Testbank
Rainer Intro 5e
Technology Guide 1 — Hardware
True/False
1. Computer technologies become obsolete faster than other technologies in the organization.
2. A supercomputer is the term given to the latest technology.
3. A mainframe is a type of server.
4. A thin-client system is a desktop computer that doesn’t have locally installed software.
5. Laptop, notebook, and netbook computers cost more than desktops because of their
portability.
6. Each generation of computer hardware has exhibited increased processing power and
decreased costs.
7. Minicomputers are relatively small, inexpensive computers that perform the same functions
as mainframe computers, but to a limited extent.
8. The mouse is the most common input device.
9. Source data automation uses various technologies to input data with minimal human
intervention.
10. Microcontrollers are computer chips that are embedded in products and technologies of
various types and sizes.
11. Computers can run any type of program regardless of the amount and type of memory that
the computer has.
12. A byte represents a particular alphanumeric character or a simple mathematical operation.
13. Primary storage is the main memory of a computer, in which small amounts of data that will
be used immediately are stored.
14. 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.
15. If your computer loses its power supply, you will not lose the contents of your random
access memory, because it is not volatile.
16. Sequential access is a type of data access that is associated primarily with magnetic disks.
17. Magnetic tape provides faster access to data than magnetic disks.
18. 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.
19. Digital video disks (DVDs) have higher storage capacities than CD-ROMs.
20. The cost per megabyte of storage is greater for traditional hard disk storage than for PC
memory cards.
Multiple Choice
21. Which of the following factors does not affect decisions about hardware?
A. Power
B. Appropriateness for the task
C. Size
D. Cost
E. Speed
22. 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.
23. A _____ refers to the fastest computing engines available at any given time.
A. Supercomputer
B. Mainframe
C. Midrange computer
D. Microcomputer
E. Laptop computer
24. 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
25. 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
26. 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
27. 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
28. 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
29. 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.
30. 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
31. 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
32. 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.
33. 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
34. 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
35. 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.
36. 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
37. _____________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
38. Random access memory is _____ and _____.
A. Volatile, temporary
B. Nonvolatile, permanent
C. Nonvolatile, temporary
D. Volatile, permanent
E. Volatile, inexpensive
39. 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.
40. 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
41. 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.
42. 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
43. 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
44. 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
45. 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.
46. 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
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
48. _____ 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 Type: Essay
49. Discuss why it is difficult to make hardware decisions today.
50. Describe the components that make up hardware.
51. What are the types of primary storage?
52. Compare and contrast supercomputers, mainframes, midrange computers, and
microcomputers.
53. What are the types of secondary storage?
Question Type: Multiple Choice
54. 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
55. 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
56. 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