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History of computer hardware
Contributed by: Mead
  • 1. The history of computer hardware dates back to the early 20th century, with the invention of the first mechanical computers. These early machines were large and cumbersome, using mechanical components like gears and levers to perform calculations. The development of electronic computers came in the mid-20th century, with the introduction of vacuum tubes and transistors that allowed for faster and more efficient processing. The invention of the integrated circuit in the 1950s was a major breakthrough, leading to the miniaturization of computer components and the development of the first personal computers in the 1970s. The evolution of computer hardware has since continued at a rapid pace, with advancements in semiconductor technology, storage devices, and networking capabilities driving the development of faster, smaller, and more powerful computers.

    What year was the first electronic general-purpose computer created?
A) 1970
B) 1963
C) 1955
D) 1946
  • 2. Who is known as the 'Father of the Computer'?
A) Charles Babbage
B) Ada Lovelace
C) John von Neumann
D) Alan Turing
  • 3. Which component is often referred to as the 'brain' of the computer?
A) RAM
B) Hard Drive
C) GPU
D) CPU
  • 4. What does BIOS stand for in a computer context?
A) Basic Input/Output System
B) Basic Internal Operating System
C) Binary Input/Output System
D) Basic Integrated Output System
  • 5. Who developed the first commercially successful microprocessor in 1971?
A) IBM
B) AMD
C) Intel
D) NVIDIA
  • 6. What communication interface is commonly used to connect external devices to a computer?
A) Thunderbolt
B) Ethernet
C) USB
D) HDMI
  • 7. What was the first computer mouse made of?
A) Metal
B) Wood
C) Plastic
D) Rubber
  • 8. Which company introduced the first commercially successful personal computer in 1981?
A) Microsoft
B) Apple
C) IBM
D) Commodore
  • 9. Which computer pioneer coined the term 'bug' when referring to a computer problem?
A) Steve Jobs
B) Grace Hopper
C) Bill Gates
D) Niklaus Wirth
  • 10. What year was the first personal computer, the Altair 8800, released?
A) 1990
B) 1960
C) 1975
D) 1980
  • 11. What does ROM stand for in computing?
A) Random Output Mode
B) Read-Optical Memory
C) Remote Operating Module
D) Read-Only Memory
  • 12. Which type of memory is volatile and loses its data when power is turned off?
A) ROM
B) Hard Drive
C) SSD
D) RAM
  • 13. Which decade saw the introduction of the first hard drive?
A) 1970s
B) 1950s
C) 1980s
D) 1960s
  • 14. Who developed the concept of the first computer mouse?
A) Bill Gates
B) Douglas Engelbart
C) Larry Page
D) Steve Jobs
  • 15. What does GUI stand for in computing?
A) General Utility Interaction
B) Graphical User Interface
C) Gaming Units Interface
D) Global User Integration
  • 16. In computing, what does LAN stand for?
A) Large Array of Networks
B) Long Access Node
C) Local Area Network
D) Lowest Administration Number
  • 17. What does CPU stand for in computing?
A) Central Powering Unit
B) Central Processing Unit
C) Computer Power Unit
D) Control Panel Unit
  • 18. Which of the following is considered a primary input device for a computer?
A) Speaker
B) Printer
C) Keyboard
D) Monitor
  • 19. What does HTML stand for in the context of web development?
A) Highly Technical Manufacturing List
B) Hypertext Markup Language
C) Home Tool Management Loop
D) Hyper Transfer Main Link
  • 20. What company first introduced the CD-ROM drive for personal computers?
A) Sony
B) Microsoft
C) IBM
D) Apple
  • 21. What type of display technology uses liquid crystals to produce images?
A) LCD
B) LED
C) OLED
D) CRT
  • 22. Which electrical component stores electric charge temporarily, aiding in the smooth operation of a computer system?
A) Resistor
B) Transistor
C) Capacitor
D) Inductor
  • 23. Who co-founded Apple Inc. alongside Steve Jobs?
A) Mark Zuckerberg
B) Larry Page
C) Steve Wozniak
D) Bill Gates
  • 24. Which computer hardware component is responsible for storing permanent data?
A) GPU
B) RAM
C) Hard Drive
D) CPU
  • 25. Who developed the concept of the modern computer keyboard layout known as QWERTY?
A) Christopher Latham Sholes
B) John Mauchly
C) J. Presper Eckert
D) Adam Osborne
  • 26. Which storage medium has the fastest read/write speeds among the following?
A) Solid State Drive (SSD)
B) Hard Disk Drive (HDD)
C) Optical Disc
D) Floppy Disk
  • 27. What technology is used in modern computer monitors to display images?
A) Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)
B) Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)
C) Light Emitting Diode (LED)
D) Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED)
  • 28. Which company introduced the first consumer-grade digital camera?
A) Canon
B) Sony
C) Kodak
D) Nikon
  • 29. What year was the first Apple Macintosh computer released?
A) 1976
B) 1984
C) 1999
D) 2005
  • 30. Who developed the first graphical web browser?
A) Bill Gates
B) Tim Berners-Lee
C) Steve Jobs
D) Marc Andreessen
  • 31. What year was the first hard disk drive (HDD) introduced?
A) 1956
B) 2001
C) 1980
D) 1968
  • 32. Which company produced the first computer mouse?
A) Apple
B) Xerox
C) IBM
D) Microsoft
  • 33. Who co-founded Intel Corporation in 1968?
A) Gordon Moore
B) Michael Dell
C) Steve Wozniak
D) Larry Page
  • 34. In what year was the USB (Universal Serial Bus) standard introduced?
A) 1996
B) 1978
C) 2002
D) 1985
  • 35. Who famously said '640K ought to be enough for anybody' in reference to computer memory?
A) Larry Page
B) Steve Jobs
C) Bill Gates
D) Tim Cook
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