Quiz 7 Communications and Networks

1. Discuss the purpose of the components required for successful communications (sending device, communications device, communications channel, and receiving device) and identify various sending and receiving devices.

answer:
         

A sending device initiates the transmission of data, instructions, and information while a receiving device accepts the items transmitted.

	Microcomputers, minicomputers, and mainframes all can serve as sending and receiving devices.
	Besides, Internet appliances and Web enabled handheld computers and devices (e.g., cellular telephones and pagers) can also serve as sending and receiving devices.

2. Describe these uses of computer communications: wireless messaging services, wireless Internet access points, cybercafes, global positioning systems, collaboration, groupware, voice mail, and Web services

answer:
   

A sending device initiates the transmission of data, instructions, and information while a receiving device accepts the items transmitted. All types of computers and mobile devices serve as sending and receiving devices in a communications system. This includes mainframe computers, servers, desktop computers, notebook computers, Tablet PCs, smart phones, portable media players, and GPS receivers.

3. List advantages of using a network, and differentiate among LANs, MANs, and WANs.

answer:
         Following are some of the advantages of computer networks.

• File Sharing: allows file sharing and remote file access. 
• Resource Sharing: an important benefit of a computer network. F
• Increased Storage Capacity: As there is more than one computer on a network which can easily share files, the issue of storage capacity gets resolved to a great extent.
• Increased Cost Efficiency: Computer networks resolve this issue as the software can be stored or installed on a system or a server and can be used by the different workstations.

          Local Area Network (LAN) 

l          Network in limited geographical area such as home or office building   

              - Wireless LAN (WLAN)

l    - Metropolitan area network (MAN) connects LANs in city or town.

    

          Wide Area Network (WAN)

           Network that covers large geographic area using many types of media    

              - Network that covers large geographic area using many types of media

l

    - Internet is world’s largest WAN

MetropolitanArea Network(MAN)  

Covers a metropolitan area- such as a city or the suburbs of a city.
- You can think of them as between what a LAN and WAN would be.
- They span a much larger geographical area than LANs,
but do not often surpass the limits of a metropolitan area.

- MANs are generally good for businesses and organizations that have
multiple locations around a city. A bank may also take advantage of a MAN. 

4. Differentiate between client/server and peer-to-peer networks, and describe how a P2P network works.

answer:

         On a client/server network, one or more computers acts as a server, sometimes called a host computer, which controls access to network resources and provides a centralized storage area, while the other computers and devices on the network are clients that rely on the server for resources. 
A peer-to-peer network is a simple network that typically connects fewer than 10 computers that have equal responsibilities and capabilities. P2P is an Internet peer-to-peer network on which users access each other's hard disks directly and exchange files over the Internet.

5. Describe the various network communications standards: Ethernet, token ring, TCP/IP, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, UWB, IrDA, RFID, WiMAX, and WAP.

answer:
        
Ethernet- specifies that no central computer or device on the network should control when data can be transmitted.
Token ring- requires devices to share or pass a special signal, called a token.
TCP/IP - divides data into packets.
Wi-Fi-identifies any network based on the 802.11 standards for wireless communications. Bluetooth-uses short-range radio waves to transmit data.
UWB-specifies how two UWB devices use short-range radio waves to communicate at high speeds.
IrDA- transmits data wirelessly via infrared light waves.
RFID-uses radio signals for communications.
WiMAX- a network standard developed by IEEE that specifies how wireless devices communicate over the air in a wide area.
Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)- specifies how some mobile devices can display Internet content.

6. Differentiate among a star network, bus network, and ring network.

answer:
             Bus- is one of the most widely used network topologies. A bus network uses a cable to which all the network devices are attached, either directly or through a junction box. The method of attachment depends on the type of bus network, the network protocol, and the speed of the network.
          Star- s arranged in a central structure with branches radiating from it. The central point of the star-structure is called a concentrator, into which plug all the cables from individuals machines. On machine on the network usually acts as the central controller or network server.
          Ring- is a closed network structure in the form of a circle, to which all nodes are connected. Despite misconceptions, there is no physical loop made of the network cable, at least not in the case of the most common form of ring network called Token Ring. The ring name comes from the design of the central network device, which has a loop inside it to which are attached cables for all the devices on the network.

7. Describe various types of lines for communications over the telephone network: dial-up, ISDN, DSL, FTTP, T-carrier, and ATM.

answer:

Analog

- Also called dial-up access, it is both economical and slow. Using a modem connected to your PC, users connect to the Internet when the computer dials a phone number (which is provided by your ISP) and connects to the network. Dial-up is an analog connection because data is sent over an analog,  public telephone network. 

