Monday 24 December 2012

Tongue in Cheek Quiz on Internet Knowledge

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  1. HTML is . . . a computer software package
     a programming language
     the British CIA in Indonesia
     a surly mixed guava cocktail
     what I get from my mother's cooking
  2. You take care of your computer by: watering it often
     beating it regularly
     letting it snort heroin
     not letting it smoke
     singing to it
  3. The higher your modem speed, the faster . . . your eyeballs will fry
     you will get cancer
     scary men will find you
     your phone will ring
     information arrives at your doorstep
  4. Computers make fine: weapons
     chewing gum
     sexual toys
     jewelry
     punching bags
  5. Respiration is: something only the new PowerMacs can perform
     overrated
     the coupling of two Great Turtles
     Newt Gingrich's cologne
     why plants are green
  6. The Internet is also known as: breakfast
     the Information Superhighway
     my mother
     the West Coast's I-95
     home
  7. DPI refers to: Data Process Information
     Data Protocol Integration
     Denny's Pork Ice-cream
     Dots Per Inch
     Diptheria
  8. A typical thing that your boyfriend/girlfriend would say to you is: (having said boy/girl-friend my be considered hypothetically if necessary) who are you?
     remember that thing with the Marachino Cherries? Well I can do it upside-down now. So, what's with the computer?
     have you eaten all of your broccoli today?
     start runnin', or I'm going to fire!
     I just love what you do with your PC!
  9. The easiest way to jumpstart a computer is: with caffeine
     with my breath
     a good pick-up line
     by using the power button
     through The Force
  10. DOOM is best described as: 666
     a bloodthirsty PC slaughterfest
     the militia-man's bible
     a waste of time
     the nickname of my Chevy Nova
  11. Ethically, I find recent laboratory experiments combining Bill Gates DNA with silicon microchips to be: hobbleygobbleygook
     dispicable; God will punish the offspring by making them in the image of Beavis and Butthead, and you can quote me on that!
     Huh?
     No problem at all. Hell, I want one!
     on par with the Oprah Windrey Show
  12. This survey: was not as exciting as my computer lab
     is the worst thing since processed cheese
     has allowed me to get in touch with my feminine nature.
     was written by a twisted little freak
     held my attention as long as my last s.o


Telecommunications Terminology

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channel medium through which information travels
receiver person or device that recieves information
source person or device that sends information
telecommunications transmissin of info. from one location to another by electronic means
BBS bulletin board system for posting messages
online directly connected to the CPU
modem device used to connect computer to telephone line
baud the speed of a communications channel
email electronic mail
password way to limit access to computer info.
ATM automated teller machine for banking transactions
EFT electronic funds transfer
Boolean search criteria where two or more conditions must be true for successful search
keywords words using in programming that instruct the computer to perform a function 
virus program designed to attach itself to other programs; it can damage data files and cause system failures
hacking persistent efforts to use a computer to gain illegal or unauthorized entry to another computer system
phonefraud illegal use of telephones or lines to avoid charges
satellite earth-orbiting man-made object off of which telecommunicatin signals and computer data are bounced
network system of linked computers and other devices that allows computers to share and exchange info.
SIG Special Interest Group--group of people with common interests who share info. about their interests on a BBS
SYSOP Systems Operator; manages BBS
piracy duplication & distribution of copyrighted software
vandalism damage & destroy computer records, information, or network

Internet Terminology

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Internet computers connected throughout the world
server manages and delivers info. for client computer
PSP Public Service Provider
WWW World Wide Web
Browser software that allows user to access & View web pages
Netscape popular graphical browser
homepage first web page viewed
URL Uniform Resource Locator
HTML HyperText Markup Language
HTTP HyperText Transfer Protocol
Hyperlinks highlighted words that take you to another page
Firewall security measures designed to protect network
host computer on the Internet
domain name of computer on the Internet
bookmark keeps a web address handy
Archie finds files on Net
Gopher finds info. by using menus
FTP File Transfer Protocol
Address identification code

