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“Assignment Sample of computer fundamental for even student”

1) List and describe the factors that affect microprocessor performance.

Microprocessor
A microprocessor (sometimes simply referred to as a processor) is an integrated circuit
designed to process instructions. It is the most important, and usually the most expensive,
Component of a computer.

A microprocessor’s performance is affected by several factors, including clock speed, bus

speed, word size, cache size, instruction set, number of cores, and processing techniques.

Factors affecting performance of Microprocessor

Factors which affect performance of Microprocessor are as follows:
1. Clock Speed: It directly affects the cycles in a minute.
2. Bus Speed: It’s property of connection bus. Slow speed will result in delay of processing at
next hand, and degrading the performance also.
3. Word Size: Number of bits which a Microprocessor can work with at a single time. More
word size gives high performance also.
4. Cache Size : This memory saves the time of bringing data again and again by saving
probably useful data in it.
5. Instruction Set: It’s associated with programming in Microprocessor.
6. Number of Cores: More cores leads towards better performance and high speed.
7. Processing techniques: Parallel processing provides considerable high performance by
executing non-dependent commands in parallel.
2) Describe the advantages and disadvantages of magnetic storage, optical storage, and
solid state storage using criteria such as versatility, durability, capacity, access time, and
transfer rate?
Magnetic Storage Device
Hard drives are the primary storage device in most personal computers. Hard drives use
magnets to record data on rotating metal platters.

Benefits of Magnetic Storage Devices

Solid state drives are the only drives that are faster than hard drives; however the cost to store
date is pennies per gigabyte.

Advantages of Magnetic Storage Devices

• Inexpensive storage
• Very fast access to data
• Direct access on any part of the drive
• Very large amounts of storage space
Disadvantages of Magnetic storage devices
• Data can be altered by magnetic fields, dust, mechanical problems
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• Gradually lose their charge over time - data lost
• Hard disks eventually fail which stops the computer from working
• The surface of the disk, can lose data within sectors with regular crashes
• Cannot transfer the disk to another computer easily
Optical Storage Device
Optical drives include CD’s, DVD’s and Blu-ray disks and they all use a lens to read and write
information. CD-R, DVD-R, BD-R can be written to once and are then Read only, while CD-
RW, DVD-RW, BD-RW are Read Write so they can be written many times.
Benefits of Optical Storage Devices
CD’s, DVD’s and Blu-ray disks are great to record music, movies, games, and software
applications. It seems with optical storage an advantage can also be a disadvantage depending
on how they are being used.

Advantages of Optical Storage Devices

• Optical discs are portable and can be read on many different devices
• Very inexpensive
• Memory is retained even when the power is turned off
• Durable and last a long time
• Archived data cannot be overwritten on read only CD-R, DVD-R, BD-R formats
• Can random access data no matter where or when it was stored
Disadvantages of Optical Storage Devices
• Require special drives to read/write.
• Compared to other storage devices they have little storage
• Can be expensive per GB/TB
• There are compatibility issues with different drives
• Lack of standards for grading quality and for longevity tests
• You can write once on read only CD-R, DVD-R, BD-R formats
Solid State Storage Device (SSD)
Solid state drives use flash memory and could possibly make conventional hard drives
obsolete. They are compatible with SATA or SAS, and use standard form factors of 3.5-, 2.5-
or 1.8-inch.
Benefits of Solid State Storage Devices
Solid State Storage Devices are durable, reliable, have a long service life and they can rewrite
and erase data very often.
Advantages of Solid State Storage Devices
• Startup faster due to no spin-up and they are faster than magnetic hard drives
• When seeks on the hard disk seeks are limited they have faster launch times
• They last longer and some are waterproof
• All data stored can be scanned quickly for security purposes
Disadvantages of Solid State Storage Devices
• Solid State Storage devices are expensive
• Vulnerable to abrupt power loss, magnetic fields, and electrical and static charges
• Limited writes cycles wear out after 100,000-300,000

