This module assumes that you have no knowledge of computers and ICT (information and communications technology).

Module: Equipment This module assumes that you have no knowledge of computers and ICT (information and communications technology). ACTIVITY COMPUTER BASICS Listen to the presentation on Computer Basics. Label the diagram below using one of the three words supplied for each label. 7 8 8 2 1 6 3 9 4 5 Number 1 is Printer Scanner Monitor Number 2 is CD drive Hard drive Port Number 3 is System unit CPU CD drive Number 4 is Keyboard Typing Mouse Number 5 is Mouse Plotter Wheel Number 6 is Floppy drive CD drive Scanner Number 7 is TV Monitor Face Number 8 is Sound card Speaker Audio card Number 9 is System gun Control pad Joystick 2

ACTIVITY THE BACK OF THE COMPUTER Familiarise yourself with the back of a computer by playing the Computer Parts interactive presentation. In this activity, you will 'connect' a computer. Below, you will find a diagram of the back of a computer. There are connections and computer parts marked on the diagram. Below the diagram, you will see diagrams of various connectors or computer parts, with a description of their purpose in the table below: A B C D E F G H I J K L M Part A B C D E F G H I J K L M Function Power Plug Fan PS/2 Port PS/2 Port Firewire Port Parallel Port Network Port Modem Port USB Ports Serial Port Monitor Port Sound Video Match the description of each connector to the connection/parts on the back of the computer by writing the correct letter in the circle provided. 3

The power cord connects the computer to electrical power. It is a thick, round cable with a three-prong plug on one end and a three-hole plug on the other. USB (universal serial bus) port. Peripherals including scanners, printers and digital cameras can be connected and used without having to shut down and start up the computer again. These ports transfer data to the serial ports. Serial ports come in two sizes, 9 pin and 25 pin. These are used to connect a serial mouse and external modems. A serial port sends data one bit at a time. Firewire is Apple Computer s trade name for a high speed data transfer technology. Transferring data at up to 400Mbps, FireWire delivers more than 30 times the bandwidth of a USB port. Many mice and newer keyboards use a PS/2 connection instead of a keyboard or serial connection. The Mouse Plug is very similar to the Keyboard Plug, and each are often wrongly inserted into the other s port. This plug isn t really used very much these days, as it has been superceeded by mice that use the USB port, which allows data to be transferred very much faster. The Network Plug is used to connect to the internet and servers in an office, workplace, or internet café anywhere where a Local Network, or LAN, is in place The Modem line connects the home computer to the internet through the telephone line 4

The fan keeps air flowing inside the case to remove the heat that all this processing generates. If things get too hot inside the casing, the CPU will fail to calculate accurately. You will get wrong answers, the wrong commands will be executed, and there may be unpredictable crashes of your programs. A sound card has holes for connecting a microphone, speakers or headphones, and an outside sound source with a single prong plug. There is also a serial port for connecting devices like musical keyboards and synthesisers. A parallel port is used primarily by the printer. Scanners and external storage devices of many types also connect to the parallel port. A serial port sends data one bit at a time while parallel ports can send 8 bits at a time. Any device that is transferring a lot of data would be likely to require a parallel port. The parallel port uses a 25- pin connector. 5

ACTIVITY INSIDE THE COMPUTER Label the diagram below using the following words: Power supply Hard disc drive Motherboard Floppy disc drive Expansion cards CD-ROM ACTIVITY DATA STORAGE, INPUT AND OUPUT DEVICES Listen to the presentation Data Storage. Listen to the presentation Input Devices. Listen to the presentation Output Devices. Complete the Quick Quiz that follows. 6

QUIZ (DATA STORAGE, INPUT AND OUTPUT DEVICES) Tick one correct answer in each case unless otherwise instructed. 1. A computer keyboard is an example of a(n): A B input device output device C processing device D storage device 2. The following are ALL examples of output devices: A B mouse, keyboard, monitor, printer microphone, speakers, headphones C CPU, modem, video card D monitor, speakers, headphones, printer 3. CPU is a short form for: A B computer positronic unit computer processing unit C central processing unit D central postal unit 4. A CPU is an example of a(n): A B input device output device C processing device D storage device 7

5. The following are ALL examples of storage devices: A B floppy drive, hard drive, CPU, RAM floppy drive, hard drive, CD-ROM, zip drive C floppy drive, CPU, video card, sound card D paper, organiser, refrigerator, keyboard 6. Video cards and sound cards are both examples of processing devices. True False 7. Input devices give information back to the computer user. True False 8. Which three of the following are examples of input devices? Tick all that apply. A B keyboard monitor C microphone D digital camera E printer 8

