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.
   
  

Quiz 2: COMPED 321

QUESTIONS:

1. Describe various types of pen input, and identify other types of input for smart phones.

2. The purpose of various game controllers: gamepads, joysticksand wheels, light guns, dance pads, and motion-sensing game controllers.

3. Explain how resolution affects the quality of a picture captured on a digital camera.

 

4. Describe the uses of voice recognition, Web cams, and video conferencing. 
 
5. Discuss how various scanners and reading devices work: optical scanners, optical readers, bar code readers, RFID readers, magnetic stripe card readers, MICR readers, and data collection devices.
 
6. Summarize the various biometric devices: fingerprint reader, face recognition system, hand geometry system, voice verification system, signature verification system, and iris recognition system.

My Day!

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CompEd 321L IT Concepts and SAD

1. Define input and differentiate among a program, command, and user response.  

1. Input is any data or instructions you enter into the memory of a computer.  Once input is in memory, the CPU can access it and process the input into output. A device that feeds data into a computer, such as a keyboard or mouse, is called an input device. Four types of input are data, programs, commands, and user responses:

• Data is a collection of unorganized facts that can include words, numbers, pictures, sounds, and videos.  A computer manipulates and process data into information, which is useful.  

• A program is a series of instructions that tells a computer how to perform the tasks necessary to process data into information.  Programs are kept on storage media such as a floppy disk, hard disk, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM. Programs respond to commands issued by a user.

• A command is an instruction given to a computer program.  Typing keywords or pressing special keys on the keyboard can issue commands.  A keyword is a specific word, phrase, or code that a program understands as an instruction.

•  A user response is an instruction you issue to the computer by replying to a question posed by a computer program, such as do you want to save the change you made? Based on your response, the program performs certain actions.  

Today, most programs have a graphical user interface that use icons, buttons, and other graphical objects to issue commands.  Of all of these methods, a graphical user interface is the user-friendliest way to issue commands.

2. Identify the keys and buttons commonly found on desktop computer keyboards, and describe how keyboards for mobile computers and devices differ from desktop computer keyboards.

In computing, a keyboard is a typewriter-style keyboard, which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys, to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches. Following the decline of punch cards and paper tape, interaction via teletype-style keyboards became the main input device for computers.  

      The Computer Key Board 

Key types: 

Alphanumeric

    Alphabetical, numeric, and punctuation keys are used in the same fashion as a typewriter keyboard to enter their respective symbol into a word processing program, text editor, data spreadsheet, or other program.

    The alphabetic characters become uppercase when the shift key or Caps Lock key is depressed. The numeric characters become symbols or punctuation marks when the shift key is depressed. 

    Space Bar - a horizontal bar in the lowermost row, which is significantly wider than other keys. Like the alphanumeric characters, it is also descended from the mechanical typewriter. Its main purpose is to enter the space between words during typing.

  
Modifiers

    Modifier Key are special keys that modify the normal action of another key, when the two are pressed in combination. For example, <Alt> + <F4> in Microsoft Windows will close the program in an active window. By themselves, modifier keys usually do nothing.

    The most widely-used modifier keys: Control key, Shift key and the Alt Key . 

 

   The Enter/Return key typically causes a command line, window form or dialog box to operate its default function, which is typically to finish an "entry" and begin the desired process. In word processing applications, pressing the enter key ends a paragraph and starts a new one.

Navigation and typing modes

Navigation keys include a variety of keys which move the cursor to different positions on the screen. 

Arrow Keys- are programmed to move the cursor in a specified direction; page scroll keys, such as the Page Up and Page Down keys.

Home Key- is used to return the cursor to the beginning of the line where the cursor is located.

End Key- puts the cursor at the end of the line.

Tab Key- advances the cursor to the next tab stop.

Insert key - mainly used to switch between overtype mode, in which the cursor overwrites any text that is present on and after its current location, and insert mode, where the cursor inserts a character at its current position, forcing all characters past it one position further. 

Delete key- discards the character ahead of the cursor's position, moving all following characters one position "back" towards the freed place.

Backspace key deletes the preceding character.

Lock keys lock part of a keyboard, depending on the settings selected. The lock keys are scattered around the keyboard. Most styles of keyboards have three LEDs indicating which locks are enabled, in the upper right corner above the numpad. The lock keys include Scroll lock, Num lock (which allows the use of the numeric keypad), and Caps lock.

