examples of display standards?

PostScript, MPEG-2, JPEG, and PNG.

What are examples of character set standards?

ASCII, Unicode, and EBCDIC.

What are examples of multimedia standards?

MPEG-2, MPEG-4, MP3, and DVD-ROM.

What is a communication channel?

A physical or wireless connection between computer systems.

What are examples of communication channels?

Ethernet cable, phone lines, fiber optic cable, coax, infrared, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.

What does interface hardware do?

Handles communication between the computer and a communication channel.

What are examples of communication interface hardware?

A modem or Network Interface Card (NIC).

What do ports do?

Allow movement of data between a computer system and external devices.

What are examples of computer ports?

USB, Thunderbolt, HDMI, Ethernet, FireWire, and VGA.

What does display resolution describe?

The amount of text and graphics a monitor can display.

What is Hertz?

A measurement of clock cycles per second.

What is a Byte according to Chapter 1?

A unit of storage used for memory and storage.

4 bytes of memory combine to form a 32‐bit

word

What are the five simple data types?

Integer, real, char, Boolean, and enumerated.

What is an integer data type?

A positive or negative whole number or zero.

What is a real data type?

A number with a decimal point or a number too large or small to store as an integer

What is a char data type?

A variable or constant that holds an alphanumeric character.

What is a Boolean data type?

A two-valued variable or constant with a value of true or false.

What is an enumerated data type?

A user-defined data type whose possible values are listed in its definition.