Chapter 3 - The Visible Computer

Power supply

A device that provides power to a computer.

Touchscreen

A display that also serves as an input device that can be used with a special pen device or fingers.

In Windows 8, ________________ __________ enables you to set up hard drives, manage devices, test system performance, and much more.

Administrative Tools

General Purpose Computing Devices:

Apple Mac, Apple iPad, Smartphones and portable computers (laptops).

Home Button

Button that allows the user to return to the home page or starting point.

Input

Clicking the mouse, typing on the keyboard, or touching the screen.

The ___________ __________ handles most of the maintenance, upgrade, and configuration aspects of Windows.

Control Panel

Windows 8/8.1 have three tech tool starting points, but they differ a little from the big three in Windows Vista/7. The newer versions feature the ____________ ___________, _______________ ___________, and the ___________-_______ ____________.

Control Panel, Administrative Tools, and Command-Line Interface

Windows Vista/7 have three tech launch points: the _________ ___________, __________ ___________, and the __________-________ ____________.

Control Panel, System Tools and Command-Line Interface

Magnetic Hard Disc Drive (HDD)

Core data storage component.

Modern computing devices almost always have two other stages:

Data storage and Network connection.

In Mac OSX, the background of the main screen is called the _____________.

Desktop

In Mac OSX, you can access frequently used applications by clicking on their icons on the ________.

Dock

In Ubuntu Linux, The drive or disc gets some designation, most usually a ________ _______ like C:.

Drive Letter

Motherboard

Essential component.

Memory

Essential part of processing.

In Mac OSX, ___________ holds the keys to files and folders in Mac OS X.

Finder

eSATA

For external hard.

S/PDIF

For higher-end audio output.

FireWire

For input and output devices.

NIC

For network connection.

DVI

For output to monitor.

HDMI

For output to monitor.

VGA

For output to monitor.

Windows 7 supports ______________ too, but doesn't have a ____________.

Gadgets, Sidebar

Thunderbolt port

General-purpose input/output connection.

A modern computer consists of three major components.

Hardware, Operating System and Applications.

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Hiding under heat sink and fan assembly; primary processing component.

Clamshell case

Houses the processing components

Optical Drive

Important data storage component.

Solid-State Drive (SSD)

Important data storage component.

Video Card

Important for processing visual output.

The computing process is comprised of three stages.

Input, process and output.

In KDE Plasma Desktop (Default for OpenSUSE and Kubuntu), the one thing that is the same in all the KDE-based distros, is that everything you need to work on the system is accessible from the __________ menu on the far left of the panel.

Kickoff

The Windows 8 interface, code-named _______ ____, works great for touch-enabled devices.

Metro UI

In Mac OSX, pressing the _____________ _____________ button on an Apple keyboard brings up a utility, called ___________ _____________, that enables you to switch between open applications, windows, and more.

Mission Control

Apple gets coverage for the CompTIA A+ 902 exam.

OS X and iOS.

Network Connection

Often describes how one computer connects to one or more other computers.

Output

Once the computer has processed your request, it shows you the result by changing what you see on the display or playing a sound through the speakers. This is output.

The default programs and programs selected by the user—and not all the applications installed on the computer.

Pinned apps

Keyboard

Primary input device.

Display

Primary visual output.

By default, most programs install some or all of their essential files into a subfolder of the _____________ _________ folder.

Program Files

Secure Digital Card Slot (SD)

Removable data storage port.

The Windows 10 ___________ ______ combines a huge number of otherwise disparate utilities, apps, and tools traditionally spread out all over your computer into one fairly unified, handy Windows app

Settings App

The most visible difference is the Vista feature called the ___________.

Sidebar

In Windows Vista, enabled by default, the __________ houses one or more ____________, such as the Clock, Calendar, and speeds

Sidebar, Gadgets

Mac OS X supports _____________—essentially multiple Desktops—that can have different backgrounds and programs (but keep the same Dock).

Spaces

To access ______________ _______________, click on the Apple (top-left corner of screen). Select ____________ _______________ from the permanent Apple menu to open the app.

System Preferences

Mac OS X has two key launch points for techs: the __________ _______________ ______ and the ____________ _________.

System Preferences app and Utilities folder

Similar to Mac OS X, Unity has a central application for managing common settings called ____________ ____________.

System Settings

In the __________ _________ menu, you'll find commonly accessed tools such as System Information and Disk Defragmenter.

