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Diginal Technology Flashcards

1
Q

What is the difference between information and data?

A

Data consists of raw facts and figures with no meaning attached. When data is processed it provides us with information. Therefore we can define information as data with meaning.

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2
Q

Explain Storing Data

A

Computer store data in digital format. This is done using a number system known as binary. A Binary digIT (bit) has a value of 0 or 1 and is smallest unit of computer storage.
When bits are grouped together they are known as a byte
One byte = 8 bits
Two bytes = 16 bits
Nibble = 4 bits
Two nibbles = 1 byte (8 bits)

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3
Q

Storage capacity of a computers memory

A

1024 bytes = 1 kilobyte
w1024 kilobytes = 1 megabyte
1024 megabytes = 1 gigabyte
1024 gigabytes = 1 terabyte
Terms used to describe the capacity of USb flash drive and hard drives

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4
Q

What are Integer numbers?

A

An interger can be a positve or negative whole number, which has no decimal or fractional parts

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5
Q

What are real numbers?

A

Real numbers include whold numbers (integers) and numbers with decimal/fractional parts. Real numbers can be positive or negative.

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6
Q

Explain the date and time format on a computer

A

This determines the way that the date or time appears when it is displayed or printed by a computer. You can you a predefined format that already exists in the software or create you own.

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7
Q

What is a Character/String?

A

A character is a single letter or digit represented by codes from the character set used by the computer (Eg ASCII). A string is textual data in the form of a sequence of characters from a character set - could be in the form of a word. A string will have a variable number of characters.

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8
Q

What is a Pixel?

A

A pixel (represented by a dot or square) is the smallest unit of a digital image that can be displayed and edited on a computer screen. Each pixel can have its own colour and when combined together they produce a complete image.

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9
Q

What do the number of pixels on a computer screen depend on?

A

The number of pixels depend on the size of the screen and the graphics card used by the processor

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10
Q

How is a pixel stored?

A

When an image is created using pixels, each pixel is stored as a series of binary digits. The number of bits depends on the range of colours used. Eg256 different colours for a pixel will require 8 bits for a pixel to be stored

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11
Q

What is image resolution?

A

Image resolution tells us the quality of an image. The greater the number of pixels used in an image the higher the resolution and the sharper the image. Higher resolution images need more storage space. Image resolution is represented by two numbers. The first number is number of pixels displayed horizontally and the second is the number of pixels displayed vertically.

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12
Q

What are Bitmap Graphics?

A

Bitmap graphics are made up of a grid of pixels. If you use your mobile phone to take a photo or you scan a picture into your computer you create a bitmap image. The higher the resolution of the mobile phone camera you are using a the higher the quality of the image

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13
Q

What is pixelation?

A

When you zoom in or enlarge a bitmap image pixelation can occur. This means the pixels become larger on the screen and look like a number of smaller blocks put together. This is the reason why bitmap images are poor quality when enlarged too much

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14
Q

What are vector-based graphics?

A

Vector-based graphics are not made up of a grid of pixels instead vector based graphics store information about the components that make up an image. These components are based on mathematical objects such as lines, curves or shapes. You can edit these shapes separately.
They do not depend on resolution for quality. Because they store details about the shape of individual image objects they require less storage capacity compared to using pixels meaning they can be saved in smaller files and edited without losing quality

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15
Q

What is video streaming?

A

A large video can take a long time to download from the internet. Streaming is a process that allows video to be viewed on a website or app straight away without having to wait for the full video to download. When streaming the user can start watching the video as it downloads i real time rather than downloading and permanently storing the complete video

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16
Q

What is a buffer?

A

A buffer is an allocated part of memory that is used to store a downloaded part of the video before it is watched. When a user is watching a video a buffer is used to download the next part and presents possible disruptions in streaming

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17
Q

What is sample rate?

A

This is the number of audio sound samples captured every second to represent the sounds digitally and is measured in Hertz. The more samples that are taken per second the more accurate the digital representation of the original sound

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18
Q

What is Bit depth

A

Bit depth is the number of bits used to store each sound sample. Higher quality sound requires a higher bit depth. Bit depth is usually 16 bits on a CD on a DVD the bit depth is higher usually 24 bits

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19
Q

What is bit rate?

