Deck 14: Technology Guide 1 Hardware

Question 1

A thin-client system is a desktop computer that doesn't have locally installed software.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

An optical storage device is a form of secondary storage device on which data are recorded and read by laser in a computer's disk drive.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

A byte represents a particular alphanumeric character or a simple mathematical operation.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Primary storage is the main memory of a computer, in which small amounts of data that will be used immediately are stored.

Question 5

Each generation of computer hardware has exhibited increased processing power and decreased costs.

Question 6

Minicomputers are relatively small, inexpensive computers that perform the same functions as mainframe computers, but to a limited extent.

Question 7

A supercomputer is the term given to the latest technology.

Question 8

Microcontrollers are computer chips that are embedded in products and technologies of various types and sizes.

Question 9

Source data automation uses various technologies to input data with minimal human intervention.

Question 10

A mainframe is a type of server.

Question 11

Computer technologies become obsolete faster than other technologies in the organization.

Question 12

Magnetic tape provides faster access to data than magnetic disks.

Question 13

Laptop, notebook, and netbook computers cost more than desktops because of their portability.

Question 14

Sequential access is a type of data access that is associated primarily with magnetic disks.

Question 15

If your computer loses its power supply, you will not lose the contents of your random access memory, because it is not volatile.

Question 16

The cost per megabyte of storage is greater for traditional hard disk storage than for PC memory cards.

Question 17

The mouse is the most common input device.

Question 18

Computers can run any type of program regardless of the amount and type of memory that the computer has.

Question 19

Random access memory is that part of primary storage that holds a software program (or a portion of it) and small amounts of data when they are brought from secondary storage.

Question 20

Digital video disks (DVDs) have higher storage capacities than CD-ROMs.

Question 21

A _____ is used in large enterprises for extensive computing applications that are accessed by thousands of concurrent users.

A) Supercomputer
B) Mainframe
C) Midrange computer
D) Microcomputer
E) Laptop computer

Question 22

Which of the following is not a component of hardware?

A) Primary and secondary storage
B) The operating system
C) Input and output technologies
D) The central processing unit
E) Communication technologies

Question 23

Primary storage stores which of the following for very brief periods of time?

A) Data to be processed by the CPU
B) Instructions for the CPU as to how to process the data
C) Operating system programs that manage various aspects of the computer's operations
D) All of the above

Question 24

_____________is(are) the part of primary storage that holds a software program (or a portion of it) and small amounts of data when they are brought from secondary storage.

A) Read-only memory
B) Random access memory
C) Cache memory
D) Registers
E) Flash memory

Question 25

Random access memory is _____ and _____.

A) Volatile, temporary
B) Nonvolatile, permanent
C) Nonvolatile, temporary
D) Volatile, permanent
E) Volatile, inexpensive

Question 26

A _____ refers to the fastest computing engines available at any given time.

A) Supercomputer
B) Mainframe
C) Midrange computer
D) Microcomputer
E) Laptop computer

Question 27

To model the weather or simulate nuclear weapons testing, you would most likely use a(n):

A) Mainframe computer.
B) Workstation.
C) Supercomputer.
D) Personal computer.
E) Active badge.

Question 28

A ___________ is an example of a computer system that is designed to accommodate multiple users simultaneously.

A) Microcomputer
B) Mainframe
C) Laptop
D) Palmtop
E) Wearable computer

Question 29

Which of the following factors does not affect decisions about hardware?

A) Power
B) Appropriateness for the task
C) Size
D) Cost
E) Speed

Question 30

The amount and type of memory that a computer possesses affects which of the following?

A) The type of program the computer can run
B) The speed of the computer
C) The cost of the computer
D) The cost of processing data
E) All of the above

Question 31

Arrange the hierarchy of terms to describe memory capacity in the correct sequence, from smallest to largest:

A) Megabyte - kilobyte - gigabyte - terabyte - exabyte - petabyte
B) Exabyte - petabyte - terabyte - gigabyte - megabyte - kilobyte
C) Kilobyte - megabyte - gigabyte - terabyte - petabyte - exabyte
D) Petabyte - exabyte - kilobyte - gigabyte - kilobyte - terabyte
E) Kilobyte - gigabyte - megabyte - exabyte - petabyte - terabyte

Question 32

Registers have all of the following characteristics except:

A) They are a type of primary storage.
B) They can store only extremely limited amounts of instructions and data.
C) They provide the fastest storage.
D) They are slower than RAM.
E) All of the above are characteristics of registers.