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• High endurance
• Larger erase blocks make random write speeds slow
3) Compare and contrast the technologies and applications for ink jet, laser, and dot matrix
printers?
Keep visiting website http://cse1822.ml for answer answer will be soon uploaded
4) List ways you can protect your computer system hardware from theft and damage?
1) During the day, it is imperative to use a security cable to lock down portable equipment, such
as a laptop, even while working on them. A security cable will discourage a casual thief who
walks by. They aren't foolproof since they can be cut with the right tools, but they will slow
down a thief.
2) Do NOT rely on a security cable overnight! Instead, store portable devices in a locked cabinet
overnight and during weekends/holidays. Don't leave a spare key in your office even if it's
hidden! If you need a lockable cabinet, talk to Facilities Services. Don't take equipment home
as a security measure--only do this if you need to work from home.
3) Lock down other valuable equipment such as desktop computers, scanners and printers. Lock
equipment to large, immobile objects and make sure the cable can't be slipped off or easily
removed by taking apart furniture.
4) Keep doors and windows locked when not in your office. Don't leave computer equipment in
plain sight of windows.
5) For personal equipment, mark your contact information permanently on the device. Etchers
are available from Community Safety.
6) Make note of the serial numbers of your personal equipment and keep it in a safe place so you
can easily report it to the police.
7) Disable auto-login and password protect your screen saver or log out of your computer when
not in use.
5) List at least ten functions performed by utilities included with Windows and Mac
operating systems?
In MacOS:
1) Activity monitor
2) AppleScript and Automator
3) Boot camp Assistant
4) Digital Color Meter
5) Disk Utility
In Windows OS:
1) Backup
2) Character map
3) Disk cleanup
4) Disk defragmenter
5) Security center

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6) Describe three ways that word processing software can help improve your writing?
1) Thesaurus:
Your word processing software is likely to include a thesaurus, which can help you find a
synonym for a word so that you can make your writing more varied and interesting.
2) grammar checker:
A grammar checker reads through your document and points out potential grammatical
trouble spots, such as incomplete sentences, run-on sentences, and verbs that don’t agree with
nouns.
3) Spelling Checker:
Most word processing software includes a spelling checker that marks misspelled
words in a document. You can easily correct a misspelled word as you type, or you can run
the spelling checker when you finish entering all the text.
7) List at least six key features of presentation software?
Presentation software highlights include:
1) Bulleted lists to summarize the points in your presentation
2) Graphics to make your presentation visually interesting
3) Transitions between slides to keep your audience’s attention
4) Speaker notes to help you remember what to say
5) Themes and templates to give your slides a professional appearance
6) Conversion routines to package presentations as PDF files and YouTube videos
8) List and describe the two main types of files included in a local software installation?
.exe file (Executable file):
Component of a software package is an executable file designed to be started by users
or automatically launched by the operating system. On PCs, these programs are sometimes
referred to as EXE files (pronounced “E-X-E”) because of the .exe file extension appended to
the program name. For example, the main executable file for Microsoft Word would be called
Word.exe. For Macs, the executable program usually has an .app file extension. Microsoft
Word running on a Mac would be called Word.app.
.dll file (dynamic link library file):
DLL files, also called Dynamic Link Libraries, contain a collection of executable
functions and information that can be used by a variety of Windows programs. A .DLL
file cannot run on its own. It is loaded and used by a program executable (EXE file), so
you should not try to run them on their own.

9) Describe the difference between uninstalling software on Macs and on Windows?