A

Bit rate refers to the quantity of data measured in bits that is processed in a given amount of time. Eg an iTunes song stores 256 kilobits of data in every second of a song

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20
Q

What is an Analogue signal?

A

An analogue signal is described as a continuous varying signal that represents a physical quantity such as sound. Before a computer can process analogue signals they need to be converted into a digital format (binary).
An analogue to digital converter will sample a sound wave at regular time intervals. If the number of sound samples per second is low there will be a loss of audio quality because the samples do not show wha the sound wave is doing in between each sample.

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21
Q

What is data probability?

A

Data portability is the ability to transfer data from one computer to another or from one software application to another without having to re-enter the data. Different types of data need to be stored using particular formats to ensure data is portable between different software applications or different computer systems.

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22
Q

What is a JPEG?

A

A JPEG files support the compression of images. The level of compression can vary and can be controlled by the user. Higher compression will reduce the quality of the image but decrease the file size

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23
Q
A
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24
Q

What is PNG?

A

PNG (Portable Network Graphics) allows data compression of bitmapped graphics. PNG format was developed to support the sharing of graphics via the internet while maintining the quality of the image

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25
Q

What is PICT

A

PICT files are the standard file format for Apple graphics

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26
Q

What are GIF

A

GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) Supports bitmapped image file formats. This format uses a form of compression that doe not degrade the quality of the image

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27
Q

What is TXT

A

TXT file is a plain text document that contains no text formatting. it is stored as a text file and can be opened by any word processing program to allow for text editing

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28
Q

What is CSV

A

A CSV (comma-separated value) file is a text format file used by databases and spreadsheets.
The CVS files are often used for moving tabular data between a spreadsheet and a data base

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29
Q

What is RTF

A

RTF (Rich Text Format) file is a text format file used for text-based documents and supports basic formatting.
It allows the movement of text files between different word processors and different operating systems

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30
Q

What is MP3

A

MP3 is a file format for compressing a sound file to decrease the file size for storage and at the same time keeping the original level of sound quality when the sound file is played

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31
Q

What is MP4

A

MP4 is similar to MP3 but is a file format that compresses both sound and video to decrease the storage size.
It can also be used to store other data such as still images and text subtitles

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32
Q

What is MIDI

A

MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a communication protocol that allows sound samples to be interchanged between different digital musical instruments

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33
Q

What is MPEG

A

MPEG (Musical/Motion Picture Experts Group)
Refers to a group of experts who developed standards for compressing digital video

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34
Q

What is AVI

A

AVI (Audio video interleaved) is a multimedia file format created by Microsoft for Windows software.
AVI files can contain both audio and video content allowing synchronous audio-with-video playback

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35
Q

What is PDF

A

PDF (Portable Document Format) is a file format
The PDF captures formatting used within a document so that when the document is opened is in the original fonts and images and the layout of the file is the same.
The PDF file generated is usually smaller in file size than the original file

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36
Q

What is WAV

A

WAV (Windows Audio Waveform) is a file format standard for storing an audio bit stream on PCs.
A WAV file is uncompressed audio file format

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37
Q

What is WMA

A

WMA (Window Media Audio) is an audio data compression file format

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38
Q

What is Data Compression

A

it is used to convert digital data to as small a size as possible while maintaining the quality of the data contained in the file.
Data that has been compressed takes less time to upload and download

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39
Q

What is Lossy compression?

A

Reduces the file size by removing some of the data for example by reducing the number of colours used in a image this can result in a small reduction in the quality of an image.
Once a file has been compressed using this method it is permanently lost

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40
Q

What is Lossless Compression?

A

Lossless compression keeps the quality of the file so no data is lost.
The file can then be recreated exactly as it was before it was compressed

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41
Q

What is system software?

A

System software is often described as the interface between computer hardware and user application programs. It allows the computer to operation its hardware and applications software

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42
Q

What is applications software?

A

Application software enables the computer to do a particular task such as word processing.

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43
Q

What is the operating system?

