First Term Break Assessment

Q1. A computer system is made up of a hardware and software. What is meant by
a) hardware;
A computer and the associated physical equipment directly involved in the performance of data-processing or communications functions. Examples are

b) software;
Instructions for the computer. A series of instructions that performs a particular task is called a "program." The two major categories of software are "system software" and "application software." System software is made up of control programs such as the operating system and database management system (DBMS). Application software is any program that processes data for the user (inventory, payroll, spreadsheet, word processor, etc.)

Q2. Give an example of
a) an input device
A computer keyboard is a peripheral partially modeled after the typewriter keyboard. Keyboards are designed for the input of text and characters and also to control the operation of a computer.

b) an output device
A speaker is a device that converts analog audio signals into the equivalent air vibrations in order to make audible sound. A pair of speakers plugs into the computer's sound card, and their cases are shielded so that they can be placed near CRTs without causing magnetic interference.

c) a storage device
A pen drive is a flash memory card that plugs into the computer's USB port. It emulates a small disk drive and allows data to be easily transferred from one machine to another.

Q3. What is the function of the following components?
a) processor;
A program that interprets computer program instructions and processes data.

b) main memory
It determines the size and number of programs that can be run at the same time, as well as the amount of data that can be processed instantly.

c) secondary storage.
It is used to store data that is not in active use. Secondary storage is usually slower than primary storage or internal memory, but also almost always has higher storage capacity and is non-volatile which makes it perfect for the preservation of stored information in an event of power loss.

Q4. The table below contains names of several computer system components. For each component, indicate whether it is hardware or software by ticking in the correct column of the table:

Exercise 2.1

Describe THREE purposes of 'Operating System'

1) Operating systems offer a number of services to application programs and users. Applications access these services through application programming interfaces (APIs) or system calls. By invoking these interfaces, the application can request a service from the operating system, pass parameters, and receive the results of the operation. Users may also interact with the operating system by typing commands or using a graphical user interface (GUI, commonly pronounced “gooey”). For hand-held and desktop computers, the GUI is generally considered part of the operating system. For large multiuser systems, the GUI is generally implemented as an application program that runs outside the operating system.

2) The main memory of a computer (referred to as random access memory, or RAM) is a finite resource. The operating system is responsible for sharing the memory among the currently running processes. When a user initiates an application, the operating system decides where to place it in memory and may allocate additional memory to the application if it requests it. The operating system may use capabilities in the hardware to prevent one application from overwriting the memory of another. This provides security and prevents applications from interfering with one another.

3) Operating systems provide security by preventing unauthorized access to the computer's resources. Many operating systems also prevent users of a computer from accidentally or intentionally interfering with each other. The security policies that an operating system enforces range from none in the case of a video game console, to simple password protection for hand-held and desktop computers, to very elaborate schemes for use in high-security environments.

Exercise 1.2

Give two examples with its purposes of the following types of the following categories of software.

i) General purpose applications software

Microsoft Word - A word processor is a computer application used for the production (including composition, editing, formatting, and possibly printing) of any sort of printable material.

Microsoft Powerpoint - Being widely used by businesspeople, educators, and trainers, it is among the most prevalent forms of persuasion technology. It creates and edit presentations for slide show, meetings, and web pages.

ii) Special purpose applications software

Software used in hospital - This is used to store and find patient's information, patient's medical records and also the patient's family background. It can also be used to record the date of birth's, the number of accidents, the number of doctors, the number of deaths, the date the patient is released.

Software used in police headquarters - This is used to store and find criminal's profile, criminal's records, etc. It can also be used to store civilians information so that it can help the police in certain investigation.

iii) Programming languages, compilers and interpreters

C++ - The most popular languages for developing modern Windows oriented applications are C and C++. C is a language which was developed to provide sufficient generality to allow the development of any conceivable program, including specifically Operating Systems.

Javascript - It was developed by Netscape who suggest that it be used as a scripting language, but the structure and design of the languages makes it quite suitable for larger-scale application for development as well. Javascript is often used to create dynamic HTML pages that accept user input, and store data perhaps using a relational database.

iv) Operating systems

MS-DOS - The acronym for Microsoft Disk Operating System, is an operating system with a command-line interface used on personal computers. As with other operating systems such as OS/2, it translates keyboard input by the user into operations the computer can perform, it also oversees operations such as disk input and output, video support, keyboard control, and many internal functions related to program execution and file maintenance.

Windows 2000 Professional - It is designed to appeal to small business and professional users as well as to the more technical and larger business market for which the NT was designed. Windows 2000 Professional, aimed at individuals and businesses of all sizes. It will include security and mobile use enhancements. It will be the most economical choice.

v) Utility programs

Disk Cleanup - It helps free up space on your hard drive. Disk Cleanup searches your drive, and then shows you temporary files, Internet cache files, and unnecessary program files that you can safely delete. You can direct Disk Cleanup to delete some or all of those files.

Backup - The Backup utility helps you create a copy of the information on your hard disk. In the event that the original data on your hard disk is accidentally erased or overwritten, or becomes inaccessible because of a hard disk malfunction, you can use the copy to restore your lost or damaged data.

Exercise 1.1

Describe three types of hardware and their uses.

1) Floppy disk is a data storage device that is composed of a disk of thin, flexible ("floppy") magnetic storage medium encased in a square or rectangular plastic shell. Floppy disks are read and written by a floppy disk drive or FDD, the latter initialize not to be confused with "fixed disk drive", which is an old IBM term for a hard disk drive.

2) A computer printer, or more commonly just printer, is a device that produces a hard copy (permanent human-readable text and/or graphics) of documents stored in electronic form, usually on physical print media such as paper or transparencies. Many printers are primarily used as computer peripherals, and are permanently attached by a printer cable to a computer which serves as a document source.

3)A computer keyboard is a peripheral partially modeled after the typewriter keyboard. Keyboards are designed for the input of text and characters and also to control the operation of a computer. Physically, computer keyboards are an arrangement of rectangular or near-rectangular buttons, or "keys". Keyboards typically have characters engraved or printed on the keys; in most cases, each press of a key corresponds to a single written symbol. However, to produce some symbols requires pressing and holding several keys simultaneously or in sequence; other keys do not produce any symbol, but instead affect the operation of the computer or the keyboard itself. Roughly 50% of all keyboard keys produce letters, numbers or signs (characters). Other keys can produce actions when pressed, and other actions are available by the simultaneous pressing of more than one action key.