Individual assignment for student Total (15Mark)

1. What makes pointing device different from input device?

2. What is the difference in:-
 Assembly language
 Machine language
 High level language
 Very high level language
3. What is the difference between network and internet?
4. Discuss the Difference Between Hub and Switches
 Answers

1. The main difference between a pointing device and an input device is their primary
function and mode of operation.

A pointing device is primarily used to control the movement and position of a cursor or
pointer on a computer screen. Examples of pointing devices include a computer mouse,
touchpad, trackball, or stylus. These devices allow users to interact with graphical user
interfaces (GUIs) by pointing, clicking, dragging, or selecting objects on the screen.

On the other hand, an input device is a broader term that encompasses various devices
used to input data or commands into a computer system. While a pointing device can be
considered an input device, not all input devices are pointing devices. Input devices
include keyboards, scanners, barcode readers, joysticks, game controllers, microphones,
and more. These devices allow users to enter text, numbers, or other types of data into
a computer.

The key distinction is that pointing devices specifically focus on controlling the cursor or
pointer, while input devices encompass a wider range of devices used for data or
command input.

2. The differences between assembly language, machine language, high-level language,

and very high-level language are as follows:

- Assembly Language: Assembly language is a low-level programming language that uses

mnemonic codes and symbols to represent machine instructions. It is specific to a
particular computer architecture and closely corresponds to the machine code
instructions that the computer's processor can directly execute. Assembly language
provides a more human-readable representation of the machine code, making it easier
for programmers to write and understand low-level code. However, it still requires a
deep understanding of the computer's architecture and instruction set.

- Machine Language: Machine language is the lowest level of programming language. It

consists of binary code, represented as sequences of 0s and 1s, that directly correspond
to the instructions executed by a computer's processor. Machine language is specific to
a particular computer architecture and is understood by the computer's hardware
without the need for translation or interpretation. Machine language is difficult to read
or write for humans due to its binary nature.
- High-Level Language: High-level languages are programming languages that are
designed to be more user-friendly and easier to understand by humans. They are
further away from the computer's hardware and closer to natural language. High-level
languages provide abstractions and advanced features that simplify programming tasks.
Examples of high-level languages include C, C++, Java, Python, and Ruby. Programs
written in high-level languages need to be translated into machine code (either through
compilation or interpretation) before they can be executed by the computer.

- Very High-Level Language: Very high-level languages (VHLLs) are programming

languages that provide even higher levels of abstraction and are designed to be more
intuitive and expressive. VHLLs often focus on specific domains or application areas,
providing specialized features and libraries for those purposes. Examples of VHLLs
include MATLAB for mathematical computations, SQL for database queries, and R for
statistical analysis. VHLLs typically require less coding effort and provide more pre-built
functionality compared to general-purpose high-level languages.

3. The difference between a network and the internet is as follows:

- Network: A network refers to a collection of interconnected devices, such as

computers, servers, printers, routers, and switches, that can communicate with each
other and share resources. Networks can be classified based on their geographical
scope, such as a Local Area Network (LAN) within a limited area like a home or office, or
a Wide Area Network (WAN) that spans larger geographical areas. Networks allow
devices to exchange data, share files, access shared resources, and collaborate.

- Internet: The internet is a global network of networks that connects millions of devices
worldwide. It is a vast network infrastructure that uses standardized protocols and
technologies to enable communication and data exchange between devices and
networks across different locations. The internet allows users to access a wide range of
services, such as email, web browsing, online streaming, social media, and more. It
provides a global platform for information sharing, communication, and collaboration on
a massive scale.
4. The difference between a hub and a switch, in the context of computer networking, is
as follows:

- Hub: A hub is a simple networking device that operates at the physical layer (Layer 1)
of the OSI model. It is essentially a multi-port repeater that receives incoming data
packets from one port and broadcasts them to all other ports. In other words, when a
hub receives a data packet, it replicates and forwards it to all connected devices,
regardless of the destination. Hubs do not perform any intelligent packet processing or
filtering. As a result, all devices connected to a hub share the available bandwidth, and
collisions can occur if multiple devices transmit data simultaneously. Hubs are
considered inefficient in terms of network performance and security.

- Switch: A switch is a more advanced networking device that operates at the data link
layer (Layer 2) of the OSI model. It is designed to improve network performance and
efficiency compared to hubs. A switch has multiple ports and maintains a table, known
as a MAC address table, which maps the MAC addresses of connected devices to their
respective switch ports. When a data packet arrives at a switch, it examines the
destination MAC address and forwards the packet only to the port associated with that
destination address. This process is known as switching or packet forwarding. By
selectively forwarding packets to the appropriate ports, switches reduce network
congestion, improve bandwidth utilization, and enable simultaneous communication
between multiple devices. Switches also support full-duplex communication, allowing
devices to transmit and receive data simultaneously, without collisions. This further
enhances network performance. Switches offer better security than hubs because they
isolate traffic between devices, preventing other connected devices from seeing all
network traffic.

In summary, the main differences between hubs and switches are:

- Hubs operate at the physical layer and simply broadcast incoming packets to all
connected devices, while switches operate at the data link layer and selectively forward
packets based on their destination MAC addresses.
- Hubs share the available bandwidth among all connected devices, leading to potential
collisions and decreased network performance, while switches provide dedicated
bandwidth to each connected device, improving performance and reducing collisions.
- Hubs offer no packet filtering or intelligence, while switches maintain MAC address
tables and intelligently forward packets only to the appropriate destination ports.
- Hubs provide no security and all connected devices can see all network traffic, while
switches isolate traffic between devices, enhancing security.