...Chapter 1 and 2 Computers and Computer Organization Chapter 1 * What is a Computer? * Two basic components of a Computer System * Hardware and Software * Difference between the two basic components * Types of Computer * Analog, Digital and Hybrid General Operations of a Computer System * Interfacing * Inputting * Storing * Processing * Outputting * Controlling Basic Organization of a Computer System * Arithmetic and Logical Unit (ALU) * Arithmetic functions * Logical functions * Primary Memory vs. Secondary Memory (Storage) Potential Exam. Questions * What is a computer? What are the different types of Computers? * Differentiate between Analog and Digital Computer. * Differentiate between Hardware and Software. * What are the general operations of a computer system? * Explain the basic organization of a computer system. * Differentiate between Primary and Secondary Memory. * Why I.T. is important for Managers? Chapter 3, 5, 6 and 7 Classification and components of Computers * Classifications of Digital Computers * Super Computer * Mainframe * Minicomputer * Workstations * Microcomputers * Portable Computers Super Computers * Key characteristics * Applications Mainframe * Key characteristics * Applications Mini Computers * Key characteristics * Applications Workstation * Key characteristics * Applications ...
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...here to buy a custom term paper. About two hundred years before, the word "computer" started to appear in the dictionary. Some people even didn't know what is a computer. However, most of the people today not just knowing what is a computer, but understand how to use a computer. Therefore, computer become more and more popular and important to our society. We can use computer everywhere and they are very useful and helpful to our life. The speed and accuracy of computer made people felt confident and reliable. Therefore, many important information or data are saved in the computer. Such as your diary, the financial situation of a oil company or some secret intelligence of the military department. A lot of important information can be found in the memory of computer. So, people may ask a question: Can we make sure that the information in the computer is safe and nobody can steal it from the memory of the computer? Physical hazard is one of the causes of destroying the data in the computer. For example, send a flood of coffee toward a personal computer. The hard disk of the computer could be endangered by the flood of coffee. Besides, human caretaker of computer system can cause as much as harm as any physical hazard. For example, a cashier in a bank can transfer some money from one of his customer's account to his own account. Nonetheless, the most dangerous thief are not those who work with computer every day, but youthful amateurs who experiment at night --- the hackers. The...
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...microcomputer through which all signals are directed.” The motherboard is one of the most important components of a computer. Power supplies types and characteristics The power supply is an electronic device that supplies electric energy to an electrical load. The power supply of a computer converts the alternating current to direct current. Purpose and characteristics of CPUs and their features The main purpose of the CPU is to control and direct all the activities of the computer using both external and internal buses. There are also many different types and features of CPUs. It is necessary to have a CPU for the computer to function. Cooling methods and devices As you continue to use the computer for long hours, it might heat up, so it is necessary to have a cooling fan, it helps the heat to travel away from the CPU to prevent it from overheating that may lead to some problems. Memory types, its characteristics and purposes The RAM or memory is a form of computer data storage. There are different types of memory. Some common types of memory are: DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM and DDR. Different display devices and their characteristics There are many different display devices. Some of the most common display devices are: Projectors, CRT, LCD. Liquid crystal Display or LCD is the most used today. There are also some connector types that can be connected to computers: VGA, HDMI, S-Video, RGB, DVI. Function and types of adapter cards The adapter card or expansion cards are...
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...first calculator and then the computers. The term 'computer' is derived from the word 'compute', which means to calculate. A computer is an electronic machine, devised for performing calculations and controlling operations that can be expressed either in logical or numerical terms. In simple words, a computer is an electronic device that performs mathematical and non-mathematical operations with the help of instructions to process the data to achieve desired results. Although the application domain of a computer depends totally on human creativity and imagination, it covers a huge area of applications including education, industries, government, medicine, scientific research, law and even music and arts. This chapter provides a detailed description of evolution, generations and characteristics of computers along with their classification and applications. CHAPTER 2: CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTERS Man developed computers so that it could perform intricate operations such as calculation and data processing or entertain him. Today, computers are everywhere—in our offices, homes, appliances and automobiles—the list is endless. Much of the world's infrastructure runs on computers, and the computers have profoundly changed our lives, mostly for the better. Let us discuss some of the characteristics of a computer, which make it an essential part of every emerging technology and such a desirable tool in human development. * Speed: The computers...
