Understanding computer science 2,3,4 – Flashcards
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Like graphics data, ____—such as a song or the sound of someone speaking—must be in digital form in order to be stored on a storage medium or processed by a PC
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audio data
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Each place value in a binary number represents ____ raised to the appropriate
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2
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The key element of the microprocessor is the ____—a device made of semiconductor material that acts like a switch controlling the flow of electrons inside a chip.
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transistor
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The term ____ refers to chip-based storage used by the computer
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memory
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Video data—such as home movies, feature films, and television shows—is displayed using a collection of ____.
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frames
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In a 16.8-million-color (called photographic quality or ____) image, three bytes (24 bits) are used to store the color data for each pixel in the image.
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true color
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One type of nonvolatile RAM, called MRAM, uses ____ polarization rather than an electrical charge to store data
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magnetic
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____ have begun to replace ROM for storing system information, such as a PC's BIOS
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Flash memory chips
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Instructions and data flow in and out of the CPU via the ____.
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bus interface unit
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____ are very small pieces of silicon or other semiconducting material onto which integrated circuits are embedded.
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Chips
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Terascale computing is the ability of computers to process one ____ floating-point operations per second (teraflops).
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trillion
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A(n) ____ instruction might look like a meaningless string of 0s and 1s, but it actually represents specific operations and storage locations
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machine language
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Most computers today support the ____ standard, in which the computer automatically configures new devices as soon as they are installed and the PC is powered up.
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Plug and Play
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Since Jack has a Windows system, he can right-click a hard drive icon in Windows Explorer, select Properties, and then select the ____ option on the Tools tab to check that hard drive for errors.
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Check now
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The ____ tries to predict what data and instructions will be needed and retrieves them ahead of time, in order to help avoid delays in processing
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prefetch unit
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____ are small components typically made out of aluminum with fins that help to dissipate heat.
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Heat sinks
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The numbering system we commonly use is called the decimal numbering system because it uses____ symbols to represent all possible numbers
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10
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Some ____ must be added in pairs for optimal performance.
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memory modules
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With bitmapped images, the color of each ____ is represented by bits; the more bits used, the better the image quality.
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pixel
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A ____ is equal to 1,024 bytes.
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kilobyte(KB)
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A ____ is the smallest unit of data that a binary computer can recognize.
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bit
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The ____ enables up to 127 devices to be connected to a computer through a single port on the computer's system unit.
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USB standard
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One nanometer (nm) is_____ of a meter
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one-billionth
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Jack can use the ______program to locate and delete temporary files, such as installation files, Web browsing history, and files in the Recycle Bin
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Windows Disk Cleanup
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One measurement of the speed of a CPU is the_____, which is rated in megahertz(MHz) or gigahertz(GHz)
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CPU clock speed
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Most network cards contain a port that accepts a______, which looks similar to a telephone connector but is larger
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RJ-45 connector
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Jess has pictures from her old saved on a flash drive. Transfer these to her new computer, she would use a(n)_____port
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USB
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A computer______ is the amount of data (measured in bits or bytes) that a CPU can manipulate at one time
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word
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A_______is an electronic path over which data can travel.
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bus
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The____ orders data and instructions from cache or RAM based on the task at hand
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prefetch unit
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The bus width and bus speed together determine the bus's_____or bandwidth, that is, the amount of data that can be transferred via the bus in a given period of time
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throughput
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Eight bits grouped together are collectively referred to as a_______
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byte
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____consists of nonvolatile memory chips that can be used for storage by the computer or the user
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Flash memory
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To connect her external hard drive where her music files are stored to the computer, Jess needs to use the_____
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USB
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Jack can up his computer by scanning if for viruses and______
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spyware
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The_____takes instruction from the prefetch unit and translates them in into a form that the control unit can understand
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decode unit
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Some drive letters, such as the letter______typically used with the primary hard drive, are usually consistent from computer to computer and do not change even if more storage devices are added to a computer
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C
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To keep files organized, related documents are often stored in_______(also called directories) located on the storage medium
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folders
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____devices are high-performance storage servers that are individually connected to a network to provide storage for computers to that network
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Network attached storage (NAS)
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Each hard disk is divided into pie-shped groups of_____
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sectors
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A______is the hardware where data is actually stored
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storage medium
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A____is a separate piece of hardware containing multiple high-speed hard drives
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storage server
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_____means that data can be retrieved directly from any location on the storage medium, in any order.
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Random access
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The time required to move the read/write heads to the cylinder that contains (or will contain) that desired data is called the_____
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seek time
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Some smart cards today store___data-such as the characteristics of a fingerprint-in the card and use that data to ensure the authenticity of the card's user before authorizing the smart card transaction
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biometric
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As Dan is very concerned about maintaining the security of his business data, he should look for an external hard drive that comes with built-in_____
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encryption
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______Optical discs can be recorded on, erased, and overwritten just like magnetic disk
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Rewritable
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To record data, holographic storage systems split the light from a blue laser beam into___beams
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two
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A____partition contains the data necessary to restore a hard drive back to its state at the time the computer was purchased and is designed to be used only if the computer malfunctions
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recovery
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____ provide(s) a method of storing data on two or more hard drives that work in combination to do the job of a larger drive.
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RAID (redundant arrays of independent disks)
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Partitions are sometimes referred to as ____.
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logical drives
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A friend of Dan suggested to him that he can use an external hard drive for his data storage and backup needs. To use an external hard drive, Dan should make sure that his computer has an available USB or ____ port.
