Use basic peripheral devices

Operate A Personal ComputerUse Basic Peripheral Devices

Use Basic Peripheral DevicesPeripheral devices were identified and discussed in Section 1. In this section we will be using a printer, an external storage device and an audio-visual device (digital camera).

Printers

Printer settings specify information about how a document is going to be printed and which printer to use (if there is more than one available).

These can include:

● the cartridge type

● the layout

● the number of copies

● the orientation

● the paper size.

Audio-visual devices

Audio-visual devices were discussed in Section 1 of this Workbook. In this section we will look at connecting a digital camera and downloading the images stored on it. The process for doing this will vary greatly depending on the specific device you are connecting to the computer.

In this chapter we will be looking at connecting a digital camera, which is just one of the many digital audio-visual devices that can be connected to a computer. The process for connecting the digital camera available in you training environment will depend on the equipment you have available.

External storage devices

Hard disks are mechanical devices which can break or wear out. If that happens they’re usually very expensive to fix and they often can’t be fixed at all. Even if your computer works perfectly, accidents happen from time to time.

ICAICT101A Operate a Personal Computer

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Can you imagine what it would be like to lose all the files you’ve spent so many hours working on, or your entire photo collection? It’s much cheaper, safer and less stressful to back up your files properly.

Backing up and synchronisingBacking up and synchronising are very similar functions, which have different purposes.

Backing up is making a copy of your files and data so that if something goes wrong with your computer you don’t lose anything.

Synchronising (or ‘syncing’) is copying files between two different devices so that the contents match and you can use the files on both devices. For example, you may synchronise the music files on your computer with your mobile phone or portable media player so that you can listen to the same music on both.

Syncing a device often backs up files as well, to protect against losing data.

Copying to CD-R or DVD-RMost computers can save files to CD-Rs or DVD-Rs. This is called ‘burning’.

CD-Rs usually hold 650MB of data and DVD-Rs usually hold 4.7GB.

Pros It’s easy.

The disks are cheap and freely available.

If you buy quality brands and look after them they last a long time, maybe decades.

Cons They don’t hold very much information, especially CD-Rs.

They can get scratched easily if not looked after.

Tips Always burn a whole disk and finalise it even if it’s not full. This may cost a little more, but it’s safer and more flexible.

Avoid using cheap disks.

Don’t use rewritable disks (CD-RWs or DVD-RWs).

Keep disks in their cases in a cool dark place.




External hard drivesExternal hard drives are a popular backup method because they hold a lot of information and are relatively cheap for their capacity. They are just like the hard drive in your computer, but they come in a separate box and connect to your computer with a USB cable.

Portable hard drives come in large range of capacities. External portable hard drives of 500MB to 1 Terabyte (TB) are becoming increasingly common and the cost of these larger capacities is constantly decreasing.

Desktop hard drives come in larger capacities of over 1TB and require external power supplies.

Pros They have a larger capacity than CD-Rs and DVD-Rs.

They are relatively cheap.

Cons Even the portable ones are not very rugged, and being carried about or being continually turned on and off make them prone to failure.

Tips Don’t buy a huge drive even if it seems good value. It’s just more data to lose if something goes wrong. You’re better off buying two smaller drives to have two backups.

Look for hard drives that have 3 year warranties.

Portable drives may be more when it comes to knocks or bumps but are also more expensive.

USB sticks or flash drivesA USB memory sticks or flash drives are extremely portable and come in a range of sizes with a range of storage capacities. They plug into a USB port on your computer.

Pros Very easy to use.

Extremely portable.

Reasonably reliable when it comes to losing data.

Cons Very easy to lose or break.

Easy to lose the covers.

Smaller capacity than hard drives.

Relatively high cost per megabyte.




Tips Don’t use them as a long term backup because they are easy to lose or break.

Look for USB sticks which slide into their cases for protection.

If you plan to carry your USB stick on a key ring, look for one with a metal keyhole to avoid snapping.

Backing up to the internetThere are a number of websites that allow you to back up or sync your files to servers on the internet. This is sometimes called ‘cloud storage’. A small amount of data is usually free to encourage you to use the service, but monthly costs apply to larger amounts of data.

Some common backup and syncing services include Dropbox, SugarSync, Mozy and MobileMe.

Pros Very easy to use.

Automatic syncing is usually a feature.

There’s nothing to carry.

You can get to your files from any computer with an internet connection, possibly even a web enabled mobile phone.

You can share your files with other people.

Since data isn’t kept anywhere near your computer, it’s protected from theft, accident or disaster.

Cons Requires an internet connection.

Backing up large amounts of data means large internet use and possibly cost.

Some people are uncomfortable about the safety and security of files stored on the internet.

Ongoing fees may apply.

Tips You need to install the software on all devices from which you plan to access the data.

Tips for backing upBack up regularly. If you are doing important work, then back up every single day.




Make two backups. Your main disk can fail and so can your backup, so make another one.

Keep your backups somewhere safe. There’s no point in leaving your backups on or near your computer. If there’s a robbery or fire, or you simply have an accident holding a drink, you may lose your backups and your originals.

Test your backups. When you first start making backups and periodically after that, test them to make sure they are working properly.



Use basic peripheral devices

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