ACTIVITY CROSSWORD Complete the following crossword. Clues Across: 2 The most common type of output device can come in different sizes 4 The central 'brain' of a computer 7 An output device that uses paper 8 Random Access Memory 10 An input device used to control the cursor 11 Copies pictures or text into a computer 12 A term used to describe computer programs 14 The company that makes the Windows operating system 16 Information sent from the computer the opposite of input 18 A portable computer 19 Permanent data is stored in this computer part (two words) 20 The company that created the imac and ipod 21 Gets electricity into the computer (two words) Down: 1 Allows you to connect your computer to the internet through the telephone line 3 Information sent to the computer the mouse and keyboard are examples of this type of device (opposite of 16 Across) 4 A pointer on your computer screen 5 A malicious program that destroys information on your computer 6 What you use floppy discs, CDs and Hard Drives for 9 An input device that you type on 13 You would find one of these on a laptop, in place of a mouse 15 A part of the computer that controls the sound 17 A 3.5 inch disc, used to store up to 1.44 Megabytes of information 9

ACTIVITY CONCENTRATION (CARD GAME) In your group, play the game of Concentration. This game will help you to become familiar with terms used when discussing computer hardware. Your group will be given a set of cards by your tutor. Place the cards face down on a flat surface. Each player should take it in turns to turn over any two cards. If the two cards show a picture card and the correct matching description, then keep the cards. After all the cards have been turned over, the player with the most matches wins. 10

1 A small computing machine that fits on to a desk and can be used by one person. A 2 These are similar to floppy drives. Individual discs are removable and portable, but they hold much larger amounts of data (between 100 Mb and 2 Gb). Zip Drive B C D Floppy Disc Palmtop PC 3 A small computing device weighing about 200 g (6 oz) and are useful for people who need to write letters, take notes, make calculations or connect to the internet on the move. 4 This is made of bendy plastic and is usually covered with a hard plastic jacket. You put one into or take one out of the disc drive yourself. 5 This is made of metal and live permanently inside the computer. It stores more data than floppy discs and spin more quickly and unlike floppies, it cannot be lost. 11

6 A powerful computer which holds software to run the network. It also holds the shared resources of the network, like the user s files and software packages. E F Hard Disc Mouse G H I Touch Screen Printer Scanner 7 A hand-operated input device. It can be used to move a pointer around the screen, to draw shapes or to make a choice from a menu. (A menu is a list of different options.) It is usually made of plastic, and is connected to the computer by a cable. On its underside is a metal or rubber ball, which moves as it is dragged over a surface. 8 This enables both pictures and text to be input to a computer. The most common type is flatbed, but hand held devices are cheaper. 9 This has a built-in system of wires which are sensitive to the touch of a finger. You can select options and give commands by pressing different areas on the screen. 12

J 10 12 cm plastic discs which can hold large quantities of data (650 Mb) in the form of text, sound, still pictures and video clips. The data is sorted on the surface of the disc as minute indentations and is read by a laser light. 11 Can be connected to the computer and used instead of speakers. Keyboard K 12 This converts the digital signals in the computer to audio tones which can travel across the telephone system. They also convert incoming signals back into digital form. L Modem File Server 13 The most common output device. They come in various sizes, e.g. 14", 15", 17" and so on. The larger it is, the more expensive it is, and the larger the image displayed. M 14 Two or more computers that are joined in this way form one of these. Network 13

N 15 This is used to take a picture which is stored in computer memory rather than on film. O Digital Camera Projector 16 Examples of these are: Dot Matrix Inkjet Laser P Q Headphones CD Writer 17 You can use this to make your own CD-ROMs. You can write on special CD- ROM discs. Can be used to: back up data (documents, images, programs). copy CDs for personal use. R CD 18 This is a small plastic disc with a reflecting metal coating, usually aluminium. Tiny indentations are burned into this coating. These indentations contain the data in millions of bits. It is organised in tracks. Each track is assigned a number. 14

S 19 This is the most common input device. The layout of the letters is standard across many countries. 20 This connects directly to the PC and displays the monitor's contents on a projection screen. Monitor T 21 This card provides the connections for a microphone input and speaker output. 22 This is required in order to connect to other computers via a network. Sound Card U V Network Card DVD 15

ACTIVITY SOFTWARE QUIZ Complete the following quick quiz on software. Quiz (software) Tick one correct answer in each case unless otherwise instructed. 1. Software can be divided into two areas: A Network software and security software B System software and application software C Business software and games software 2. What is the function of system software? A To collect data B To execute programs C To maintain security 3. Application software is programs that are written to: A Maintain a backup copy of all the information B Do a particular job such as editing, storing information C Help someone who is applying for employment 4. What are some popular office-orientated software applications? A Compilers, interpreters, editors B Network software, back-up systems C Word processors, spreadsheets, databases, DTP 5. To publish a magazine, which application would be best? A Word processing B Desktop publishing C Spreadsheet D Presentation graphics 6. A single application that combines the major features of several types of applications is called: A B Integrated software A suite C A combination package D High-end 16