System commands

The SysRq / Print screen commands often share the same key. SysRq was used in earlier computers as a "panic" button to recover from crashes.

Print screen command - used to capture the entire screen and send it to the printer, but in the present it usually puts a screenshot in the clipboard.

Break key/Pause key- no longer has a well-defined purpose. Its origins go back to teletype users, who wanted a key that would temporarily interrupt the communications line.

In programming, especially old DOS-style BASIC, Pascal and C, Break is used (in conjunction with Ctrl) to stop program execution. In addition to this, Linux and variants, as well as many DOS programs, treat this combination the same as Ctrl+C. On modern keyboards, the break key is usually labeled Pause/Break. In most Windows environments, the key combination Windows key+Pause brings up the system properties.

Escape key- (often abbreviated Esc) is used to initiate an escape sequence. As most computer users no longer are concerned with the details of controlling their computer's peripherals, the task for which the escape sequences were originally designed, the escape key was appropriated by application programmers, most often to "escape" or back out of a mistaken command. This use continues today in Microsoft Windows's use of escape as a shortcut in dialog boxes for No, Quit, Exit, Cancel, or Abort.

Menu key or Application key - a key found on Windows-oriented computer keyboards. It is used to launch a context menu with the keyboard rather than with the usual right mouse button.

Mobile computing has three aspects: mobile communication, mobile hardware, and mobile software. The first aspect addresses communication issues in ad-hoc and infrastructure networks as well as communication properties, protocols, data formats and concrete technologies. The second aspect is on the hardware, e.g., mobile devices or device components. The third aspect deals with the characteristics and requirements of mobile applications.

A mobile device (also known as a handheld device, handheld computer or simply handheld) is a pocket-sized computing device, typically having a display screen with touch input and/or a miniature keyboard. In the case of the personal digital assistant (PDA) the input and output are often combined into a touch-screen interface. Smartphones and PDAs are popular amongst those who require the assistance and convenience of certain aspects of a conventional computer, in environments where carrying one would not be practical.

There are a number of different arrangements of alphabetic, numeric, and punctuation symbols on keys. These different keyboard layouts arise mainly because different people need easy access to different symbols, either because they are inputting text in different languages, or because they need a specialized layout for mathematics, accounting, computer programming, or other purposes.

3. Describe different mouse types and explain how to use a mouse.

A mouse is a pointing device used to interact with a PC, there are a few different types of mouse available.

• Serial Mouse - This is a mouse with a serial connector, it requires a free serial port on your PC.
• USB Mouse - This type of mouse has a USB connector and requires a free USB port.
• Cordless Mouse - A cordless mouse (as the name suggests) has no cable, this type of mouse utilises batteries for its power supply.
• Optical Mouse - An optical mouse utilises optical electronics to track the mouse's position and movement, they are preferred over standard mechanical mice as they tend to be more reliable and require less maintenance.

1. Connect the mouse.
2. Hold the mouse correctly.
3. To click, press the button (usually the left one, when there are two) and promptly release it.
4. To double click (for opening applications, documents or folders), you must click (the left button) twice in rapid succession 
5. To drag files, press and hold the (left) button, then move the mouse without letting the button go until the file is where you want it to be.

4. Describe various types of touch screens and explain how a touch-sensitive pad works.

Resistive touchscreens are the most widely used touch screens in mobile phones.
Capacitive touchscreens are basically of two types- one that can recognize multiple touches simultaneously and the other which cannot.

Infrared touchscreens are the most expensive of the all the three mentioned here. It doesn’t require physical force, just a gentle touch is enough.

First, it enables one to interact directly with what is displayed, rather than indirectly with a pointer controlled by a mouse or touchpad. Secondly, it lets one do so without requiring any intermediate device that would need to be held in the hand. Such displays can be attached to computers, or to networks as terminals. 

The mouse pad is touch sensitive and has coordinates (like a street map that has an index to find a street). It produces events and transmits coordinates for those events. A driver is installed in the operating system that translates events and coordinates into actions in the operating system. It is totally up to the driver as to what actions are performed for events. There are however some generally accepted event / action. For example, contact with the pad at any coordinate for far less than a second followed by no contact with the pad followed again by contact witht he pad at any coordinate for far less than a second is translated to a double click. Touching the pad at a coordinate and moving to another coordinate is considered to be a mouse movement. How far to move the mouse and the direction to move the mouse is up to the driver

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