CGS 2060 computer hardware

byte

-8 bits grouped together

downward compatibility

-ability of hardware or software to work with data and info produced by older product or software -most DVD and Blu-ray drives

gigabyte (GB)

-about 1 billion bytes -equal to 341 digital images (3 MB average file size)

megabyte (MB)

-about 1 million bytes -equal to 875 pages of text

terabyte

-about 1 trillion bytes -equal to about 349,000 digital images or 40 single-sided blu-ray discs

kilobyte (KB)

-about 1,000 bytes -equal to one page of text

computers are digital devices that

-access input -process & store the input -provide output

SSD (Solid State Drive)

-all-electric storage devices -have no moving parts which makes them faster and more durable -used in smartphones, tablets, laptops

wireless ports

-allow transmission of data between fixed and mobile devices using short-range radio waves or light waves -most bluetooth transmissions remain strong up to 10 feet away & then reduce in signal -infrared requires line-of-sight transmission

storage device

-allows for storage of data & info that can be retrieved for future use -data remains intact when computer is turned off

MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface)

-allows interface and connectivity of digital musical devices to computers -capable of carrying digital music signals and are common in today's music scene

bus width

-amount of data that can be transmitted at a given time -measured in bits -the wider the bus, the more info that can travel which creates a faster transmission speed

word size

-amount of data the processor can hold & process at one time -today's processors generally have word size of 32 or 64 bits

SSD capacity

-amount of storage available to save data & info -usually measured in gigabytes -the more SSD capacity, the more expensive it'll be

hard drive capacity

-amount of storage you have available to save data and info -usually measured in gigabytes and terabytes

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface)

-audio-video connectivity

CPU (Central Processing Unit)

-brains of computer where most calculations take place -most important component of digital device because it wouldn't function without it

DVD-RW

-can have data erased and re-written a number of times

DVD-R

-can have data written to it one time

Blu-ray

-can store up to 50 GB of data

computer bus

-channel over which info flows -two parts (address bus and data bus)

unicode

-common encoding standard that's capable of representing all languages -16-bit encoding standard

optical drives

-computer drive that uses lasers to write and read data -work by rotating an inserted disk

binary language

-consists of two digits (0 & 1) -each digit is called a bit

ripping

-copy the data from disk and writing it onto your computer's hard drive

graphics

-depiction of image data on a display or output device -usually created by a separate processor within computer (GPU or Graphics Processing Unit)

processor speed

-determined by numbers of factors (clock speed or bus width)

gigahertz (GHz)

-equal to 1 billion cycles (instructions) per second

megahertz (MHz)

-equal to 1 million cycles (instructions) per second

petabyte

-equals 1,000 terabytes -equal to about 358,000,000 digital images or about 42,000 single-sided blu-ray discs

IrDA (Infrared Data Association)

-establishes protocols for infrared communication transfer -longer wavelength waves don't easily pass through walls or furniture -line-of-sight only -often used with wireless mouse, keyboard, remote control, etc

memory

-found in microchips that are located on motherboard -variety of memory types -memory is comprised on solid state electronics which makes it fast & energy efficient since there are no mechanical moving parts

Intel Corp

-founded in 1968 -world's largest processor manufacturer

AMD

-founded in 1969 -featured inside every major next generation gaming console & home entertainment system -ex: Microsoft's Xbox One, Sony's PS4, Nintendo's Wii U

single core processor

-has only one core -usually means one arithmetic logic unit & one control unit

memory cache

-high-speed memory used by CPU to store frequently accessed data & instructions -referred to by levels (L1 cache, L3 cache)

disk cache

-high-speed memory used by the hard drive to store frequently accessed data

cache

-high-speed storage usually located directly on CPU -smaller but faster than RAM -used to quickly access repeated instructions

native resolution

-highest resolution of display device

internal storage

-integral to computer itself -called the computer's hard drive

control unti

-locates, analyzes, and executes each program instruction residing in memory -tells computer's memory, arithmetic logic unit, and input & output devices how to respond to a program's instructions

laptop characteristics

-mobile-hinged &folding, clamshell-type computers with integrated keyboard -come with full operating system -remain top selling personal computer -most come with capability of having more memory added

video card

-performs graphics processing & creates video output -known as graphics card or graphics adapter