A

The operating system is an essential piece of software that manages all other programs being used on a computer. Microsoft Windows is a common operating system.

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44
Q

What are the main functions of system software? (3 cards)

A

Allocating Memory:
The operating system organises the use of main memory between programs and data files. Programs and date files that a user want to access need to be transferred from hard disc into main memory such as RAM before they can be used. The operating system does this by locating free memory space in RAM and then allocating this to the program or data file. When they are no longer required by the user they are transferred back our of the main memory to the hard disc.

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45
Q

What are the main functions of system software? (3 cards)

A

Storage:
The operating system can manage the storage of data and files. Data and files need to be saved, and data and files that are no longer required need to be deleted

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46
Q

What are the main functions of system software? (3 cards)

A

Processing time:
System software allocates processing time between the running programs and the users. It divides the time into a number of time slices and depending on the priority of the tasks to be processed, each task is allocated a number of time slices.

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47
Q

What are modes of processing? (2 Cards)

A

Real-time processing:
In real-time processing data is processed immediately after it is input. The output generated is processed quickly which influences the next input received. Examples:
Airline/concert booking systems
Online stock control systems
Air traffic control systems
In air traffic control, real time processing is essential to avoid disaster.

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48
Q

What are modes of processing? (2 Cards)

A

Batch Processing:
Batch processing involves collecting groups (or batches) of similar data over a period of time and then inputting the data at an agreed times. These batches of data are then processed collectively without human involvement. This type of processing suits applications where data does not have to be processed immediately.
While the computer system is processing a batch of data it cannot be used for another activity therefore if it is used for batch processing overnight it can be used for other activities during the day
Examples:
Bill systems (electricity, gas, telephone)
Payroll systems
Banking systems (statements)

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49
Q

What is multi-user system?

A

A multi-user system involves many users at different computers sharing the processor of a powerful computer. It is also referred to as a ‘time-sharing’ system. It works by the operating system switching at high speed between the computers giving each one in turn a small amount of processor time known as a ‘time slice’

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50
Q

What is utility software? (3 cards)

A

A utility application is a program that carries out a specific task to assist the operating system.

Disc defragmentation:
Before a file is stored on a disc it is broken down into a number of data blocks by the operating system. Each block is then stored in a free block space on a disc. It is not always possible for the operating system to locate enough adjacent free block spaces for the blocks to be stored together. Therefore a single file may be broken up and stored in different parts of the disc. This is known as file fragmentation.
As part of the disc maintenance process, a utility known as a disc defragmenter can be used. This rearranges the data on the disc so that:
files are stored in blocks that are all together
all the free blocks (free storage space) are together in the same part of the disc
The process of defragmentation also speed up the time it takes to access files

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51
Q

What is utility software? (3 cards)

A

Task Scheduling:
This is a method by which the processor time is divided amongst a number of tasks. The aim is to make maximum use of the processor time therefore making the system more efficient
In multi-user systems that use time slices, this is accomplished using a ‘round robin’ method. The processor deals with a task from the first computer then moves to the next in sequence, and so on. When it reaches the last computer it automatically starts over again with the first computer. Due to hight speed of the processor each user appears to have uninterrupted access to the powerful computer

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52
Q

What is utility software? (3 cards)

A

Data backup and restore:
A backup is a copy of the original data or file in case it gets damaged or lost. A company should do this in case:
hard disk fails
virus destroys the data stored
user accidentally deletes a file
fire destroys the buiding where the data is stored
The backup should always be stored off site in a secure location. It can then be used to restore original data to it previous state,
If data is not back up then the situation could be disastrous for an organisation.
A back up procedure my involve backing up the complete data file (full backup) or just backing up the data that has changed (incremental backup)

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53
Q

What is the role of anti-virus software?

A

Anti-virus software is not part of a typical computer’s operating system. It is normally installed on computers connected to the internet. Its main purpose is to detect, locate and remove a virus that can infect a computer system.
A virus is a program that can attach itself to a file and once it is opened can spread to other files and other computers linked to the internet.

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54
Q

What can anti-virus software do?

A

Aniti-virus software can scan files stored on a computer system and compare these to a known database of viruses. It is important that the database of viruses is regularly updated so that anti-virus software can detect all known viruses including any now ones that have been created.

