Review Questions for Area 2: Hardware and Software Systems

Topic 1: The System Unit: Processing and Memory

Instructions: Match each key term below with the definition that best describes it.

Matching Term: a. ASCII; b. binary numbering system; c. byte; d. central

processing unit (CPU) e. control unit; f. motherboard; g. nanotechnology; h. parallel
processing; i. RAM (random access memory); j. Universal Serial Bus (USB)

Definitions:
1. ___ A processing technique that uses multiple processors or processing cores
simultaneously, usually to process a single job as fast as possible.
2. ___ A fixed-length, binary coding system used to represent text-based data for
computer processing on many types of computers.
3. ___ A group of 8 bits.
4. ___ A universal bus used to connect up to 127 peripheral devices to a computer
without requiring the use of additional expansion cards.
5. ___ Chips connected to the motherboard that provide a temporary location for the
computer to hold data and program instructions while they are needed.
6. ___ The chip located on the motherboard of a computer that performs most of
the processing for a computer.
7. ___ The main circuit board of a computer, located inside the system unit, to which
all computer system components connect.
8. ___ The numbering system that represents all numbers using just two symbols (0
and 1).
9. ___ The part of the CPU that coordinates its operations.
10. ___ The science of creating tiny computers and components by working at the
individual atomic and molecular levels.

Self Quiz:
Instructions: Circle T if the statement is true, F if the statement is false, or write the
best answer in the space provided.

1. T F A storage medium that can hold 256 GB can hold about 256 billion characters.
2. T F The amount of data that can be transferred over a bus in a given time period
determines the bus’s volatility.
3. T F Cache memory is typically built into a CPU.
4. T F A bus is a pathway, such as on the motherboard or inside the CPU, along which
bits can be transferred.
5. T F Computers that process data with light are referred to as quantum computers.
6. The ability of a computer to process data at teraflop speeds is referred to as _____ .
7. A CPU with four separate processing cores is referred to as a(n) ___ CPU.
8. A(n) ___ is a connector on the exterior of a computer into which a peripheral
device may be plugged.
9. Multi-core CPUs allow ___ , in which the CPU is able to work on multiple jobs at one
time
10.Number the following terms from 1 to 9 to indicate their size from smallest to
largest.
a. ____ Petabyte d. ____Yottabyte g. ____ Zettabyte
b. ____ Kilobyte e. ____ Exabyte h. ____ Terabyte
c. ____Gigabyte f. ____ Byte i. ____ Megabyte

Exercises:
1. What do each of the following acronyms stand for?
a. KB c. GPU e. PCIe
b. RAM d. USB f. CPU

2. Supply the missing words to complete the following statements.

a. The smallest piece of data (a 0 or 1) that can be represented by a computer is
called a(n) ___ .
b. ____ is an international coding system for text-based data using any written
language.
c. L1 is a type of ____ .
d. The part of the CPU that performs logical operations and integer arithmetic is the
____ .

3. Assume you have a USB mouse, USB keyboard, and USB printer to connect to a
computer, but you have only two USB ports. Explain one solution to this problem that
does not involve buying a new mouse, keyboard, or printer.

4. If your computer seems sluggish, list two things you could do to try to speed it up
without resorting to purchasing an entirely new system.

Discussion Questions:
1. As discussed in the chapter, one push by computer manufacturers is making
computers run as efficiently as possible to save battery power and electricity. What do
you think is the motivation behind this trend? Is it social responsibility or a response to
consumer demands? Should the energy consumption of electronic devices be regulated
and controlled by the government or another organization? Why or why not? How
responsible should consumers be for energy conservation in relation to electronic use?
In your opinion, what, if anything, should all computer users do to practice green
computing?

2. In addition to being used with computers and consumer products, there are also
processors and other components designed to be implanted inside the human body,
such as the VeriChip (discussed in Project 4), implantable wafers containing medication
and a processor that delivers the medication at the appropriate time and dosage,
camera pills that are swallowed to transmit images of an individual’s digestive system to
a receiving unit, and pacemakers designed to regulate an individual’s heart rate. One
step further is brain-to-computer interfacing (BCI), which involves implanting electrodes
directly into the human brain to restore lost functionality or to facilitate the
communications ability of severely disabled individuals, such as by enabling them to
control a mouse using only their thoughts. What do you think about these implantable
chip applications? Are the benefits worth the risk of something going wrong with the
chips implanted inside your body? Are there any privacy risks? Would you consider
using an implanted device? Why or why not?

