Unit 2, M1 - Jake Horsfield

FUNCTION OF COMPUTER HARDWARE COMPONENTS & PURPOSE/COMPARISON OF

OPERATING SYSYTEMS

PROCESSOR• Carries out the instructions of a computer program.

• Performs arithmetic, logical and input/output operations.

• ALU (Arithmetic logic unit)

• Performs arithmetic and logical operations.• CU (Control unit)

• Extracts instructions from memory and executes them.

• Most modern CPU’s represent numbers in a base 2 number system called binary rather than the base 10 number system we use.

For example, the number 12 would be represented by 1100

• The rate at which instructions are executed is regulated by an internal clock. The faster the clock, the more instructions the CPU can execute per second.

MOTHERBOARD• It holds many of the crucial components, such as the CPU and memory.

• Components can be attached to it, for example: sounds cards, video cards, network cards and hard drives.

BIOS• Basic Input/Output System

• Built into PC’s

• First software run when a PC is powered on

• Initializes and tests the hardware components, and to load a bootloader or an operating system.

• Provides an abstraction layer for the hardware

• Stored on a chip on the motherboard

POWER SUPPLY UNIT• Converts mains AC power to low-voltage DC power for the internal components of a

computer

FANS AND HEAT SINK• Cools the CPU/GPU by dissipating heat to the surrounding area

• Thermal grease can improve the heat sink’s performance by filling air gaps between the heat sink and the CPU/GPU.

SATA• Used to connect storage devices, e.g. hard drives to the motherboard

• Reduced cable size and cost over IDE

IDE• Used to connect storage devices, e.g. hard drives, to computers

• Been replaced by SATA in newer systems

RAM• Allows data to be accessed in a random order

• Volatile – data stored in RAM is lost when power is removed

ROM• Data stored in ROM can’t be modified

• Mainly used to distribute firmware

CACHE• Used to reduce the time taken to access memory

• Much faster than reading from or writing to main memory

NETWORK CARD• Connects a computer to a computer network

• Most modern computers come with a network card built into the motherboard

• http://www.geekpeek.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/network-card.jpg

GRAPHICS CARD• Generates a feed of output images to a display

• Can be integrated into the motherboard/CPU but most computers provide an expansion port to which a graphics card can be connnected

• A heat sink is used to dissipate the heat produced by the graphics card

MONITOR• An electronic visual display for computers

• Common resolution is 1920x1080

PRINTER• Used to make physical representations of electronic files

• Modern print technology:

• Toner-based printers

• Liquid inkjet printers

• Solid ink printers

PLOTTER• A computer printer used for printing vector graphics

• Pen plotters print by moving a pen across the surface of a piece of paper

SCANNER• Scans images, printed text, handwriting, or an object, and converts

it to a digital image

CABLING

• Coaxial

• Uses:

• Radio frequency signals

• Computer network connections

• Cable television signals

• Optical

• Uses:

• Telecommunication

• Computer networking

• Long distance communications

CABLING CONT.

• Twisted Pair

• Used for cancelling out electromagnetic interference

DISC STORAGE• Data is recorded to rotating discs by electronic, magnetic, optical, or mechanical changes

to a surface layer

• Read and written to by a disc drive

USB FLASH DRIVE• Much smaller than an optical disc

• Removable and rewritable

• Can store much more data than discs

• Draw power from the computer via USB connection

OPTICAL MEDIA• Initially used to store music and computer software.

• Second-generation discs were for storing great amounts of data.

• Third-generation discs are meant for distributing high-definition video.

MEMORY CARD• Storage device used for storing digital information.

• Commonly used in many electronic devices, including:

• Digital cameras

• Mobile phones

• Laptop computers

• MP3 players

• Video game consoles

OPERATING SYSTEM• Collection of software that manages computer hardware resources.

• Acts as a “middle-man” between the hardware and the software.

• Examples:

• Android

• BSD

• OS X

• Windows

• iOS

WINDOWS• Proprietary operating system designed by Microsoft.

• The newest version is Windows 8

• File permissions can be applied to files or folders to only allow certain things to be done to the file, for example a user can be limited to only being able to read some files and not write to them.

• Can be customized via the use of third-party software.