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...About two hundred years before, the word "computer" started to appear in the dictionary. Some people even didn't know what is a computer. However, most of the people today not just knowing what is a computer, but understand how to use a computer. Therefore, computer become more and more popular and important to our society. We can use computer everywhere and they are very useful and helpful to our life. The speed and accuracy of computer made people felt confident and reliable. Therefore, many important information or data are saved in the computer. Such as your diary, the financial situation of a oil company or some secret intelligence of the military department. A lot of important information can be found in the memory of computer. So, people may ask a question: Can we make sure that the information in the computer is safe and nobody can steal it from the memory of the computer? Physical hazard is one of the causes of destroying the data in the computer. For example, send a flood of coffee toward a personal computer. The hard disk of the computer could be endangered by the flood of coffee. Besides, human caretaker of computer system can cause as much as harm as any physical hazard. For example, a cashier in a bank can transfer some money from one of his customer's account to his own account. Nonetheless, the most dangerous thief are not those who work with computer every day, but youthful amateurs who experiment at night ---...
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... 2 Which type of memory is primarily used as cache memory? DRAM RAM ROM SRAM 3 Which three devices are considered output devices? (Choose three.) fingerprint scanner headphones keyboard monitor mouse Printer 4 Which type of ROM can be reprogrammed with software while it is still physically installed in the computer? EEPROM EPROM PROM ROM 5 Which two characteristics are determined by the chip set on a motherboard? (Choose two.) maximum amount of memory that can be installed operating system compatibility type of connectors that will be on the motherboard keyboard layout 6 Refer to the exhibit. Which type of cable is shown in the graphic? FireWire Parallel Serial USB 7 Which important feature is offered by the USB standard? A single USB connection to a computer can support up to 255 separate devices. It offers rates of around 580 Mb/sec in low-speed mode. It allows up to 920 Mb/sec in the 2.0 version. It can supply power from the computer to devices. 8 What are the two connector types for the 1394a interface? (Choose two.) 2-pin 4-pin 6-pin 8-pin 9-pin 15-pin 9 Which type of memory is unable to have the contents modified? DRAM RAM ROM SRAM 10 Refer to the exhibit. What is the maximum length of the cable presented in the graphic, which is commonly used for connecting a computer to a printer? 15 ft (4.5 m) 20 ft (6 m) 27 ft (8 m) 30 ft (9 m) 11 Which type of computer resources are direct lines to the processor used by computer components to request...
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...This part of the reading will examine the CPU, Buses, Controllers, and Main Memory. Other sections will examine input devices, output devices, and secondary memory. The Central Processing Unit (CPU) Figure 2: The Central Processing Unit The computer does its primary work in a part of the machine we cannot see, a control center that converts data input to information output. This control center, called the central processing unit (CPU), is a highly complex, extensive set of electronic circuitry that executes stored program instructions. All computers, large and small, must have a central processing unit. As Figure 2 shows, the central processing unit consists of two parts: The control unit and the arithmetic/logic unit. Each part has a specific function. Before we discuss the control unit and the arithmetic/logic unit in detail, we need to consider data storage and its relationship to the central processing unit. Computers use two types of storage: Primary storage and secondary storage. The CPU interacts closely with primary storage, or main memory, referring to it for both instructions and data. For this reason this part of the reading will discuss memory in the context of the central processing unit. Technically, however, memory is not part of the CPU. Recall that a computer's memory holds data only temporarily, at the time the computer is executing a program. Secondary storage holds permanent or semi-permanent data on some external magnetic or optical medium...
