TAN, Zandriex Rae

BSCE 1 – CMPE 20012

Computer Fundamentals and Programming

Module 1: ACTIVITIES/ ASSESSMENT

Activity 1.2 – Answer the following questions:

1. Differentiate hardware from software.

Software is a list of codes stored on your computer's hard drive, while computer
hardware is any physical unit used with or with your phone. Computer hardware includes
things like the computer display you're looking at right now to read this text and the
cursor you're using to use this website. The Internet browser you used to access this
website, as well as the operating system it runs on, are all called applications.
Per piece of software requires at least one piece of hardware to run. Consider a
video game, which is program that runs on a computer's processor (CPU), memory
(RAM), hard disk, and video card. To create and save papers, word processing software
makes use of the computer's processor, memory, and hard drive.
Hardware is what allows a machine to function. Data is processed by a CPU, and
it can be saved in RAM or on a hard disk. A video card can provide a picture to a camera
and a sound card can provide sound to speakers. This is all hardware.

2. Enumerate five input devices and their uses.

 Keyboard
Keyboard is the most common and very popular input device which helps
to input data to the computer. The layout of the keyboard is like that of traditional
typewriter, although there are some additional keys provided for performing
additional functions.

 Mouse
Mouse is the most popular pointing device. It is a very famous cursor-
control device having a small palm size box with a round ball at its base, which
senses the movement of the mouse and sends corresponding signals to the CPU
when the mouse buttons are pressed.
Generally, it has two buttons called the left and the right button and a
wheel is present between the buttons. A mouse can be used to control the position
of the cursor on the screen, but it cannot be used to enter text into the computer.

 Microphone
Microphone is an input device to input sound that is then stored in a digital
form. The microphone is used for various applications such as adding sound to a
multimedia presentation or for mixing music.
  Optical Character Reader
OCR is an input device used to read a printed text. OCR scans the text
optically, character by character, converts them into a machine readable code, and
stores the text on the system memory.

 Bar Code Reader

Bar Code Reader is a device used for reading bar coded data (data in the
form of light and dark lines). Bar coded data is generally used in labelling goods,
numbering the books, etc. It may be a handheld scanner or may be embedded in a
stationary scanner. Bar Code Reader scans a bar code image, converts it into an
alphanumeric value, which is then fed to the computer that the bar code reader is
connected to.

3. Enumerate five output devices and their uses.

 Computer Monitor
The most famous example of an output system is a computer monitor,
which is a video screen control machine. Both displays operate in tandem with
your computer's video card to display a live image of your computer's operating
system, applications, and activities. When you input a letter into your computer's
keyboard, it appears or outputs on your monitor, for example. You won't be able
to see how the letter feels, much less decipher it, if you don't have a computer.
The cathode ray tube and the flat panel television are the two most popular types
of displays. Monitors are available in a wide range of sizes, forms, and display
technologies. And, thanks to technological advancements, some displays now
have touch screens that can be used instead of a mouse or keyboard as an input
device.

 Speakers
Speakers are another typical example of computer output instruments. You
may also use them to listen to noises and other audio files stored on your
computer. Furthermore, speakers are often incorporated into laptops and displays.
Additionally, sound cards are needed for the speakers to work on a device. A
speaker, on the other hand, transforms electrical signals into analog sound waves
that can be heard by humans. Finally, speakers come in a variety of
configurations, ranging from basic two-speaker display systems to sound multi-
channel units.

 Printers
A printer allows you to transfer images, text, and information from your
machine to hard copy formats. You can also send image data from your screen to
a printer, which can reproduce the image digitally, normally on paper. Printers
can also be used in houses, small offices, businesses, and photography studios.

 Headphones
A headphone is another typical example of an output unit. Any electronic
headphones have speakers as well as microphones. Headphones are useful not
 only for listening to music, but also for connecting with others via voice calls.
Headphones have more anonymity and are ideal for gaming.

 Projectors
Projectors are output machines that are mostly used by businesses,
colleges, and churches to display knowledge to a wide group of people at once.
They're often used for demonstrations at workshops or lectures. Furthermore, data
projectors attach to your computer graphics card and allow you to project your
computer screen onto a wall or other smooth surface (Whiteboard, White cloth
surface). LCD and digital light processing (DLP) projectors are the most similar,
but the latter is more costly. A color wheel filter is one of its functions.

4. Differentiate RAM and ROM.

Your machine has both RAM and ROM, which accounts for random access
memory and read-only memory, respectively. RAM is a form of volatile memory that
holds the files you're working on for a short period of time. Non-volatile memory (ROM)
is a form of memory that holds instructions for your machine indefinitely.
RAM is volatile memory, which ensures that when you restart or shut down the
program, the information briefly contained in the module is deleted. Since the data is
stored electrically on transistors, it vanishes when there is no electric current. When you
submit a file or piece of material, it is either downloaded from the computer's hard drive
or from the internet. Since the information is contained in RAM, it is automatically
accessible when you turn from one application or website to another. The memory is
cleared as the machine is turned off before the operation is restarted. Users can quickly
alter, update, or extend volatile memory.
Non-volatile memory (ROM) is material that is indefinitely stored on a disk. The
memory does not rely on an electric current to save data; instead, binary code is used to
write data to individual cells. Non-volatile memory is used for areas of the machine that
do not shift, such as the software's initial boot-up component or the firmware instructions
that enable the printer to function. The ROM is unaffected by turning off the screen.
Users are unable to alter non-volatile memory.

