GST103 – Computer Fundamentals (Comprehensive Review)

A comprehensive set of Q&A flashcards covering core concepts from GST103 Computer Fundamentals, including hardware, software, memory, operating systems, networking, programming, applications, and historical milestones.

What is the basic definition of a computer?

A tool or machine used for processing data to produce required information.

Are modern computers still confined to laboratories?

No. Early computers were confined to laboratories, but modern computers are widely available.

What word is used for raw facts about a person, object, or place?

Data.

What do we call processed data that conveys meaning?

Information.

List the three traditional methods of data processing.

Manual, mechanical, and computer methods.

Which data-processing method uses chalk, pen, paper, etc.?

Manual method.

Name one major advantage of computer data processing over manual processing.

Continuous processing, low noise, built-in storage, easy error correction, neat output, or high accuracy (any one).

Give three key characteristics of a computer.

Speed, accuracy, storage, automatic operation, reliability, flexibility.

What are the two broad parts of every computer system?

Hardware and software.

Which three functional units make up computer hardware?

Input unit, processing unit, and output unit.

What is the main circuit board that holds a PC’s electronic components?

The motherboard.

Which small battery-powered chip keeps track of time when the PC is off?

The clock (real-time clock).

What does ROM stand for?

Read-Only Memory.

Which memory holds programs and data while the computer is running?

RAM (Random Access Memory).

Can fiberglass conduct electricity?

True – fiberglass boards with copper traces can conduct signals.

Which Intel processor powered the earliest IBM PCs?

8088.

What does CPU stand for?

Central Processing Unit.

CPU speed is usually measured in what unit?

Megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).

Which keyboard section contains letters, numbers, and punctuation keys?

Alphanumeric keys.

What activates uppercase letters on a PC keyboard?

The Shift key (or Caps Lock for persistent capitals).

What does ALU stand for?

Arithmetic and Logic Unit.

Name the two main parts of primary (main) memory.

ROM and RAM.

What do we call a group of related instructions that performs a task?

A program.

Series of programs linked together form what?

Software.

List the three broad classes of software.

System software, utility software, and application programs.

Who are the different categories of people that operate a computer called?

Computer users.

What does UPS stand for in computing environments?

Uninterruptible Power Supply.

Most computers today are classified as what type?

Digital computers.

State the time period of first-generation electronic computers.

1937–1953.

Who built the first general-purpose programmable electronic computer (ENIAC)?

J. Presper Eckert and John V. Mauchly.

What does ENIAC stand for?

Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer.

Which symbolic language replaced machine code in the 1950s?

Assembly language.

Name one high-level language introduced in the second generation.

FORTRAN, ALGOL, or COBOL.

Define a supercomputer.

A machine an order of magnitude more powerful than other machines of its era.

What does SSI stand for in chip fabrication?

Small-Scale Integration.

Which machine is considered the first supercomputer by Seymour Cray?

CDC 6600 (1964).

List the three basic types of computers by signal type.

Digital, analog, and hybrid.

Which computer type measures rather than counts?

Analog computer.

What classification distinguishes computers built for a narrow task set?

Special-purpose computers.

Give two portable forms of microcomputers.

Laptop and notebook computers.

Which component emits a PC’s sound output?

Speaker.

What is a computer’s main permanent storage device?

Hard disk.

Define a peripheral device.

Any device attached to the system unit (input, output, or storage).

Which keyboard key turns the numeric keypad on or off?

Num Lock.

Which key cancels an operation in progress?

Escape (Esc) key.

Which key deletes the character at the cursor position?

Delete key.

Which pointing device moves an on-screen pointer via rolling action?

Mouse (or trackball, but mouse is standard).

Name an input device commonly used with game software.

Joystick.

What is a hard-copy output device?

Printer.

List the three basic printer types for PCs.

Laser, inkjet, and dot-matrix printers.

Which printer type is typically cheapest?

Dot-matrix printer.

What are the two common PC monitor sizes?

15-inch and 17-inch.

What does OCR stand for?

Optical Character Recognition.

Give two common types of computer scanners.

Flatbed, sheetfed, or hand scanners (any two).

A program that acts as an interface between user and hardware is called what?

Operating system.

Name three major operating-system types.

Batch processing, time sharing, real-time, multiprogramming, distributed, or network OS (any three).

Which OS type controls machine-tool operations or nuclear reactors?

Real-time operating system.

Define a process (in OS terms).

The unit of work in a system (an executing program).

Give one major task of OS memory management.

Keeping track of memory usage, loading processes, or allocating/deallocating memory.

What OS component translates typed commands?

Command interpreter.

What is a file (OS definition)?

A collection of related information defined by its creator.

What is protection in computing?

Mechanisms that control access of programs, processes, or users to resources.

What does LAN stand for?

Local Area Network.

What network spans a city and links nearby LANs?

MAN – Metropolitan Area Network.

Define WAN.

Wide Area Network – connects LANs/MANs over long distances.

What does WWW stand for?

World Wide Web.

Name the three typical network topologies.

Star, ring, and bus.

In networking, what is the central high-capacity computer called?

File server (or server).

Which network type typically covers about one kilometre?

LAN.

What is HTML?

HyperText Mark-up Language – the common language of web pages.

Define a web browser.

Software that lets a user view and navigate web pages.

What is a hyperlink?

Clickable text or graphic that leads to another web location (URL).

URL stands for what?

Uniform (or Universal) Resource Locator.

What is the starting or main page of a web site called?

Home page.

What is an ISP?

Internet Service Provider – company that gives access to the Internet.

Define email attachment.

A multimedia file (text, image, etc.) attached to an electronic mail message.

What unit represents one binary digit?

Bit.

What is a firewall in networking?

A gateway computer that controls incoming and outgoing network traffic.

What is compression utility “unzipping”?

Decompressing a compressed file.

Name five major uses of the Internet.

Information browsing, email, newsgroups, file transfer (FTP), and remote computer access.

What Microsoft Office tool manages email?

Microsoft Outlook (Outlook Inbox).

What are the four basic instruction types in programming?

Input/output, arithmetic, branching, and logic instructions.

An unconditional branch instruction does what?

Causes a jump regardless of conditions.

Define machine language.

Computer-dependent binary code understood directly by the CPU.

Which language uses mnemonics like ADD or MOV?

Assembly language.

FORTRAN, BASIC, COBOL are examples of which language generation?

Third-generation (high-level) languages.

What does 4GL signify?

Fourth-generation language – non-procedural, often menu-driven.

Name the three categories of language translators.

Assembler, interpreter, and compiler.

What is the first stage of program debugging?

Desk checking (manual review).

Define syntax error.

An error resulting from illegal use of programming-language rules.

What is an algorithm?

A finite, step-by-step procedure to achieve a required result.

What diagram graphically represents program logic?

Flowchart.

List three common flowchart symbols.

Terminal, process, decision (others: input/output, connector).

What is pseudocode?

Structured English-like statements expressing program logic without syntax of a language.

Give two attributes of a good program.

Accuracy, reliability, efficiency, robustness, usability, maintainability, readability (any two).

What Microsoft Office application is mainly for numerical analysis?

Excel (spreadsheet).

What Excel feature lets you print charts separate from data?

Chart sheet.

Which key runs a PowerPoint slide show?

F5.

What is the default alignment for numeric entries in Excel?

Right-aligned.

Define cell range in Excel.

A rectangular block of adjacent cells.