Studied by 4 peoplehardware
the physical equipment used for the input, processing, output, and storage activities of a computer system
hardware components
central processing unit (CPU), primary storage, secondary storage, input technologies, output technologies, communication technologies
central processing unit (CPU)
manipulates the data and controls the tasks performed by the other components; performs the actual computation inside any computer
buses
data and instructions travel in the chip through electrical pathways called this
microprocessor
CPU, made up of millions of transistors embedded in a circuit on a silicon wafer or chip
control unit
part of the microprocessor; sequentially accesses program instructions, decodes them, and control the flow of data to and from the arithmetic logic unit, the registers, caches, primary and secondary storage, and various output devices
arithmetic logic unit
part of the microprocessor; performs the mathematical calculations and makes logical comparisons; receives data and instructions from the registers and makes the desired computation
binary form
data and instructions are translated into 0s and 1s; CPU can only process this type of data
bit
0 or a 1
byte
8-bit string to represent any character
primary storage
temporarily stores data and program instructions during processing; stores small amounts of data and information that will be used immediately by the CPU
primary storage is also called the
main memory
3
primary storage briefly stores how many types of information?
3 types of information the primary storage stores
data to be processed by the CPU
instructions for the CPU as to how to process the data
operating system programs for managing computer’s operations
motherboard
chips mounted on the computer’s main circuit board where primary storage takes place
4
how many main types of primary storage are there?
registers
part of the CPU; have the least capacity, storing extremely limited amounts of instructions and data only immediately before and after processing
cache memory
type of high-speed memory that enables the computer to temporarily store blocks of data that are used more often and that a processor can access more rapidly than main memory (RAM)
where is cache memory located?
physically located closer to the CPU than RAM; blocks that are used less often remain in RAM until they are transferred to cashe; blocks used infrequently remain in secondary storage
random access memory (RAM)
part of primary storage that holds a software program and small amounts of data for processing; stores more information than registers but less information than secondary storage; temporary and volatile and lose contents if current is lost or turned off
read-only memory (ROM)
chip where certain critical instructions are safeguarded; nonvolatile, so it retains these instructions when the power to the computer is turned off; read-only designation means that these instructions can only be read by the computer and cannot be changed by the user
secondary storage
stores data and programs for future use; stores much larger amounts of data and information for extended periods; nonvolatile, takes more time to retrieve data from it than from RAM, cheaper than primary storage, use a variety of media each with its own technology
magnetic tape
secondary storage medium on a large open reel or in a smaller cartridge or cassette; cheapest storage medium and can handle enormous amounts of data; slowest method for retrieving data because all the data are placed on the tape sequentially
magnetic disks/hard drives/fixed disk drives
form of secondary storage on a magnetized disk divided into tracks and sectors that provide addresses for various pieces of data; most commonly used mass storage devices because of their low cost, high speed and large storage capacity
solid-state drives (SSDs)
data storage devices that serve the same purpose as a hard drive and store data in memory chips; use the same interface with the computer’s CPU as hard drives and serve as a replacement for hard drives; use less power, silent and faster, and product about 1/3 the heat of a hard drive; cost more than hard drives
optical storage devices
do not store data through magnetism; laser reads surface of a reflective plastic platter; slower than magnetic hard drives but less fragile and susceptible to damage; store a great deal of information; include CD-ROM and DVDs
compact-disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)
storage device features high capacity, low cost, and high durability; read-only medium and cannot be written on
digital video disc (DVD)
5-inch disk with the capacity to store about 135 minutes of digital video; can person as computer storage disks, providing storage capabilities of 17 gigabytes
flash memory devices/memory cards
nonvolatile electronic storage decides that contain no moving parts and use 30 times less battery power than hard drives; smaller and more durable than hard drives; store less data than hard drives
thumb drive (memory stick, jump drive, flash drive)
popular flash memory device; devices fit into universal serial bus (USB) ports on personal computers and other devices and can store many gigabytes; have replaced magnetic floppy disks for portable storage
input technologies
accept data and instructions and convert them to a form that the computer can understand; allow people and other technologies to enter data into a computer
human data-entry devices
devices require a certain amount of human effort to input data; keyboard, mouse, pointing stick, trackball, joystick, touchscreen, stylus, and voice recognitionde
source- data automation
input data with minimal human intervention; speed up data collection, reduce errors, and gather data at the source of a transaction or other event; bar code readers
gesture recognition