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55
Q

What are Data concepts?

A

When data is organsied into files and each file is organised into a number of row and columns this is referred to as a table or flat file. A table is two dimensional hence the name ‘flat file”
A file or tale consists of a number of records. A record is represented as a row in a table. A record consists of data items related to an object or person.
A field is part of a record that stores a single data item. Each field on a table is represented by a column and is referenced by its field name (column title). The key field is the field used to uniquely identify one record eg customer ID as each one is unique.

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56
Q

What is a database?

A

While tables store data, a database uses a number of tools that allow you to interact, extract and present information that is required. Queries, forms and reports are three such tools available

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57
Q

What are Queries, forms and Reports (3 cards)

A

Query:
A query is a way of searching and extracting data from a database to find the answer to a question. The query/search checks each record and produces a list of data that satisfies the query criteria. (See example on chapter 3, page 2)

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58
Q

What are Queries, forms and Reports (3 cards)

A

Forms:
Forms are a common way to collect data from people. They can be used to enter a new record, modify an existing record or to view records already stored in a table.
When there are a number of different tables in a database, forms make it easier to enter data as one form may include fields from different tables. When the user enters data into the database software will ensure the data is stored in the correct table.
Another advantage is that the database designer can control the type and format of the data ensuring that it is kept consistent and accurate. (See example on chapter 3, page 3)

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59
Q

What are Queries, forms and Reports (3 cards)

A

Report:
A report allows tables and results from queries to be presented in a user-friendly way. The layout of the report can be customised, making it visually attractive and easy to read for the intended person or organisation. (See example on chapter 3, page 3)

60
Q

What is a Macro?

A

A macro is a small program written to perform a repetitive database task automatically. In a database, macros allow functionality to be added to both forms and records such as adding, deleting or updating a record. Instead of entering multiple instructions the user only needs to perform a single operation such as clicking a button and the instructions stored in the macro are executed

61
Q

What are database relationships?

A

It is possible to link together two tables in a database using a relationship. To do this a common field has to exist in each table to allow the link to be made, the key field from one table is stored in another table as a non-key field (also called foreign key) - see example chapter 3 page 4.
To ensure data entered is consistent is both tables, a feature called ‘enforce referential integrity’ can be applied to the relationship between the tables. The feature in a customer table, then all records in the activity table linked to that customer will be deleted.

62
Q

What is importing data?

A

Spreadsheets are useful for importing data as they allow easy manipulation and analysis of numerical data. However a database package can store several linked tables which makes consolidating and organising data an even easier task. It is possible to import a number of worksheets from a spreadsheet to a database package or visa versa which gives organisations more flexibility in handling their data

63
Q

What are data types?

A

When a database is created, each field within the record structure is named and an appropriate data type is attached to the file name. The data type defines the type of data associated with the field

64
Q

What is text?

A

Text and data that is a mixture of text and numbers such as a postcode. Numbers that do not require calculations

65
Q

What is a number?

A

Numeric data that requires a mathematical calculation

66
Q

What is Date/Time?

A

Data and times for example a date from a pop-up calendar

67
Q

What is currency?

A

Monetary data such as item price. This type of data includes two decimal places

68
Q

What is autonumber?

A

To create a key field the computer generates sequential numbers which automatically inserted for each new record

69
Q

What is Yes/No field?

A

The data entered into the field contains one of two possible values Yes/No or True/False. This type of data is called a Boolean value

70
Q

What is OLE object?

A

Object linking and embedding such a word-processed document or spreadsheet. These objects have been created using a software package other than a database

71
Q

What is Hyperlink

A

The data type is a link to a web address (URL) or an email

72
Q

What is an Attachment

A

Files are attached to a record eg digital image

73
Q

What is calculated?

A

For the result of a calculation produced from another field in the record

74
Q

What is lookup wizard?

A

To create a list of values. A value can be selected from the list and entered into the filed

75
Q

What is data validation?

A

A computer automatically checks data at the input stage to ensure it is reasonable, sensible and within acceptable limits. Data validation guarantees that data is present and the correct type range or length

76
Q

What is presence check?

