MY HANDY 160

CHAPTER 2: COMPUTING COMPONENTS

TEXTBOOK REFFERENCE:
Processors Module 6/pg 5-9
Memory Module 6/ pg 14-20
The cloud Module 6/ pg 11-12
Input Module 7/ pg 2-20
Output Module 7/ pg 20-36
Digital storage Module 8 /all pages

PROCESSORS
KEYNOTES
 Describe the processor, or central processing unit (CPU)
 Differentiate between processors on larger computers and processors on personal
computers; define microprocessor
 Define multi-core processor
 Use Figure 6-4 to explain the purpose of the control unit and the arithmetic logic unit
(ALU)
 Compare arithmetic operations and comparison operations
 Use Figure 6-5 to illustrate the steps in the machine cycle, including descriptions of
fetching, decoding, executing, and storing
 Explain the purpose of registers
 Describe the system clock, and define clock cycle, superscalar, and clock speed
 Discuss the measurement of clock speed, and explain the difference between hertz
and gigahertz (GHz)
 List leading processor chip manufacturers for PCs (Intel and AMD), and explain what
Intel-compatible processors are
 Use Figure 6-6 to explain what heat sinks are
 Discuss the use of liquid cooling technology to reduce processor temperature
 Use Figure 6-7 to explain what a cooling pad is
MEMORY
KEYNOTES

 Define memory, and list the three basic categories of items that memory stores

 Discuss how data is accessed and define the term byte, using Figure 6-11 to
illustrate addressable memory

 Define gigabyte (GB)

 Contrast volatile and nonvolatile memory

 Define RAM using Figure 6-12, noting its importance, and review the types of RAM,
including the variations of dynamic RAM (DRAM) in Table 6-1

 Define memory module (using Figure 6-13 as an illustration) and memory slots, and
differentiate between the two types of memory modules

 Define cache and describe memory cache, using Figure 6-14 as an illustration

 Review the different kinds of memory cache: L1 cache, L2 cache, advanced transfer
cache, and L3 cache
 Compare and contrast the following kinds of memory: read-only memory (ROM),
flash memory, and complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS)
 Define firmware
 Use Table 6-2 to explain what access time means and why it is important, and use
Figure 6-15 to define the nanosecond (ns) unit of measurement

CLOUD COMPUTING
KEYNOTES
 Redefine cloud computing
 Review some of the reasons why home and business users choose cloud computing
 From the Tech Feature 6-2, define infrastructure as a service (IaaS), software as a
service (SaaS), data as a service (DaaS), mashups, and platform as a service
(PaaS) mashups, and cloud services; discuss storage as a service

1) What are mashups? (Answer: applications that incorporate data from multiple
providers into a new application)
 2) What is a virtual desktop? (Answer: another name for Desktop as a Service, in which
companies specify the applications, security settings, and computing resources
available to employees on their desktop computers)

INPUT
KEYNOTES

 Define input

 Recall the definition of data from Module 1

 Introduce the various forms in which instructions can be entered into the computer:
software (programs and apps), commands, and user responses

:
1) What is input? (Answer: any data and instructions entered into the memory of a
computer)
2) What is a command? (Answer: an instruction that causes a program or app to
perform a specific action)

KEYBOARDS
KEYNOTES

 Define keyboard

 Use Figure 7-2 to discuss the features of today’s keyboards, including function keys and
toggle keys

 Explain what a keyboard shortcut is

 Discuss the different ways in which keyboards are attached

 Use Figure 7-3 to review the types of keyboards

 Use Figure 7-4 to explain what an ergonomic keyboard is, and redefine the goal of
ergonomics

 Explain what a gaming keyboard is

:
1) What kind of keyboard has a design that reduces the chance of RSIs? (Answer:
ergonomic keyboard)
2) How many keys do desktop computer keyboards typically have? (Answer: 101 to
105)

POINTING DEVICES
KEYNOTES

 Define pointer, and explain the function of a pointing device

 Use Figure 7-5 to explain what a mouse is, and review mouse types: optical/laser, and
touch

 Discuss the purpose of an ergonomic mouse

 Introduce alternatives to the mouse, including the touchpad (Figure 7-6) and trackball
(Figure 7-7)

:
1) What can a pointing device be used for? (Answer: to move the insertion point;
select text, graphics, and other objects; and click buttons, icons, links, and menu
commands)
2) What is the name for a pressure-sensitive pointing device shaped like a pencil
eraser? (Answer: pointing stick)
3) Which of the following is a stationary pointing device with a ball on its top or side?
a) pointing stick, b) touchball, c) trackball, or d) touchpad (Answer: c)

