Chapter 4: introduction to hardware and software

3 types of information that primary storage stores for a brief period of time

1. Data to be processed by the CPU 2. Instructions for the CUP as how to process the data 3. Operating systems programs that manage various aspects of the computer's operation a. Takes place in the motherboard

how many bits make up a byte

8

hardware consists of

CPU, Primary and Secondary storage, input technologies, output technologies, and communication technologies

thin-client systems

Desktop computer systems that do not offer the full functionality of a PC

motherboard

It is the "mother" to all of the other circuit boards and it holds all of the most important parts of the computer

why is open source software labeled proprietary

Labeled proprietary because the developer keeps the source code - the actual computer instructions - private

example of a packaged software

Microsoft Office

touch controlled gesture control interfaces

Microsoft surface and apple iPhone

technology accepted model (TAM)

Model suggests that when users are presented with a new technology a number of factors influence their decision about how and when they will use it

advantages of open source software

Only a small group of developers can modify the code (core developers) Produces high-quality, reliable, low-cost software

what do mainframes provide

Provide a secure, robust environment in which to run strategic, mission-critical applications

basic input output system (BIOS)

Reminds the computer what parts it has and what they do (when you turn a computer on).

advantage of open systems

Same operating system with compatible software is installed on all computers

microcomputers (personal computers)

Smallest and least expensive category of general purpose computers

midrange computers are a type of what?

Type of server: computer that supports computer networks and enables users to share files

computer programmers include documentation

Which is a written description of the programs functions. Vital to the business organization

Input Technologies

accept data and instructions and convert them to a form that a computer can understand

graphic user interface (GUI)

allows the user to directly control the hardware by manipulating visible objects and actions that replace complex commands

floating point operation

an arithmetic operation that involves decimals

what type of data can the CPU process

binary data (0s and 1s)

CD-R

can be written to, but once it is done it cannot be changed

CR-ROM

cannot be written on, high capacity, durable, and low cost

read-only memory (ROM)

chip where certain critical instructions are safeguarded

multicore chips

chips with more than one processor

software consists of

computer programs, which are sequences of instructions for the computer

two main parts of the CPU

control unit and the arithmetic logic unit

continuous speech

conversational stream

one-of-a-kind application software

developed for a specific, unique needs (IRS)

solid-state drive (SSD)

don't have moving parts, use less power silent and faster, and produce less heat

perceived usefulness

enhance job or life

t/f In many industries exploiting computer hardware is not a key to achieving competitive advantage

false: it is a key to achieving competitive advantage

supercomputer

fastest computers available at any given time

site license

flat fee to install software product on all company computers or all computers at a specific site

perceived ease of use

free from effort

GPL

general public license

personal application software

general purpose off the shelf applications programs designed to help individual users increase their productivity

package or software suite

group of programs with integrated functions that has been developed by a vendor and is available for purchase in a prepackaged form

social interface

guides the user through computer applications by using cartoon like characters, graphic, animation, and voice commands

how is CPU speed expressed

hertz

cache memory

high speed memory that enables the computer to temporarily store blocks of data that are used more often and that a processor can access more rapidly than main memory (RAM) Located closer to the CPU than RAM

random access memory (RAM)

holds a software program and small amounts of data for processing. Entire program brought from secondary storage to RAM

two types of input devices

human data entry devices and source data automation devices

output devices

include monitors, printers, plotters, and voice

Source data automation devices

input data with minimal human interaction Barcode readers

Augmented reality

is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are enhanced by computer-generated sensory input (Google Glass)

speech recognition software

is an input technology rather than strictly an application that enables users to provide input systems software and app software (voice recognition)

operating system (OS)

is the director of your computer system's operations

human data entry devices

keyboards, mouse, trackball, joystick, touchscreen, stylus, and voice recognition

midrange

large midrange computers called mini-computers are relatively small, inexpensive, and compact computers that preform the same functionality as mainframe computers but to a more limited extent

floating point operation is typically used by who?