5. Give five examples of Application Software that are not mentioned above.
 Mobile pieces of software such as Pandora (for music appreciation), Skype (for
real-time online communication), and Slack (for team collaboration).
 Microsoft suite of products (Office, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.)
 Internet Browsers (Firefox, Safari, and Chrome)
 Multimedia software (Photoshop, QuickTime, VLC, GOM, and ATI TV)
 Simulation Software (Matlab and Simscale)

6. Differentiate system software and application software.

System software and application software are the two kinds of software. In terms
of function and architecture, they are not the same. The aim of system software is to
manage the system's resources. It also acts as a kind of platform for the application
program to run on. Application software, on the other hand, is designed to allow the user
to perform a certain series of tasks or functions.
 The interface between the system hardware and the user is provided by system
software. It enables the device to comprehend the command entered by the user. The
machine software also acts as a bridge between the hardware in a system and the
application software. General-purpose applications is another name for it. The machine
software is seldom actively interacted with by the end user. The user can only
communicate with the graphical user interface (GUI) developed by the device program.
An application software can be described as software written in a high-level
language such as Java, C++, .net, or Visual Basic. This package is designed to satisfy the
user's unique requirements. Designing applications, computing software, and editing
software are examples of application software. Single piece of application software
serves a particular function.
The platform built by the framework software is where application software runs.
Application software should be thought of as a bridge between the end user and the
software built on a server. While application software is not needed to run a machine, it
does make it more useful. MS Office, which is available on Windows-based applications,
is a good example of application software.
The combination of machine and program software makes a system useful to the
end user. Without machine software, a system cannot function. In other words, it is
required for the machine to function. To complete specific tasks, application software is
needed. They enable a device to perform a wide range of tasks, allowing it to be tailored
to the user's individual needs and circumstances.

7. Differentiate input hardware and output hardware.

An input device sends data to a computer machine, which is then processed, and
an output device reproduces or shows the results. Input devices only allow data to be
entered into a computer, while output devices only receive data from another device.

8. Who is the father of computers? What did he do to get the title of the ‘father of
computer’?
Because of his experiments into devices that could compute, Charles Babbage,
who was born in 1791, is considered as the founder of computing. The Difference Engine
Number 1 of Charles Babbage was the first system to measure and print mathematical
tables.

9. What are the other inventions and development of computer technology and IT
infrastructure in the fifth generation of computers?
The Fifth Generation Computer Systems (FGCS) was an initiative by Japan's
Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), begun in 1982, to create computers
using massively parallel computing and logic programming. It was to be the result of a
government/industry research project in Japan during the 1980s. It aimed to create an
"epoch-making computer" with supercomputer-like performance and to provide a
platform for future developments in artificial intelligence. There was also an unrelated
Russian project also named as a fifth-generation computer
Prof. Ehud Shapiro, in his "Trip Report" paper (which focused the FGCS project
on concurrent logic programming as the software foundation for the project), captured the
rationale and motivations driving this project:
 "As part of Japan's effort to become a leader in the computer industry, the
Institute for New Generation Computer Technology has launched a revolutionary
ten-year plan for the development of large computer systems which will be
applicable to knowledge information processing systems. These Fifth Generation
computers will be built around the concepts of logic programming. In order to
refute the accusation that Japan exploits knowledge from abroad without
contributing any of its own, this project will stimulate original research and will
make its results available to the international research community."

The term "fifth generation" was intended to convey the system as being advanced.
In the history of computing hardware, computers using vacuum tubes were called the first
generation; transistors and diodes, the second; integrated circuits, the third; and those
using microprocessors, the fourth. Whereas previous computer generations had focused
on increasing the number of logic elements in a single CPU, the fifth generation, it was
widely believed at the time, would instead turn to massive numbers of CPUs for added
performance.
The period of fifth generation is 1980-till date. In the fifth generation, VLSI
technology became ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration) technology, resulting in the
production of microprocessor chips having ten million electronic components.
This generation is based on parallel processing hardware and AI (Artificial
Intelligence) software. AI is an emerging branch in computer science, which interprets
the means and method of making computers think like human beings. All the high-level
languages like C and C++, Java, .Net etc., are used in this generation.
The project was to create the computer over a ten-year period, after which it was
considered ended and investment in a new "sixth generation" project would begin.
Opinions about its outcome are divided: either it was a failure, or it was ahead of its time.

10. What do you think would be the future of computer systems? If there would be the sixth
generation, what do you think would be innovations and advancements of technology in
the future?
Computers can be used in a variety of places, from households, workplaces,
companies, hospitals, and colleges, to name a few. Many individuals in today's culture
have been so reliant on machines that when they go "under," they become depressed and
unable to work. Computers are viewed as important instruments for anything from
navigation to entertainment as a result of this dependency.
Computers today are smaller, quicker, and less expensive than those in the past. A
deck of cards is the size of certain machines. Handheld Personal Data Assistants and
notebook computers, also known as "ultra-lights," make users mobile and allow them to
operate in a variety of settings. On central, wide, and wireless networks, these systems
offer a wide variety of networking and access to information. Users would have greater
convenience and power of their time as a result of this.
Future machines are expected to be much faster and lighter than a deck of cards
than today's computers. Perhaps they can grow to be the size of coins, with "wise" or
artificial intelligence capabilities such as professional intelligence, neural network pattern
recognition, or natural language capabilities. These features can make it easier for users
to communicate with applications and process vast volumes of data from a multitude of
channels, including fax, e-mail, the Internet, and the telephone. Wearable computers,
DNA computers, augmented reality machines, quantum computers, and optical
computers are only a few of the emerging cutting-edge computing applications.