Topic 2: Storage

Instructions: Match each key term below with the definition that best describes it.

Matching Terms: a. cloud storage b. disk cache c. file d. flash memory card
e. folder f. hard drive g. holographic storage h. RAID i. solid-state drive (SSD)
j. storage area network (SAN)

1. ___ A named place on a storage medium into which the user can place files in
order to keep the files stored on that medium organized.
2. ___ A hard drive that uses flash memory media instead of metal magnetic hard
disks.
3. ___ An emerging type of storage technology that uses multiple blue laser beams to
store data in three dimensions.
4. ___ A small, rectangular flash memory medium, such as a CompactFlash (CF) or
Secure Digital (SD) card; often used with digital cameras and other portable
devices.
5. ___ A network of hard drives or other storage devices that provide storage for a
network of computers.
6. ___ Refers to using a storage device that is accessed via the Internet.
7. ___ A storage method that uses several hard drives working together, typically to
increase performance and/or fault tolerance.
8. ___ Memory used in conjunction with a magnetic hard drive to improve system
performance.
9. ___ Something stored on a storage medium, such as a program, a document, or an
image.
10. ___ The primary storage system for most computers; used to store most
programs and data used with that computer.

Self Quiz:
Instructions: Circle T if the statement is true, F if the statement is false, or write the
best answer in the space provided.
1. T F A computer system with a C drive and a D drive must have two physical hard
drives.
2. T F The smallest amount of space a file on a hard drive can use is one cluster.
3. T F External hard drives typically connect via a flash memory reader.
4. T F A CD-R disc can be written to by the user.
5. T F A hybrid hard drive contains both magnetic hard disks and optical discs.
6. The drive letter that would most likely be assigned to the primary hard drive on a
typical personal computer is ____.
7. Storage media are not ____, meaning they do not lose their contents when the
power is shut off.
8. CDs, DVDs, and BDs are examples of ____ discs.
9. A(n) ____ looks similar to a credit card but contains a chip and other circuitry that
can store data.
10. Secure Digital (SD) cards are one type of ______ medium.

Exercises:
1. Assume, for simplicity’s sake, that a kilobyte is 1,000 bytes, a megabyte is 1,000,000
bytes, and a gigabyte is 1,000,000,000 bytes. You have a 500-gigabyte hard drive with
the following content:
Item Storage Space Used
Operating system 15 GB
Other software 1,350 MB
Digital photos and videos 50 GB
Other documents 85 MB
How much storage space is currently being used? __ How much is left? ___

2. Supply the missing words to complete the following statements.

a. A(n) ____ disc typically holds either 25 GB or 50 GB and is designed for high-
definition content, such as movies.
b. Thumb drive is another name for a(n)____ .
c. A hard drive that contains both a magnetic hard drive and flash memory is called
a(n)____ hard drive.

3. Explain why DVD-ROM discs are not erasable, but DVD+RW discs are.

4. List two possible advantages and two possible disadvantages for using cloud storage.

5. Which types of storage media would be appropriate for someone who needed to
exchange large (5 MB to 75 MB) files with another person? List at least three
different types, stating why eachmight be the most appropriate under specific
conditions.

Discussion Questions:
1. There are a number of types of flash memory cards available, such as SD, CF, XD,
XQD, and memory stick. Is there an advantage to having multiple standards or would it
be beneficial to consumers if there was only one flash memory standard, such as just
the various sizes of SD cards? Would having a single standard be less expensive and
more convenient for consumers? If so, will a single standard naturally evolve or should
it be mandated by the storage industry or the government? If you use multiple types of
flash memory cards with your devices, would you prefer they all used the same type?
Why or why not?

2. People send their digital photos over the Internet in different ways. For instance,
digital photos are often e-mailed to others, posted on Facebook pages and other social
networking sites, and uploaded to a server (such as one belonging to Snapfish,
Walmart, or Costco) in order to order prints, enlargements, or other photo-based items.
If you have ever sent photos over the Internet, were you concerned about someone
other than the intended recipient intercepting or viewing your photo files? If you have
ever uploaded files to a processing service for printing, did you check to see if the Web
server being used was secure? Should individuals be concerned about sending their
personal photos over the Internet? There are a number of advantages, but are there
privacy risks, as well?