• Typical Dial-up connection speeds range from 2400 bps to 56 Kbps.

ISDN

- Integrated services digital network (ISDN) is an international communications standard for sending voice, video, and data over digital telephone lines or normal telephone wires.

• Typical ISDN speeds range from 64 Kbps to 128 Kbps.
  

DSL

- DSL is also called an always on connection because it uses existing 2-wire copper telephone line connected to the premise and will not tie up your phone as a dial-up connection does. There is no need to dial-in to your ISP as DSL is always on. The two main categories of DSL for home subscribers are called ADSL and SDSL.

FTTP (Fiber-To-The-Premises) Telecom
 

- A broadband local loop configuration involving optical fiber from the edge of the telco or CATV network to the customer premises. A contemporary FTTP loop generally conforms to one of the passive optical network (PON) standards. See also broadband, CATV, local loop, optical fiber, PON, and telco.

T-carrier

- The generic designator for any of several digitally multiplexed telecommunications carrier systems. Note 1: The designators for T-carrier in the North American digital hierarchy correspond to the designators for the digital signal (DS) level hierarchy. 

8. Explain the purpose of communications software.

answer:
            Communication software is used to provide remote access to systems and is also used to exchange messages in text, audio and video format for the purpose of communication. These software send and receive data over telephone lines through modems. The communication software allows computers in different geographical regions to communicate with each other through terminal emulators, file transfer programs, chat and instant messaging programs.

9. Discuss different ways to set up a home network.

answer:

•  Multiple IP addresses: An easy way of getting the second PC online is to install a network card in it, buy a hub, plug both PCs and the cable/DSL modem into the hub, call your ISP and get a second IP address and configure the second PC accordingly.

• Internet Connection Sharing via Software: In this scenario, you install a second network card in the computer that is connected to the Internet, install a network card in the second PC, connect them via a CAT5 cable. You configure the connection between PC 1 and PC 2 as a private network, then install and configure Internet Connection Sharing software (ICS) on PC 1, lastly configure PC 2 to access the Internet via PC 1.  

• Using a hardware router/gateway/firewall device: In this scenario, you install a hardware router/gateway/firewall device, connect the public side to your cable/DSL modem, connect the private side to a hub, connect all PCs to the hub, configure all PCs for your private network.

10. Describe various physical and wireless transmission media: twisted-pair cable, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable, infrared, broadcast radio, cellular radio, microwaves, and communications satellite.

answer:
        

Twisted-pair cable - consists of one or more twisted-pair wires bundled together.   

Coaxial cable - consists of a single copper wire surrounded by at least three layers: 

• an insulating material 
• a woven or braided metal 
• a plastic outer coating     

Fiber-optic cable - consists of thin strands of glass or plastic that use light to transmit signals.  
Infrared - a wireless transmission media that sends signals using infrared light waves.
Broadcast radio - distributes radio signals through the air over long and short distances.
Cellular radio - a form of broadcast radio that is used widely for mobile communications.
Microwaves -  radio waves that provide a high-speed signal transmission.

Communications satellite - a space station that receives microwave signals from an earth-based station, amplifies the signals, and broadcasts the signals back over a wide area.

11. Describe commonly used communications devices: dial-up modems, digital modems, wireless modems, network cards, wireless access points, routers, and hubs and switches.

answer:
        
Dial-up modem converts digital signals to analog signals and analog signals to digital signals so that data can travel along analog telephone lines.  

Digital modem sends and receives data and information to and from a digital line.

ISDN modem transmits digital data to and from an ISDN line, while a DSL modem transmits digital data to and from a DSL line.  

Cable modem, sometimes called a broadband modem, is a digital modem that sends and receives digital data over the cable television network.  

Wireless modem uses the cell phone network to connect to the Internet wirelessly from mobile computers and devices.  

Network card enables a computer or device that does not have built-in networking capability to access a network.  

Wireless access point allows computers and devices to transfer data wirelessly.  

Router connects multiple computers or other routers together and transmits data to its correct destination on the network.  

Hub or switch is a device that provides a central point for cables in a network.

Quiz 6 - Operating Systems and Utility Programs

1.Define system software and identify the two types of system software.

answer: 

System software is computer software designed to operate the computer hardware and to provide a platform for running application software.

