Storage Devices A storage device is the system where your computer stores and retrieves your data. Storage devices can be a hard disk drive, DVD, CD drives, Blu-Ray drives or flash drives. A computer can retrieve the data by being “commanded” to retrieve it from the storage area and retrieve it to your RAM. The RAM of the computer is your temporary memory where your data is inputted, and then processed and stored onto a storage device for permanent placement. There are several different storage devices that can be used to store your data. These are the magnetic storage, optical storage, and solid state storage. According to Parsons and Oja (2014), “a magnetic storage devices stores the data by magnetizing microscopic particles on a disk or tape surface” (p …show more content…
According to Parsons and Oja (2014), they state that a “microprocessor is an integrated circuit designed to process instructions” (p 67). It’s prime role is to process data with speed once it has received instruction. A microprocessor is generally advertised by the speed of the microprocessor in gigahertz. Some of the most popular chips are known as the Pentium or Intel-Core. When purchasing a computer, the microprocessor is one of the main essentials to review before selecting your computer. The faster the microprocessor, the faster your data will process, when navigating through the software. Memory There are four types of memory. These are the RAM, ROM, EEPROM and the Bootstrap loader. The RAM, also known as Random Access Memory, is the temporary space where the processor places the data while it is being used. This allows the computer to find the information that is being requested quickly without having to search the hard drive space. Once the information has been processed, and stored onto a permanent storage device, it is cleared out of the RAM. The RAM also houses the operating system while in
This memory is assists in allowing the computer to simultaneously read and write data at the same time. Simply put, RAM is the most common form of memory that is utilized by computers as well as other devices. There are specific types of RAM that include dynamic random access memory and static random access memory, or DRAM and SRAM respectively. These two RAM are very different in terms of how they allow data to be read and written. Dynamic random access memory is often considered the most frequent type found in computers. Static random access memory is also found in computer, and is usually referred to as the faster of the two types due to the fact that refreshing of this form of memory is not needed whereas with dynamic random access memory it is. The term RAM is often used to describe what the computer uses to function. It is the main memory or primary memory whereby all processes and software run. Since it is random access memory, it is only available at the time a certain process is needed and is not stored anywhere on the computer specifically (2007). This is what makes random access memory often confusing to understand particular since computers also have what is known as read only
In unit 3 we learned about sustainability, our ecological footprints, oil resources as well as trade. The sustainability dilemma is divided into three sections that each show a way the earth is struggling to sustain us. When studying population, we learned that the global population is slowing down, but will continue to increase for at least thirty years. Furthermore, in unit 4 we learned about population change. When studying exponential growth, we learned the United Nation has three predictions for the future global population. These predictions include our population increasing rapidly, decreasing rapidly and stabilizing. These two ideas are connected because they both explore the future of our population. The diagram represents
It is the operating system’s job to ensure that enough of the processor’s time have been allocated for each application or process that the user is trying to execute. Notably important for multitasking and for a smooth general usage. When the operating system wants to execute a program, it first has to locate the files in the storage drive, load the information towards the main memory and then instruct the central processing unit to begin executing the application from the beginning. • Memory storage and management. The operating system has to ensure that for each process there is enough memory to permit proper functioning, as well as making sure that one task does not use the memory that was allocated towards a different process.
Due to the volatile nature of the computer memory, information might be lost or overwritten over time. The chip in the random access memory helps the computer to run its programs more efficiently by pulling the data from the RAM. However, every time a machine is switched on, some data stored in the RAM is lost. Whereas the data stored on the hard drive is known as persistent data, the RAM is known as volatile memory. The RAM is constantly swapping the rarely used data that is the hard drive to create space for new information. Therefore, the longer the investigators wait, the more likely they will lose the incriminating data since the computer is not indefinitely persistent. It is fortunate that the investigators have found ways to preserve the evidence without necessarily switching on the computer. The contents are used in courts as the lawyers can use them as evidence for criminal activity.
A hard disk drive is a computer data storage device use for storing and retrieving digital information using rapidly rotating disks coated with magnetic material. An HDD retains its data even when powered off. Data is read in a random-access manner; the meaning individual blocks of data can be stored or retrieved in any order rather than sequentially. An HDD consists of one or more rigid rapidly rotating disks with magnetic heads arranged on a moving actuator arm to read and write data to the surfaces.