technologies that enable computer to interpret human gestures; initial step in designing computers that can understand human body language; creates a richer interaction between machines and humans
output technologies
present data and information in a form people can understand; transmit output generated by a computer to the user
examples of output technologies
monitors, printers, plotters, and voice
virtual reality
information technologies that use software to provide realistic, three-dimensional, computer-generated environment that replicates sight, though, hearing, and in some cases, smell; brings the user into the virtual environment by removing outside stimuli
communication technologies
provide for the flow of data from external computer networks (the Internet and intranets) to the CPU, and from the CPU to computer networks
moore’s law
stated that microprocessor complexity would double approximately every two years
supercomputer
fastest computers available; used by large organizations to execute computationally demanding tasks involving very large data sets; support military, scientific, and some business applications
mainframe computers
used for transaction processing and business applications; support thousands of users at one time; provide a secure, robust environment in which to run strategic, mission-critical applications
midrange computers (minicomputers)
perform the same functions as mainframe but to a more limited extent
microcomputers (micros, personal computers)
smallest and least expensive general-purpose computers (desktops, thin clients, notebooks and laptops, netbooks, and tablets)
laptop computers (notebook computers)
small, easily transportable, lightweight microcomputers; provide users with access to processing power and data outside an office environment
thin client
computer that does not offer the full functionality of a PC (google chromebook); easier and less expensive to operate and support than fat clients; fast application deployment, centralized management, lower cost of ownerships, and easier installation, management, maintenance, and support; users can do very little without network connection
fat client
computer that has the ability to perform many functions without a network connection
augmented reality
live, direct, or indirect, view of physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented, or enhanced, by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics, or GPS data; enhances the user’s perception of reality
software
set of computer programs that enables the hardware to process data
computer programs
sequences of instructions for the computer
programming
process of writing, or coding, software programs
documentation
written description of the functions of a software program; helps other programmers understand what the program does and how it accomplishes its purpose
2
how many major types of software is there?
systems software
class of computer instructions that serve as the intermediary between computer hardware and application programs; provides important self-regulatory functions for computer systems
systems software functions
controls and supports the computer system and its information-processing activities
enables computer systems to perform self-regulatory functions by loading itself when computer is first turned on
provides commonly used sets of instructions for all applications
helps user and IT personnel program, test, and debug their own computer programs
supports application software by directing the computer’s basic functions
operating system
main system control program within the systems software; supervises the overall operation of the computer including monitoring the computer’s status, scheduling operations, managing the input and output process; allocates CPU time and main memory to programs; provides an interface between the user and hardware
graphical user interface
systems software that allows users to have direct control of the hardware by manipulating visible objects and actions; replaces the complex commands with visible objects (icons)
natural user interfaces
within the systems software; combines haptic interfaces, social interfaces, and touch-enabled gesture-control interfaces
haptic interfaces
allows the user to fell a sense of touch by applying forces, vibrations, and/or motions to the user
social interfaces
guides the user through computer applications by using cartoonlike characters, graphics, animations, and voice commands
touch-enable gesture-control interfaces
motion control gaming consoles (ex. Wii); includes Microsoft Surface and Apple Iphone
application software
set of computer instructions that directs a computer system to perform specific processing activities; provide more specific functionality to a user; may be developed or purchased
software package/suite
a computer program (or group of programs) that has been developed by a vendor and is available for purchase in a prepackaged form (Microsoft Office)
software defects (bugs)
a software issue when it is unreliable; good software should be usable, defect free, cost effective, and maintainable
licensing
software issue; a person must have the manufacturer’s explicit permission to make copies of software or else it is illegal
open systems
a common software issue; concept refers to a group of computing products that work together
open-source software
software issue; source code should be available at no cost to developers and users
proprietary software
purchased software that has restrictions on its use, copying and modifications
speech-recognition (voice recognition)
software that recognizes and interprets human speech, either one word at a time (discrete speech) or in a stream (continuous speech)
personal application software
general-purpose, off-the-shelf application programs designed to help individual users increase their productivity
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