PRELIM EXAMINATION IN MST 4

I - Answer the following questions:

1. _______ is the most visible part of any information system, the equipment such
as computers, scanners and printers that is used to capture data, transform it
and present it to the user as output.
2. A _______ allows data items to be accessed (read or written) in almost the same
amount of time irrespective of the physical location of data inside the memory.
3. The two main forms of modern RAM are ______ and ______.
4. The _______ is the growing disparity of speed between CPU and memory outside the
CPU chip.
5. _________ is a class of storage medium used in computers and other electronic
devices.
6. ______ are computer monitors that incorporate sensors on the screen panel
itself or its sides.
7. _______ also use a pressure sensitive area with a stylus.
8. A ________ reads the magnetized stripe on the back of plastic credit-card size
cards.
9. The ______ is an electronic device based on microchip technology; hence it is
also often called the microprocessor.
10. _______ is usually known as RAM.
11. ______ consists of standard circuit-inscribed silicon microchips that contain
many millions of tiny transistors.
12. ______ also consists of electronic memory microchips but, unlike RAM, it does
not lose its contents when the power is switched off.
13. ______ are used to verify personal identity based on fingerprints, iris or retinal
scanning, hand geometry, facial characteristics etc.
14. ______ uses a special ink (containing magnetizable elements) and a distinct font
type. It is used mainly in the banking sector for the processing of cheques.
15. ______ are capable of reading dark marks on specially designed forms.

16. The ________ executes the actual instructions. It knows how to add or multiply
numbers, compare data, or convert data into different internal formats.
17. The _______ does the “housekeeping” , it ensures that the instructions are
processed on time, in the proper sequence, and operate on the correct data.
18. _______ is ultra-fast memory that operates at the speed of the CPU.
19. The _______ is the most popular secondary storage device, and is found in both
mainframe and microcomputer environments.
20. The final stage of information processing involves the use of ______ to transform
computer-readable data back into an information format that can be processed
by humans.
21. A technology that has received much impetus from the fast-growing laptop and
notebook market is the _______.
22. ________ can generate brighter and faster images than LED technology, and
require thinner screens, but they have less stable color characteristics, making
them more suitable for cellular telephone displays than for computers.
23. ____-___ are the most popular output device for producing permanent, paper-
based computer output.
 24. _______ are mainly used for engineering and architectural drawings. A plotter
consists of one (or several—in the case of color plotters) pen(s) affixed to an
arm.
25. ________ used to be the familiar low-cost printers connected to many personal
computers.
26. _________ is the collection of physical elements that constitutes a computer system.
27. The __________ performs most of the calculations which enable a computer to function,
and is sometimes referred to as the “brain” of the computer.
28. The ______ includes boot firmware and power management firmware.
29. A _______ is a much larger computer that typically fills a room and may cost many
hundreds or thousands of times as much as a personal computer.
30. A _______ is superficially similar to a mainframe, but is instead intended for extremely
demanding computational tasks.
31. ________ is computer software designed to operate and control the computer hardware and to
provide a platform for running application software.
32. _______ is the initialization of a computerized system.
33. A _______ is a computer program that loads an operating system or some other system
software for the computer after completion of the power-on self-tests.
34. An ________ is software that manages computer hardware and software resources and
provides common services for computer programs.
35. A __________ schedules tasks for efficient use of the system and may also include accounting
software for cost allocation of processor time, mass storage, printing, and other resources.
36. A _________ is an operating system that guaranties to process events or data within a certain
short amount of time.
37. The first server for the World Wide Web ran on _______.
38. ________ is a line of open core graphical operating systems developed, marketed, and sold by
Apple Inc.
39. _______, a popular mobile operating system using a modified version of the Linux kernel.
40. ________, the first commercial computer manufacturer, produced a series of EXEC operating
systems.

II – Essay (15 pts. Each)

1. Discuss the distinction between the RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM
(Read-Only Memory).
2. Explain the importance of an Operating System in a computer system.

Good luck!