Software is generally divided into: systems software applications software
Systems software are programs which help in the running of a computer system. Some examples are.. disc formatting programs operating system compiler
Applications software are programs which perform specific tasks for the user. Some examples are... word processing software graphics package theatre booking software

2.Briefly describe various server operating systems: Windows Server, UNIX,Linux, Solaris, and NetWare.

answer:
   

Windows Server- a brand name for a group of server operating systems released by Microsoft Corporation. All are part of Microsoft Servers. This brand includes the following software:

• Windows Server 2003
• Windows Server 2008
  • Windows HPC Server 2008, an edition designed exclusively for high-performance computing
  • Windows Server 2008 R2, the current release of Windows Server 2008
• Windows Small Business Server, an operating system based on Windows Server with some integrated Microsoft Servers, for small businesses
• Windows Essential Business Server, a product similar to Small Business Server, but for medium-sized businesses
• Windows Home Server, a home server operating system for file sharing and streaming, automated backups, and remote access
  • Windows Home Server 2011, a home server operating system designed for Small Office/Home Office (SOHO)
• Windows MultiPoint Server, a product allowing multiple simultaneous local users.

UNIX- In addition to being a stand-alone operating system, UNIX also is a server operating system.That is, UNIX is capable of handling a high volume of transactions in a multiuser environment and working with multiple processors using multiprocessing. For this reason, some computer professionals call UNIX a multipurpose operating system because it is both a stand-alone and server operating system. Many Web servers use UNIX as their operating system.

Linux- Some network servers use Linux as their operating system. Thus, Linux also is a multipurpose administrator can configure the network, administer security, run a Web server, and process e-mail. Clients on the network can run Linux, UNIX, or Windows. Distributions of Linux include the Mozilla Web browser. operating system. With Linux, a network

Solaris- Solaris, a version of UNIX developed by Sun Microsystems, is a server operating system designed specifically for e-commerce applications. Solaris manages high-traffic accounts and incorporates security necessary for Web transactions. Client computers often use a desktop program, such as GNOME desktop, that communicates with the Solaris operating system.

NetWare- Novell’s NetWare is a server operating system designed for client/server networks. NetWare has a server portion that resides on the network server and a client portion that resides on each client computer connected to the network. NetWare supports open source software and runs on all types of computers from mainframes to personal computers. 

3.Summarize the features of several embedded operating systems: Windows Embedded CE, Windows Mobile, Palm OS, iPhone OS, BlackBerry, Google Android, Embedded Linux, and Symbian OS.

answer:

Microsoft Windows CE (now officially known as Windows Embedded Compact and previously also known as Windows Embedded CE , and sometimes abbreviated WinCE) is an operating system developed by Microsoft for embedded systems. Windows CE is a distinct operating system and kernel, rather than a trimmed-down version of desktop Windows. It is not to be confused with Windows Embedded Standard which is an NT-based componentized version of desktop Microsoft Windows.

Windows Mobile is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft that was used in smartphones and mobile devices, but by 2011 was rarely supplied on new phones. The last version is "Windows Mobile 6.5.5"; it is superseded by Windows Phone 7, which does not run Windows Mobile software. Unlike operating systems for desktop computers, it is usually not possible to upgrade the operating system on a Microsoft based mobile phone via official and legal means, even by a later release of the same basic operating system let alone a different one; hardware replacement is the only way for less popular and older devices.

Palm OS (also known as Garnet OS) is a mobile operating system initially developed by Palm, Inc., for personal digital assistants (PDAs) in 1996. Palm OS is designed for ease of use with a touchscreen-based graphical user interface. It is provided with a suite of basic applications for personal information management. Later versions of the OS have been extended to support smartphones. Several other licensees have manufactured devices powered by Palm OS.

iOS (known as iPhone OS before June 2010) is Apple's mobile operating system. Originally developed for the iPhone, it has since been extended to support other Apple devices such as the iPod touch, iPad and Apple TV. Apple doesn't license iOS for installation on third-party hardware. As of May 31, 2011, Apple's App Store contains more than 500,000 iOS applications, which have collectively been downloaded more than 15 billion times. In the last quarter of 2010, it had a 26% share of the smartphone operating system market in terms of units sold, behind Google's Android and Nokia's Symbian.As of May 2010, it accounted for 59% of mobile web consumption—not including the iPad—in North America.