Topic 3: Input Output

Instructions: Match each key term below with the definition that best describes it.

Matching Terms: a. digital camera b. ink-jet printer c. laser printer d. mouse

e. OLED display f. optical character recognition (OCR) g. RFID tag h. scanner
i. stylus j. touch screen

1. ___ A common pointing device that the user slides along a flat surface to move a
pointer around the screen and clicks its buttons to make selections.
2. ___ A device containing a tiny chip and a radio antenna that is attached to an
object so it can be identified using radio frequency identification technology.
3. ___ A display device that is touched with the finger to issue commands or
otherwise provide input to the connected device.
4. ___ An input device that reads printed text and graphics and transfers them to a
computer in digital form.
5. ___ An input device that is used to write electronically on the display screen.
6. ___ An input device that takes pictures and records them as digital images.
7. ___ An output device that uses toner powder and technology similar to that of a
photocopier to produce images on paper.
8. ___ A type of flat-panel display that uses emissive organic material to display
brighter and sharper images than LCDs.
9. ___ An output device that sprays droplets of ink to produce images on paper.
10. ___The ability of a scanning device to recognize scanned text characters and
convert them to electronic form as text, not images.
Self Quiz:
Instructions: Circle T if the statement is true, F if the statement is false, or write the
best answer in the space provided.

1. T F A keyboard is an example of a pointing device.

2. T F Most digital still cameras store photos on flash memory media.
3. T F UPC is a type of barcode.
4. T F Consumer kiosks located in retail stores commonly use touch screens for input.
5. T F An ink-jet printer normally produces a better image than a laser printer.
6. With ___ software, pen-based computers can convert handwritten text into editable,
typed text.
7. A(n) ___ can be used to convert flat printed documents, such as a drawing or
photograph, into digital form.
8. The smallest colorable area in an electronic image (such as a scanned document,
digital photograph, or image displayed on a display screen) is called a(n) ____.
9. Virtually all portable computers and mobile devices, and most desktop computers
today, use ___ displays, which are smaller, thinner, and lighter than the ___
monitors used with desktop computers in the past.

10. Match each input device to its input application, and write the corresponding
number in the blank to the left of the input application.

Input Device Input application

a. ___ Pen-based computing 1. Keyboard
b.___ Media tablet 2. Stylus
c. ___Text-based data entry 3. RFID tag
d. ___Secure facility access 4. Biometric reader
e. ___Tracking goods 5. Touch screen

Exercises:
1. For the following list of computer input and output devices, write the appropriate
abbreviation (I or O) in the space provided to indicate whether each device is used for
input (I) or output (O).
a.___ Biometric reader f. ___Digital camera
b. ___Graphics tablet g. ___Data projector
c. ___Speaker h. ___Microphone
d. ___Photo printer i. ___OLED monitor
e. ___Flat-panel display j. ___Gaming controller

2. Write the number of the type of printer that best matches each of the printing
applications in the blank to the left of each printing application.
Printer: . 1. Personal laser printer 2. Network laser printer
3. Ink-jet printer 4. Portable printer
a. ___To print inexpensive color printouts for a wide variety of documents.
b. ___To print all output for an entire office.
c. ___To print receipts for jet-ski rentals at the beach.
d. ___To print high-quality black-and-white business letters and reports at home.

3. List three advantages of RFID technology over barcode technology.

4. Would an OLED display or an LCD display use more battery power? Explain why.

5. List one personal or business application that you believe is more appropriate for a
dot-matrix printer, instead of another type of printer, and explain why.

Discussion Questions:
1. While gaming and texting are both popular pastimes, it is possible to become
injured by performing these activities. For instance, some Wii users have developed
tennis elbow and other ailments from some Wii Sports games and heavy texters have
developed problems with their thumbs. Think of the devices you use regularly. Have
you ever become sore or injured from their use? If so, was it the design of the input
device being used, overuse, or both? What responsibilities do hardware manufacturers
have with respect to creating safe input devices? If a user becomes injured due to
overuse of a device, whose fault it is? Should input devices come with warning labels?

2. The choice of an appropriate input device for a product is often based on both the
type of device being used and the target market for that device. For instance, a device
targeted to college students and one targeted to older individuals may use different
input methods. Suppose that you are developing a device to be used primarily for
Internet access that will be marketed to senior citizens. What type of hardware would
you select as the primary input device? Why? What arethe advantages and
disadvantages of your selected input device? How could the disadvantages be
minimized?

