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37 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Hardware
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Its a part of a computer system that you can touch, examples include keyboard, mouse, printer, processor.
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Software
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Input Devices - such as the mouse or keyboard which are used to input data into the computer.
Output devices - such as the printer or monitor which are used to output information from the computer. |
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Main Parts of a computer system -
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Central processing Unit (CPU)
Internal memory - this holds all data and instructions that the CPU is working with. Secondary storage (backing storage) - various types of disks used to store data and programs, such as a hard disk. |
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Central processing unit (CPU)
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Its the brain of the computer, it is often known as the processor, this is the part of the computer where all processes and instructions are carried out.
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Random access memory (RAM)
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RAM temporarily stores programs and data that are being used. The contents of RAM can be changed and are lost when the computer is turned off. Memory which is lost when the computer is turned off is called volatile memory.
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Read Only memory (ROM)
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Stores the program that runs when the computer is turned on, the contents of the ROM can't be changed and aren't lost when the computer is switched off - this is called non-volatile memory.
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Desktop computers
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used by home and business users for work and leisure purposes, they are built to last for many years and can be upgraded, need a seperate keboard, mouse, VDU, and printer in order to work.
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Desktop Computers advantages
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robust units are designed to last for many years
components can be upgraded |
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desktop computers disadvantages
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not designed to be moved about too often
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laptops (or notebook)
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these are used by home and business users who may need to use it in different locations.
they are portable and light to carry around, but it can do what a desktop computer does. keyboard, touch-pad and screen are built into the unit. |
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laptops (or notebook) advantages
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ability to use a laptop anywhere
portable can use a special battery for short periods |
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laptops (or notebook) disadvantages
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can't be upgraded as easily as a desktop computer
battery has limited life and needs regular charging and replacing |
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Desktops V Laptops
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Desktop computers are not portable but designed to stay in one place - they are more robust than laptops.
desktops are generally cheaper than laptops and are easier to upgrade. laptop computers are designed to be portable and can use special long-life batteries. |
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Palmtops
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- a pocket sized device which can run word processing, spreadsheet, e-mail software - cut-down software versions, not the full version.
- data on a palmtop can be transferred to a PC either by cable or infra-red. - a pen (stylus) can be used for input. |
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input devices and methods
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keyboard
pointing devices video digitiser digital camera scanner magnetic strip reader microphone MIDI instruments touch screen, concept keyboards, graphics tablet |
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keyboard
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the most common type of input device. the arranging of the keys is known as QWERTY
it is used to enter text, numbers and symbols however, it is easy to make mistakes when typing in data it is also time consuming to enter data this way |
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pointing devices
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the next most common type of input device after the keyboard - a mouse is a pointing device
moving or clicking the mouse controls the pointer on screen touch pads and trackballs are also types pointing device that are found on laptops |
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pointing devices
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some people find using a mouse faster and easier to select items on the screen
however, some people may find these devices difficult to use at first - e.g. young children |
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Joystick
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mainly used to play computer games as it controls the way that something moves on the screen
joysticks can be used to control movement from side-to-side, up-and-down and diagonally at least one button on it can be used to make something happen |
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video digitiser
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this captures television/video pictures and converts them into digital format
once converted, it can be edited and manipulated on computer a computer with large memory, hard disk and powerful CPU is required to do this well |
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digital camera
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pictures are stored inside its memory and can be directly transferred to a computer - camera connected to the computer by the USB port
the resolution (or quality) of an image is measured in dots per inch (DPI) The higher the reduction, the more space is taken up in the camera's memory |
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digital camera advantages
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digital cameras do not need film
images can be downloaded directly to the computer where they can be manipulated |
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digital camera disadvantages
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they are generally more expensive than ordinary cameras
if the memory is full, it must be emptied before more images can be taken |
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scanner
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a scanner can be used to input pictures and text into a computer
an image can be converted from hard copy to digital format - when saved, images can be edited and used in other documents images can take up a lot of memory space |
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magnetic strip reader
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magnetic strips are found on that back of credit, debit, ATM and other plastic cards
details held on the strip usually include account number, branch (sort) code when a transaction is made, the card is swiped through a reader -customer's account is accessed using data on the strip |
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magnetic strip reader advantages
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data from the card is obtained very quickly
a more convenient way of paying for goods |
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magnetic strip reader disadvantages
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not difficult to scratch the strip or damage the card.
Cards may be used faudulently. |
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microphone
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a microphone is used to input sound into a computer system. They are often used for voice recognition systems - converts sounds made by a user into commands that the computer can carry out.
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Microphone advantages
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voice recognition systems can be very useful to people who cant use ordinary input devices
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microphone disadvantages
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the quality of the microphone may not be good - this may mean that the quality of the recording is poor
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musical instrument digital interface (MIDI)
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special keyboards, guitars, and drums can send and receive electronic (digital) signals
they can be connected to a computer where music can be stored and/or manipulated software is available that allows the user to write music on computer MIDI allows various instruments to communicate and work together once stored on a computer, the music can be changed to sounds like another instrument knowledge of the hardware and software is required in order to set up MIDI - it may also be expensive |
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touch screen
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a touch screen can detect exactly where on its surface it has been touched - they are used, for example, in photograph kiosks
they are easy to keep clean and re-program if changes need to be made the screen may become damaged or broken more easily as they are fragile |
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concept keyboard
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a flat board with a grid of keys on its surface
a single key or group of keys can be programmed to carry out a particular task paper overlays are palced on top of the keyboard often found in fast food outlets |
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graphics tablet
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has a flat surface and a pen, or stylus, which can be used to draw
as the stylus touches the surface of the graphics tablet, data about its position is sent to the computer produces an exact copy of what is being drawn on the VDU |
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remote control
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used for transmitting data when the user is some distance from the processor
certain keys on the handset are programmed for certain tasks an infra-red sensor on the processor picks up signals sent by the handset examples include TV and video controllers |
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remote control advantages
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user does not need to manually change settings such as the channel
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remote control disadvantages
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small remote devices can easily be lost
the unit and remote may not work if they are too far apart |