  

BlackBerry is a line of mobile e-mail and smartphone devices developed and designed by Research In Motion (RIM) since 1999.BlackBerry phones function as a personal digital assistant and portable media player. They are primarily known for their ability to send and receive (push) Internet e-mail wherever mobile network service coverage is present, or through Wi-Fi connectivity. They support a large array of instant messaging features, including BlackBerry Messenger.

 Android is a software stack for mobile devices that includes an operating system, middleware and key applications.Google Inc. purchased the initial developer of the software, Android Inc., in 2005.Android's mobile operating system is based on the Linux kernel. Google and other members of the Open Handset Alliance collaborated on Android's development and release. The Android Open Source Project (AOSP) is tasked with the maintenance and further development of Android. Android was listed as the best-selling Smartphone platform world-wide in Q4 2010 by Canalys.

Embedded Linux is the use of Linux in embedded computer systems such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants, media players, set-top boxes, and other consumer electronics devices, networking equipment, machine control, industrial automation, navigation equipment and medical instruments. According to survey conducted by Venture Development Corporation, Linux was used by 18% of embedded engineers.

Symbian is a mobile operating system (OS) and computing platform designed for smartphones and currently maintained by Nokia. The Symbian platform is the successor to Symbian OS and Nokia Series 60; unlike Symbian OS, which needed an additional user interface system, Symbian includes a user interface component based on S60 5th Edition. The latest version, Symbian^3, was officially released in Q4 2010, first used in the Nokia N8. Symbian OS was originally developed by Symbian Ltd.It is a descendant of Psion's EPOC and runs exclusively on ARM processors, although an unreleased x86 port existed.

 

4.Explain the purpose of several utility programs: file manager, search utility, image viewer, uninstaller, disk cleanup, disk defragmenter, backup and restore utilities, screen saver, personal firewall, antivirus programs, spyware and adware removers, Internet filters, file compression, media player, disc burning, and personal computer maintenance.

 answer:
 

A file manager or file browser is a computer program that provides a user interface to work with file systems. The most common operations performed on files or groups of files are: create, open, edit, view, print, play, rename, move, copy, delete, search/find, and modify attributes, properties and permissions. Files are typically displayed in a hierarchy. Some file managers contain features inspired by web browsers, including forward and back navigational buttons.

Search Utility - Ultra File Search is a Search Utility which is able to find quickly Files, Folders and Text on your Local, Network, DVD, CD-ROM, USB Hard or Flash Drives. Ultra File Search allows you to specify several File Mask and multiple Drives and/or Folders at the same time; it is able to sort out files and folders according to their properties (e.g. Modified Date) and find files which contain one or more specific words or sentences.

An image viewer or image browser is a computer program that can display stored graphical image; it can often handle various graphics file formats. Such software usually renders the image according to properties of the display such as color depth, display resolution, and color profile.

An uninstaller, also called a deinstaller, is a utility software designed to remove other software or parts of it from a computer. It is the opposite of an installer.

Disk Cleanup (cleanmgr.exe) is a computer maintenance utility included in Microsoft Windows designed to free up disk space on a computer's hard drive. The utility first searches and analyzes the hard drive for files that are no longer of any use, and then removes the unnecessary files. 

Defragmentation is the process of locating the noncontiguous fragments of data into which a computer file may be divided as it is stored on a hard disk, and rearranging the fragments and restoring them into fewer fragments or into the whole file. Defragmentation reduces data access time and allows storage to be used more efficiently.

backup or the process of backing up refers to making copies of data so that these additional copies may be used to restore the original after a data loss event.Backups have two distinct purposes. The primary purpose is to recover data as a reaction to data loss, be it by data deletion or corrupted data. Data loss is a very common experience of computer users. 67% of internet users have suffered serious data loss. The secondary purpose of backups is to recover data from a historical period of time within the constraints of a user-defined data retention policy, typically configured within a backup application for how long copies of data are required.

A screensaver is a type of computer program initially designed to prevent phosphor burn-in on CRT and plasma computer monitors by blanking the screen or filling it with moving images or patterns when the computer is not in use. Contemporary screensavers are used primarily for entertainment or security.

A personal firewall is an application which controls network traffic to and from a computer, permitting or denying communications based on a security policy.A personal firewall differs from a conventional firewall in terms of scale. Personal firewalls are typically designed for use by end-users. As a result, a personal firewall will usually protect only the computer on which it is installed.

Antivirus or anti-virus software is used to prevent, detect, and remove malware, including but not limited to computer viruses, computer worm, trojan horses, spyware and adware. This page talks about the software used for the prevention and removal of such threats, rather than computer security implemented by software methods.