Basic Computer Terminology

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Hardware The physical components of the computer system.
Software The programs or instructions that tell the computer what to do.
CPU The brain of the computer or central processing unit.
ROM The permanent memory that is built in your computer. This is read only.
RAM The computer's working memory, sometimes called random-accessed memory.
Megabyte Approximately a million bytes.
Gigabyte Approximately a billion bytes (or 1,000 megabytes).
Input Device The hardware that is used to pass information into the computer.
Output Device The hardware that receives and dislplays information coming from the computer.
Modem The device that allows your computer to talk to other computers over a telephone line.
Monitor A video or computer display device.
Laser Printer A printer that uses both laser and photographic technology to produce high quality output.
Printer The hardware that provides printed output from the computer.
Hard Copy A printed copy of computer output.
Compact Disc A disc on which a laser has digitally recorded information such as audio, video, or computer data.
Hard Disk A fixed, large-capacity magnetic storage medium for computer data.
Floppy Disk A portable magnetic storage medium for computer data that allows users to randomly access information.
Graphical User Interface The use of graphical symbols instead of text commands to control common computer functions such as copying programs and disks.
Icon A small picture or symbol respresenting a computer hardware function or component.
Ink-jet Printer A type of printer that forms letters on the page by shooting tiny electrically charged droplets of ink.

Quiz on Basic Computer Systems

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  1. Which one is an INPUT device?
    • Floppy Disk
    • Keyboard
    • Monitor
    • Speakers
  2. Which one is the device that is the "brain" of a computer system?
    • CPU
    • CD-ROM
    • Mouse
    • Scanner
  3. Which one is an OUTPUT device?
    • Joystick
    • Microphone
    • Monitor
    • Hard Disk
  4. Which part is NOT an INPUT device?
    • Joystick
    • MIDI Keyboard
    • Mouse
    • Printer
  5. Which part is NOT an OUTPUT device?
    • Digital Camera
    • Monitor
    • Printer
    • Speakers
  6. Which one is a STORAGE device?
    • CPU
    • Headphones
    • Floppy Disk
    • Modem
  7. Which part is NOT a STORAGE device?
    • CD-ROM
    • Hard Disk
    • Printer
    • Zip Disk
  8. A Zip Disk is a STORAGE device.
    • True
    • False
  9. A MIDI Keyboard is a PROCESSOR.
    • True
    • False
  10. The Three-Step Information Process is: INPUT PROCESSING OUTPUT
    • True
    • False