TOUCH SCREENS
KEYNOTES

 Explain what touch screens are, how you interact with them, and why they are
convenient

 Define gesture

 Explain what a multi-touch screen is

 Explain what a touch-sensitive pad is using Figure 7-8

PEN INPUT
KEYNOTES
• Define pen input, stylus (Figure 7-9), and digital pen (Figure 7-10)
• Explain the function of a signature capture pad
• Discuss handwriting recognition software
• Use Figure 7-11 to explain the function of a graphics tablet (or digitizer)

:
1) What is a graphics tablet? (Answer: an electronic plastic board that detects and
converts movements of a stylus or digital pen into digital signals that are sent to the
computer)
 2) What is the name for a small metal or plastic device that looks like a tiny ink pen but
uses pressure instead of ink? (Answer: stylus)

MOTION, VOICE, AND VIDEO INPUT

KEYNOTES
• Define motion input (or gesture recognition)
• Define air gestures
• Define voice input, voice recognition (or speech recognition), and audio input
• Discuss the voice recognition application in Figure 7-12
• Use Figure 7-13 to explain the function of music production software
• Introduce the term video input
• Explain what a digital video (DV) camera is
• Explain what webcams are
• Explain what a video call is
• Use Figure 7-14 to define videoconference, and discuss the requirements for
participation in a videoconference

:
1) What is another term for motion input? (Answer: gesture recognition)
2) What do air gestures involve? (Answer: moving your body or a handheld input device
through the air)
3) What is audio input? (Answer: the process of entering any sound into the computer
such as speech, music, and sound effects)
4) A streaming cam has the illusion of moving images because it sends a continual
stream of still images. True or false? (Answer: True)
5) A videoconference is a meeting between two or more geographically separated
people who use a network or the Internet to transmit audio and video data. True or
false? (Answer: True)

SCANNERS AND READING DEVICES

KEYNOTES
• Define source document
• Review the kinds of devices that can capture data directly from a source document
• Explain the function of a scanner (optical scanner), and review the different types,
including the flatbed scanner shown in Figure 7-16
• Define optical character recognition (OCR) and OCR software
• Explain how an optical reader works, and define OCR devices and OMR devices
• Use Figure 7-17 to discuss bar codes, bar code readers (scanners), and UPC
(Universal Product Code) bar codes, and how they are used
• Use Figure 7-18 to explain what a QR code is
• Use Figure 7-19 to discuss RFID and RFID readers
• Use Figure 7-20 to explain what a magstripe reader (magnetic stripe card reader) is
• Use Figure 7-21 to explain what MICR devices do and how MICR technology is used
• Use Figure 7-22 to explain what a data collection device is and how it is used

:
1) Which of the following reads hand-drawn marks such as small circles or rectangles
on a form, such as a test, survey, or questionnaire answer sheet?
a) OCR, b) EMR, c) OMR, or d) ACR (Answer: c)
2) What is a bar code? (Answer: an identification code that consists either of a set of
vertical lines and spaces of different widths or a two-dimensional pattern of dots,
squares, and other images)
3) Few retailers see RFID as an alternative to bar code identification because it requires
line-of-sight transmission. True or false? (Answer: False)

OUTPUT
KEYNOTES

 Define output

 Use Figure 7-23 to introduce the four basic types of output: text, graphics, audio, and
video
Quick Quiz:
1) What is output? (Answer: data that has been processed into a useful form)

DISPLAYS
KEYNOTES
• Use Figure 7-24 to define display (display devices)
• Define the terms, soft copy and flat-panel display
• Explain what a monitor is
• Discuss how liquid crystal display (LCD) technology produces images
• Explain what the backlight is as well as LED technology
• Discuss LED displays, and active-matrix, or TFT, technology
• Explain what OLED, AMOLED, and Retina Display technology are
• Define resolution and native resolution, and discuss the other determinants in the
quality of a display: response time, brightness, dot pitch, and contrast ratio
• Explain the function of the graphics processing unit
• Discuss the function of the following ports in using a digital signal to produce a
picture: DVI (Digital Video Interface), HDMI (High-Definition Media Interface), and
DisplayPort
• Explain what a widescreen monitor is and what its aspect ratio is
• Discuss HDTV (high-definition television), and use Figure 7-25 to discuss Smart TVs
• Define plasma display