Spyware is a type of malware that can be installed on computers, and which collects small pieces of information about users without their knowledge. The presence of spyware is typically hidden from the user, and can be difficult to detect. Typically, spyware is secretly installed on the user's personal computer. Sometimes, however, spywares such as keyloggers are installed by the owner of a shared, corporate, or public computer on purpose in order to secretly monitor other users.

Internet filtering refers to blocking undesirable content on the Internet. It helps you filter and deny access to any unwanted material. The person who sets up the filter provides a system to block certain data. It may include advertising, a virus, sexual content, file transfer, or other offensive material. When a user makes a request for a Web page that has been blocked, the Internet filter keeps the request from being completed. It either blocks it completely or redirects it to another location.

data compression, source coding or bit-rate reduction is the process of encoding information using fewer bits than the original representation would use. Compression is useful because it helps reduce the consumption of expensive resources, such as hard disk space or transmission bandwidth. On the downside, compressed data must be decompressed to be used, and this extra processing may be detrimental to some applications.

Media player can refer to:

• Media player (application software)
• Data storage devices that play media and content:
  • HD media player
  • Mobile Digital Media Player (M-DMP)
  • Portable media player

Optical disc authoring, including DVD and Blu-ray Disc authoring (often referred to colloquially as burning), is the process of assembling source material—video, audio or other data—into the proper logical volume format to then be recorded ("burned") onto an optical disc (typically a compact disc or DVD).

Good PC maintenance involves a number of different jobs, from keeping your keyboard and mouse clean, to cleaning up your hard drive by removing temporary files.The frequency of the maintenance will depend on how often the computer is used. Basic maintenance, such as wiping over the keyboard and the screen should be done as often as possible, at least once a week for computers that are used daily.

Quiz 5 - Storage

1. Differentiate between storage devices and storage media.

 answer:

Storage device refers to the apparatus for recording computer data. Examples are the RAM, floppy drives, ZIP drives, and other disks drives. While, storage media are the materials on which data are written and stored. Examples are the floppy disks, optical discs, hard disks, etc. 

2. Identify the uses of tape, magnetic stripe cards, smart cards, microfilm and microfiche, and enterprise storage.

 answer:

Tape is a magnetically coated ribbon of plastic capable of storing large amounts of data and information at a low cost. A tape drive reads and writes data and information on tape. Business users utilize tape most often for long-term storage and backup. 

A magnetic stripe card is a credit card, entertainment card, bank card, or other similar card with a stripe that contains information identifying you and the card. A magnetic stripe card reader reads the information stored on the stripe. 

A smart card, which is similar in size to a credit or ATM card, stores data on a thin microprocessor embedded in the card. A smart card reader reads the information on the smart card and updates it if necessary. 

Microfilm is a 100- to 215-foot roll of film. Microfiche is a small sheet of film, usually about 4 X 6 inches. Microfilm and microfiche reduce the amount of paper firms must handle, are inexpensive, and have the longest life of any storage media. Enterprises use computers, servers, and networks to manage and store huge volumes of data and information. In an enterprise, some storage systems can provide more than 185 TB of storage, and optical disc servers hold hundreds of optical discs. 

3. Describe the various types of flash memory storage: solid state drives, memory cards, USB flash drives, and ExpressCard modules.


 answer:

A solid state drive (SSD) typically uses flash memory to store data, instructions, and information. 

A memory card is a removable flash memory device that you insert and remove from a slot in a computer, mobile device, or card reader/writer. Common memory cards include CompactFlash (CF), Secure Digital (SD), Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC), microSD, microSDHC, xD Picture Card, Memory Stick, and Memory Stick Micro (M2). 

A USB flash drive, sometimes called a thumb drive, is a flash memory storage device that plugs in a port on a computer or mobile device. 

An ExpressCard module is a removable device that fits in an ExpressCard slot. ExpressCard modules can add memory, storage, communications, or other capabilities to a computer.

4. Differentiate among various types of optical discs: CDs, archive discs and Picture CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray Discs.


 answer:

A CD-ROM, or compact disc read-only memory, is a type of optical disc that  uses laser technology to store items. Users can read the contents of standard CD-ROMs but cannot erase or modify their contents. A CD-R (compact discrecordable) is a multisession disc on which users can record their own items, such as text, graphics, and  audio. Each part of a CD-R can be written on only one time, and the disc's contents cannot be erased. 

