Computer Sizes

What does the word "computer" originally mean?

• A machine that processes data at great speed

• An electronic device that runs programs

• A person who did sums all day, every day

• A tool for storing huge amounts of information

What makes a computer special compared to humans?

• It has common sense

• It can forget information

• It works faster than humans

• It has feelings

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of computers?

• They can store huge amounts of information

• They are more accurate than humans

• They have brains

• They work faster than humans

What is a desktop PC (Personal Computer) designed for?

• To be carried around and powered by mains electricity or battery

• To sit on top of – or under – a desk and used by one person at a time

• To have a large, touch sensitive screen which is controlled with your finger or a special pen

• To do jobs faster than any other computer of its generation

What are laptop computers known for?

• Being made up of separate devices and powered by electricity

• Combining all the separate devices of a desktop PC into one unit

• Having a large, touch sensitive screen controlled by finger or pen

• Being thousands of times faster than an ordinary personal computer

What is a distinctive feature of a tablet computer?

• It is designed to sit on top of a desk and is used by one person

• It is just a smaller, lighter type of laptop

• It has a large, touch sensitive screen and a "virtual" keyboard

• It is used for weather forecasting and genetic analysis

What are supercomputers used for?

• To be carried around and powered by mains electricity or battery

• To sit on top of – or under – a desk and used by one person at a time

• To have a large, touch sensitive screen which is controlled with your finger or a special pen

• To handle very large databases or do a great amount of computation

Which of the following is a characteristic of a supercomputer compared to an ordinary personal computer?

• It is battery-powered and very portable

• It is designed to sit on top of a desk

• It is thousands of times faster and has more memory

• It has an on-screen "virtual" keyboard

What is a mainframe computer?

• A small silicon chip that carries out stored instructions.

• A computer that provides services for other computers on a network.

• A large computer system is used/accessed by many users at the same time via a monitor.

• A portable gaming device that connects to the internet.

Which of the following is a function of a server?

• To store and process huge amounts of information for large organizations.

• To provide services for other computers on a network, such as file storage and web hosting.

• To carry out instructions stored on a small silicon chip.

• To allow users to make phone calls and use touch screens.