...ore about optical storage and flash drives can be helpful later on in the future. Who knows, maybe this will be the only way of transferring and storing data considering how much it grew so quickly.
How hard disk drive works? Firstly we should know the two important parts of the hard disk drive. 1. platters and media. We put all of the data onto the platter. They are inside of the hard drive.
...n extension as easy as possible for programmers to use (Denning, 1997). Virtual memory also makes better use of memory by loading in just a few pieces. This means at any one time, only a few pieces of any given process are in memory, therefore, more processes can be maintained in memory. For virtual memory to be realistic and effectual, two ingredients are needed. First, there must be hardware support for the paging and/or segmentation scheme to be employed. Second, the operating system must include software for managing the movement of pages and/or segments between secondary memory and main memory. Virtual memory combines your computer’s RAM with temporary space on your hard disk. When RAM runs low, virtual memory moves data from RAM to a space called a paging file. Moving data to and from the paging file frees up RAM so your computer can complete its work.
According to the dictionary, Memory is defined as a device that is used to store data or programs (sequences of instructions) on a temporary or permanent basis for use in an electronic digital computer. Computers represent information in binary code, written as sequences of 0s and 1s. Each binary digit (or "bit") may be stored by any physical system that can be in either of two stable states, to represent 0 and 1. Such a system is called bistable. This could be an on-off switch, an electrical capacitor that can store or lose a charge, a magnet with its polarity up or down, or a surface that can have a pit or not. Today capacitors and transistors, functioning as tiny electrical switches, are used for temporary storage, and either disks or tape with a magnetic coating, or plastic discs with patterns of pits are used for long-term storage.(Dictionary.com 20014)
Encoding is the process of placing information into memory. Storage is the process of retaining information in memory. Getting information out of memory is called retrieval. Out of the three, the most important is Encoding, because you must pay attention to the information that you want to place into your memory. It is the starting point, although there are three levels known within this beginning step.
We have the microprocessor to thank for all of our consumer electronic devices, because without them, our devices would be much larger. Microprocessors are the feat of generations of research and development. Microprocessors were invented in 1972 by Intel Corporation and have made it so that computers could shrink to the sizes we know today. Before, computers took a room because the transistors or vacuum tubes were individual components. Microprocessors unified the technology on one chip while reducing the costs. Microprocessor technology has been the most important revolution in the computer industry in the past forty years, as microprocessors have allowed our consumer electronics to exist.
Processor speeds are measured in megahertz (MHz) and now come in speeds of up to 1000 MHz (1 GHz), which is very fast. This is almost ten times faster than the speed of most home computers, which average from 133 MHz to 166 MHz. Intel and AMD have been in a race to break the 1 GHz speed barrier, and the number of megahertz in the newest processors is not as significant as it was in earlier processors. For example, the difference between a 133 MHz processor and a 166 MHz processor is
CPU Stands for "Central Processing Unit." The CPU is the primary component of a computer that processes instructions. It runs the operating system and applications, constantly receiving input from the user or active software
Software, such as programming languages and operating systems, makes the details of the hardware architecture invisible to the user. For example, computers that use the C programming language or a UNIX operating system may appear the same from the user's viewpoint, although they use different hardware architectures. When a computer carries out an instruction, it proceeds through five steps. First, the control unit retrieves the instruction from memory—for example, an instruction to add two numbers. Second, the control unit decodes the instructions into electronic signals that control the computer.
The computer has progressed in many ways, but the most important improvement is the speed and operating capabilities. It was only around 6 years ago when a 386 DX2 processor was the fastest and most powerful CPU in the market. This processor could do a plethora of small tasks and still not be working to hard. Around 2-3 years ago, the Pentium came out, paving the way for new and faster computers. Intel was the most proficient in this area and came out with a range of processors from 66 MHz-166 Mhz. These processors are also now starting to become obsolete. Todays computers come equipped with 400-600 Mhz processors that can multi-task at an alarming rate. Intel has just started the release phase of it’s new Pentium III-800MHz processor. Glenn Henry is