A

A presence check ensures that the data is present, the area cannot be left blank. This type of check is mainly used when you complete an online form. See example chapter 3 page 6

77
Q

What is length check?

A

A length check ensures that the data entered is the correct number of characters. Eg a customer number must have 6 characters

78
Q

What is type check

A

A type check is used to ensure that the data entered is of the correct type. Different data types including numerical, text and data see example chapter 3 page 6

79
Q

What is a format check?

A

A format check ensures that data entered matched a predetermined pattern. For example a postcode. The database will only allow data to be entered in this format

80
Q

What is a range check?

A

A range check ensures that data entered is within a lower and upper limit. See example chapter 3 page 7

81
Q

What are logical operators

A

Comparing a value against other data is a typical operation when data is queried in a database. Comparison operators allow this to be done. Logical operators are also used to analyse two values and return either a true/false or yes/no result. These are called Boolean operators

82
Q

What is spreadsheet structure?

A

A spreadsheet contains one or more worksheets which are used to present and manipulate data. A worksheet is presented as a grid with rows and columns. Spreadsheets are maily designed to allow applications to perform calculations and recalculations automatically. A cell has a column reference (a letter) and a row (number)
Cells can store data in a variety of forms text, number date formula or a reference to another cell

83
Q

What is cell formatting?

A

Formatting allows a user to control the contents and appearance of a cell for example aligning text, changing the font, adding a border or adding a background colour

84
Q

What is conditional formatting?

A

Conditional formatting allows a specified format, such as cell shading or font colour to be applied to a cell or group of cells if a specified condition is met. Eg if the number in the group is greater than 5 then cells will be displayed as say a colour. if the condition is not met nothing will happen. See example chapter 4 page 3

85
Q

What is data validation?

A

It is possible to control the value input to a given cell(s) by using a data validation tool. EG if the number in a group must be at least 1 and no greater than 10 a range check where the values lie between 1 and 10 can be created in the validation criteria. See example chapter 4 page 3.
To guide and inform the user, a suitable error message can be created as part of the validation check. This will pop up if the wrong information is entered and to encourage user to enter the correct information

86
Q

What is a template?

A

A template is a document that has been formatted using a predetermined layout for the user. It serves as a starting point for a new document. EG a budget template will have allocated places for entering data such as income and expenditure for a company budget

87
Q

What is Importing Data

A

Data can be imported into a spreadsheet from other software sources (eg database table) using a wizard which guides the user through a series of steps. Each step involves asking the user a question through dialogue boxes until the data has been successfully imported.

88
Q

What are headers and footers

A

To improve the presentation of worksheets, headers (placed at the top) and footers (placed at the bottom) can be added. These can be used to add page numbers, file names or dates

89
Q

What are formulas?

A

Formulas allow a spreadsheet to perform calculations and automatic recalculations if values in the cells change. A formula tells the computer what mathematical operations needs to be performed on a special cell. Simple formulas calculate totals for rows or columns.
A formula must begin with an equals sign (=) followed by an inbuilt function, followed by a cell reference(s) and/or value(s). When a formula is entered into a cell it can be replicated quickly down a column or across a row using the fill function.

90
Q

Sum
=sum(C3:C10)

A

The cells in the range C3 to C10 are added together and the total calculated

91
Q

Average
=AVERAGE (C3:C10)

A

The cells in the range C3 to C10 are added together and the average calculated

92
Q

Max
=MAX (C3:C10)

A

The highest value in the cell range from C3 to C10 is returned

93
Q

Min
=MIN (C3:C10)

A

The lowest valued in the range from C3 t0 C10 is returned

94
Q

How to use the IF statement

A

This function allows a condition to be examined resulting in one of two actions to be carried out - example
IF ‘Group Cost’ is less than or equal to £150
THEN
Give 10% discount off next booking
ELSE
Give 20% discount off next booking
ENDIF

95
Q

What is Vlookup function?

A

The Vlookup function uses the value in a selected cell to ‘lookup’ a match in a column of a lookup table (vertical lookup). it then returns a value from a specified column from the same row of the lookup table.
See Example chapter 4 page 6.