Topic 4: System Software: Operating Systems and Utility Programs

Instructions: Match each key term below with the definition that best describes it.

Matching Terms: a. Android b. backup c. device driver d. kernel e. multitasking

f. operating system g. spooling h. utility program i. virtual memory j. Windows

1.___ A duplicate copy of data or other computer content for use in the event that the
original version is destroyed.
2. ___A Linux-based operating system designed for mobile devices and developed by
the Open Handset Alliance, which is a group of companies led by Google.
3. ___A memory-management technique that uses hard drive space as additional
RAM.
4. ___A program that enables an operating system to communicate with a specific
hardware device.
5. ___A type of software that performs a specific task, usually related to managing or
maintaining a computer system.
6. ___The capability of an operating system to run more than one program at one
time.
7. ___The essential portion, or core, of an operating system.
8. ___The main component of system software that enables a computer to operate,
manage its activities and the resources under its control, run application
programs, and interface with the user.
9. ___The primary personal computer operating system developed by Microsoft
Corporation.
10. ___The process of placing items in a buffer so the appropriate device (such as a
printer) can retrieve them when needed.

Self Quiz:

Instructions: Circle T if the statement is true, F if the statement is false, or write the
best answer in the space provided.

1. T F Windows 8 is an example of an operating system.

2. T F Most operating systems today use a command line interface.
3. T F Mobile devices, such as media tablets and mobile phones, typically require an
operating system.
4. T F File Explorer is an operating system designed for mobile phones.
5. T F Windows Phone is a versatile operating system designed to be used on a
variety of computer types, such as mainframes, servers, personal computers,
and mobile phones.
6. ___ refers to the ability of an operating system to have more than one program
open at one time.
7.____ is the operating system used with iPhones and iPads.
8. To decrease the size of a file, a(n)___ utility program can be used.
9. To guard against losing your data if a computer problem occurs, you should ___
your Data files on a regular basis.
10. Match each device to the most appropriate operating system and write the
corresponding number in the blank to the left of the device.

Device Operating system

a. ___ Home office computer 1. Windows Embedded
b. ___Mainframe computer 2. Android
c. ___Media tablet 3. Windows 8
d.___ ATM machine 4. UNIX
Exercises:
1. For the following path, identify the drive the document is located on, the name of
the file (including its file extension), and whether or not the document is stored
inside a folder. If the file is stored inside one or more folders, list the folder
name(s). C:\ My Documents\Resume.docx

2. Match each program or processing technique with the appropriate term and write the
corresponding number in the blank to the left of each term.

Term Program/processing technique

a. ___ Zipped file 1. Spooling
b. ___ Printer 2. File management program
c. ___ Swap file 3. File compression program
d.___ Folder 4. Virtual memory

3. Would a new notebook computer typically have Windows XP, Windows 8, Windows
Phone 8, or Windows Server 2012 installed as its operating system? Explain your
answer.

4. What type of utility program is designed to automatically make duplicate copies of

your hard drive content for safekeeping?

5. Identify the purpose of each of the following types of utility programs.

a. File management program
b. Uninstall utility
c. File compression program
d. Antivirus program

Discussion Questions:
1. There are a few companies, such as Microsoft and Google, that have moved into
many different areas of computing, such as operating systems, application software,
cloud software, search, and more, and both of these companies have been accused of
monopolistic procedures. Is there a risk for the consumer or for businesses if one
company is involved with so many different aspects of computing? Should this be
prohibited or should the natural order of the free market be trusted to prevent areas of
computing from being monopolized by one company?

2. As discussed in the chapter, many everyday devices—including cars and other

vehicles—are controlled by operating systems. There are advantages, such as avoiding
possible driver errors and the ability to change the speed of or reroute trains
automatically to avoid collisions. But are there potential risks, as well? For example,
Thailand’s Finance Minister once had to be rescued from inside his limousine after the
onboard computer malfunctioned, leaving the vehicle immobilized and the door locks,
power windows, and air conditioning not functioning. Do you think the benefits of
increased automation of devices that could put us in danger if they malfunction
outweigh the risks? What types of safeguards should be incorporated into computer-
controlled cars, subway trains, and other automated vehicles? What about medication
dispensers and other automated medical devices?