:
1) What is a monitor? (Answer: a display that is packaged as a separate peripheral)
2) Which of the following uses organic molecules that produce a brighter, easier-to-read
display than standard TFT displays?
a) OLED, b) ACM, c) CRT, or d) plasma technology (Answer: a)
3) How does a plasma display work? (Answer: A plasma display uses gas plasma
technology, which sandwiches a layer of gas between two glass plates. When
voltage is applied, the gas releases ultraviolet (UV) light, which causes the pixels on
the screen to glow and form an image.
4) What is resolution? (Answer: the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in a display)
5) HDTV is the most advanced form of digital television. True or false? (Answer: True)
6) How are resolution and dot pitch different? (Answer: Resolution describes the
sharpness and clearness of an image and is stated in pixels; dot pitch is the distance
in millimeters between pixels.)

PRINTERS
KEYNOTES

 Explain how a printer works

 Use Figure 7-26 to review the questions to be considered before the purchase of a
printer

 Define hard copy (printout), and review the difference between portrait and landscape
orientation
 Define nonimpact printer and all of the printers in this category: ink-jet (in Figure 7-27),
photo (Figure 7-29), laser (Figure 7-30), all-in-one (multifunction printer, shown in
Figure 7-32), 3-D printer (shown in Figure 7-33), thermal (including the dye-
sublimation printer in Figure 7-34), mobile (Figure 7-35), label (Figure 7-36), and
plotters and large-format (Figure 7-37)

 Use Figure 7-28 to review how an ink-jet printer works

 Explain what toner is, and use Figure 7-31 to review the process through which a laser
printer prints a page

 Use Figure 7-38 to define impact printer

:
1) Which of the following page orientations is taller than it is wide?
a) portrait, b) landscape, c) baseline, or d) horizontal (Answer: a)
2) How is a nonimpact printer different from an impact printer? (Answer: A nonimpact
printer forms characters and graphics without actually contacting the paper; an
impact printer forms characters and graphics by striking a mechanism against an
inked ribbon that physically contacts the paper.)
3) Some impact printers spray ink, while others use heat or pressure to create images.
True or false? (Answer: False)
4) By what is the speed of an ink-jet printer measured? (Answer: ppm, or pages per
minute)
5) What are some objects that 3-D printers can print? (Answer: clothing, prosthetics,
eyewear, implants, toys, parts, prototypes, and more)

OTHER OUTPUT DEVICES

KEYNOTES

 Use Figure 7-39 to discuss the use of speakers (including satellite speaker
configurations) and subwoofer

 Use Figure 7-40 to discuss the use of headphones and earbuds

 Explain what a headset is

 Use Figure 7-41 to explain what a data projector is, and review the two types of
projectors: LCD and DLP

 Use Figure 7-42 to define interactive whiteboard

 Use Figure 7-43 to define force-feedback technology

:
 1) What is an interactive whiteboard? (Answer: a touch-sensitive device, resembling a
dry-erase board, that displays the image on a connected computer screen, usually
via a projector)
2) Which of the following projector technologies uses tiny mirrors to reflect light, which
produces crisp, bright, colorful images that remain in focus and can be seen clearly
even in a well-lit room? a) LCD, b) HTT, c) U-HDTV, or d) DLP (Answer: d)

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY INPUT AND OUTPUT

KEYNOTES
 Discuss the significance of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

 Use Figure 7-44 to discuss the use of a head-mounted pointer to control the pointer or
insertion point

 Use Figure 7-45 to discuss the use of a Braille printer for the visually impaired

:
1) What does the ADA require? (Answer: The Americans with Disabilities Act requires
any company with 15 or more employees to make reasonable attempts to
accommodate the needs of physically challenged workers.)

STORAGE
KEYNOTES
 Define storage medium (secondary storage) and storage device
 Use Figure 8-1 to review the wide variety of storage options available
 Differentiate between writing and reading
 Define capacity and use Table 8-1 to review the terms that manufacturers may use to
define the capacity of storage media
 Differentiate between the storage needs of a home user and an enterprise user, for
example
 Compare and contrast storage and memory and use Figure 8-2 to illustrate the concept
of volatility
 Discuss the relevant units of measurement of transfer rates for storage: KBps, MBps,
and GBps
 Use Figure 8-3 to define transfer rates

:
 1) What does access time measure? (Answer: the amount of time it takes a storage
device to locate an item on a storage medium, or the time required to deliver an item
from memory to the processor)
2) What is capacity? (Answer: the number of bytes (characters) a storage medium can
hold)

