CHAPTER FOUR
THE COMPONENTS OF THE SYSTEM UNIT Multiple Choice 1. b 2. c
3. d 4. b
5. d 6. a
Matching 1. b 2. d
3. f 4. e
5. a 6. c
7. a 8. d
Short Answer 1. Two types of Tablet PCs are slate and convertible. With the slate Tablet PC, which typically does not include a keyboard, the system unit is behind the display. On a convertible Tablet PC, by contrast, the system unit is positioned below a keyboard, providing functionality similar to a traditional notebook computer. The difference is the display attaches to the system unit with a swivel-type hinge, which enables a user to rotate the display and fold it down over the keyboard to look like a slate Tablet PC. 2. The motherboard, sometimes called a system board, is the main circuit board of the system unit. Many electronic components attach to the motherboard; others are built into it. A computer chip is a small piece of semiconducting material, usually silicon, on which integrated circuits are etched. An integrated circuit contains many microscopic pathways capable of carrying electrical current. 3. Memory cache stores frequently used instructions and data to help speed the processes of a computer. L1 cache is built directly in the processor chip and usually has a very small capacity. L2 cache is slightly slower than L1 cache, but has a much larger capacity. 4. Four widely used types of removable flash memory devices include flash memory cards, USB flash drives, PC Cards, and ExpressCard modules. A flash memory card is a removable flash memory device, usually no bigger than 1.5" in height or width, that you insert and remove from a slot in a personal computer, game console, mobile device, or card reader/writer. AUSB flash drive is a flash memory storage device that plugs in a USB port on a computer or mobile device. Many computers have a PC Card slot or an ExpressCard slot, which is a special type of expansion slot that holds a PC Card or an ExpressCard module, respectively. A PC Card is a thin, credit card-sized removable flash memory device that primarily is used today to enable notebook computers to access the Internet wirelessly. An ExpressCard module, which can be used as a removable flash memory device, is about onehalf the size of a PC Card, that adds memory, communications, multimedia, and security capabilities to computers. 5. Compressed air removes dust and lint from difficult-to-reach areas and removes sticky liquid spilled on keyboards. Before cleaning the exterior of a computer or mobile device, turn it off,
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Chapter 4: The Components of the System Unit
and if necessary, unplug it from the electrical outlet, remove its battery, and disconnect all cables from the ports.