In windows:
The Windows operating system includes an uninstall routine, which deletes the
software’s files from various folders on your computer’s hard disk. The uninstall routine also
removes references to the program from the desktop and from operating system files, such as
the file system and the Windows Registry.
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In Mac OS:
Most Mac users simply use Finder to locate the program’s .app file and move it to the
trash. This process can leave some support files on the hard disk, however. Some Mac
programs include a more thorough uninstall routine, which is usually listed in the Utilities
folder.
10) Draw a storyboard to illustrate how antivirus software works?
Show some creativity and do it yourself……..!!!!!!!!!
11) Explain the significance of multitasking, multithreading, and multiprocessing?
Multitasking:
Multitasking provides process and memory management services that allow two or
more tasks, jobs, or programs to run simultaneously. Most of today’s popular operating
systems offer multitasking services.
Multiprocessing:
Within a single program, multithreading allows multiple parts, or threads, to run
simultaneously. For example, one thread for a spreadsheet program might be waiting for input
from the user while other threads perform a long calculation in the background. Multithreading
can speed up performance on single- or multiple-processor computers.
Multithreading:
Many new computers include multi-core processors or multiple processors. An
operating system’s multiprocessing capability supports a division of labor among all the
processing units.
12) Describe five tasks for which you must interact directly with the operating system?
Although its main purpose is to control what happens behind the scenes, you can interact
with the operating system to
 Launch programs
 Manage files
 Configure your computer equipment
 Customize your work environment
The programs you use to accomplish these tasks are called utilities, but the general way
you interact with an operating system and application software is referred to as the user
interface.
13) List four operating systems used on personal computers, two operating systems
used on servers, and four operating systems used on handheld devices?
Personal Computers:
Linux
Macintosh OS
MS-DOS
Windows 98
Windows 2000
Servers:
 Windows Server 2003
 Windows Server 2008
 Windows Server 2012
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 Linux (excluding RHEL)
 Windows Server 2000
 Red Hat Enterprise Linus (RHEL)
Handheld devices:
 Android OS (Google Inc.)
 BlackBerry OS (Research In Motion)
 iPhone OS / iOS (Apple)
 MeeGo OS (Nokia and Intel)
14) Pick any five files on the computer that you usually use, and write out the full path
for each one?
Write any five addresses of files from your computer you use mostly.
For example:
J:\study\Computer Concepts.pdf
Simply write some other file names like games you play
15) Discuss the pros and cons of using an external hard drive, USB flash drive,
network server, or online storage service for backups?
{yeh question kafi lengthy hei lehaza is mein sy apni merzi sy thora bohat likein, 2,2
points sy zayada na likhein.}

Portable External hard disk drives

Let’s try and evaluate why small firms prefer an external drive over a cloud based solution.
Well the reason is pretty straight forward, ‘the cost’ (usually). Firms are able to save on the
costs to some extent by choosing an external storage medium such as portable disks to secure
copies of their data. Also, easy availability is one of the reasons for it to be so popular.
Let’s consider the benefits and disadvantages of an external hard disk drive:

Benefits of External Hard Drives for Data Storage

The Cost Factor

Hard drives are inexpensive now-a-days. Users find good deals over popular sites, especially
during festive seasons. Moreover, with the advancing technology, the hardware size of
external storage devices is shrinking. Somewhere over the web I came across an offer that
flashed 1 TB flash/pen drive. Now that’s amazing!
So if you ever come across a situation where you need extra space for storage, all you need is
procuring a new device and get going. Though a user doesn’t get a choice of scalability but
they do have a lot of flexibility with it.

The Processing Power

With an evolving technology with better advancements being introduced every day,
consumers today have USB 3.0 at the disposal. Devices compatible with USB 3.0
technology get to leverage higher transfer speeds reducing the time required to take secure a
backup of crucial business data.

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Overhead Costs
Depending on the storage requirements, consumers might have to invest, but it’s a one-time
expenditure which is usually considered as an asset. Firms with lower IT budgets usually opt
for procurement of hard drives as it’s an investment which is one time. This is quite the
opposite if you’ve signed up for storage as service wherein an invoice pops-up every month.

Disadvantages of External Hard Drives for Data Storage

The Risk of Theft or Misplacement

Theft is one of the serious concerns with having your data stored on an external/portable
hard-drive. We get to read and hear about news about thefts and robberies of some sort
almost daily. Similarly, it’s quite possible that one of your competitors might try to get their
hands on to the device that stores your confidential business documents. OR you are
probably visiting some store while on your way back to home and you simply misplace the
bag which has the storage device. That’s a risk which no-one would want to take, isn’t it!
Since it’s an electronic device, there’s also a chance of its components to fail for any odd
reasons. No one can really guarantee the recovery of data in such cases. You might call-in
for data recovery experts or ship the device over to a third-party, which again involves the
risk to data security.

