I/O and Storage (1.1.3)

Question 1

What is an input device?

Answer 1

A device used to put data and information into a computer.

Question 2

What is an output device?

Answer 2

A device used to send information from the computer.

Question 3

4 input device examples

Answer 3

Keyboard, webcam, magnetic stripe reader, barcode readers

Question 4

3 output device examples

Answer 4

Speakers, printers, projector

Question 5

What are the three main types of secondary storage?

Answer 5

• Optical
• Magnetic
• Flash

Question 6

What is optical storage?

Answer 6

Data is read and written with lasers. Pits scatters light (representing a 0), lands reflect light (representing a 1)

Question 7

3 types of optical storage

Answer 7

Smallest size -CD (compact disc)
-DVD (digital versatile disc)
Biggest size (5x DVD) -Blu-ray

Question 8

Optical ADVS

Answer 8

-Small, thin and light= very portable

Question 9

Optical DISADVS

Answer 9

• Easily scratched
• Relatively low storage
• Slow

Question 10

How does magnetic storage work?

Answer 10

Magnetic material is either polarised or unpolarised which can represent a 1 or 0. If an area is polarised the poles align and can be read by a read/write head, if not they are randomly scattered and produce a different reading.

Question 11

3 magnetic storage devices

Answer 11

• Hard Disk Drives
• Magnetic tape
• Floppy disks

Question 12

Features of a HDD:

Answer 12

• high capacity (500gb to 5tb)

- use rotating magnetic platters under a read/write arm

Question 13

HDD DISADVS

Answer 13

• Slow

- Can easily be damaged by movement

Question 14

What is flash storage?

Answer 14

A fast and compact storage which uses silicon semiconductors which form logic gates to give a binary output.
Flash memory tends to be more expensive than other forms of storage.

Question 15

Flash memory examples

Answer 15

• SSD
• USB drive
• Memory cards

Question 16

SSD ADVS

Answer 16

• Light and portable
• No moving parts: more resistant to damage
• High speed

Question 17

SSD DISADVS

Answer 17

• Most expensive

- Limited number of times it can be written to

Question 18

Two types of primary storage?

Answer 18

• RAM

- ROM

Question 19

What is the main memory?

Answer 19

A data store that can be directly addresses by the CPU and stores program instructions and data.

Question 20

What is RAM?

Answer 20

Random access memory is a fast, volatile main memory used to store data and programs that are currently being used

Question 21

What is ROM?

Answer 21

Read only memory cannot be modified and stored core instructions such as the bootstrap routine to load the OS. It is non-volatile meaning its contents remain when turned off.

Question 22

What is virtual storage?

Answer 22

Storing information remotely e.g. in the cloud or on a network
It is an abstraction of multiple drives acting as one

Question 23

Virtual storage ADVS

Answer 23

Convenient to access and share

Question 24

Virtual storage DISADVS

Answer 24

Limitations of network speed

High cost