Sunday 23 December 2012

Basic Computer Literacy Information

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Not everyone today knows the basics needed to understand use of computers for communications and information technology applications in education. These notes give a very simplified explanation of the most basic concepts; you should use them as a guide to find out more about each topic listed below. Ultimately, the best way to learn to use these tools is to practice using them 'hands-on', but you need to know a few basics to get started and to know where to go from there. (Some points below are a bit over-simplified.)
1. What computers are and are not
The term 'computer' is misleading for many people. It suggests that these machines are mainly about computing with numbers; that was their original use, but they are in fact 'all-purpose' machines. A computer can work as a telephone, a television, a VCR, a CD player, a typewriter, a bulletin board, a post office, a multimedia textbook, a mini-library, an art gallery, a music-composing tool, etc. You can use it to design a house, create a 3D painting, simulate a science experiment, and, yes, even compute with numbers. Most uses of computers in education today do not involve numbers at all.
2. How a computer works
The brain of the computer is called the Central Processing Unit (CPU). It is located inside the main box on a printed electric circuit called a Motherboard; it is a 'micro-chip', a piece of ceramic-like material that has billions of microscopic electrical connections etched onto it. Any form of information (words, pictures, sounds, numbers) can be converted to electric signals that are 'input' to the chip. The electric connections on the chip allow these signals to be compared to one another and combined with one another according to a 'program' that 'processes' or manipulates the information into a new form, which becomes the 'output' electric signal from the chip. Everything else in a computer is designed to take human information and convert it to the input electric signals for the chip, or to take the chip's output signals and convert them back to a form that humans can recognize. These other components are called 'peripherals', or just input and output devices.
3. Computer programs
Something has to tell the chip what to do with each input signal in order to combine it with other input signals to make the output: the program. The program is just more information; it is written in a 'programming language' that is a cross between English and Algebra. An input device called an 'interpreter' or 'compiler' converts the typed program into input signals to the chip. The chip combines the other input information with the program information to create its output signals. All information for the chip has to be in the form of a simple electric signal: voltage on (or voltage high) vs. voltage off (or voltage low). This simple signal is represented by a '1' (for ON or High) vs. a '0' (for OFF or Low) in writing programs. Every letter of the alphabet, every number, every color, every location on the computer screen, every sound has a code in terms of a long sequence of 1's and 0's (voltage signals), such as: 100111010100011101.
Since this form of coding is slow and hard to remember, programming languages are built so that the program writer puts in words and special symbols (for operations like comparing two codes, storing a code temporarily in the computer's memory chip, etc.), and the language runs its own program to convert these into the actual 1 and 0 codes. As computer languages have become more advanced they have basically become complex programs themselves: they tell the CPU how to convert instructions from the user into 1 and 0 codes. A long set of instructions makes up a program, and is also called 'the code' for that program. The 1's and 0's are called the 'machine language code' -- since they directly control the electric signals to the chip -- and the instructions about what to do with each unit of information is called the 'assembly language code'. Most programmers write in a 'high level language' (e.g. C++ or Visual Basic or Java), which runs a little program to convert itself into the machine code. In high level languages the kinds of instructions you write are things like: Open a window on the screen, take the words from this file and display them in the window, highlight the word that the mouse cursor (see below) is over, etc.
4. The parts of the computer
What you see when you look at a typical computer workstation is:
  • a Monitor -- looks like and basically is a TV screen and controls
  • a Keyboard -- like a typewriter but with many useful extra keys
  • a Mouse -- a palm-size gadget that rolls on a ball and has buttons on it
  • a Printer -- inkjet or laser-xerox miniature printing machine a microphone and speakers -- if you're lucky, not all machine have these
  • a pair of stereo Speakers, for multimedia systems (also sometimes a Microphone to speak into)
  • a miniature TV camera -- if you're very lucky; not yet common
  • the BOX -- contains the CPU microchip and all the really important components
So then, what's in/on the BOX?
On the Front of the box:
  • On/Off switch (sometimes on the side)
  • Reset button -- only on some machines
  • Floppy-disk Drive -- you put in a square disk that contains information
  • CD-ROM drive -- you put in a digital CD platter that contains a lot of information
  • Tape Drive -- optional, for storing information in case something goes wrong
  • Other special drives -- old-fashioned big diskette drive, super-new storage drives
