Peripheral Potpourri Trivia Quiz

Answer: scanner

Input devices feed data or commands into the computer. Mice, keyboards, joysticks, microphones and light pens are also input devices. Output devices, such as monitors, speakers and printers, display or represent information from a computer. A modem operates as both an input and output device.

Answer: Control Panel, Accessibility Options, Mouse

The mouse is normally used to control the movement of the cursor, or pointer, on the display monitor. However, it is possible to change your computer's settings to use the numeric keypad on your keyboard for this purpose. From the Control Panel, click Accessibility Options, then the Mouse tab. Check the 'Use MouseKeys' box, and then OK.

Answer: how often the screen's image is redrawn

The refresh rate, or vertical frequency, determines how many times per second the screen is updated, or redrawn. If the rate is 75Hz, the screen is being drawn 75 times per second. The higher the refresh rate, the less flicker you see on your monitor. Your video card must be able to support whatever setting you change the monitor to.

Answer: driver

Hardware normally includes a CD containing the driver, or device driver, for that piece of equipment. Some operating systems (such as Windows XP) already include an extensive library of drivers, so the CD may not be necessary. If you don't have a CD and your operating system doesn't have the driver you need, you can go to the manufacturer's website and download the correct driver. You can also periodically check to see if updated drivers are available in order to keep your peripherals working properly.

Answer: 127

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is the connection of choice for many people, and is expected to totally replace serial and parallel ports, which are much slower. If you only have one or two USB connections on your computer, you can attach a USB hub to multiply the number of ports. USB supports hot-plugging, which means you can connect and disconnect USB cables without restarting the computer. USB 2.0 is capable of 480 Mbps throughput.

Answer: False

The Dvorak keyboard was named after its creator, Dr. August Dvorak, who invented it in 1936. After much research, Dvorak grouped the most used letters on the home row, creating a more ergonomic and easier to teach keyboard. Although it did not gain popularity due to 'tradition', a standard for the Dvorak layout was approved in 1982, and most operating systems can be converted to use the Dvorak keyboard.

In Windows XP, open Control Panel, select Regional and Language Options, the Languages tab, then click on Details. Click Add and select the Dvorak keyboard layout.

Answer: Douglas Engelbart

The mouse was invented by Engelbart while at the Stanford Research Center in the late 1960s, but didn't really become popular until operating systems began using graphical user interfaces. The name for the device listed on the patent is 'X-Y Position Indicator For A Display System'. Mice can be mechanical, optical or wireless (a wireless mouse must be a manx mouse).

Answer: LCD

The LCD monitor will use less than half the power of the CRT monitor. LCD's also cause less interference with other electrical appliances, and take up a lot less space, but their cost can be double or triple what a CRT monitor would cost. LCD stands for liquid crystal display which involves layers of liquid crystals between layers of polarized glass or plastic.

When an electric charge is applied to the liquid crystal molecules, they twist, changing their angles and acting like shutters. CRT stands for cathode ray tube, which is the same technology found in most televisions.

Answer: True

Windows XP has an on-screen "keyboard" display which can be used with your mouse if your keyboard goes down, or for users with physical impairments. Access the on-screen keyboard from the All Programs menu, Accessories, Accessibility, On-Screen Keyboard.

Answer: device manager

To access device manager, from System Properties, select the Hardware tab, and then click Device Manager. Double click the appropriate item. The properties window which opens will tell you whether the device is working properly. From this window you can also troubleshoot the device, update or rollback the driver and see if there are any device conflicts.