How Does a Computer Operate?

Glossary

back up – выполнять резервное копирование

bar code reader – устройство считывания штрихового кода

charcoal – угольный карандаш; древесный уголь

chassis – (аппаратный) блок, шасси

computer software – программное обеспечение для компьютеров

crafting tools – орудия ремесла

crayon – цветной мелок

DNA (Digital Network Architecture) – архитектура цифровых сетей

electronic media – электронные средства (массовой) информации

electronically encoded – зашифрованный при помощи электронных

устройств, компьютера, компьютерных сетей

HDD (hard disk drive) – накопитель на жестком диске

Input – входное устройство, устройство ввода

magnetic tape – лента для магнитной записи

microcircuit – микросхема

OCR (optical character reader) – оптическое устройство считыва-

ния знаков

optical disc – диск зрительного нерва

output – выходное устройство, устройство выхода

phonographic – 1) фонографический; 2) фонетический

recording format – структура записи; формат записи

RNA (remote network access) – удаленный доступ к сети

semiconductor device – полупроводниковый прибор

skywriting – надпись, вычерчиваемая самолетом при помощи ды-

мового следа; воздушная реклама

storage device – запоминающее устройство

storage medium – запоминающая среда, среда для хранения (ин-

формации); носитель информации

volatile memory – энергозависимая память, энергозависимое запо-

минающее устройство

volatile organic compound – летучие органические соединения

Text a. Data Storage Device

A data storage device is a device for recording (storing) information (data).

Recording can be done using virtually any form of energy, spanning from

manual muscle power in handwriting, to acoustic vibrations in phonographic

recording, to electromagnetic energy modulating magnetic tape and optical

discs.

A storage device may hold information, process information, or both. A

device that only holds information is a recording medium. Devices that process

information (data storage equipment) may either access a separate portable (removable) recording medium or a permanent component to store and retrieve information.

Electronic data storage is storage which requires electrical power to store

and retrieve that data. Most storage devices that do not require vision and a

brain to read data fall into this category. Electromagnetic data may be stored in

either an analog or digital format on a variety of media. This type of data is

considered to be electronically encoded data, whether or not it is electronically

stored in a semiconductor device, for it is certain that a semiconductor device

was used to record it on its medium. Most electronically processed data storage

media (including some forms of computer data storage) are considered permanent

(non-volatile) storage, that is, the data will remain stored when power is

removed from the device. In contrast, most electronically stored information

within most types of semiconductor (computer chips) microcircuits are volatile

memory, for it vanishes if power is removed.

With the exception of barcodes and OCR data, electronic data storage is

easier to revise and may be more cost effective than alternative methods due to

smaller physical space requirements and the ease of replacing (rewriting) data

on the same medium. However, the durability of methods such as printed data

is still superior to that of most electronic storage media. The durability limitations

may be overcome with the ease of duplicating (backing-up) electronic data.

Many data storage devices are also media players. Any device that can

store and playback multimedia may also be considered a media player such as

in the case with the HDD media player.

Any input/output equipment may be considered data storage equipment if

it writes to and reads from a data storage medium. Data storage equipment uses

either:

 portable methods (easily replaced),

 semi-portable methods requiring mechanical disassembly tools

and/or opening a chassis, or

 inseparable methods meaning loss of memory if disconnected from

the unit.

A recording medium is a physical material that holds data expressed in

any of the existing recording formats. With electronic media, the data and the

recording medium is sometimes referred to as "software" despite the more

common use of the word to describe computer software.

Exercise 1. Match each of the words in the first column with the word from the second column to make five word partnerships from the article:

a. storage medium

b. recording device

c. digital device

d. volatile format

e. semiconductor memory

Exercise 2. Answer the questions:

1) What consumer electronic device uses a portable medium (tape reel)

to store the data?

2) What is a recording medium?

3) What type of data storage requires electrical power to store and retrieve

data?

4) In what format can electromagnetic data be stored?

5) What data storage media are considered permanent storage?

6) Why can electronic data storage be more cost effective than alternative

methods?

7) Can media players be called data storage devices?

8) What methods of recording are used by data storage equipment?

9) What is a recording medium?

Exercise 3. Expand the statements:

1) Recording can be done using virtually any form of energy, spanning

from manual muscle power in handwriting to acoustic vibrations in

phonographic recording.

2) A storage device may hold information.

3) Any device that can store and playback multimedia may also be considered

a media player.

4) Any input/output equipment may be considered data storage equipment.

5) A recording medium is a physical material.

6) With electronic media, the data and the recording medium is sometimes

referred to as "software".

7) With (traditional art) static media, art materials such as crayons may

be considered both equipment and medium.

8) Volatile organic compounds may be used to preserve the environment.