  • On/off light, Hard Disk Operating light, miscellaneous lights and buttons
Inside the Box. What you see on the front is just the opening slot of the actual drives. A 'drive' is a storage device. In addition to the CPU chip and the input and output devices, computers need places to store information either temporarily or more permanently (for reuse later), the short-term storage is called RAM (random-access memory) and is expensive. For longterm storage various kinds of disks and platters and cassettes are used; these are basically like videotape, but much higher quality, or like CDs. The drives read the information off these storage media and pass it on to the CPU; some drives can also write new information onto the disk or platter/CD or cassette.
  • The CPU and RAM memory chips on the 'motherboard'
  • The HARD DRIVE -- the main longterm storage system for programs and info
  • The Disk and CD-ROM drives -- the main part of them is inside the box
  • The specialized 'Boards' -- these run the input and output devices
  • The Modem -- one of the boards; connects to the telephone line
  • Network Board -- another board, connects to the LAN (see below)
  • Video Board -- connects to the monitor
  • An electic power supply, battery, and a lot of connecting cables
Every input device and output device is connected first to a specialized Board that has its own microchip to convert signals and pass them on to the CPU (on the main or Mother Board).
On the back of the Box. This is where all the input/output peripherals are connected to the Box, and the Box is connected to the electric outlet, the telephone system (for a modem), and the local area computer network (LAN) cable system. There are a lot of confusing cables back here. Sometimes they come lose. The specialized Boards stick out the back slightly, just like the drives stick out the front slightly. The Boards have connector sockets called Ports where the keyboard, mouse, printer, monitor, etc. are supposed to be plugged in.
5. How to turn it on
To make the computer work, there has to be electric power to several different parts, so there are sometimes several ON switches; you need to turn ALL of them on. If you are lucky there will be one Master Switch to do all this for you, but don't count on it. First make sure there are no disks VISIBLE in any of the drives (look, don't touch). If there is one in the drive, push the release button to get it out. Now, turn on the power supply switch if there is one (sometimes called Master Switch). Turn on the Monitor (watch for a light to come on). Turn on the Printer (optional). Turn on the Box.
The machine is working if: lights come on on all the parts, after a minute or less you see something on the monitor screen: words, numbers, changing colors. It takes a few minutes for a computer to warm up and get itself ready to work, be patient.
6. The 'Boot Up' Process
Watch the monitor screen while the machine is starting up. It may go by fast at times, but you can learn a lot. There are ways to slow it down, too, but that's for advanced users. The first things you usually see on a PC (not a Mac) is the count-up of the RAM memory. 8000 is very small, 16000 is ok, 32000 is good, more is wonderful. The machine is really testing the short-term memory storage to see that it's working and how much there is. You can add more memory by paying for it and sticking it in the box.
Now the machine starts to check all the different input and output devices. It looks for the keyboard and tests it, the mouse, the monitor, the printer, the hard drive, the disk drive, the CD-ROM drive, etc. For each of these it loads a program called a 'driver' program to convert signals between the CPU and the device. This is the time when the machine detects any problems. Hope that it doesn't find anything wrong! This is also usually the time when a program is run automatically to check for 'viruses' (these are unwanted programs that can damage the machine or make it not work properly; they have nothing to do with biological viruses at all).
If everything is working, the machine displays the USER INTERFACE. This is your signal that you can now take over and tell the machine what to do. Everything before this was automatic, run by programs built into the machine. The basic startup program is called the BIOS, then there are other programs that you can sometimes change (like how to check for viruses, what kind of CR-ROM drive you have, etc.).
7. The Operating System and the User Interface
The operating system is the master program that runs the computer behind the scenes while you work. It translates your instructions into actions by the machine. It also heads off conflicts between one part of the machine and another, making them all take turns. The most common operating systems are Windows, MacOS, and Unix. DOS is an older system that is now a small part of Windows.
The User Interface is what you see on the screen at the beginning. You can come back to this screen anytime you need it. Sometimes a part of it is always visible. The simplest user interface is a Command Line. The line is shown by a Prompt, some symbols that tell you where to type your commands (e.g. C:\windows> ...); this is not so common today, but it is easy to use -- if you remember the Commands. Since most people can't remember a lot of commands or don't want to be bothered, the alternative is a GUI, graphical user interface: a pretty set of little pictures called 'icons' with printed labels on them that appear on the screen to remind you of the commands. The Mouse is used to 'click' on an icon or label to issue a command. The most common commands are the ones to start new programs. The programs then give you more choices of specialized commands to edit text, draw pictures, access the internet, etc.