ALU

-performs mathematical tasks -arithmetic: +, -, x, / -comparison: =, <, > -logic: AND, OR, & NOT

traditional hard drive

-primary storage device -uses fixed disk platters to store data & info -also called hard disk

ASCII (American Standard Code for Info Interchange)

-pronounced AS-key -common encoding standard -can represent total of 256 characters -capable of representing 26 uppercase & lowercase letters used in English language, numbers, and different symbols

external storage

-reside outside the computer -external hard drives, USBs, thumb drives. DVD drives, memory cards

overclocking

-running the processor faster than recommended by the manufacturer -can increase performance and speed -but can also void the manufacturer warranty

protocol

-set of rules for communication between devices that determines how data is transmitted and received

Bluetooth

-short-distance wireless communication technology that uses relatively short-wavelength radio waves to transfer data -easily pass through walls, furniture, etc. because of short-wavelength radio waves -remain strong up to 10 feet then fade

ports

-slot or hole that matches cord or expansion card being connected to port

pixel/resolution

-smallest element in electronic image -more pixels in an image, higher resolution -SD 720x480 -Full HD 1920x1080 -Quad HD 2560x1440 -4K 3840x2160

bit

-smallest unit of data a computer can process -each number, special character, and letter of the alphabet is represented by a unique combo of bits

connectors

-specialized end of a cord, plug, or expansion cord that connects into port

clock speed/clock rate

-speed at which the processor performs the operations required to run a digital device & instructions executed by the digital device -measures in hertz (Hz)

desktop characteristics

-stationary devices -have separate case called system unit -peripheral devices connected to system unit are monitor, keyboard, mouse -system unit is main component of computer -some refer to system unit as computer's "chassis" because of size, desktop system unit allows for easy hardware upgrades

ROM (Read-Only Memory)

-storage area in digital device that's installed by digital device manufacturer -most can't be altered or removed -info that's commonly stored in ROM includes a digital device's boot instructions

what does a core on a CPU refer to?

-the components on the chip that are needed for processing

boot process

-the loading of an operation system into the main memory of the device

tablet characteristics

-touchscreen technology as main input method -cannot be upgraded like laptops -smaller OS than laptops, so less power (may limit what programs can be run on it)

multicore processor

-two or more cores that are responsible for processing -has ability to execute two or more sets of instructions at the same time (hyper threading)

USB (Universal Serial Bus)

-type of interface that enables communication between digital devices -allows for data transfer and for devices to be electrically charged -fast data transfer, inexpensive, and durable

RAM (Random Access Memory)

-type of memory found on motherboard of digital device -electronic and has no moving parts -also called the main memory which is the memory available to programs to execute tasks -temporary storage area & is cleared when device is powered off -most smartphones come with at least 2 gigabytes of RAM installed -most laptops come with at least 4 gigabytes of RAM installed

DVD (Digital Versatile Disk)

-type of optical media used in optical drives -can store up to 8.5 GB of data

Firewire

-type of thunderbolt port -commonly found on Apple computers and devices

hertz (Hz)

-used to mesure frequency -named after Heinrich Rudolf Hertz which was the first person to provide proof of electromagnetic waves

WIFI

-uses 802.11 protocol that ensures that devices enabled with WIFI can connect to any WIFI network -2.4 GHZ & 5.0 GHZ radio waves

burning

-write data onto DVD, CD, Blu-ray

boot process steps

1. The device is powered on and the CPU activates BIOS 2. The power-on self-test is executed 3. The OS is loaded in RAM 4. The OS checks the registry settings and loads saved configuration settings

machine cycle steps

1. fetch 2. decode 3. execute 4. store