A CD-RW (compact discrewritable) is an erasable disc that can be written on multiple times. An archive disc stores photos from an online photo center in the jpg file format. 

A Picture CD is a single-session CD-ROM that stores digital versions of film using the jpg format at a lower resolution than an archive disc. A DVD-ROM (digital versatile disc-read-only memory or digital video disc-read-only memory) is a high capacity optical disc that you can read but not write on or erase. 

A newer, more expensive DVD format is Blu-ray Disc-ROM (BD-ROM), with higher capacity and better quality than standard DVDs. 

Many types of recordable and rewritable DVD formats are available. DVD-R and DVD+R are DVD-recordable formats. 

BD-R is a high-capacity DVD-recordable format. DVD-RW, DVD+RW, and DVD+RAM are rewritable DVD formats that allow users to erase and record multiple times. BD-RE is a high-capacity rewritable DVD format.

5. Summarize the characteristics of ink-jet printers, photo printers, laser printers, multifunction peripherals, thermal printers, mobile printers, label and postage printers, and plotters and large-format printers


 answer:

An ink-jet printer is a type of nonimpact printer that forms characters and graphics by spraying tiny drops of liquid ink onto a piece of paper. One factor that influences the quality of an ink-jet printer is its resolution.

Printer resolution is measured by the number of dots per inch (dpi) a printer can print. 

A photo printer is a color printer that produces photolab-quality pictures. 

A laser printer is a high-speed, high-quality nonimpact printer that operates in a manner similar to a copy machine, creating images using a laser beam and powdered ink, called toner. Laser printers usually print at faster speeds than inkjet printers. 

A multifunction peripheral (MFP), or all-in-one device, is a single device that looks like a 

printer  or a copy machine but provides the functionality of a printer, scanner, copy machine, and perhaps a fax machine. Some MFPs use color ink-jet printer technology; others include a black-and-white or color laser printer. The primary disadvantage of these devices is that if the device breaks down, you lose all four functions. 

A thermal printer generates images by pushing electrically heated pins against heat-sensitive paper. They are inexpensive, but the print quality is low and the images tend to fade over time. 

A mobile printer is a small, lightweight, battery-powered printer that allows a mobile user to print from a notebook computer or other mobile device. 

A label printer is a small printer that prints on an adhesive-type material that can be placed on a variety of items. Most label printers also print bar codes. 

A postage printer is a special type of label printer that has a built-in scale and prints postage stamps.

Quiz 4 Internet/Web/Ebooks/Documents

In your Google email account try to browse Google books and add to your library.

example: Accounting Technology, Input Devices, Output Devices.


Create also a word processing, presentation, and spreed sheets applications in Google documents.

QUIZ 3

1. Describe the four categories of output.
2. The characteristics of LCD monitors, LCD screens, plasma monitors, and HDTVs.
3. What are the components inside the systems units.
4. The components of a processor and how they complete a machine cycle.
5. Define a bit and describe how a series of bits represents data.
6. Identify the categories of application software.
7. Identify the key features of widely used business programs.
8. What are the advantages of using application software on the Web.
9. History of the Internet.
10. What are different storage devices.

ANSWERS:

1.  The Four types of output are text, graphics, audio, and video.

• Text : consists of characters (letters, numbers, punctuation marks, or any other symbol requiring one byte of computer storage space) that are used to create words, sentences, and paragraphs.
• Graphics : are digital representations of nontext information such as drawings, charts, photographs, and animation (a series of still images in rapid sequence that gives the illusion of motion).
• Audio :  is music, speech, or any other sound.
•  Video : consists of images played back at speeds to provide the appearance of full motion. 

2.  Characteristics of LCD monitors, LCD screens, plasma monitors, and HDTVs

•  LCD monitors
  • Uses liquid crystal display  
  • Have a small footprint 
  • Mobile devices that contain LCD displays include:  Notebook computer, Tablet PC, PDA, and Smart Phone 
   
• LCD screens
  ·         Produces very bright images due to high peak intensity. Very suitable for environments that are brightly lit.
  ·         Produce considerably lower electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields than CRTs.
  ·         No geometric distortion at the native resolution. Minor distortion can occur for other resolutions.
  ·         Energy efficient. Consume less than 1/3 the power of a comparable CRT. Consume less electricity than a CRT and produce little heat.
  ·         Take up about 40% less desk space. LCDs are thin and compact.
  ·         Completely flat screen.
  ·         At the native resolution, the image is perfectly sharp. Adjustments are required at all other resolutions which can result in measurable degradation to the image.
  