8. Programs, Commands, Folders and Files
An 'application program' is the most common kind of program. A word-processor is an application program for writing, reading, and editing text. A paint or draw program is for making, viewing, and changing pictures. A calculator program is for doing arithmetic. Almost everything you want to do with a computer is available, for a price, as a program or set of connected programs. Every program appears on screen as an icon, or has a command to start it.
Once you start a program, there are special commands that work only in that program to make it do things, or there are special icons that appear to help you do these things. Many programs have a linked Help program, that tells you what to do. Some have Wizard programs that walk you step by step through something. There are also Tutorial programs to introduce a new program to you. And there are program manuals, printed books that explain how to use the program. To use any program you have to LEARN how.
Most programs create, read, and modify information. This information is then stored in a FILE. There are text files, picture files, sound files, video files, multimedia files, and others. All information in a computer is stored in some kind of a file. To keep track of all these files, there is a Filing System, a special program built into the operating system. What you see are Folders (also called directories or subdirectories), and inside a folder there are files. There can also be folders inside other folders. To locate a particular file of information, the computer, and sometimes you, need to know the Path to the file, which consists of telling what DRIVE it is stored on, what folder it is in, what folder that folder is in, and so on. Usually each drive has a letter, or an icon. If there are letters, A: and B: are the floppy disk drives, C: is the main hard disk drive (where most of the files are kept permanently), and other letters can be other disk drives and CD-ROM drives. A path might look like C:\windows\system\audio.dll -- this is the path to a file called audio.dll that contains information that the windows operating system uses to communicate with the speakers and play music or sound; it is in a folder called System and that is in a folder called Windows and that folder is permanently stored on the C: hard drive. Usually you can just use the icons for the file system to click on folders, 'open' them, and see more folders or files 'inside' them. These are just visual images on the screen, not the actual files, but you can link to the real files by clicking on their image icons.
10. Actually doing something
Start up the computer (section 5). Wait till everything stops. Click on an icon on the user interface screen. If nothing happens, 'double click' (twice very fast) or hit the Enter key. This will either start a program or open a folder than contains files and programs. On many computers if you double-click a file that can be seen or heard with a program, the program will automatically start up and show the file (a text, a picture, etc.). Otherwise you have to start the program first and then use its special commands to open a particular file.
Look for a MENU bar at the top of the screen once a program has started. Move the mouse around to put the cursor on the menu bar and press the button on the mouse. You should see a list of commands. Click on a command, or move the mouse with the button held down over a command and then let go of the mouse button (takes a little practice). If there is a FILE menu of commands, one will be the OPEN command. If you activate this command, a little box will usually appear to ask which file you want to open, and very often there will be a way to see a list of all the files that the program can use. There will also be a NEW command, to let you create a new file, e.g. a new text document, a new picture, etc.
There is also usually a HELP command somewhere near the end of the MENU bar, or pressing the F1 key (one special key, not F and 1) may start the Help program.
The FILE menu will also usually have a QUIT or EXIT or CLOSE or STOP command which will either close the file you are using or stop the program altogether (it does not stop the computer, just one program). The program will usually ask you if you want to save the new file or changes you made to a file in permanent storage. If it was a new file, say YES; if it was a file you found already in the computer, say NO, unless you are really sure that it is ok to make a change in it. A file remains unchanged in storage unless you specifically SAVE changes to it. The copy on file is not the copy you see on the screen, until you tell the machine to replace the file copy with the one on screen. This is called SAVING the new file.
The operating system usually knows what program goes with what file (this is called an 'association'), but sometimes you have to tell it. Sometimes a program cannot use a file of information until it has been 'converted' to work with that program. If you have a paper you wrote on a Mac and want to print it on a PC, it has to be converted first. If you have a paper you wrote with the MSWord program and you want to edit it with the WordPerfect program, it has to be converted first. Always keep a copy of the original version, just in case something goes wrong. This safety rule is called 'backing up' the file, i.e. keeping a spare copy of the old version in case the new version doesn't work or is accidentally lost or ruined.

