Ch. 3 Review Questions
What are the differences between and uses of RAM and ROM?
Random Access Memory (RAM) - consists of addressable storage areas for data and instructions in electronic format; storage is volatile; content is lost once electricity is powered off; provides fast, electronic access to data and instructions Read-only memory (ROM) - special form of nonvolatile electronic storage that contains frequently used instructions for the CPU; is activated when the power is on; the embedded instructions do not appear when the power is off, unlike RAM storage
What are the similarities and differences between USB and IEEE 1394 interfaces?
USB - it is a widely supported format, a daisy-chain can hold 127 devices and share a single port, and they are hot-swappable (computer doesn't require restart) IEEE 1394 interfaces - can daisy-chain up to 63 devices, also hot swappable, also has 100-meter cables
What is the advantage of a 64-bit address bus over a 32-bit bus?
a 64-bit processor can manipulate 64 bits (8 bytes) in one machine cycle while a 32-bit processor can only manage (4 bytes)
What are the three main sets of transistors on a microprocessor chip? identify the main purpose of each set.
a control unit - directs the flow of data and instructions within the processor and electronic memory an arithmetic logic unit - contains programmed transistors that perform mathematical and logical calculations on the data registers - special transistors that store data and instructions as they are being manipulated by the control unit and ALU
What is one advantage and one disadvantage of the CLV method of data storage?
advantage: creates the possible storage capacity disadvantage: more data is being read per second at the outer edge than the inner edge of the CD
Why should a multimedia developer be concerned about cross-platform compatibility?
because images can appear distorted and applications may not run the same on different hardware/operating systems
How do clock speed and word size determine the performance of a CPU?
clock speed is the rate at which the CPU carries out its basic functions; word speed refers to the group of bits that a processor can manipulate as a unit in one machine cycle
What are the magnetic storage options for portable media?
floppy disks, zip drives, and USB flash sticks
Why is the transfer speed of the hardware interface important to a multimedia user and developer?
it determines how quickly and efficiently they will be able to upload and download items
How does cache memory improve the overall performance of a processor?
it is high-speed electronic storage that optimizes microprocessor speed by storing frequently used data and instructions close to the processor
Why is the system board (aka motherboard) an essential component of the system unit?
it is the main circuit board, or the electrical foundation of the computer. Contains the expansion slots to add memory and hardware devices, special purpose chips that convert analog signals to digital format, video card to control the display monitor, power supply, and I/O interface ports to capture and send data to peripheral devices
How do pits and lands on an optical disc store digital data?
pits - are indentations on the surface which scatter light lands - are the flat area which reflect light
What are the differences between a supercomputer, mainframe, and microcomputer?
supercomputer - designates the fastest, most powerful computer of the day. The first supercomputers were developed by Seymour Cray. The Cray-1 in 1976 processed at 167 megaflops (millions of floating point operations per second). Today's fastest supercomputers run at speeds in the hundreds of teraflops (trillions of floating point operations per second) mainframe - the first electronic computers. Today's mainframe computers process billions of instructions, support multiuser systems, and store terabytes of data. They are used by organizations to process and store large volumes of data in complex databases. microcomputer - a computer based on a microprocessor and designed to support a single user. Microcomputers appeared in the early 1970s after the introduction of the 4004, the first commercial microprocessor by Intel.
What are the two main components of a computer system?
system unit and peripheral devices
What are the two main categories of computer hardware? Explain the function of each.
the system unit and peripherals