• Files are managed through Windows Explorer, which allows you to view, move, copy, and carry out other various file operations e.g. changing file permissions.

• Various support websites online. Support also available from forums, IRC channels etc.

• Supports most portable media, however drivers may be installed for some media.

GNU/LINUX• Unix-like operating system that can be used on a wide range of devices from

supercomputers to phones.

• Most popular operating system for servers.

• Very customizable, most things can be configured via config files. Lots of different window managers/desktop environments that can be installed.

• Comes with lots of (open-source) drivers for various hardware devices e.g. nouveau is an open-source graphics driver for Nvidia graphics cards. Supports most portable media, however drivers may need to be installed for some media e.g. Android devices.

• How files are managed depends on the file explorer you use. There are many choices, for example “Thunar” which is the default file manager in the XFCE desktop environment and “Nemo” which is the default file manager in the Cinnamon desktop environment.

• Lots of websites online that provide support for the many distributions of Linux. Support can also be received from IRC channels, forums etc.

• Very stable and reliable – this is why the majority of servers run some form of GNU/Linux.

MAC OS X• Unix-based operating system developed by Apple.

• Runs exclusively on Mac computers.

• Files are managed by Mac’s file manager, “Finder”.

• Gatekeeper protects from mistakenly installing malicious software.

• FileVault encrypts the hard drive, protecting data.

• Various privacy controls for location and information sharing.

• Some apps are sandboxed, meaning that if they contain malicious code, they can’t affect your system

• Various support websites online, however official support from Apple will cost.

MS-DOS• Operating system for x86-based PC’s.

• Main operating system during the 1980s to mid-1990s.

• All versions of Windows have an MS-DOS like command-line interface.

FREEBSD• Free Unix-like operating system

• Most software that runs on Linux can run on FreeBSD using

a compatibility layer.

• As it can run most Linux software, it is very customizable.

• Supports most portable media, however drivers may need to be installed for some forms of media.

• Lots of support available online. Support also available from forums, IRC channels etc.

COMPARISON OF OPERATING SYSTEMS

• A table comparing the three major operating systems

SOURCES• http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/monitors/2013/02/13/benq-gw2450hm-monitor-review/1

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ATI_Radeon_HD_4770_Graphics_Card-oblique_view.jpg

• http://www.howthecomputerworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/CPU-CacheFlowChart.gif

• http://www.synthmania.com/Kurzweil%20K2000%20Contemporary%20ROM/Images/Contmporary%20ROM.jpg

• http://www.storagereview.com/images/Corsair-Vengeance-RAM-4GB.jpg

• http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/images/44-way-male-female-ide-cable.jpg

• http://www.sierra-cables.com/Cables/Images/SATA-Signal-Cable-1.jpg

• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/AMD_Athlon_II_X4_630_heatsink-fan.jpg

• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/62/PSU-Open1.jpg/220px-PSU-Open1.jpg

• http://serverbeach.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/bios.jpg

• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/MicroATX_Motherboard_with_AMD_Athlon_Processor_2_Digon3.jpg

• http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Svwa4PMZAQc/TPQKgDqWxyI/AAAAAAAAAIA/NEjU1L_B5i8/s1600/processor3.jpg

• http://icons.iconarchive.com/icons/artua/dragon-soft/512/Printer-icon.png

• http://www.ipfstore.co.uk/ekmps/shops/proprintsolutio/images/canon-ipf820-canon-imageprograf-ipf820-b0-plotter-805-p.jpg

• http://www.in.all.biz/img/in/catalog/652828.jpeg?rrr=1

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fiber_optic_illuminated.jpg

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SixHardDriveFormFactors.jpg

• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/SanDisk_Cruzer_Micro.png

• http://img.timeinc.net/time/photoessays/2010/100_gadgets/entertainment/optical_media.jpg

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SanDisk_Memory_Card_with_Adapter.jpg

SOURCES• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Screenshot_(1).png

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ubuntu_12.04_Final_Live_CD_Screenshot.png

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Osx-mavericks-screenshot.jpg

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:FreeDOS_Beta_9_pre-release5_(command_line_interface)_ on_Bochs_sshot20040912.png

• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Freebsd.png