BASIC COMPUTER INFORMATION

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Computer,a machine that performs tasks, such as math and communications. Programs are installed  within the computer and are retrieved and processed by the computer's electronics.  Computers are used for many, many things such as Medical Technology.
How Computers Work Computer hardware includes the memory that stores data and instructions; the central processing unit (CPU) that carries out instructions; the bus that connects the various computer components; the input devices, such as a keyboard or mouse, that allow the user to communicate with the computer; and the output devices, such as printers and video display monitors, that enable the computer to present information to the user.
Memory :also called randon access memory or RAM.   Memory is an array of chips which the computer puts everything.  The more memory you have the faster your computer will go. 
History The history of computing began with an analog machine. In 1623 German scientist Wilhelm Schikard invented a machine that used 11 complete and 6 incomplete sprocketed wheels that could add and, with the aid of logarithm tables, multiply and divide.In the early 19th century French inventor Joseph-Marie Jacquard devised a specialized type of computer: a loom. Jacquard's loom used punched cards to program patterns that were output as woven fabrics by the loom. Herman Hollerith, an American inventor, used an idea similar to Jacquard's loom when he combined the use of punched cards with devices that created and electronically read the cards. Hollerith's tabulator was used for the 1890 U.S. census, and it made the computational time three to four times shorter than the time previously needed for hand counts. Hollerith's Tabulating Machine Company eventually merged with other companies in 1924 to become IBM.
 

Basic Computer Technology

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Certificate Level I
Basic Computer Technology
Campus Availability(AllBSLSWSA)

Feeling left behind by the computer age? Don't panic - basic computer skills are easy to learn. Our faculty and tutors tailor lessons to individuals and provide a safe environment for students to practice their new skills. The Certificate in Basic Computer Technology is an entry qualification for people who are working or intending to work with computers. The certificate is designed to recognize a base level core of computing skills for any industry that requires such skills, provide a first qualification in computing for learners studying any field or domain, and to recognize an entry level for further education in computing.server room
The objective of the program is to train individuals in basic computer hardware and software technology. Upon graduation, students will receive a Certificate in Basic Computer Technology and will qualify for beginning-level help desk or computer technician jobs with any type of company that utilizes an IT department.

Careers

Graduates will have gained the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to be able to find employment in the retail and/or service industry, or continue with further study.

Course Information: Howard College Catalog

Saturday 25 August 2012

Use basic computer technology

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This unit applies to the use of computers for information processing. It addresses basic information processing operations and the use of basic hardware, software and support resources. This unit is based on unit ICTTC201A in the ICT97 training package. Equivalent UnitsNil

 

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Thursday 2 August 2012

Computer

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computer is a general purpose device that can be programmed to carry out a finite set of arithmetic or logical operations. Since a sequence of operations can be readily changed, the computer can solve more than one kind of problem.
Conventionally, a computer consists of at least one processing element and some form of memory. The processing element carries out arithmetic and logic operations, and a sequencing and control unit that can change the order of operations based on stored information. Peripheral devices allow information to be retrieved from an external source, and the result of operations saved and retrieved.
The first electronic digital computers were developed between 1940 and 1945 in the United Kingdom and United States. Originally they were the size of a large room, consuming as much power as several hundred modern personal computers (PCs).[1] In this era mechanical analog computers were used for military applications.
Modern computers based on integrated circuits are millions to billions of times more capable than the early machines, and occupy a fraction of the space.[2] Simple computers are small enough to fit intomobile devices, and mobile computers can be powered by small batteries. Personal computers in their various forms are icons of the Information Age and are what most people think of as "computers". However, the embedded computers found in many devices from mp3 players to fighter aircraft and from toys to industrial robots are the most numerous.
Computer
DM IBM S360.jpgColumbia Supercomputer - NASA Advanced Supercomputing Facility.jpgIntertec Superbrain.jpg
2010-01-26-technikkrempel-by-RalfR-05.jpgThinking Machines Connection Machine CM-5 Frostburg 2.jpgG5 supplying Wikipedia via Gigabit at the Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften 2006 in Dresden.JPG
Acer Aspire 8920 Gemstone by Georgy.JPGAcorn BBC Master Series Microcomputer.jpgDell PowerEdge Servers.jpg