Security of Devices
Be it physical or digital, security is one of the most crucial aspects in both storage types.
Most users with no technical background wouldn’t usually understand the risks associated
with the transfer of files via. an insecure medium. For that reason file/data
encryption before transfers is strongly recommended.
We are well aware of the risks associated over the Internet, though scammers and fraudsters
usually pose an increased risk during festive seasons, yet one must stay protected otherwise
too. For online transfers, use of secure encrypted mediums can be a key to keeping your data
safe from thefts.

External hard drives Portability – A Risk in itself

Unlike the device which’s constantly connected to the computing machines, external hard
drives are also portable, which means that they can get dropped, knocked, crushed. The
connected storage devices, in fact the entire computing machine is cooled by means of fans.
Whereas the external hard drive seldom have any temperature control mechanism, except the
air ducts.

Storage over a Cloud System

Cloud is one of the most trending topics in the Industry today, wherein various services have
been effectively built around it. Few of the popular services are PaaS, SaaS, DaaS, IaaS etc.
We’ve even been using a few services on a day-to-day basis without knowing that it’s based
over Cloud infrastructure. Few popular examples would be: Google Mail, Google Drive,
Dropbox, iTunes, Google PlayStore etc.
Let’s consider sneaking into its Pros and Cons.
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Pros of Using a Cloud based Storage solution

Anytime-Anywhere accessibility of data

Referring to the examples above, with a cloud based solution you needn’t be dependent on
a hardware device of any sort. If you wish to access your files, all that you need is an Internet
connection, which now-a-days is easily available. The servers have strong encryption and
firewalls, so whenever data is transferred to-and-fro, you can be rest assured about its
security.

Stronger Encryption over Cloud systems

Most Cloud systems use strong encryption & security technologies across different layers
within the system, i.e. Server, Network, and Database etc. Plus you have the choice of
sharing the essential levels of access by individuals based on their roles and expertise. This
isn’t something which you can do over a hard drive, once one has access to it, the data can be
accessed with a single click of a button.

Ease of Share ability

With a cloud platform to host your files, it’s easier for you to share it, that too in a secure
manner. Plus you can share specific files and folders which are hosted over the storage server
while other files and folders can stay hidden from the recipient, which further increases the
security of your data.

The Cost Factor associated with Cloud Storage

Well, this aspect basically relies on the ‘demand and supply’ rule. If the demand is more
the supply would be slow initially but eventually that grows too. Once equilibrium is
attained, the cost associated with Cloud services reduces too. That’s also because an
increasing number of service providers start investing in this model.
Today IT companies and service providers have started offering cloud services on a pay-per-
usage basis, so one would only need to pay for something that’s used, unlike the traditional
fixed billing cycles where a consumer would have to pay a fixed amount for a usage period
irrespective of the usage. Plus, one can also expect other benefits with the service, so in a
way consumers get multiple advantages at a mere price.

Cons of using Cloud as a Storage Platform

Speed and Performance over Cloud

Since the transfer and synchronization is dependent over network speed and connectivity,
users may find a difference in speed and performance levels of file transfers. This is an area
where improvement can still be expected; rather many companies invest in research and
development towards finding ways to make the process faster. Therefore, most companies
recommend consumers to upload only the mission critical files over to the cloud. This keeps
the file size to the minimum hence improving the transfer time and costs low.

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The Cost Factor
As referred earlier, users get an advantage with using Cloud wherein they are only changed
basis of the consumed resources. Eventually with time the data increases too, adding more to
the expenditure. Therefore in order to keep the cost under control, one may choose to
segregate the data based on its sensitivity and keep only which is utmost essential, while the
back dated data can be stored over a local storage.

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