Trivial Net - Computer and Tech Trivia for Geeks

What's in a name?

Question: The IBM PC once sold as?

• The Happy Homemaker
• The Solitary Accountant
• Model 5150
• ASL-640

Answer: Model 5150

Add comment January 21st, 2008

Don't call tech support

Question: Which of the following was an Apple-endorsed procedure for the Apple III to ensure that the machine's integrated circuits were securely in their sockets?

• Drop the computer one foot onto a flat surface
• Push each chip into its socket by hand
• Run the computer upside-down
• Submerge the motherboard for five minutes into a solution of 90% distilled warm water and 10% rubbing alcohol

Answer: Drop the computer one foot onto a flat surface

Add comment January 20th, 2008

Just a little bit

Question: Who coined the term 'bit'?

• John Tukey
• Donald Knuth
• Alan Turing
• Ada Lovelace

Answer: John Tukey

The word first appeared in print in the computer-science sense in 1949. Tukey said that it evolved over the lunch table as a handier alternative to 'bigit' or 'binit'.

Add comment January 19th, 2008

It's just basic

Question: What does the GW in GW-BASIC stand for?

• GeoWorks
• George Washington
• Gee Whiz
• Generic Working

Answer: Gee Whiz

Add comment January 18th, 2008

Who am I?

Question:

This is (or was) the logo of what company?

Answer: Acer

Add comment January 17th, 2008

Happy Birthday

Question: Considering the chronology in the book 2001: A Space Odyssey, in what year does the HAL-9000 computer become operational?

• 1990
• 1992
• 1995
• 1997

Answer: 1997

In the movie it was 1992, but in the book, it was 1997.

Add comment January 16th, 2008

Name that mess

Question: If a piece of computer code is inelegant yet functional, you might call it

• crufty
• gnarly
• gronked
• kludgey

Answer: kludgey

Add comment January 15th, 2008

That's a lot of bits!

Question: How many bits are in a gigabyte?

• 9,649,432,130
• 142,153,022,194
• 1,234,140,102
• 8,589,934,592

Answer: 8,589,934,592

Add comment January 14th, 2008

Tell me a story

Question: What William Gibson book delves into the alternative-universe lives of Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace?

• Burning Chrome
• The Difference Engine
• Neuromancer
• Count Zero

Answer: The Difference Engine

Add comment January 13th, 2008

True or False?

Question: What was the first name of the inventor of Boolean algebra?

• Richard
• Thomas
• George
• Alan

Answer: George

Add comment January 12th, 2008