Tuesday 17 July 2012

Basic Computer Terms

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Have you decided to get rid of that old paperweight and buy yourself a new computer? Good for you but before you go running out to buy the latest and greatest machine, there are some basic computer terms you should know. We will run through each of these terms for you and what they mean.
The terminology used below is the same for PCs and Macs and for desktops and laptops. If you have any doubts about the machine you are buying ““ don’t buy it! Go and do some research online to see if you can do better. We actually have a couple of desktop and laptop recommendations, check then out if you’re in doubt.
When you are looking to buy a computer you will hear basic computer terms like the following:

The Processor

basic computer termsThis is the brain of your computer. It can also be referred to as the CPU. Processors come in many different varieties. Processor speed is measured in gigahertz or GHZ. The larger the number of GHZ the faster the computer.
I am now using a 3.2 GHZ Pentium Dual Core. Processors can also have dual or quad cores. This is essentially two or four processors in one respectively. The more cores the better but they will also be more expensive. We will also see terms like Core Duo, Core 2 Duo, i3, i5, and i7. It is important to know the differences between these options.
The Core Duo consists of two cores on one die but the Core 2 Duo is a more modern processor that is found in a lot of new PCs. the Core 2 Duo has two dies. Then the i3 processor is a recent release by Intel for new low end machines. Then the i5 and i7 are used with quad core processors and higher end machines. The i7 is the top of this line and obviously the most expensive.
There are different brands of processors like Intel or AMD and different levels of processors like the Pentium 4 or the Atom. The Atom processor is a much slower processor used in netbooks. Also when looking for a system you will see terms like front side bus . This is not a big yellow bus but it is the speed that data can flow from the processor to the motherboard. The higher the FSB the faster the processor can communicate with your machine. Something in the area of 266 MHz-333 MHz is fine and some faster processors sport up to 400 MHz FSB.

The RAM

basic computer termsThe RAM or memory is what your computer uses to store information while you are using the computer. This can also be referred to as Random Access Memory. I personally would not buy a computer with less than 2 GB of RAM. Your RAM Bus speed will need to be identical to your FSB speed as to not create bottlenecks. In a pre-built system this is not something you need to worry about but if you are building your own system then you will want to get memory that matches the FSB speed divided by the number of cores that you have. For example if your system has a total FSB of 1600 and you have 4 cores (quad) then your RAM Bus speed should be 400 MHz.

Optical Drive

basic glossary of computer termsThe optical drive in your computer should be able to read and write CDs and DVDs. If you have not purchased a computer in a while some of the newer options might seem strange to you. You can have any one of these or a combination of these formats: DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-+R, DVD-/+RW, DVD-RAM, Blu-ray, HD-DVD. A CD holds 700 MB. A CD-R can read and write to a CD. A CDRW can read write and rewrite to a CD.
If you are getting a DVD burner you should try and get a drive that writes in all formats such as +R or -R. They will all play in your computer but some other hardware might require one of these formats. A DVD can hold About 4 GB of data. A DVD burner that allows you to burn a DL or dual layer will allow for double the capacity and can fit about 8 GB of data on it. A dual layer drive is required as well as dual layered media.
Then we see the newer formats like Blu-Ray and HD-DVD that allow you to burn and watch high definition videos or store even more data. A Blu-Ray disk can hold a whopping 25 GB in a single layer and 50 GB if the disk is dual layered. HD-DVD disks can hold up to 15 GB of data but I really do not see many systems or people using this format.

Wireless Network Card

basic glossary of computer termsIf your computer has a wireless card you will be able to access the Internet without a wire connecting you to a router/modem. Wireless cards are rated by their speed.
The lowest speed starts from A and goes up through N. You will want to buy a computer with a 802.11G or 802.11N wireless connection. 802.11g can see speeds of up to 54 Mbit/s. And with 802.11n the newest iteration of wireless we can achieve 600 Mbit/s. I am using a 802.11n router personally but most of my equipment and peripherals use 802.11g. I find this to be fine for streaming video or audio and transferring files over my home network. But if you are constantly transferring huge files or folders you might want to jump right into the 802.11n game.