HARD DRIVES
KEYNOTES
 Define hard drive
 Use Figure 8-4 to define hard disk, or hard disk drive (HDD)
 Define platter
 Differentiate between longitudinal and perpendicular recording
 Define density
 Use Figure 8-5 to define formatting, track, and sector
 Use Figure 8-6 to explain the terms read/write head and revolutions per minute (rpm)
 Use Figure 8-7 to describe a head crash
 Use Figure 8-8 to define SSD (solid-state drive)
 Use Figure 8-9 to discuss external hard drives
 Use Figure 8-10 to discuss RAID

:
1) How is a track different from a sector? (Answer: A track is a narrow recording band
that forms a full circle on the surface of the disk; a sector is a small arc in a track.)

PORTABLE FLASH MEMORY STORAGE

KEYNOTES
 Use Figure 8-11 to define memory cards
 Review the common types of memory cards, including CF (CompactFlash), SDHC
(Secure Digital High Capacity), SDXC (Secure Digital Expanded Capacity), miniSD,
microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC, xD Picture Card, Memory Stick PRO Duo, and
M2 (Memory Stick Micro)
 Use Figure 8-12 to describe how an SD card works
 Define USB flash drive (or thumb drive) using Figure 8-13

:
 1) What is a USB flash drive? (Answer: a flash memory storage device that plugs in a
USB port on a computer or mobile device)
2) What is a memory card? (Answer: a removable flash memory storage device, usually
no bigger than 1.5 inches in height or width, that you insert in and remove from a slot in
a computer, mobile device, or card reader/writer)

CLOUD STORAGE
KEYNOTES
 Redefine cloud storage

1) Which of the following automatically copies a computer or mobile device’s files to the
cloud, freeing users of performing backups themselves? a) Flickr, b) YouTube, c)
MySpace, or d) Carbonite (Answer: d)

OPTICAL DISCS
KEYNOTES
 Use Figure 8-14 to define optical disc (and mini discs)
 Use Figure 8-15 to walk students through how a laser reads data on an optical disc
 Use Figure 8-16 to discuss how an optical disc stores data
 Review the categories of optical disc formats
 Define each of the following: CD-ROM, single-session disc, photo CD, CD-R, WORM,
multisession, and CD-RW
 Contrast DVD quality with that of CDs
 Explain the features of the Blu-ray format
 Differentiate among DVD-ROM; DVD-R and DVD+R; and DVD-RW, DVD+RW, and
DVD+RAM

:
1) What three storage techniques do DVDs use to achieve a greater storage capacity
than CDs? (Answer: To achieve greater storage capacities, DVDs can (1) pack the
pits closer together to make the disc denser; (2) use two layers of pits; or (3) use
both sides of the disc.)

ENTERPRISE STORAGE
KEYNOTES
 Explain the function of enterprise hardware
 Define redundancy
 Define outsourcing
 Explain the role of Fibre Channel (FC) technology in connecting devices to the network
in enterprises
 Use Figure 8-17 to redefine RAID
 Use Figures 8-18a and 8-18b to define mirroring and striping
 Use Figure 8-19 to explain what network attached storage (NAS) is, and define storage
appliance
 Use Figure 8-20 to explain what a storage area network (SAN) is
 Compare and contrast NAS and SAN technology
 Define tape and describe how a tape drive works
 Use Figure 8-21 to define tape cartridge and tape library
 Compare sequential access to direct (random) access

:
1) A NAS is a high-speed network with the sole purpose of providing storage to other
attached servers. True or false? (Answer: False)
2) What is tape? (Answer: a magnetically coated ribbon of plastic that is capable of
storing large amounts of data and information at a low cost)
3) What does direct access mean? (Answer: that a device can locate a particular data
item or file immediately)

OTHER TYPES OF STORAGE

KEYNOTES
 Use Figures 8-22 and 8-23, respectively, to define magnetic stripe card and smart card,
and discuss their uses
 Recall RFID technology, and use Figure 8-24 to define RFID tag and RFID reader
 Differentiate between an active RFID tag and a passive RFID tag
 Use Figure 8-25 to discuss NFC-enabled devices
 Refer students to Figure 8-1 to define NFC tag

1) NFC is a technology that uses radio signals to communicate with a tag placed in or
attached to an object, an animal, or a person. True or false? (Answer: False)
2) What is an alternative to a magnetic stripe card? (Answer: smart card)

END OF CHAPTER 2