Information Technology Coursework Essay Example for Free

Information Technology Coursework Essay Input The Keyboard The keyboard is essentially based on the standard QWERTY keyboard used by typists. The main differences are the additions made by computer manufacturers. The first thing to notice is that the keyboard has three main sections. The first section is the main QWERTY keyboard, which has three extra keys. The most important of these extra keys is usually marked ENTER or RETURN. The enter key is on the right side of the keyboard and is used to tell the computer that you have finished typing and wish either to move to a fresh empty line or that you want the computer to carry out the typed instruction. The other two additional keys are the ALT and the CONTROL keys (CTRL). These act in the same way as the shift key on the typewriter and so allow normal keys to have a number of different effects. The second part of the keyboard is the FUNCTION keys. There are always at least ten and sometimes twelve of these labelled F1 to F10 or F12, which are grouped together on the left of the keyboard or along the top of it. They are used by programs like word processors or spreadsheets to give instructions to the computer. They do not normally produce an effect on the screen but can do in some programs. The third part of the keyboard is the numeric key pad. This is situated on the right of the keyboard and serves two functions. Firstly, to move the cursor and secondly to type numbers into the computer. The keys on the keypad usually contain the numbers 0 to 9, the decimal point and the mathematical symbols. The key marked NUMLOCK is used to tell the computer if the pad is used to enter numbers (NUMLOCK ON) or to move the cursor (NUMLOCK OFF). Input The Mouse A mouse is a device, which can provide an alternative to the keyboard. The mouse itself has a small ball in its base which, when pulled across a smooth surface, moves a special cursor across the screen. This cursor can be used to draw or point and is especially effective in providing an easy to use interface for those who have difficulty with keyboards etc. Processing The Central Processing Unit Inside the microcomputer is a tiny silicon chip called the Central Processing Unit or CPU: this can be regarded as the brain of the entire system. With the help of the computers internal memory it executes the instructions in a program by performing simple logical operations at very high speeds typically an instruction will be performed in millionths of a second. The chip containing the Central Processing Unit or CPU is the place where the computer does its thinking. The CPU processes information by fetching a program instruction stored in the computers memory, executing the instruction and proceeding to the next step in the program. The CPU contains (1) a program counter that tells the CPU where it is in the program. (2) an instruction register that stores the current program instruction. (3) a control unit that decodes the contents of the instruction register. (4) data registers that store the small units of information the CPU is currently processing. (5) a memory address register that holds the address or memory location of the information in its data registers. (6) an Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU) that actually performs each small step in the program, and (7) a status or flags register that reports on the work of the ALU. The size or power of a CPU is determined by the length of its registers: 8-bit processors work on information in 8- bit groups; 16-bit processors have registers that hold 16 bits and are twice as fast. 32-bit processors provide even more computing speed, and so on. Internal Memory RAM and ROM Because the central processing unit only works on small pieces of information at a time, the computer needs a way to store information while it is not being processed. Two kinds of silicon chips serve as the computers internal memory. Random Access Memory or RAM chips store information temporarily, and the computer can write, read, and erase information on them. RAM chips are erased every time the computer is turned off, so Read Only Memory or ROM chips act as the computers permanent memory: they store the instructions the CPU needs when you first turn it on. External Memory Disks and Disk Drives External memory devices like floppy disks, hard disks, and CD-ROMs store programs and data when the computer is turned off. When a disk is inserted into a disk drive, the computer can read information from it or write new information onto it. Only certain types of CD-ROM can have information written onto them. Output: The Printer Printers receive electrical codes from the computer and then print the corresponding letter or number on paper. The result is called hard copy. Plotters and some printers can even reproduce computer graphics on paper. Types of Printer Ink Jet Printers Ink jet printers work as their name suggests, by squirting jets of ink onto the paper through tiny nozzles. Ink-jets provide good quality output (on average 600 dots per inch) at reasonable speed and at relatively low cost. Laser Printers A laser printer is essentially a photocopier attached to the computer as an output device. Laser printers are capable of high quality output (around 720 dots per inch), at high speed. They can be bought from as little as around à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½100. Output Monitors (Visual Display Units) Monitors (V.D.U.s) are the most frequently used output device. The display is transmitted from the computer to the surface of a cathode ray tube, which is rather like a television screen. Slim, flat screen monitors are also available. The display consists of very small phosphorescent dots combined in different patterns to form words, numbers, and pictures. Monitors vary in their resolution (clarity), more dots on the screen means a higher resolution but obviously costs more. The range of resolutions are CGA, EGA and the highest resolution VGA. Software Computer Programs A program is simply a set of instructions, which the programmer wishes the computer to obey. The computer blindly obeys any instruction which it is given it possess no abilities to determine whether an instruction (so long as it is framed correctly) is the correct instruction for any given situation. Programs tell the computer how to turn the input you provide into the output you want. A program is therefore a detailed set of instructions for performing a particular task. Because you cannot actually touch programs they have become known as software; this contrasts with the hardware of a computer system monitors, chips, printers etc. which you can touch! Software takes many forms the computer system itself is co-ordinated by a special resident program called an operating system (you can read more about this program below), programs to carry out specific tasks for the user are termed application programs. Stock control, word processing, payroll and accounting functions are typical areas, which are serviced by application programs. Input/output Media Mass Storage Floppy Disks A floppy disk is 3 1/2 inches square. Inside its protective case or sleeve, each floppy disc is a circle of flexible plastic whose surface is covered with magnetic oxide. When you use a disc for the first time, you must use a special program called an operating system to format the disks surface by creating circular tracks divided into pie-shaped sectors. A hole punched near the hub of the disk lets the computer know where the first sector is. A track on each disk stores a directory that tells the computer where to find what