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...[Chapter 3] Hardwar : Input, Procession, and Output Devices Computer systems : integrating the power of technology - Employing information technology and providing additional processing capabilities can increase employee productivity, expand business opportunities, and allow for more flexibility. - To assemble an effective and efficient system, you should select and organize components while understanding the trade-offs between overall system performance and cost, control, and complexity. ex) Racecar : power delivery(effective and efficiency), how much(cost), how reliable(control), how many engine(complexity) hardware components - computer system hardware components include devices that perform input, processing, date, and output. - Central processing unit (CPU) consists of three associated elements : the arithmetic/logic unit, the control unit, and the register areas. - Primary storage, also called main memory or memory, is closely associated with the CPU. Memory holds program instructions and data immediately before or after the registers. Hardwar components in Action : instruction and execution Instruction time : Step 1) fetch instruction, step 2) decode instruction Execution time : step 3) execute instruction, step 4) store result Completing the instruction phase followed by the execution phase is called a machine cycle. Some processing units can speed processing by using pipelining, whereby the processing unit gets one instruction...
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...they often tend to think of superior power and advance technology. Nothing could be farther from the truth. In reality most military computers are generations behind the technology curve. When the military chooses hardware, it typically looks for several unique characteristics. What to Look for According to EHow.com there are three main things to look for when planning on buying a computer. The Random Access Memory (RAM) allows move programs to run at a time. Hard Drive space allows the user to save information to the computer to be accessed later. Finally the other thing EHow.com recommends is to get a reliable brand name so you won't have to troubleshoot in the future ( EHow.com, 2011). When the military prepares to buy computers, it does in bulk. Not only does the military buy many computers, but they search for different characteristics. Out of the three common things that average consumers look for, only one really matters when it comes to military computers. Random Access Memory (RAM) is not as important on most military computers because each computer is not designed to handle that much graphics or to many programs at once. Military Hardware There a many specialized computers designed for weapon systems that are specifically designed to meet the demands of their specific weapon system. On those systems Random Access Memory may be more important. Things such as Hard Drive space are not as important because the military uses servers to hold most of their information...
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...systemboard, motherboard n. video cable o. drive cable p. ribbon cable q. expansion slot (ISA, EISA, MCA, VL bus, PCI, local bus; what does each of the acronyms stand for?) r. ZIF socket (what does “ZIF” stand for?) s. SIMM (what does “SIMM” stand for?) t. system realtime clock u. jumper v. chipset w. cache memory x. power supply cable y. RAM and ROM z. CPU, microprocessor aa. coprocessor bb. primary storage and secondary storage (give examples of each, and know which is which) cc. volatile vs. nonvolatile memory (know which is which) dd. CMOS configuration chip ee. traces ff. bus gg. power supply 3. Be able to identify all of the items shown in Figures 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, and 1-5 in Andrews’ A Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC. 4. What are the principal functions of an Operating System? 5. Distinguish between, and give examples of the use of: a. a command-driven interface b. a menu-driven interface c. a GUI 6. Define: a. Multitasking b. Multithreading c. Operating environment (e.g., a GUI environment; a single- or multitasking environment) 7. OPTIONAL: Name seven operating systems that are commonly used in desktop computers, and describe the advantages and disadvantages of each. 8. What are the principal operations that occur...
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...and CISC processors ABSTRACT:- This term paper presents two instructions set architectures, particularly the CISC and the RISC, which have been developed as computer architects aimed for a fast, cost-effective design. Included in this paper are the arguments made for each architecture, and of some performance comparisons on RISC and CISC processors. These data are collected from various papers published concerning the RISC versus CISC discussion. INTRODUCTION: - RISC, or Reduced Instruction Set Computer is a type of microprocessor architecture that utilizes a small, highly-optimized set of instructions, rather than a more specialized set of instructions often found in other types of architectures. Though it may seem less effective for a computational task to be executed with many simple instructions rather than a few complex instructions, the simple instructions take fairly the same amount of time to be performed, making them ideal for pipelining. CISC is an acronym for Complex Instruction Set Computer and are chips that are easy to program and which make efficient use of memory. Since the earliest machines were programmed in assembly language and memory was slow and expensive, the CISC philosophy made sense, and was commonly implemented in such large computers as the PDP-11 and the DEC system 10 and 20 machines HISTORY:- The first RISC projects came from IBM, Stanford, and UC-Berkeley in the late 70s and early 80s. The IBM 801...
