How Computers have Changed

Learning Objective: T
 o know some of the history of Computer Science and
how hardware and software has developed over time.

Task 1
In Task 1, pupils should match the computer component to its purpose.
Depending on prior learning, access to the Internet may be beneficial for support.

Task 2
In Task 2, pupils should compare a computer from the early 1980s with a
computer from 2020. They should use the definitions from Task 1 to help
them form detailed answers. It may be beneficial to show pupils an image
of a floppy disk and joystick, as they are mentioned in the specifications,
but pupils may have never seen one before.

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 How Computers have Changed
When we buy a computer, we look at the specifications
to make sure it has all the features we are looking for.

Task 1 — Draw lines to match the computer component to its purpose.

RAM The permanent storage on your

computer. If this gets almost full it
can make your computer run slower.

Hard Drive A quick access, temporary memory.

More of this can make it seem faster
when you are using multiple programs.

Ports / Interfaces Places where external devices like speakers,

USB sticks, a mouse etc. can be plugged in.

A piece of hardware which shows us the

Monitor / Screen output when we use a computer. For
example, how we see pictures or text.

Look at these images of a 1980s computer and a modern computer.

Their specifications are shown in the tables on the other sheet.

1980s computer modern computer

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 How Computers have Changed
The first table shows the specifications for a popular computer from the 1980s.
The second table shows the specifications for a modern computer.

1980s computer

RAM 5 KB

Hard Drive 16 KB
Cartridge Port, joystick port, video output,
Ports / Interfaces
serial bus connector for floppy disk drive or printer
Colour: Up to 16 colours
Monitor / Screen
Resolution: 176 × 184

Modern computer || | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

|| | | | | | |
| | | | | | ||
1 TB = 1000 GB,
1 GB = 1 000 000 KB
RAM 8 GB | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

Hard Drive 1 TB
1 audio-in, 1 audio-out, 1 headphone/microphone
Ports / Interfaces
combo, 1 microphone, 2 USB ports
Colour: Full HD touch display
Monitor / Screen
Resolution: 1920 × 1080

Task 2 — Write a short paragraph describing the differences between the 1980s
computer and the modern one. How have computers changed in the last 40 years?

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cgpplus.co.uk
 How Computers have Changed
Answers
When we buy a computer, we look at the specifications
to make sure it has all the features we are looking for.

Task 1 — Draw lines to match the computer component to its purpose.

RAM The permanent storage on your

computer. If this gets almost full it
can make your computer run slower.

Hard Drive A quick access, temporary memory.

More of this can make it seem faster
when you are using multiple programs.

Ports / Interfaces Places where external devices like speakers,

USB sticks, a mouse etc. can be plugged in.

A piece of hardware which shows us the

Monitor / Screen output when we use a computer. For
example, how we see pictures or text.

Look at these images of a 1980s computer and a modern computer.

Their specifications are shown in the tables on the other sheet.

1980s computer modern computer

cgpplus.co.uk
 How Computers have Changed
Answers
The first table shows the specifications for a popular computer from the 1980s.
The second table shows the specifications for a modern computer.

1980s computer

RAM 5 KB

Hard Drive 16 KB
Cartridge Port, joystick port, video output,
Ports / Interfaces
serial bus connector for floppy disk drive or printer
Colour: Up to 16 colours
Monitor / Screen
Resolution: 176 × 184

Modern computer || | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

|| | | | | | |
| | | | | | ||
1 TB = 1000 GB,
1 GB = 1 000 000 KB
RAM 8 GB | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

Hard Drive 1 TB
1 audio-in, 1 audio-out, 1 headphone/microphone
Ports / Interfaces
combo, 1 microphone, 2 USB ports
Colour: Full HD touch display
Monitor / Screen
Resolution: 1920 × 1080

Task 2 — Write a short paragraph describing the differences between the 1980s
computer and the modern one. How have computers changed in the last 40 years?

Many possible answers — answers may describe

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how a modern computer has more storage/memory,

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different ports, a wider range of displayable colours

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and a higher resolution than a 1980s computer.

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