96
Q

What are relative and absolute cell references?

A

When a formula is automatically copied down a column or across a row using the fill function, a relative cell reference adjusts and changes the formulas to make sure it refers to the correct cell(s)
Eg = C2D2 changes to C3D3 etc when the fill formula is used

97
Q

What are absolute cell references?

A

In some cases the cell reference must remain the same when it is copied. This is called an absolute cell reference. For instance to convert the amount to pay from pounds to euros, the same exchange rate for each group calculation would need to be used. See example chapter 4 page 7.
To create an absolute cell reference a $ sign is used ($b$18) to ensure that this cell reference does not change.

98
Q

How to use charts to display results

A

Using charts can help visualise the data from a selected worksheet. Once data has been selected users can choose their preferred chart (bar, pie etc) from the charting tool to enable data to be display graphically.
Using charts can assist in the communication of information when an organisation is doing a presentation for its clients. The presentation of the chart can be enhanced by adding chart titles, legends and colour.

99
Q

Why use Macros in a spreadsheet?

A

When using a spreadsheet a macro can eliminate the need for the user to repeat the steps of commonly preformed tasks over and over again. Automating these repetitive tasks saves time. These taks could range from adding a date to a worksheet to sophisticated calculations that require complex formulas

100
Q

Why use spreadsheets for data modelling

A

Spreadsheet software is increasingly being used in organisations for data modelling whereby the model is controlled by a set of rules defined by formulas. By changing the formulas the rules of the model can be varied. EG an organisation could find out what would happen to the income from product sales by changing the product price of one or more items. When the product price is changed the formulas will automatically recalculate the vales for income and sales as the spreadsheet is continually updated.
Being able to answer ‘what if” questions allows organisations to predict future outcomes. Therefore using a spreadsheet to model data can help answer key questions when making predictions and also managers to make better informed decisions for future planning.
Graphs make it easier for managers to understand the outcomes of spreadsheet modelling and allows an organisation to see trends over a period of time

101
Q

What is the Central Processing Unit (CPU)?

A

The central processing unit is often referred to as the ‘brain’ of the computer. The CPU is a microprocessor, its main role is to process programs and data. It does this by repeatedly fetching an instruction from memory and executing it. This is known as the fetch-execute cycle.

102
Q

What are the three main components of the CPU?

A

Control Unit
Arithmetic and logic unit (ALU)
Immediate access store (IAS)

103
Q

What is the control unit?

A

This component manages the execution of instructions which are usually in some sort of order, using the fetch-execute cycle. This is done by sending control signals to other parts of the CPU.

104
Q

What are the three main jobs of the control unit?

A

To decide what instruction to carry out next and fetch it from memory.
To decode the instruction ( work out what need to be done to carry the instruction out).
To execute (or follow) the instruction

105
Q

What is the arithmetic and logical unit (ALU)?

A

This component processes data that requires arithmetic calculations to be carried out, such as addition, multiplication, subtraction or devision. It also performs logical comparisons to assist with decision making by using logical operators AND, OR and NOT.

106
Q

What is immediate access store (IAS)

A

Immediate access store is also referred to as the main memory. This component stores all p[programs and data temporarily whilst they are in use. These are stored permanently on an external storage device such as a hard disc. During the fetch-execute cycle instructions are fetched from their specific storage location in the IAS using an address. Each memory location as a unique address assigned to it.

107
Q

What is Fetch-executive cycle?

A

The CPU includes a number of registers. These are high-speed memory locations each used for specific purposes. The registers below have an important role during the fetch-executive cycle

108
Q

What is program counter (PC)

A

A program counter is a COU register that stores the address (memory location reference) of the next instruction to be fetched. As many program instructions are ordered in sequence the program counter is automatically incremented by 1 every time an instruction is fetched.

109
Q

What is memory address register (MAR)?

A

All program instructions are stored in the main memory of the CPU in a number of memory locations. Each memory location contains a unique address. The address of the current instruction or data being executed is temporarily stored in the MAE

110
Q

What is Memory Data Register (MDR)?

