Introduction to Computing Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards generated from lecture notes covering IT fundamentals, computer generations, hardware components, classification, and Von Neumann architecture.

Information Technology (IT)

Coined by Thomas L. Whisler and Harold J. Leavitt in 1958, it refers to the use of computing via hardware, software, or networks to develop, manage, transform, store, share, and secure digital data.

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

Technologies that provide access to information through telecommunications, focusing primarily on communication mediums such as the internet, wireless networks, and cell phones.

Short Message Service (SMS)

Originally a minor feature for engineers testing equipment, SMS evolved into texting and created a global communication standard that generated over 80 billion US dollars annually by 2006.

Netiquette

Guidelines for online behavior intended to encourage users to consider the impact of their words and actions on others.

Virus

Malicious software written to attack computer programs by attaching itself to software, executing when that software runs, deleting files, and spreading quickly.

Worm

Malicious software that operates in the background, makes copies of itself to spread across network connections, and consumes system resources.

Trojan

Software that disguises itself as legitimate but performs damaging tasks behind the scenes, such as deleting files or giving unauthorized external control.

Phishing

A form of online hoax that deceives users into disclosing sensitive personal or private information.

1st Generation Computers

Computers built between 1940 and 1956 that relied on large vacuum tubes, making them massive, room-sized, and highly heat-emitting (e.g., ENIAC).

2nd Generation Computers

Computers built between 1956 and 1963 that replaced vacuum tubes with smaller transistors, improving speed and affordability (e.g., TX-0).

3rd Generation Computers

Computers built between 1964 and 1971 that introduced integrated circuits (ICs), significantly shrinking computer footprints and accelerating operational speeds.

4th Generation Computers

Computers built between 1972 and 2010 that utilized microprocessors (CPUs) alongside integrated circuits, allowing personal computers to fit on desks and leading to laptops.

5th Generation Computers

Computers from 2010 to the present that incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) to handle complex tasks (e.g., IBM Watson, Siri).

Flat-Panel Display (FPD)

A thin display technology using LCD or LED screens that replaced bulky Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitors.

Netbook

A term coined by Intel describing a light, portable computer approximately half the size of a standard laptop.

Hybrid Computer (2-in-1 PC)

A device combining laptop power with tablet portability, featuring a touchscreen and detachable keyboard.

Motherboard

The central circuit board that physically holds and connects all internal components, allowing data communication across the system.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

Volatile primary storage used to temporarily hold active data for quick retrieval by the CPU, which wipes completely upon system reboot.

Microcomputers

Personal computers (PCs) with a word length of 8 to 32 (64) bits, categorized into desktops and portables.

Analog Computers

Special-purpose computers that process data represented in continuously variable physical quantities like voltage, current, or frequency.

Von Neumann Architecture

A classic computer design structure published by John von Neumann in 1945 comprising a Central Processing Unit, Memory Unit, Registers, Buses, and Input/Output components.

Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU)

The CPU component responsible for executing mathematical calculations and logical evaluation operations.

Control Unit (CU)

The CPU sub-unit that manages and directs component responses (ALU, memory, I/O) according to decoded software instructions.

Machine Cycle

The four-step sequence performed by the processor for every machine language instruction: Fetch, Decode, Execute, and Store.

Network Interface Card (NIC)

An expansion card or network adapter (Ethernet card) used to physically connect a computer system to a network.

Optical Mark Recognition (OMR)

A process of capturing marked data created by humans on paper forms, such as filled circles on multiple-choice test sheets.

Punch Card

An early paper-based storage medium containing digital data represented by the presence or absence of punched holes in fixed positions.