System Tools

To access ___________ ____________ in Windows Vista/7, go to Start | All Programs | Accessories | System Tools.

System Tools

In Linux, an essential tool in Linux for techs is the command line, called ___________.

Terminal

Graphical User Interface (GUI)

The UI that offers images or icons to select, as opposed to making you type commands, is called a graphical user interface (GUI)

User Interface (UI)

The operating system often appears as a collection of windows and little icons you can click or touch. Collectively these are called the user interface (UI), which means the software parts with which you can interact.

Processing

The parts inside the device or case take over, during input, as the operating system tells the hardware to do what you've requested. This is processing.

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Usually a single, wafer of silicon and tiny transistors. The CPU handles the majority of the processing tasks and is, in a way, the "brain" of the computer.

This gives you access to the tools you need to perform services on a Mac beyond what's included in System Preferences, including Activity Monitor and Terminal.

Utilities Folder

Webcam

Visual input device.

Most users and techs access folders and files in Windows with a tool called ____________ _____________ in Windows Vista/7 and ___________ ____________ in Windows 8/8.1/10

Windows Explorer, File Explorer

Windows 7's predecessor, __________ ___________, has a similar look and feel.

Windows Vista

Five Microsoft operating systems make up the bulk of the coverage of the CompTIA A+ 902 exam.

Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone/Mobile. Windows 10 did not make it into the objectives.

The OS provides

a method to secure a system from all sorts of threats, such as data loss or improper access.

Touchpad

a small, flat, rectangular pointing device that is sensitive to pressure and motion.

The OS creates a user interface (UI)

a visual representation of the computer on the monitor that makes sense to the people using the computer.

While using Windows 7/Vista, you can click on the start button which allows you

access to applications, tools, files, and folders.

In Windows, a large number of programs, called __________, populate the Control Panel.

applets

In Windows 8, placing the cursor in the top- or bottom-right corner of the screen reveals the __________ _____, a location for tools called charms.

charms bar

The Windows _____________-__________ _____________ is a throwback to how Microsoft operating systems worked a long, long time ago when text commands were entered at a command prompt.

command-line interface

The _________ __________ offers options specific to the icon you right-click. Right-clicking on a file, for example, gives you a context menu that differs greatly from when you right-click an application.

context menu

Operating System (OS)

controls the hardware and enables you to tell the computer what to do.

The many different distributions of Linux offer a variety of user interfaces, called ______________ ____________ _____, but they offer similar functions to those in Windows or Mac OS X.

desktop environments (DEs)

The Windows 7/Vista background is called the

desktop.

Applications (programs)

enable you to do specialized tasks on a computer, such as typing a letter, sending a message (email), or playing games.

While using Windows 7/Vista, the pinned programs

enable you to launch a program with a single left-click.

PS/2 or Mini-DIN

for keyboard and mouse.

USB

for many input and output devices.

Audio input/output jacks

for speakers and microphones (separate ports).

Computer

is an electronic device that can perform calculations.

Hardware

is the physical stuff that you can touch or hold in your hand.

Data storage

means saving a permanent copy of your work so that you can come back to it later.

In Windows 10, click on the Windows 10 Task View button to create and manage _____________ ______________ for grouping your open applications.

multiple Desktops

The ________________ ___________ shows programs running in the background. Many techs also calls it the _____________ ____________.

notification area and system tray

The OS Communicates

or provides a method for other programs to communicate with the hardware of the PC or device.

In Windows, important folders that help organize your programs and documents sit in the _______ ___________—where the operating system is installed—and of course they have variations depending on the version of Windows.

root directory

Personal Computer (PC)

runs the operating system Microsoft Windows and is used for various tasks.

Predecessor

someone or something that came before another.

The ______________ shows running programs.

taskbar

Microsoft made significant changes to the Windows interface with the introduction of Windows 8. They borrowed from tablet operating systems, such as Windows Phone, to create a graphical set of _______ for full-screen programs, called _______.

tiles, apps

While using Windows 7/Vista, open applications demonstrate

transparency. where the edges of the applications show blurred background images. This feature is called Aero, or Aero Glass.

The OS also enables

users to add, move, and delete the installed programs and data.

The OS enables

users to determine the available installed programs and run, use and shut down the programs of their choice.

Computer programmers

write and compile special programming languages to accomplish specific tasks.