  3. What are the components inside the systems units.
  

   

  System unit components include the processor, memory module, cards, ports, and connectors. Many of the system unit’s components reside on a circuit board called the motherboard. The motherboard contains many different types of chips, or small pieces of semiconducting material, on which one or more integrated circuits (IC) are etched. An integrated circuit is a microscopic pathway capable of carrying electronic current. Each IC can contain millions of transistors, which act as switches for electronic signals.
  Processor
  

  ·          Memory module

  ·          Expansion cards

  o       Sound card

  o       Modem card

  o       Video card

  o       Network interface card

  ·          Ports and Connectors

  
  4. The components of a processor and how they complete a machine cycle.

  
  Machine Cycle
  ·          Four operations of the CPU comprise a machine cycle

  ·          Also called instruction cycle

  • Instruction time (i-time) - time taken to fetch and decode
  • Execution time (e-time) - time taken to execute and store

  
  5. Define a bit and describe how a series of bits represents data.

  
  A bit (a contraction of binary digit) is the basic unit of information in computing and telecommunications; it is the amount of information stored by a digital device or other physical system that exists in one of two possible distinct states.

  
  

  6. Identify the categories of application software.

  Different Types of Application Software
  
  
  Word Processing Software: This software enables the users to create and edit documents. The most popular examples of this type of software are MS-Word, WordPad, Notepad and some other text editors.
  
  
  Database Software: Database is a structured collection of data. A computer database relies on database software to organize the data and enable the database users to achieve database operations. Database software allows the users to store and retrieve data from databases. Examples are Oracle, MSAccess, etc.
  
  
  Spreadsheet Software: Excel, Lotus 1-2-3 and Apple Numbers are some examples of spreadsheet software. Spreadsheet software allows users to perform calculations. They simulate paper worksheets by displaying multiple cells that make up a grid.
  
  
  Multimedia Software: They allow the users to create and play audio and video media. They are capable of playing media files. Audio converters, players, burners, video encoders and decoders are some forms of multimedia software. Examples of this type of software include Real Player and Media Player.
  
  
  Presentation Software: The software that is used to display information in the form of a slide show is known as presentation software. This type of software includes three functions, namely, editing that allows insertion and formatting of text, methods to include graphics in the text and a functionality of executing the slide shows. Microsoft PowerPoint is the best example of presentation software.
  
  
  7. Identify the key features of widely used business programs. 

   

  Word processing software allows users to create and manipulate documents that contain text and graphics. With word processing software, you can insert clip art into a document; change margins; find and replace text; use a spelling checker to check spelling; place a header and footer at the top and the bottom of a page; and vary font (character design), font size (character scale), and font style (character appearance).

  With spreadsheet software, data is organized in rows and columns, which collectively are called a worksheet. The intersection of a row and column, called a cell, can contain a label (text), a value (number), or a formula or function that performs calculations on the data and displays the result.

  Database software allows you to create and manage a database. A database is a collection of data organized to allow access, retrieval, and use of that data. A query is used to retrieve data according to specified criteria, which are restrictions the data must meet.

  Presentation graphics software is used to create presentations that communicate ideas, messages, and other information to a group through a slide show. You can use a clip gallery to enhance your presentation with clip art images, pictures, video clips, and audio clips.

  A personal information manager (PIM) is software that includes an appointment calendar to schedule activities, an address book to maintain names and addresses, and a notepad to record ideas, reminders, and important information. A software suite is a collection of individual applications sold as a single package.

  Project management software allows you to plan, schedule, track, and analyze the progress of a project. Accounting software helps companies record and report their financial transactions.

  Power users often use software that allows them to work with graphics and multimedia. Computer-aided design (CAD) software assists in creating engineering, architectural, and scientific designs. Desktop publishing (DTP) software is used to design and produce sophisticated documents. DTP is developed specifically to support page layout, which is the process of arranging text and graphics in a document. Paint software is used to draw graphical images with various on-screen tools. Image editing software provides the capability to modify existing images. Video editing software and audio editing software can be used to modify video and audio segments.

  Multimedia authoring software is used to create electronic interactive presentations that can include text, images, video, audio, and animation. Web page authoring software is designed to create Web pages and to organize, manage, and maintain Web sites.