ACTIVITY SOFTWARE ON THE INTERNET In the table below there is a list of software which is useful for accessing and using the internet effectively. Read the descriptions of each type of software and tick those which may be of interest to you. If you want to find out more about any of them, a web address has been included so that you can go online and explore their features in more detail. Software type Software name Location Comments Interested? Tick Here Compression utility WinZip http://www.winzip.com/ A lot of the software you download will be compressed; you need an easy method of zipping and unzipping files WWW browser Netscape Communicator http://www.netscape.com/ Along with Microsoft Internet Explorer, the most popular web browser. WWW browser Internet Explorer http:// www.microsoft.com/ Another popular web browser. FTP application (transfers files) CuteFTP http://www.cuteftp.com/ Software for downloading files and programs from other sites. Anyone who s familiar with Windows Explorer will have no problems using this software. IRC application mirc mirc homepage http:/www.mirc.com Internet Relay Chat software for talking over the net. Image manipulation Paint Shop Pro http://www.jasc.com/ Software for handling images downloaded from the internet, and for homepage design. 17

Protecting against Computer Viruses A computer virus is a computer program that is able to move from computer to computer by attaching itself to other programs. It is an unwelcome visitor that takes up system resources and can have harmful effects on your computer. To spread itself, it first attaches itself to other programs, documents, or other discs as they are accessed. Then the virus can activate and does whatever damage it was programmed to do. This may range from a simple message to complete erasure of your disc. Since new viruses are being developed every day, there is no way to guarantee absolutely that you will never be affected by one. There are, however, several easy steps you can take to minimise your exposure. Test your system with a new version of an anti-virus program. Use the anti-virus program to clean your system if it is found to be infected. Don t forget to check all discs you use in your computer (floppy, hard, and removable). Once you have a clean system: every time you start your computer, run the anti-virus program when you put a new floppy disc into your computer s drive, use an anti-virus program to scan the disc, even if it s a data disc with no programs on it if you are connected to a network and you receive electronic mail with executable programs attached, never run one of the programs without first checking it for viruses. ACTIVITY VIRUS PROTECTION Where can you obtain a good anti-virus program? There are many anti-virus programs. In this activity you will explore some of these resources. Go to the CNET website at http://www.cnet.com There, follow the links from the home page to Software>Security & Utilities>Antivirus Diagnostic>Filtering Use the links you find here to review some of the available anti-virus software. 18

ACTIVITY SOFTWARE RESOURCES There is a large amount of software available on the web that can either be downloaded for free, or downloaded for a small fee that you are expected to pay on a system of honour. The first of these categories is commonly called Freeware ; the second is called Shareware. Shareware is often offered with an explicit grace period (usually a week or two) in which you can try the software out for free; if you continue to use the software after that, you are expected to pay the shareware fee. Go to the techsoup site at http://www.techsoup.org/ Once there, follow the link to Find Donated and Discounted Products. Now follow the link to Discounted and Donated Software Distributors. This will give descriptions and links to download various discounted software. Now go to the CNET download site at http://download.cnet.com/ Here, the reviewed software can be found under various headings, such as utilities. Explore the site and make a note of any software that interests you. 19

ACTIVITY NETWORK QUIZ Complete the following quick quiz on networks. Quiz (networks) Tick one correct answer in each case unless otherwise instructed. 1. You might want to install a network to: A Share data B Share a printer C Communicate via e-mail D Share applications E All of the above 2. Computers in a Local Area Network (LAN) are connected by: A String B Cables C Telephone lines 3. The special computer that stores a network s programs and data is called a: A Dreamcast B Server C Hub 4. To log on to the network, a user must enter their: A Money B Username and password C Full name 5. Networks are vulnerable to computer crime such as: A Theft, vandalism, and graffiti B Hacking, viruses, and software piracy C Internet addiction, sabotage and negligence 6. Wide Area Networks (WANs) differ from LANs in that they: A Have more users, have faster access times, are cheaper B Cover larger areas, may require modems and other communications links C Need more powerful servers, can connect to the internet 20

7. The advantages of networks are: A Improved communications, sharing of data, software and some peripherals B Increased production, improved communication, hacking C Lower costs per user, fewer security risks, greater privacy 8. A network that is confined to one building or room is called a: A LAN B FAN C VAN 21