CSC-161 quizOne notes

Computer

Two parts of a computer HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE

  • Hardware: Anything that you can touch and see 

    • Input Device: Anything used to put information into the computer

      • Ex: Keyboard. Mouse, microphone, webcam, joystick, barcode reader, trackpad, Scanner

    • CPU: Central Processing Unit, The “Brain” of the computer 

    • RAM: Memory 

      • Main memory is reliable Saves temporary info

      • When the computer turns off/on info is gone

      • Primary memory is volatile 

      • Why need it if it's temporary?: 

        • The purpose is to speed up the computer 

        • CPU goes only to the main memory for what it needs 

    • Output Device: Anything that the computer uses to show you the result of its work 

      • Ex: monitor, headphones, speaker, printers, projectors

    • Auxillary Storage: Permanent Storage 

      • Ex: Hard Drive, Flash Drive, cloud storage 

  • Software: Anything that you can put either in main memory or auxiliary storage 

    • Data 

    • Programs: a set of instructions telling the computer to perform a task

      • Apps

      • Scripts

      • A computer is useless without a program

      • Created by Programmers

      • Saved as a file 

        • Everything in a computer is a file 

      • Two kinds of programs

        • System Programs: programs that the computer can’t live without 

          • Operating System (OS) 

            • Linux

            • Windows

            • Apple OS

          • Drivers: software component that lets the operating system and a device communicate.

        • Application: programs that you download yourself that make you productive 

          • Adobe Photoshop 

          • Microsoft Word 

          • Microsoft Excel

          • Blender

          • Android Studio 

          • Unity 

  • Information Processing Cycle 

    • Input Devices 

    • CPU 

      • The CPU is NEVER idle 

      • The CPU does only 1 operator at a time 

      • The CPU ONLY goes to the main memory for anything that it needs 

    • Main memory 

    • The cycle visualized: 

  • Stored Program Concept: Programs are stored as files

    • Files are saved on Aux storage 

    • The CPU is the one that executes the commands in the program 

    • To execute a program, that program needs to be copied from aux storage to main memory first(so that the CPU can get to the instructions in that program)

      • The OS is responsible for this move