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FireWire
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Virtually all personal computers come with a(n) ____ that is used to store most programs and data.
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hard drive
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If Rodney owns a computer that uses to work, keep in touch with friends and family, watch movies, listen to music, and use the internet
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CD-RW
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A strategy for speeding up hard drive performance is
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disk catching
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Conventional CD discs use_____lasers
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infared
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Anything (such as a program, letter, digital photograph, or song) stored on a storage medium is referred to as a(n)
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file
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The elements shown in the accompanying figure are ____, which are used to organize related documents.
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folders
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If Rodney wants to record music files onto a CD, he needs to make sure that his operating system has CD-____ capabilities
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burning
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One technology for 3D storage systems that, after many years of research and development, is now a reality is
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holographic storage
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The arm extending into the hard disk surface shown in the accompanying figure, holds the ____.
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Read/write heads
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External hard drives today typically connect to a computer via a USB or ____ port
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FireWire
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One type of storage device that is sometimes used with computers and that uses sequential access is a ____.
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magnetic tape drive
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To read data, the reference beam projects the hologram containing the requested data onto a ____ that reads the entire data page at one time.
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detector
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A storage medium is inserted into the appropriate ____ to be read from or written to.
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storage device
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CD-ROM discs and DVD-ROM discs are ____ optical discs and come prerecorded with commercial products.
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read-only
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Rodney wants to be able to easily carry files with him wherever he goes but he also has a tendency to lose things. Knowing this, he should probably save those files on a ____ drive which he can then attach to his backpack.
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USB flash
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Data files are also often called ____.
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documents
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Most computer tapes today are in the form of ____ tapes, as shown in the accompanying figure
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cartridge
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A ____ is a place to store something temporarily.
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cache
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Regardless of how storage devices are connected to a computer, ____ and/or names are typically assigned to each storage device
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letters of the alphabet
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RAID 0 uses disk ____, which spreads files over several disk drives.
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striping
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Lisa needs to make sure that the computer that she is using has a ____ attached to it for her to be able to hear music and the sounds of a computer game.
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speaker
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A ____ rests on the desk or other flat surface close to the user's computer and is moved across the surface with the user's hand in the appropriate direction to point to and select objects on the screen.
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mouse
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____ monitors can be added to a computer without requiring a video card that supports multiple monitors.
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USB
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One factor affecting digital camera quality is the number of pixels, measured in ____, used to store the data for each image.
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megapixels
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____ form images by spraying tiny drops of liquid ink onto the page, one printed line at a time.
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Ink-jet printers
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Plasma displays use a layered technology like LCD and ____ and look similar to LCD displays.
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OLED
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A ____ is a large screen computer either built into a table or designed to be used on a table and that allows multitouch input from multiple users
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table PC
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Wireless displays connect to a computer using a wireless networking connection such as Wi-Fi or ____.
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Bluetooth
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The Internet café provides ____ on some computers so that users can both listen and talk through the device during a telephone call made through the computer without disturbing other users.
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headsets
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When buying a scanner, Stacey needs to make sure that the scanner has a high enough ____, typically measured in the number of dots per inch (dpi), for the business needs of the office.
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optical resolution
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A ____ is an optical code that represents data with bars of varying widths or heights.
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barcode
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The accompanying figure shows a(n) ____ printer.
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dot-matrix
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In a printer, the print ____ affects the quality of the printed output
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resolution
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A(n) ____ is a flat, touch-sensitive device used in conjunction with a digital pen.
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graphics tablet
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A difference between CRT monitors and flat-panel displays is that most flat-panel displays use digital signals to display images, while CRT monitors use ____.
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analog signals
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____ are used to input data about a person into a computer system so that the individual can be identified based on a particular unique physiological characteristic
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Biometric readers
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The display device for a desktop computer is formally called a ____.
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monitor
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A ____ is the smallest colorable area on a display device.
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pixel
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Display devices can be ____ displays, in which each pixel can only be one of two colors, such as black or white.
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monochrome
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A(n) ____ is used to display output from a computer to a wall or projection screen
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data projector
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With a ____, the user touches the screen with his or her finger to select commands or otherwise provide input to the computer with which it is being used
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touch screen
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Digital still cameras most often use ____ cards for storage.
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flash memory
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____ are the most common type of flat-panel technology used for small- to medium-sized computer monitors
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LCDs
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A(n) ____ uses charged liquid crystals located between two sheets of clear material to light up the appropriate pixels to form the image on the screen.
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liquid crystal display (LCD)
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One of the most common 2D barcodes, the ____ code represents data with a matrix of small squares
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QR
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In a printer, the number of ____ affects the quality of printed output.
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dots per inch (dpi)
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The number of bits used to store color information about each pixel is called ____.
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bit depth
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The most common flat-panel technologies include liquid crystal display (LCD), various types of light emitting diode
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gas plasma
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The ____ used to be the norm for desktop computers
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CRT monitor
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After doing some research into printers, Stacey decides to buy a(n) ____ printer, since they are the standard for business documents and are typically faster and have better quality output than other types of printers
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laser
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Print speed is typically measured in ____.
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pages per minute (ppm)
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____ input data from special forms to score or tally exams, questionnaires, ballots, and so forth.
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Optical mark readers (OMRs)
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A(n) ____ keyboard folds or rolls up and connects to a device via a wired or wireless connection when needed
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portable
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____ are the standard for business documents and come in both personal and network styles
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Laser printers
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The accompanying figure shows a portable ____ reader.
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barcode
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Digital camcorders are similar to conventional ____ camcorders
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analog