Network Card

basic glossary of computer termsYour computer should have an Ethernet port on it. This port will allow you to physically connect to the internet or your internal network by plugging it into your router / modem.
Normally any machine you will buy now has a Gigabit connection. Gigabit is represented as 100/1000 and there are also 10/100 connections. That number is how many megabits you can transfer per second.

Operating System

easy to understand online basic computer termsThis is the software that makes your computer go. You can buy a computer with the Mac OS X operating system or Windows 7 or any flavor of Ubuntu Linux as well.
You can also buy a computer without an operating system to install it yourself. This is the key part of your system as well as normally the most expensive. But, if you choose Ubuntu or another flavor of Linux then your operating system is free.

Hard Drive

easy to understand online basic computer termsThis is where you will store all your files whether it be music, movies or word documents. You will need a hard drive to store them on.
Hard drives are rated by size and speed. A typical new computer will come with a 7200 RPM SATA 100GB drive. This will hold approximately 28,560 digital photos or up to 25,000 songs (MP3).
If you need more space you should get a bigger drive or you can buy a portable USB hard drive to attach to your computer.

Video Card

easy to understand online basic computer termsThis is the part of your computer that allows you to show what you are doing. Without a video card you would not be able to see what you are doing on your monitor.
Different video cards have different abilities like the option to use multiple monitors, have a HDMI output or even the ability to watch HD movies on your computer. This has never been important to me and I always take whatever is available. Some examples of good video card brands are MSI, XFX, Asus, Gigabyte (thanks JLT!).
Your video card does have to connect to your monitor so make sure they have a VGA, DVI or HDMI port in common.
There are also computer components like the monitor, keyboard and mouse but we’re pretty sure that you’re familiar with those basic computer terms.
Now, you have a basic knowledge of what you are looking for start shopping around. The best deals are found online and it is a fact that a PC is much cheaper than a Mac unless you arebuilding a Hackintosh! You could also build your own PC if you are feeling confident enough.

Monday 16 July 2012

Information and Technology

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IT is the area of managing technology and spans a wide variety of areas that include computer software,information systems,computer hardware,programming languages but are not limited to things such as processes, and data constructs. In short, anything that renders data, information or perceived knowledge in any visual format whatsoever, via any multimedia distribution mechanism, is considered part of the IT domain. IT provides businesses with four sets of core services to help execute the business strategy: business process automation, providing information, connecting with customers, and productivity tools.
IT professionals perform a variety of functions that range from installing applications to designing complex computer networks and information databases. A few of the duties that IT professionals perform may include data management, networking, engineering computer hardware, server management, database and software design, as well as management and administration of entire systems.

In the recent past, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology and the Association for Computing Machinery have collaborated to form accreditation and curriculum standards[4] for degrees in Information Technology as a distinct field of study as compared[5] to Computer Science andInformation Systems today. SIGITE (Special Interest Group for IT Education)[6] is the ACM working group for defining these standards. The Worldwide IT services revenue totaled $763 billion in 2009.



Sunday 15 July 2012

Basics Please

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Today's tip will provide you with three great resources for help with basic computer skills.  Hopefully you've developed enough confidence with the computer that you don't need these sites, but you might know someone else who does.
Three Websites for really basic computer knowledge:

Saturday 14 July 2012

A+ Computer Repair Course Chapter 1 part 1

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★ Programming - Learn Visual C# - But.... They want to talk too!!! - TGN

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Question Excerpt From Computer Technology-Basic Functions

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Q.1) How do you lock the computer?
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B.
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Q.2) How do you "capitalize" the first letter of a word?
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B.
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Q.3) What is the name of the center row keys on the keyboard?
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Q.4) What program allows creativity with colors, graphs, and moving pictures?
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Q.5) The main area where the information is stored within the computer?
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Q.6) How many names are there for the computer screen?
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Q.7) What is the name of the line that displays the mouse position?
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Q.8) What is the name of the small disk used to store information?
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Q.9) What buttons display on/off lights on the keyboard?
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Q.10) The area inside the window where your work shows?
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B.
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D.

 

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