quiz3

1. Describe the four categories of output.

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


2. The characteristics of LCD monitors, LCD screens, plasma monitors, and HDTVs.

     >LCD monitor

    >HDTV(high-definition television) 

                -The most advance forms of digital tv.

3. What are the components inside the systems units.

        Motherboard: The main circuit board in system unit is called the motherboard, it contains adaptor cards processor and memory chips. The mother can also be called the system board.

         Chip: A chip is a small semi-conducting material where intergrated circuits can be etched. Integrated circuits have many microscopic pathways capable of carrying electric current. Chips are packed in a certain way so they can be connected to a circiut board. 

         Central processing unit (CPU): The CPU carries and interprets basic instructions that can operate a computer. The control unit coordinates operations in a computer. The Arithmetic logic unit (ALU) does arithmetic, comparison and logical operations. This can also be known as the processor.

        Machine cycle: The machine cycle is the name of the four operations of the CPU. The first step is to 'fetch' the program instuction/data from the memory. The second step is to 'decode', which means translate the instruction into instructions. Step three is to 'execute', carry out the instruction. Finally step four is to 'store', write the result back to memory.

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

         Control unit -- responsible for supervising the operation of the entire computer system.

   
         Arithmetic/logic unit (ALU) -- provides the computer with logical and computational capabilities.


         Register -- a storage location inside the processor.

         Each time the CPU executes an instruction, it takes a series of steps. The complete series of steps is called a machine cycle. A machine cycle can be divided into two smaller cycles. These are instruction cycle and execution cycle.

Instruction cycle: In instruction cycle CPU takes two steps--

1. Fetching: Before the CPU can execute an instruction, the control unit must retrieve or fetch a command or data from the computer's memory.

2. Decoding: Before a command can be executed, the control unit must decode the command into instruction set.

Execution cycle: In execution cycle CPU also takes two steps--

1. Executing: When the command is executed, the CPU carried out the instructions in order by converting them into macrocode.

2. Storing: The CPU may be required to store the result of an instruction in memory.

5. Define a bit and describe how a series of bits represents data.        Bits are central to computers. All information in a computer is represented as bits.  Bits are also fundamental to how programs make decisions and how arithmetic is approximated in a computer.
6. Identify the categories 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.

     The Key Features in Business programs in terms of software is editting and typing and other stuff knowing what letters to use like formating.

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

Advantages:

	No special configuration or changes are need on user's PCs.
	Lower costs.
	Centralised 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 starts in the 1950s and 1960s with the development of computers. This began with point-to-point communication between mainframe computers and terminals, expanded to point-to-point connections between computers and then early research into packet switching. Packet switched networks such as ARPANET, Mark I at NPL in the UK, CYCLADES, Merit Network, Tymnet, and Telenet, were developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s using a variety of protocols. The ARPANET in particular led to the development of protocols for internetworking, where multiple separate networks could be joined together into a network of networks.

     In 1982 the Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP) was standardized and the concept of a world-wide network of fully interconnected TCP/IP networks called the Internet was introduced. Access to the ARPANET was expanded in 1981 when the National Science Foundation (NSF) developed the Computer Science Network (CSNET) and again in 1986 when NSFNET provided access to supercomputer sites in the United States from research and education organizations. The ARPANET was decommissioned in 1990. Commercial internet service providers (ISPs) began to emerge in the late 1980s and 1990s and the Internet was commercialized in 1995 when NSFNET was decommissioned, removing the last restrictions on the use of the Internet to carry commercial traffic.

    

     Since the mid-1990s the Internet has had a drastic impact on culture and commerce, including the rise of near instant communication by electronic mail, instant messaging, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) "phone calls", two-wa interactive video calls, and the World Wide Web with its discussion forums, blogs, social networking, and online shopping sites. The research and education community continues to use advanced networks such as NSF's very high speed Backbone Network Service (vBNS) and Internet2. Increasing amounts of data are transmitted at higher and higher speeds over fiber optic networks operating at 1-Gbit/s, 10-Gbit/s, or more. The Internet continues to grow, driven by ever greater amounts of online information and knowledge, commerce, entertainment and social networking.

10. What are diferent storage devices.

 

Flash Drives

• Also known as thumb drives (because of their size) or USB drives (because of the port they connect to), flash drives are the premiere way to store data in a compact and portable fashion. Flash drives range in data capacity from 64 megabytes of 64 gigabytes.

External Hard Drives

• External hard drives are exactly like the hard drive on any computer, except they are outside of your computer. They usually connect through a USB port (similar to flash drives), are designed either for desktops or laptops and have a storage capacity of up to 700 gigabytes.

Smart Cards

• Smart cards are also known as memory cards. The usage and types of smart cards have evolved over the years from primary usage in laptops to cell phones and Personal Digital Assistants (PDA's).

Online Storage

• Also called 'remote backup', online storage sites allow you to store information on their servers. A list of online storage sites are provided in the 'resources' list.

Re-writable CD's

• These are devices that look exactly like a CD, except you can store information on them. They are often used to store music, text files, photos, and other data.

    >Plasma monitor