Basic Computer Theory And Terms

Front 1

What are input devices?

Back 1

keyboards and mice

Front 2

What are output devices?

Back 2

monitors and speakers

Front 3

A processor is?

Back 3

The brain of the computer. The processor is located on the main logic board (MLB). This is where the operating system (OS) works, games render images, and spreadsheets calculate. Recent Apple computers use one of these two processors:
Intel Xeon
Intel Core Duo

Front 4

What is RAM?

Back 4

This is where the processor keeps information on which it works.

Front 5

What is Cache?

Back 5

Cache is made of RAM and works in a similar fashion but performs specific functions.

Front 6

What are Drives?

Back 6

Storage for all of the information you process and make on a Mac. There are three basic types of drives, magnetic, optical, and solid state.

Front 7

What is a USB?

Back 7

One of the interconnect technologies used on the Mac to connect peripherals. USB is intended for slower, less demanding peripherals, such as keyboards and mice, although it can be used to connect disk drives and cameras.

Front 8

What is a FireWire?

Back 8

The high-speed counterpart to USB. Also known as IEEE 1394 and iLink.

Front 9

What are expansion slots?

Back 9

No one’s ever satisfied with their computer, right? Always wanting to add things, like a graphics card for another display. You can add cards in these slots to support additional functionality. We’ll examine both types of slots in use today: PCI and AGP.

Front 10

What are input devices?

Back 10

keyboards and mice

Front 11

What are output devices?

Back 11

monitors and speakers

Front 12

A processor is?

Back 12

The brain of the computer. The processor is located on the main logic board (MLB). This is where the operating system (OS) works, games render images, and spreadsheets calculate. Recent Apple computers use one of these two processors:
Intel Xeon
Intel Core Duo

Front 13

What is RAM?

Back 13

This is where the processor keeps information on which it works.

Front 14

What is Cache?

Back 14

Cache is made of RAM and works in a similar fashion but performs specific functions.

Front 15

What are Drives?

Back 15

Storage for all of the information you process and make on a Mac. There are three basic types of drives, magnetic, optical, and solid state.

Front 16

What is a USB?

Back 16

One of the interconnect technologies used on the Mac to connect peripherals. USB is intended for slower, less demanding peripherals, such as keyboards and mice, although it can be used to connect disk drives and cameras.

Front 17

What is a FireWire?

Back 17

The high-speed counterpart to USB. Also known as IEEE 1394 and iLink.

Front 18

What are expansion slots?

Back 18

No one’s ever satisfied with their computer, right? Always wanting to add things, like a graphics card for another display. You can add cards in these slots to support additional functionality. We’ll examine both types of slots in use today: PCI and AGP.

Front 19

What are input devices?

Back 19

keyboards and mice

Front 20

What are output devices?

Back 20

monitors and speakers

Front 21

A processor is?

Back 21

The brain of the computer. The processor is located on the main logic board (MLB). This is where the operating system (OS) works, games render images, and spreadsheets calculate. Recent Apple computers use one of these two processors:
Intel Xeon
Intel Core Duo

Front 22

What is RAM?

Back 22

This is where the processor keeps information on which it works.

Front 23

What is Cache?

Back 23

Cache is made of RAM and works in a similar fashion but performs specific functions.

Front 24

What are Drives?

Back 24

Storage for all of the information you process and make on a Mac. There are three basic types of drives, magnetic, optical, and solid state.

Front 25

What is a USB?

Back 25

One of the interconnect technologies used on the Mac to connect peripherals. USB is intended for slower, less demanding peripherals, such as keyboards and mice, although it can be used to connect disk drives and cameras.

Front 26

What is a FireWire?

Back 26

The high-speed counterpart to USB. Also known as IEEE 1394 and iLink.

Front 27

What are expansion slots?

Back 27

No one’s ever satisfied with their computer, right? Always wanting to add things, like a graphics card for another display. You can add cards in these slots to support additional functionality. We’ll examine both types of slots in use today: PCI and AGP.

Front 28

Intel Xeon and Core Duo Processors

Back 28

Mac computers use either Intel Xeon or Intel Core Duo processors. These Intel processors have brought significant increases in performance while reducing heat output.

These Intel processors uses Intel’s Core microarchitecture, which packs two execution cores on a single silicon chip, doubling the computational power in the same space as a single-core processor.

The Core Duo line is capable of 32-bit processing, while the Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme lines are capable of 64-bit processing.

Front 29

What are input devices?

Back 29

keyboards and mice

Front 30

What are output devices?

Back 30

monitors and speakers

Front 31

A processor is?

Back 31

The brain of the computer. The processor is located on the main logic board (MLB). This is where the operating system (OS) works, games render images, and spreadsheets calculate. Recent Apple computers use one of these two processors:
Intel Xeon
Intel Core Duo

Front 32

What is RAM?

Back 32

This is where the processor keeps information on which it works.

Front 33

What is Cache?

Back 33

Cache is made of RAM and works in a similar fashion but performs specific functions.

Front 34

What are Drives?

