Deck 14: Technology Guide 1 : Hardware

Question 1

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

Answer 1

True

Question 2

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

Answer 2

True

Question 3

One key issue with hardware is how to keep up with rapid price/performance increases

Answer 3

True

Question 4

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

Question 5

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

Question 6

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

Question 7

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

Question 8

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

Question 9

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

Question 10

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.

Question 11

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 12

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

Question 13

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

Question 14

The mouse is the most common input device.

Question 15

A mainframe is a type of server.

Question 16

Magnetic tape provides faster access to data than magnetic disks.

Question 17

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

Question 18

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

Question 19

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

Question 20

A supercomputer is the term given to the latest technology.

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 factors does not affect decisions about hardware?

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

Question 23

The main types of primary storage are:

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

Question 24

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 25

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 26

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 these

Question 27

Hardware is becoming smaller, faster, and cheaper over time.

Question 28

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

Question 29

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 these

Question 30

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 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

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 33

Secondary storage is volatile.

Question 34

A thin client offers the full functionality of a PC but is much lighter.

Question 35

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 36

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 37

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 38

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 39

Multimedia technologies integrate text, sounds, still images, animation, and digitized motion video.

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 these are stored in primary storage.

Question 41

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 42

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 43

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 these

Question 44

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 45

_______________ provide for the flow of data from external computer networks to the CPU and vice versa.

A)Communication technologies
B)Input technologies
C)Output technologies
D)Secondary storage devices

Question 46

___________ 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 47

_____________ manipulates the data and controls the tasks performed by other components.

A)CPU
B)Primary storage
C)Output technologies
D)Secondary storage

Question 48

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 49

Which of the following is the correct order of the computer hierarchy, from smallest to largest?

A)Supercomputers, mainframe computers, midrange computers, microcomputers
B)Microcomputers, midrange computers, mainframe computers, supercomputers
C)Microcomputers, mainframe computers, midrange computers, supercomputers
D)Supercomputers, midrange computers, mainframe computers, microcomputers

Question 50

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 these are characteristics of registers.

Question 51

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 52

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 53

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 54

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 these

Question 55

___________ 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 56

Jun is getting ready to open a store in her hometown 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 57

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 58

______________ store(s)data and programs for future use.

A)CPU
B)Primary storage
C)Output technologies
D)Secondary storage

Question 59

Which of the following is not a strategic hardware issue?

A)Price and performance
B)Personal and organizational productivity
C)BYOD
D)Need for the latest and greatest applications

Question 60

Random access memory is _______ and _______.

A)volatile, temporary
B)nonvolatile, permanent
C)nonvolatile, temporary
D)volatile, permanent
E)volatile, inexpensive

Question 61

__________ is an example of secondary storage.

A)A hard drive
B)Cache memory
C)RAM
D)ROM

Question 62

A(n)_________ is the cheapest storage medium.

A)hard drive
B)magnetic tape
C)magnetic disk
D)optical storage device

Question 63

What are the types of primary storage?

Question 64

Desktop PCs are an example of ___________.

A)mainframe computers
B)microcomputers
C)midrange computers
D)supercomputers

Question 65

Describe the components that make up hardware.

Question 66

Which of the following arranges the hierarchy of memory capacity from largest to smallest?

A)ZB, EB, PB, TB, GB, MB, KB
B)ZB, EB, PB, TB, MB, GM, KB
C)ZB, EB, PB, TB, GB, KB, MB
D)ZB, EB, PB, TB, MB, KB, MB

Question 67

___________ input data with minimal human intervention.

Question 68

Environment Canada's computer system is an example of ___________.

A)mainframe computers
B)microcomputers
C)midrange computers
D)supercomputers

Question 69

Which of the following is an example of an input technology?

A)Monitor
B)Mouse
C)Printer
D)Plotter

Question 70

RAM is ___________ storage that is ____________.

A)primary, nonvolatile
B)primary, volatile
C)secondary, nonvolatile
D)secondary, volatile

Question 71

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

Question 72

What are the types of secondary storage?

Question 73

Airline reservation systems are an example of ___________.

A)mainframe computers
B)microcomputers
C)midrange computers
D)supercomputers

Question 74

____________ refers to the physical equipment for the input, processing, output, and storage activities of a computer system.

Question 75

__________ is main memory.

A)ALU
B)Primary storage
C)A register
D)Secondary storage

Question 76

Moore's law refers to microprocessor complexity increasing at the following rate:

A)Doubling every year
B)Tripling every year
C)Doubling every two years
D)Tripling every three years

Question 77

Which of the following is an example of an output technology?

A)Joystick
B)Keyboard
C)Printer
D)RFID scanner

Question 78

Registers are high-speed storage areas that store __________ amounts of data and instructions for ___________ periods of time.

A)very large, long
B)very large, short
C)very small, long
D)very small, short

Question 79

Which of the following is an example of source-data automation?

A)Keyboard
B)Mouse
C)Barcode reader
D)Voice recognition

Question 80

Discuss why it is difficult to make hardware decisions today.