ICAU2005A Operate computer hardware

Activity 1: Explain the following specifications

You are working for a small company that is looking to upgrade their computer systems and the following cryptic quote has been received. Rewrite the quote so that the company's accountant can better understand what equipment is being offered.

P4 2.8Ghz, 512 MB DDR-SDRAM, 40GB 7200 HDD, 52x CD-ROM, 17" LCD, integrated sound, video and network with WinXP Pro $1500

Answer :

The computer that we are quoting on has the following specifications:

	Specification
CPU	Intel Pentium 4 speed 2.8Ghz
Memory	512 MB DDR-SDRAM
Hard Drive	40 GB rotational speed 7200 rpm
CD	speed 52x, read only
Monitor	17" flat panel LCD
Sound, Video, Network interface	integrated on the motherboard
Operating system	Microsoft Windows XP Professional

Also included in the system are: floppy drive, mouse and keyboard.

Activity 2: Computer ports

Students should be able to select the most appropriate hardware for the task and be able to identify the ports that are used to connect computer peripherals.

Complete the following questions.

1. Give a brief definition of the term computer port.
   
   
2. Name two devices that might use a USB connection.
   
   
3. Your company is looking to purchase a new modem. Would you recommend that they purchase a modem with a serial or USB connection?
   
   
4. What features of the IEE1394 (Firewire) port make it suitable for use with video recorders?
   
   
5. Your desktop computer system has two USB ports, but you have four USB devices - printer, modem, web camera and keyboard. What would you recommend?

Answer :

1. Give a brief definition of the term computer port.
   A computer port is a physical connector usually on the back of the computer which allows a cable from a peripheral device such as a printer to connect to the computer system.
   
   
2. Name two devices that might use a USB connection.
   Devices that might use a USB connection are:
   • keyboard
   • mouse,
   • modem,
   • scanner,
   • printer,
   • digital cameras.
3. Your company is looking to purchase a new modem. Would you recommend that they purchase a modem with a serial or USB connection?
   Your company is looking to purchase a new modem. You would recommend the USB connection as it is the latest. (Some new computer systems do not even have a serial port.)
   
   
4. What features of the IEE1394 (Firewire) port make it suitable for use with video recorders?
   The following features make the IEE1394 (Firewire) port suitable for use with video recorders:
   Hot swappable, high data transfer rates of 400Mbps (in 1394a) and 800Mbps (in 1394b).
   
   
5. Your desktop computer system has two USB ports, but you have four USB devices - printer, modem, web camera and keyboard. What would you recommend?
   As USB devices are hot swappable, you unplug and plug devices as required. A better solution would be to purchase a USB hub to allow all devices to be connected at the same time.

Activity 3: Select appropriate hardware

1. Students should be able to select the most appropriate hardware for the task.
   
   Suggest the most appropriate peripheral device that will be suitable for the following tasks.
   
   

   Task	Suitable peripheral
   Connect to the Internet
   Capture digital images
   Store large amounts of data in a portable format
   Capture an audio signal
   Convert an image on paper to a digital image

   
   
2. You have just purchased a new printer.
   1. Give three possible sources that you could use to find the appropriate device driver.
   2. The printer is "plug and play". Explain what this means.

Answer :

1. 
   

   Task	Suitable peripheral
   Connect to the Internet.	modem
   Capture digital images.	digital camera
   Store large amounts of data in a portable format.	USB memory stick or large capacity disk drive such as a Zip drive
   Capture an audio signal.	microphone
   Convert an image on paper to a digital image	scanner

   
   
2. You have just purchased a new printer.
   1. Give three possible sources that you could use to find the appropriate device driver.
      Three possible sources are:
      • the installation CD that comes with the printer
      • the manufacturer's web site (this would ensure that you are using the latest driver)
      • the computer’s operating system.
        
        
   2. The printer is "plug and play". Explain what this means.
      "Plug and play" devices are devices that will work together with the operating system to automatically configure themselves. The BIOS must also support "plug and play"

Activity 4: Examine your computer system

To install a new peripheral device or a new software application, it is important that you know what components are installed in your computer system. Then you can decide if your system meets the minimum system requirements.

Print a copy of the following table. Use the operating system tools described in 'My computer specifications’ to complete the table for the computer system that you are currently using.

Component	Description
Operating system
Memory
CPU
Storage capacity C: D:
Installed devices
Display adapter
DVD/CD-Rom drive
Modem
Printer
Do any installed devices have a problem?
If so, describe the problem

Answer :

Component	Description
CPU	Intel Pentium 4 speed 2.8Ghz
Memory	512 MB DDR-SDRAM
Hard Drive	40 GB rotational speed 7200 rpm
CD	speed 52x, read only
Monitor	17" flat panel LCD
Sound, Video, Network interface	integrated on the motherboard
Operating system	Microsoft Windows XP Professional

Activity 5: Dream machine

Research via the Internet your “dream machine” – a computer system you could build for yourself (within reason) if money were no object!

If possible, for each system component you are required to include two possible choices. You should then indicate your preferred choice and justify why; for example, it may be cheaper, faster, more reliable etc.

List each component in a table format as per the example below. Then include your justification for your preferred components. Also include costs for each component and a total price.

Sample table

Configuration	Choice One (preferred)	Price	Choice Two	Price	Justification
Motherboard
CPU
Graphics Card
RAM
HDD
CDROM
Modem
LCD
Case
Power Supply
Keyboard
Mouse
Operating Sys
Software
Printer
Scanner
Total Price