Back 34

Storage for all of the information you process and make on a Mac. There are three basic types of drives, magnetic, optical, and solid state.

Front 35

What is a USB?

Back 35

One of the interconnect technologies used on the Mac to connect peripherals. USB is intended for slower, less demanding peripherals, such as keyboards and mice, although it can be used to connect disk drives and cameras.

Front 36

What is a FireWire?

Back 36

The high-speed counterpart to USB. Also known as IEEE 1394 and iLink.

Front 37

What are expansion slots?

Back 37

No one’s ever satisfied with their computer, right? Always wanting to add things, like a graphics card for another display. You can add cards in these slots to support additional functionality. We’ll examine both types of slots in use today: PCI and AGP.

Front 38

Processor Overview

Back 38

Processors are silicon wafers made up of tens of thousands of tiny transistors, which, in a binary mode, can be turned either off or on. A clock synchronizes the processor signal and its speed is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).

Front 39

Microprocessors are differentiated by three key characteristics. What are they?

Back 39

Instruction set: The set of instructions that the microprocessor can execute.

Bandwidth: The number of bits processed in a single instruction.

Clock speed: Given in megahertz (Mhz) or gigahertz (GHz) determines how many millions or billions of instructions per second the processor can execute.


The higher the value of both the bandwidth and clock speed, the more powerful the CPU. For example, a 32-bit microprocessor that runs at 50MHz is more powerful than a 16-bit microprocessor that runs at 25MHz.

Front 40

Intel Xeon and Core Duo Processors

Back 40

Mac computers use either Intel Xeon or Intel Core Duo processors. These Intel processors have brought significant increases in performance while reducing heat output.

These Intel processors uses Intel’s Core microarchitecture, which packs two execution cores on a single silicon chip, doubling the computational power in the same space as a single-core processor.

The Core Duo line is capable of 32-bit processing, while the Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme lines are capable of 64-bit processing.

Front 41

Intel Xeon and Core Duo Processors

Back 41

Mac computers use either Intel Xeon or Intel Core Duo processors. These Intel processors have brought significant increases in performance while reducing heat output.

These Intel processors uses Intel’s Core microarchitecture, which packs two execution cores on a single silicon chip, doubling the computational power in the same space as a single-core processor.

The Core Duo line is capable of 32-bit processing, while the Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme lines are capable of 64-bit processing.

Front 42

RAM

Processor memory is known as dynamic random access memory (DRAM, or just RAM). With random access, specific memory can be accessed directly, like choosing a specific track from a CD.


Processor advances bring changes to the type of RAM used. Here are the different types of RAM used in Mac computers?

Back 42

DIMM
(Dual Inline Memory Module)

SODIMM

Video cards in newer Mac computers incorporate DDR RAM (double-data-rate RAM) and use what names?
(Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Module)

SDRAM
(Synchronized Dynamic RAM)

FB-DIMMS
(Fully-Buffered Dual InLine Memory Modules)

Hint 42

VRAM
(Video RAM)

SGRAM
(Synchronized Graphics RAM)

DDR-SDRAM
(Double Data Rate- Synchronous DRAM)

Front 43

RAM

Processor memory is known as dynamic random access memory (DRAM, or just RAM). With random access, specific memory can be accessed directly, like choosing a specific track from a CD.


Processor advances bring changes to the type of RAM used. Here are the different types of RAM used in Mac computers?

Back 43

DIMM
(Dual Inline Memory Module)

SODIMM
(Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Module)

SDRAM
(Synchronized Dynamic RAM)

FB-DIMMS
(Fully-Buffered Dual InLine Memory Modules)

Front 44

What is cache?

Back 44

Cache is RAM or hard drive space used to store frequently used bits of code or data. Cache can be found on hard drives, CD recording drives and processors and is used primarily to speed up the computer. Once the hard drive has gone through the startup process and is running you can open a window instantly using cache memory.

Front 45

What is Level 1 Cache?

Back 45

Is a small amount of RAM built into the processor that is used to store bits of frequently used code.

Front 46

What is Level 2 Cache?

Back 46

Is located very close to the processor and has a higher speed connection than is available to other components

Front 47

What is Level 3 Cache?

Back 47

Sets aside a bit of RAM to store frequently used data from the hard drive.

Front 48

Disk drives can retain their stored files and applications when the computer is shut down and power is removed.

What are two basic types of drives?

Back 48

Magnetic Drives

Hard drives, floppy drives, and zip drives encode data as magnetic magnetized needles on the disk's surface. You can record and erase data on a magnetic disk any number of times.

Most hard drives also contain a cache. Considerable time can be saved if data can be retrieved from the cache rather than the platters.

Optical Drives

Optical drives use lasers to read data on optical discs (CDs and DVDs for example.) CD-R and DVD-R drives use a laser to both read and to write (burn) data on the discs. Optical drives are significantly slower than magnetic drives.

Front 49

What is a solid state drive?

Back 49

The MacBook Air’s Solid-State Drive (SSD) uses solid-state memory to provide high performance storage with no moving parts.

Front 50

What does disk formatting do?

Back 50

Formatting a hard disk prepares it to contain data.