  Many software applications are designed specifically for use at home or for personal or educational use. Integrated software combines several productivity software applications that share a similar interface and common features into a single package. Personal finance software is an accounting program that helps pay bills, balance a checkbook, track income and expenses, follow investments, and evaluate financial plans. Legal software assists in the creation of legal documents and provides legal advice. Tax preparation software guides users through the process of filing federal taxes. Personal DTP software helps develop conventional documents by asking questions, presenting predefined layouts, and supplying standard text.

  Photo-editing software is used to edit digital photographs. A clip art/image gallery is a collection of clip art and photographs that can be used in all types of documents. Home design/landscaping software assists with planning or remodeling. Educational software teaches a particular skill and exists for about any subject. Reference software provides valuable and thorough information for all individuals. Entertainment software includes interactive games, videos, and other programs designed to support a hobby or provide amusement. 

   

  One of the main reasons people use computers is to communicate and share information. E-mail software is used to create, send, receive, forward, store, print, and delete e-mail (electronic mail). A Web browser is a software application used to access and view Web pages. A chat client is software that allows you to connect to a chat room, which permits users to chat via the computer. A newsreader is a software program used to participate in a newsgroup, which is an online area on the Web where users conduct written discussion about a particular subject. An instant messenger is a software program installed to use instant messaging (IM), a real-time communications service that notifies you when one or more people are online and then allows you to exchange messages or files. Groupware is a software application that helps groups of people on a network work together and share information. A videoconference is a meeting between two or more geographically separated people who use a network or the Internet to transmit audio and video data. 

   

  8. What are the advantages of using application software on the Web.
  

  Advantages of Web Applications

  ·         No special configurations of changes are need on user’s PCs.

  ·         Lower costs

  ·         Centralized data is secure and easy to backup.

  ·         Updates can be made quickly and easily.

  ·         Information is accessible to a wide audience anywhere in the world.

  ·         Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

  ·         Everybody has a browser – familiar interface encourages use.

  ·         Online training can be completed at user’s own time and pace.

  ·         Always up-to-date.

  
  

  
  

  9. History of the Internet.

  The History of the Internet We can trace the internet back to the early days of computer networking in the late 1960s.  In July 1968, the US Department of Defense, Advanced Research Project Agency (ARPA) issued a proposal requesting the development of protocols to link four sites: Stanford Research Institute, University of California at Los Angeles, University of California at Santa Barbara and University of Utah.
  
  They were connected in the autumn of 1969, and the network was called the ARPAnet.  Limited facilities were available, but users could perform remote login, that is a user of the University of Los Angeles could log into the computer at the University of Utah, and could transfer files between the systems.
  
  By 1981, 200 sites were connected together via the ARPAnet which was composed of many incompatible networks using different types of technology.  The problems of enabling the communication between users of different types of technology were partially overcome by the specification of the communications protocols, TCP and IP.
  
  By the mid 1980s all US and many worldwide inter-university networks were all using TCP/IP protocols to communicate.  As the use of the internet grew, some businesses began to realize that it was a highly exploitable resource.  Never before, there had been a medium with the capacity to reach so many people across such a wide geographical area in such a short space of time.
  
  This has been increased by the influence of the World Wide Web, a mechanism for publishing information and offering electronic services for anyone with access to the internet.  The World Wide Web was first implemented during 1992 when there were 50 web servers.  By the end of 1993 there were 700 servers on the web and at the turn of the millennium the numbers involved are so enormous, that no-one is prepared to estimate exactly how many web servers exist, or at what rate they are increasing. 

   

  10. What are different storage devices.

  
  A floppy disk is a portable, inexpensive storage medium that consists of a thin, circular, flexible plastic disk with a magnetic coating enclosed in a square-shaped plastic shell. 
  
  A hard disk, or hard disk drive, consists of several inflexible, circular platters that store items electronically.
  
  A compact disc (CD) is a flat, round, portable metal storage medium that usually is 4.75 inches in diameter and less than one-twentieth of an inch thick. 
  
  Tape, one of the first storage media used with mainframe computers, is a magnetically-coated ribbon of plastic capable of storing large amounts of data and information at low cost. 
  
  A PC Card is a thin, credit card-sized device that fits into a PC Card slot on a notebook or personal computer. PC Cards are used to add storage, memory, communications, and sound capabilities. 
  
  

  Microfilm and microfiche store microscopic images of documents on roll or sheet film. Microfilm uses a 100- to 215-foot roll of film. Microfiche uses a small sheet of film, usually about four inches by six inches. Libraries and large organizations use microfilm and microfiche to archive relatively inactive documents and files.