large organizations to execute computationally demanding tasks involving large datasets

optical storage device

laser reads the surface of a reflective plastic platter

microprocessor

made up of millions of microscopic transmitters embedded in a circuit on a silicon wafer or chip

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

manipulates the data and contains the tasks performed by the other components

sequential access

means that the system might have to run through the majority of the tape before it comes to the desired piece of data

magnetic disks (hard disks)

most commonly used mass storage device, have moving parts

what type of memory is ROM

non-volatile (retains its information when it is turned off)

disadvantages of open source software

o Companies that use open-source software depend on the continued goodwill of an army of volunteers for enhancements, bug fixes etc. o Organizations that do not have in house technical experts will have to purchase maintenance support contracts from a third party

basic characteristics of secondary storage

o Non-volatile o Take more time to retrieve data from it than from RAM o Cheaper than primary storage utilizes a variety of media, each with its own technology

discrete speech

one word at a time

successful open source projects

open office, firefox, mySQL, apache, android

registers

part of the CPU, they have the lowest capacity, storing extremely limited amounts of instructions and data only immediately before and after processing

CPU

performs the actual computation or "number crunching" inside any computer is a microprocessor

arithmetic logic unit (ALU)

performs the mathematical calculations and makes logic comparisons

Output Technologies

present data and info in a form people can understand

Communication Technologies

provide for the flow of data from external computer networks, to the CPU, and from the CPU to computer networks

purpose of the operating system

provides an interface between the end user and the hardware. User interface hides the complexity of the hardware from the user

horizontal-market application software

provides capabilities common across all organizations

proprietary software

purchased software that has restrictions on its use

open systems

refers to a group of computing products that work together

application programming

refers to the creation, modification, and improvement of application software

4 types of primary storage

registers cache memory random access memory read-only memory

mainframe

remain popular in large enterprises for extensive computing applications that are accessed by thousands of users at one time

license

right to use specified number of copies, limits vendor's liability

control unit

sequentially accesses program instructions, decodes them, and controls the flow of data to and from the ALU, primary/secondary storage

vertical-market application software

serves needs of a specific industry

application software

set of computer instructions that provides more specific functionality to a user

system software

set of instructions that serves primarily as an intermediary between computer hardware and application programs

magnetic tape

slowest method for retrieving data cheapest storage medium, it can handle enormous amounts of data

open source software

source code is available at no cost to developers and users

Secondary Storage

stores data and programs for future use

Primary Storage

temporarily stores data and program instructions during processing

Main categories of microcomputers

thin-client systems, laptop and netbooks, tablets, wearable computers

what does system software enable the computer system to do

to perform self-regulatory functions by loading itself when the computer is first turned on and providing commonly used sets of instructions for all applications

t/f 32-bit version of Windows can run on Intel computers with 64-bit CPUs, BUT the 64-bit version of Windows runs only on Intel computers with 64-bit CPUs.

true

t/f Hardware becomes smaller, faster, cheaper, and more powerful overtime

true

t/f Moore's law has had an impact on costs

true

t/f Piracy costs software vendors around the world billions of dollars annually

true

t/f Testing and debugging software is expensive and time consuming

true

t/f companies can use the open source software but they cannot change the source code themselves

true

t/f software comprises a much larger percentage of the cost of modern computer systems because the price of hardware has dramatically decreased

true

characteristics of good software

usable, defect free, cost effective, and maintainable

are cache a main memory volatile or non-volatile

volatile

what type of memory is RAM

volatile (temporary)

flow in the CPU

• Inputs enter and are stored until needed. At that point, they are retrieved and processed and the outputs is stored and then delivered • instructions come into the CPU from the RAM • Data and instructions travel in the chip via electrical pathway called buses

Hierarchy of terms used to describe memory capacity

• Kilobyte • Megabyte • Gigabyte • Terabyte • Petabyte • Exabyte • Zettabyte