Topic 5: Application Software

Instructions: Match each key term below with the definition that best describes it.

Matching Terms: a. cell b. database c. field d. formula e. label f. public domain

software g. record h. shareware i. software license j. workbook

1.___ A collection of related data that is stored in a manner enabling information to be

retrieved as needed.
2. __A collection of related fields in a database; also called a row.
3. __A collection of worksheets saved in a single spreadsheet file.
4. __An agreement, either included in a software package or displayed on the screen
when the software is installed or launched, that specifies the conditions under
which the program can be used.
5. __An entry in a worksheet cell that performs computations on worksheet data and
displays the results.
6. __A single category of data to be stored in a database, such as a person’s name or
phone number; also called a column.
7. __A text-based entry in a worksheet cell that identifies data on the worksheet.
8. __Copyrighted software that is distributed on the honor system; consumers should
either pay for it or uninstall it after the trial period.
9. __Software that is not copyrighted and may be used without restriction.
10. __The location at the intersection of a row and column on a worksheet into which
data can be typed.

Self Quiz:
Instructions: Circle T if the statement is true, F if the statement is false, or write the
best answer in the space provided.

1. T F Microsoft Office is one example of a software suite.

2. T F Changing the font size in a document is an example of a formatting operation.
3. T F In a word processing document, the Enter key is always pressed at the end of
each screen line to move down to the next line.
4. T F The formula =A2+B2 located in cell C2 would multiply the two cells to the left of
cell C2.
5. T F Typically, a single software program can be installed on both a computer and a
mobile device.
6. With a(n) ___ program, the source code for the program is made available to the
public and so can be modified by others.
7. The blinking vertical line displayed on the screen that indicates the current location in
a document, such as where the next change will be made to the document in a
word processing program, is called the ____.

8. A named formula (such as @SUM) in a spreadsheet program is called a(n) ____.

9. In a relational database, the database object that contains the actual data is the ___.

10. Match each application with its type of application program, and write the
corresponding number in the blank to the left of each application.
a. ___ Listening to a music CD. 1. DVD authoring software
b. ___ Creating a child’s birthday invitation. 2. Media player
c. ___ Creating a home movie DVD. 3. Personal publishing software

Exercises:
1. List the programs included in the Microsoft Office software suite that fit in the
following categories.
a. Spreadsheet software c. Word processing software
b. Presentation graphics software d. Database software

2. Match each spreadsheet element with its term and write the corresponding number
in the blank to the left of each term.
W
a. ___ An absolute cell address 1. =SUM(A1:A2)
b. ___ A relative cell address 2. $D$4
c. ___ A function 3. B6

3. For a customer database containing 50 customers and recording data about the
customer’s number, last name, street, city, state, ZIP code, and current balance,
answer the following questions.
a. How many records are in the database?
b. How many fields are in the database?
c. To display a list of all customers who live in Texas and have a current balance of
less than $10, what database tool should be used?
4. Write the number of the presentation graphic that best matches each of the
following possible uses in the blank to the left of each use.

Matches: 1. Pie chart 2. Slide 3. Drawn object

a. ___ Adding an arrow to highlight a point located on a slide.
b. ___ Illustrating the percent of sales coming from each sales territory.
c. ___ Conveying the key points in an educational lecture.

5. Would rearranging the paragraphs in a document using a word processing program

be an editing operation or a formatting operation? Explain your answer.
Discussion Questions:
1. There are an increasing number of cloud applications available and the current
version of Office is available in both installed and cloud versions. What are the
advantages and disadvantages of cloud software? Which do you prefer to use for
school-related documents? Why? If you prefer installed software, what would have to
change about cloud software in the future to change your opinion?

2. Open source software is usually reviewed and improved at no cost. Proponents of

open source software believe that if programmers who are not concerned with financial
gain work on an open source program, they will produce a more useful and error-free
product much faster than the traditional commercial software development process. As
open source use continues to grow, will it force existing commercial software
companies to cut costs to better compete with open source products? Or will they strive
to produce products that are better and more reliable than open source competitors? Or
will commercial software companies simply go out of business? Will commercial
software manufacturers be justified in raising their prices to make up for revenue lost to
open source competitors? Do you think open source software will have an overall
positive or negative impact on the quality of software?