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...1. Computer Processes * Processes can be defined as programs that are being executed within a computer system. The computer program refers to a number of instructions that are issued by the users of the computers, while the processes are the execution of the instructions. One program can have several processes related to it. * Computer processes are named after the operating system that is running them. In this case therefore the names of the processes will differ depending on the operating system that is running them. * Multi-Processing * Foreground Processes - Background Processes * Processes versus Threads 2. Memory Management * Is the act of managing computer memory. The essential requirement of memory management is to provide ways to dynamically allocate portions of memory to programs at their request, and freeing it for reuse when no longer needed. This is critical to the computer system. * The memory manager implements virtual memory provides a core set of services such as memory mapped files, copy-on-write memory, large memory support, and underlying support for the cache manager. 3. File Systems * Is a means to organize data expected to be retained after a program terminates by providing procedures to store, retrieve and update data, as well as manage the available space on the device(s) which contain it. A file system organizes data in an efficient manner and is tuned to the specific characteristics of the device. A tight...
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...pressures. C. IT requires small investments over a long period of time. D. Organizations can leverage their platforms to develop Web-based applications, products, and services. ANS: C REF: Material following chapter opening case The fact that you practice continuous computing means all of the following except: A. You are surrounded by a movable information network. B. You can pull information about almost everything from anywhere all the time. C. You can push your ideas to the Web. D. Your daily routines are exactly the same as students 20 years ago, but you can do your tasks much slower and with more effort. ANS: D REF: Material following chapter opening case The modern business environment has all of the following characteristics except: A. global B. interconnected C. competitive D. relatively static E. real-time ANS: D REF: Material following chapter opening case _____ deal with the planning for – and the development, management, and use of – technology to help people perform their tasks related to information processing. A. IT architecture B. IT...
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...MALVIN CHITONGO C13121095J 8. TALENT KAJAWU C13121045W QUESTION: Describe the computer generations based on the following : 1. Hardware 2. Software 3. Computing characteristics 4. Physical appearances 5. applications Answer A computer is an electronic device capable of accepting data, processing it, giving it out and storing it for later use. Computers have evolved over the years from large sized computers to small sized version which we called the generation of computers. The computer generations are as follows: a) First generation b) Second generation c) Third generation d) Fourth generation e) Fifth generation First generation computers The first generation computer was designed and built based on vacuum tube technology. The first generation computers were manufactured from 1940 to 1956.These vacuum tubes were used to perform logic operations and to store data Hardware In this generation of computers there was no best way of storing instructions and data in a computer memory. Punched cards and paper tapes were invented to feed programs and data to get results. The magnetic tape or magnetic drum were used as secondary memory and the output was displayed as printouts. Software The instructions and data were written in machine language. The machine language used O’s and I’s for coding of the instructions. These first generation computers could solve one problem at a time. The computation time was in milliseconds Computing...
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...Unit) a series of instructions that directs a computer to perform tasks. A set of words, abbreviations, and symbol that enables a programmer to communicate instructions to a computer Eg: Java, C++, Fortran, Cobol, C 8.1.2 Types of Programming Language: 1) Low Level Programming Language • • Why Low Level? : Because it is designed closer to the hardware Machine Language (1st Generation) Assembly Language (2nd Generation) Made up of instructions written in binary code (0 and 1). • Written in mnemonics, more English-like code; codes shorter than The only language that is directly understood by the machine languages computer. Does not need any translator program. • Need to be translated by assembler into machine language before it can be executed by the computer. Machine dependent (written for particular • Machine dependent (written for particular computer and has computer and has to be changed for using on a Describe/what is/ explain/characteristic • different computer). Example of coding to be changed for using on a different computer). Advantages • • Execution speed is very fast. (It does not require any translation because machine language is directly understood by CPU) Translation free (Computer understands only the machine language) Program written in machine language are very lengthy Machine dependent (program is written for particular computer and has to be changed for using on a different computer) • • Easy to understand and use: Assembly...
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