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Computer Fundamentals (Midterm)
Computer Fundamentals (Midterm)
Computer Fundamentals (Midterm)
Operating System
What does an operating system do?
- interacts with application software, device drivers, and
hardware to manage a computers resources.
- Examples of Computers Resources:
- Processor
- RAM
- Storage Space
- Peripherals
How does operating system affect the appearance of application
software?
- provides user interface tools, such as menus and toolbar
buttons.
- uses of graphical user interface (GUI) concept.
- provides a way to point and click a mouse to select menu
options and manipulate graphical objects that are displayed on
the screen.
Where is the operating system?
- can be small enough to be stored in ROM for handheld
computers and video game consoles.
- can be quite large to be stored on a hard disk for personal
computers, servers, workstations, mainframes, and
supercomputers.
When do I directly interact with the operating system?
- Launch programs
- Customize the user interface
- Manage files
- Configure equipment
- Get help
DOS
- stands for Disk Operating System.
- provides part of the operating system kernel for Windows
versions 3.1, 95, 98, and ME.
- users rarely interact with DOS, because it is well hidden by the
Windows graphical user interface.
Application Software
Categories of Software
- Systems software or System programs
- Application software or Application programs
Word Processor
a term used in manipulating text or words in a file
Basic Features:
- insert text
- delete text
- cut and paste
- copy
- page size and margins
- search and replace
- word wrap
- print
Advanced Features:
- file management
- font specifications
- footnotes and cross-references
- graphics
- headers, footers, and page numbering
- layout
- merges
- spell checker
- tables of contents and indexes
- thesaurus
- windows
- WYSIWYG
Spreadsheet
- computer programs especially designed to display information
graphically and allow files and data to be manipulated easily
- an electronic ledger sheet on which data are entered
Database Management System
application software packages that automate the everyday task of
recording, processing, filing, and manipulation of information in the
database
- Database is a collection of information organized in such a way
that a computer program can quickly select desired pieces of
information
Example: electronic filing system
Basic Features:
- add or delete information within a file
- search a file for some information based on some criteria
- update information from within a file
- sort information into some order
- generate a printout or reports
Graphic Software Packages
designed to allow the user to display images on a computer monitor
or to print the images on a printer
Examples:
- paint programs
- illustration/design programs
- presentation graphics software
- animation software
- CAD software
- desktop publishing
SOFTWARE: DEVELOPMENT
Software Copyrights
Copyright
- a form of legal protection that grants the author of an original
work
- an exclusive right to copy, distribute, sell, and edit that work,
except under special circumstances described by copyright laws
Exceptions
Purchaser
- can make a backup or extra copy of the software for erased or
damaged original copy
- allowed to copy and distribute parts of a software program for
reviews and teaching
- has the right to copy software from a distribution disk or Web
site for installation
Software Licenses
License Agreement
a legal contract that defines the way in which a computer program
may be used
Techniques Validating Software License
- shrink-wrap licenses
- installation agreements
Public Domain Software
may be freely copied, distributed, and resold
not protected by copyright
Commercial Software
sold in computer stores or at Web sites
adheres closely to the limitations provided by copyright law
Freeware
a copyrighted software that is available for free
allows you to use, copy, and distribute the software
Shareware
a copyrighted software marketed under a try before you buy
policy
allows you to copy and distribute the software
provide a low-cost marketing and distribution channel
Open Source Software
may be sold or distributed free of charge
uncompiled program instructions are available to programmers
who want to alter and improve the software
Examples: Linux, FreeBSD
COMPUTER INTERCONNECTIONS
Basic Principles of Networking
Networking
- the process of delivering a message from a source to a destination
Communication
- the process of giving meaning to these messages received
Computer Network
It is a bunch of computers linked together.
It is cost efficient and reliable.
It serves as a good communication medium.
Network for People
- Access to remote information
- Person-to-person communication
- Interactive entertainment
Communication Channels
- a pathway over which information can be transferred
- information sent over a channel has a source (transmitter), from
which the information originates, and destination (receiver), to
which the information is delivered
Network Topologies
Bus Network
Tree Network
Mesh Network
Ring Network
Star Network
Distributed Systems
Centralized Data Processing (CDP)
- the conventional way of doing all the processing and control on
centralized computers
Distributed Data Processing (DDP)
- refers to the manipulation of data using distributed systems
Client/Server
- an extension of distributed data processing wherein it provides the
best of both centralized and distributed data processing
Local Area Network (LAN)
- connects network devices over relatively short distances
- usually owned by an individual or corporation
Wide Area Network (WAN)
- spans a large physical distance (geographically-dispersed
collections of LANs)
- not owned by any one organization but rather exist under collective
or distributed ownership and management