A

This register will temporarily store data fetched from or written to the main memory of the CPU. All data transferred from main memory to the CPU goes via the MDR

111
Q

What is the Instruction Register (IR)?

A

This register temporarily stores the current instruction to be decoded and then executed, haveing been fetched from the main memory.

112
Q

What is an Accumulator?

A

The accumulator is a dedicated register which is part of the ALU. When calculations take place on data, the results are initially stored in the accumulator before being transferred and stored in the main memory. Therefore it is the default location to store any calculations performed by the ALU.

113
Q

What factors influence the speed of processing? (3 cards)

A

Clock Speed:
The clock speed is an indicator of the speed at which the CPU operate. The standard unit of measurement for clock speed is gigahertz (GHz) and this is a representation of how many instruction cycles the CPU can deal with in a second

114
Q

What factors influence the speed of processing? (3 cards)

A

Cache:
Cache memory can be used to store temporarily frequently used instructions and data. It is a small capacity memory which is situated between the processor and RAM. The control unit of the CPU will automatically check the cache memory first when fetching an instruction. Using cache memory results in an increase in processor speed

115
Q

What factors influence the speed of processing? (3 cards)

A

Processor core:
A core can be defined as a single processor with it own control unit, ALU and registers. More advanced CPUs contain more than one core which will increase their ability to run many programs at the same time.

116
Q

Computer hardware devices.
What is the purpose of a microphone?

A

The purpose of this device is to accept sound input or human voice into a computer system. A voice recognition system converts sound to text and accepts spoken words and phrases with those stored in the database.
Headsets which include a microphone and headphone are used in gaming applications where a user plays with others online.

117
Q

What are the advantages to using a microphone?

A

Faster to speaking using a microphone than using key words using a keyboard
It is a hands free allowing users to carry other activities at the same time as voice input

118
Q

What are the disadvantages to using a microphone?

A

The recognition rate of spoken words can be low if there is background noise
Sound files require greater storage capacity than a text file.

119
Q

What is a mouse?

A

A mouse is also refereed to as a ‘pointing device’. It is designed to fit under the hand and when moved controls the pointer on a visual display unit (VDU). A mouse uses built-in sensors to detect movements and send corresponding signals back to the computer.
A mouse uses two or three buttons which are used to make selections on the screen. On a typical mouse, the left-hand button is used to make selections such as selecting options from menus, selecting icons and positioning the cursor on the screen while the right-hand button is used to display a pop up menu at the position of the cursor

120
Q

What are the advantages to using a mouse?

A

Easy to use and requires little or no training
Quicker to select menus and icons compared to using a keyboard

121
Q

What are the disadvantages to using a mouse?

A

Experienced user find it slow compared to using ‘hot keys’. For example pressing ctrl + P to print is quicker than selecting menu and print option
They need a flat surface to function properly

122
Q

What is a Graphics digitiser?

A

A graphics digitiser allows a user to hand-draw images or pictures to a similar way to how we draw with a pencil on a sheet of paper. The device consists of a flat surface and stylus. The image does not usually appear on the table itself but displayed on the computer VDU

123
Q

What are the advantages of using a graphics digitiser?

A

More natural to draw diagrams with a stylus than with a mouse
Produce more accurate and details drawings using a stylus

124
Q

What are the disadvantages to using a graphics digitiser?

A

Not suitable for selecting menus and pointing a menu items
Compared to a mouse the graphics digitiser is much more expensive

125
Q

What is a touchscreen?

A

Touchscreens avoid the need for a mouse. Touching the screen is the same as clicking your mouse at the same position on the screen. You can tap screen twice to perform double-click operation and you can drag your finger across the screen to perform drag and drop operations

126
Q

What are the advantages of using a touchscreen?

A

Little ICT competence required compared to using a keyboard
Selecting and entering options much faster than using a keyboard

127
Q

What are the disadvantages of using a touchscreen?

A

Limited number of options available on screen
Screens can becomer dirty quickly

128
Q

What is a speaker?

A

The majority of computers are fitted with at least one small internal speaker as a standard output device. The quality of the sound can be improved using external speakers which can be connected to a computer via USB.

129
Q

What are the advantages to using a speaker?