Question 33

Increased microprocessor complexity results from which of the following?

A) Decreasing line width
B) Increasing transistor miniaturization
C) Using new materials for the chip that increase conductivity
D) Putting more transistors on the chip
E) All of the above

Question 34

Moore's Law predicted that microprocessor complexity would ______.

A) Double every year.
B) Double every two years.
C) Increase slowly.
D) Decrease slowly.
E) Decrease rapidly.

Question 35

Which of the following does not affect the speed of the machine instruction cycle?

A) Clock speed
B) Word length
C) Bus width
D) Line width
E) Physical design of the chip

Question 36

Which of the following is not a type of primary storage?

A) Random access memory
B) Registers
C) Cache
D) Read-only memory
E) Optical

Question 37

The amount and type of memory that a computer possesses affects all the following except:

A) The type of program the computer can run.
B) The speed of the computer.
C) The cost of the computer.
D) The cost of processing data.
E) The speed of data entry.

Question 38

Which of the following is not a component of the central processing unit?

A) Registers
B) Control unit
C) Secondary storage
D) Arithmetic-logic unit
E) Keyboard

Question 39

The main types of primary storage are:

A) Register.
B) Random access memory.
C) Cache memory.
D) Read-only memory.
E) All of the above

Question 40

Which of the following is not stored in primary storage?

A) Data to be processed by the CPU
B) Instructions for the CPU as to how to process the data
C) Archival data
D) Operating system programs
E) All of the above are stored in primary storage.

Question 41

Secondary storage has which of the following characteristics?

A) It is nonvolatile.
B) It is more cost effective than primary storage.
C) It is slower than primary storage.
D) It can utilize a variety of media.
E) All of the above

Question 42

_____ are electronic storage devices that contain no moving parts.

A) Hard drives
B) Flash memory devices
C) Streaming tape devices
D) DVDs
E) CDs

Question 43

The type of primary storage, located closest to the CPU, where the computer can temporarily store blocks of data used most often is called:

A) Read-only memory.
B) Registers.
C) Random access memory.
D) Cache memory.
E) Flash memory.

Question 44

The type of primary storage where certain critical instructions are safeguarded because the storage is nonvolatile and the instructions can be read only by the computer and not changed by the user is called:

A) Read-only memory.
B) Random access memory.
C) Cache memory
D) Registers
E) Flash memory

Question 45

Jun has been in business selling unique lamp bases and shades for two years in her first location. She is getting ready to open a second location two towns over. What kind of computer does she need at this point?

A) Mainframe computer
B) Server
C) Supercomputer
D) Personal computer
E) iPad

Question 46

What are the types of primary storage?

Question 47

To access a specific piece of information, _____ are usually faster than _____.

A) Sequential access storage devices, direct access storage devices
B) Direct access storage devices, sequential access storage devices
C) Streaming tape devices, DVDs
D) Optical storage devices, random access memory
E) Sequential access storage devices, thumb drives

Question 48

Compare and contrast supercomputers, mainframes, midrange computers, and microcomputers.

Question 49

Jun really likes your Apple iPad and wants to get one for her lamp business. What kind of computer would the iPad replace?

A) Mainframe computer
B) Workstation
C) Server
D) Personal computer
E) Smartphone

Question 50

Jun is getting ready to open a store in her home town to sell unique lamp bases and shades. What kind of computer does she need at this point?

A) Mainframe computer
B) Server
C) Supercomputer
D) Personal computer
E) iPad

Question 51

The characteristics of magnetic tape include all of the following except:

A) It is the fastest magnetic storage medium.
B) It is the cheapest magnetic storage medium.
C) It provides sequential access to the data.
D) It has greater storage capacity than thumb drives.
E) It is often used for archival storage.

Question 52

Discuss why it is difficult to make hardware decisions today.

Question 53

Which of the following is not a characteristic of secondary storage?

A) It is nonvolatile.
B) It is more cost effective than primary storage.
C) It is slower than primary storage
D) It cannot utilize any media except chips
E) None of the above

Question 54

If you wished to store a large amount of archival data for a long period of time, you would choose which of the following?

A) Magnetic disk
B) Magnetic tape
C) Read-only chips
D) Cache chips
E) Thumb drives

Question 55

What are the types of secondary storage?

Question 56

Describe the components that make up hardware.