A

Useful for visually impared users where text or figures can be spoken by the computer
Natural way to communicate with users

130
Q

What are the disadvantages to using a speaker?

A

External speakers require additional desk space compared to using headphones
Speakers can distract others in the same office who are doing other tasks

131
Q

What are laser printers?

A

Laser printers product high-quality output of both text and graphics. A computer sends the printer ‘a stream of bits’ which represents the page to printed. A laser beam is then sed to scan the image on the page onto a drum by building a pattern of static electricity.

132
Q

What are the advantages of using a laser printer?

A

Fast to print in bulk an inkjet printer
Produce high-quality text and graphic output

133
Q

What are the disadvantages of using a laser printer?

A

Colour laser printers are expensive to purchase and use
Because they are non-impact printers, multipart stationery cannot be used

134
Q

What is a 3D printer?

A

A 3 D printer can print onto a variety of surfaces including ceramic, plastic and metal. It gradually prints a sold 3D object one layer at a time. 3D printers are mainly used to create prototypes of real world objects that can be tested before they are mass produced

135
Q

What are the advantages of 3D printers

A

Time taken to product an object is much faster than using conventional methods
Costs of designing and producing an object are cheaper because less turnaround time is required
Can print onto a variety of surfaces, plastic, metal ceramic

136
Q

What are the disadvantages of 3D printers>

A

Limited form of printing as it an only print a prototype (not full scale)
Not yet economical for large-scale manufacturing

137
Q

What is a hard disk drive?

A

A hard disk drive consists of a number of rigid discs stacked on a spindle and enclosed in a sealed unit. The sealed unit helps to protect the discs against damage from dirt and dust. For data to be stored the disc must be formatted first.

138
Q

What are the advantages to hard disc drives?

A

The cost per gigabyte is cheaper than other forms of external storage
Storage capacity is much greater compared to solid state storage devices

139
Q

What are the disadvantages to hard disc drives

A

Due to moving parts such as read/write heads they are prone to breaking down
Access speeds are slower than the speed of ‘flash’ memory devices

140
Q

What is high-definition (HD) storage media

A

High definition storage media user laser technology to store and retrieve data at high data transfer speeds to and from the optical discs such as blu-ray discs. Although similar to DVDs they have a higher capacity - 50 GB more than 10 times a DVD.

141
Q

What are solid-state storage devices?

A

A solid-state storage device does not contain any moving parts (such as rotating discs). The storage components are embedded as part of an electronic circuit board. They are referred to as ‘flash memory’ and are described as non-volatile as they can retain the contents of memory when the power to the device is turned off. USB stick are a type of solid-state storage

142
Q

What are memory cards?

A

These are electronic flash memory storage devices used in a range of digital devices including mobile phones, digital cameras and MP4 players. Eg in mobile phones a SIM (subscriber identity module) card is used to store data. An additional memory card can be added to the phone to store music, photos or videos. Using a usb connection data from these cards can be downloaded to a computer.

143
Q

What are smart cards?

A

Bank cards use a form of flash memory known as ‘chip and pin’. These cards contain a small embedded integrated circuit which allows data to be written to the read from the card using smart card reader. They are small in capacity and reliable.

144
Q

What are internal memory? 3 cards

A

RAM (random access memory)
This type of memory can be read from or written to. It is volitile which means the contents of the memory are lost when the machine is switched off. It is used to hold programs and data that are currently being used such as parts of the operating system, applications software, for example, word processing and documents being edited. Typical RAM size in a typical home computer is 64 GB.

145
Q

What are internal memory? 3 cards

A

ROM (Read Only Memory):
This type of memory can be read from but not written to. Programs stored on ROM are permanent which means the contents cannot be altered. Therefore if we decribe RAM as volitile then ROM is non-volitile. Rom is used to store programs that are frequently required by the computer such as the boot program for windows that runs automatically when the computer is switched on.

146
Q

What is Cache memory?

A

Cache memory is a type of memory used by the CPU and is similar to RAM in that instructions can be read or written.
It stores program instructions and data that are used repeatedly in the operation of programs or information that the CPU is likely to need next.

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