information. This means that it can go directly to the correct part of the disk instead of wading through all of its contents to find the information it wants. A typical floppy disk can store around 200 pages of typewritten text, depending on how tightly the information is packed. If pictures are stored on disk, they take up a lot of room. Care of Floppy Disks Information is stored on floppy disk by means of magnetism. The information stored on a disk can be lost if the magnetic surface of the disk is damaged. When handling a disk you must be careful not to bend it or touch the exposed portions. Moisture, extreme temperatures, and exposure to magnetic fields or equipment can also ruin disks. You should keep back-up copies of all important disks to insure that your data will not be lost if a disk is damaged. You can guard against the possibility of accidentally writing over and erasing important data and programs by moving the small write-protect notch on the side of the disk. When this notch is closed, a sensor inside the drive prevents the head from writing onto the disk. Hard Disks All modern PCs have hard disks, which can store vast amounts of information this varies depending upon their size. Although they operate on the same basic principles as floppies, hard disks spin many times more quickly allowing the read/write head to pass only fractions of an inch over the disks surface. Hard disks are hermetically sealed in special chambers to prevent dust particles from ruining the disks surface. Disk Drives: Read/Write Heads To use a disk, you place it into a disk drive so that the circular hole in the centre of the disk fits into a cone in the drive. This cone spins the disk allowing all of its sectors to come under a window cut into the sleeve. As the disk spins around, a read / write head moves back and forth over the exposed portion of the disk. The head works like the head on a tape recorder. It reads information on the disk by translating its magnetic fields into electrical signals that are sent to the computer; information is written onto the disk when the head converts the electrical signals from the computer into magnetic fields on the disks surface. Operating Systems A computer is really a system of interconnected parts: a keyboard or input device; internal memory (RAM and ROM); a processor; disks and disk drives; output devices like a monitor and a printer; and, of course, software. A special kind of program called an operating system controls the flow of information between these different components. One of its most important jobs is to enable your hardware to understand the instructions of your software. When you buy a computer, you must be sure that its design or architecture is compatible with the operating system for which the software you want is written. The operating system manages the files on your disks and offers utilities such as formatting blank disks, listing the directory of files on a disk, as well as copying, renaming, and deleting files. Sometimes operating systems are permanently installed, but if the operating system is pre-packaged on a disk, its contents must either be loaded separately into the computer or written onto ev ery disk used, during the formatting process. Windows 95 and Windows 98 are the most common operating systems used today. Modems and Networks With the help of a modem, your computer can link up and communicate with other computers all over the world. The modem translates the computers language of ons and offs into tones of different frequencies, which are then transmitted across telephone lines. At the receiving end the process is reversed: a modem converts tone variations back into the computers digital code. Computer networks are systems of computers linked together in this way: they are used to send and receive electronic mail, and to allow small personal computers access to the vast data libraries of larger computers, via the Internet. COMPUTER APPLICATIONS Application Packages These are programs that actually perform the tasks that the user wishes to be done. The tasks are usually so complicated that several programs are required and these are collectively called a suite of programs. Typical examples of applications are Stock Control, Databases, Order Processing, Word Processing, Airline Booking Systems, Spreadsheets, Viewdata Systems and Point of Sale Systems. Each package will now be discussed in turn, to give a general explanation of what they are, when they are used and for what purpose. Stock Control A stock control system keeps track of all the stock currently held by the company. The computer is informed through the till when each item is sold. It is then an easy matter to deduct the number sold from the current stock level to give a new stock level. If this level is below a re-order level which again is held by the computer, then the computer can automatically print a re-order letter to the supplier. The number of each item to be supplied is stored and when the supplier delivers, the number of items delivered is added to the amount in stock. Therefore the company, in theory, should never, through its own efforts, run out of any item of stock and should at all times know how much stock it has, in the warehouse, in storage at a retail outlet and on the shelves. Losses through theft are easily calculated through a manual shelf count, and corrective action to reduce losses can be implemented quickly. Database A database is a store of information made up of records. A record contains information relating to one person or one company and is made up of individual pieces of information called fields. For example, you may create your records having the following fields: company name, address, telephone number, credit limit, amount owed, payment due etc. When all the information has been entered the database may then be used by searching for particular information, called cross-referencing (e.g. to find out at the end of the month who the company owes money to and how much, in order to settle their accounts). New information can be fed in and the database is changed (updated) to include the new data, so that it is always up to date. Large databases are best used with static information (remains the same), with new records being added to the end. An example of this type is a Library with records on all the books in stock. The computer operated by the DVLA in Swansea (Driving Vehicle Licensing Authority) might be an example of a large database. Information relating to every motor vehicle in the U.K. is stored on computer and can be sorted or searched to find out, for example, who owns a particular car. Word Processing In word processing a computer behaves like a much enhanced form of typewriter. Facilities are provided for entering, manipulating, storing and retrieving blocks of text. This means that standard letters and lists of names and addresses can be generated separately and then letters to everyone on the list can be printed without retyping the document. The processor retrieves the letter and the first name and address, prints the letter, retrieves the next name and address, changes the information in the letter, prints the next letter and so on. Real-Time Systems An example of a real-time system is Airline Booking. This is a system which updates the data immediately it changes. All the terminals in all the booking offices are connected via a telephone line to a large computer in the head office of the company. This is so that information can be accessed immediately and be changed on confirmation of a booking immediately. For example, if you wanted to book a flight, you would feed details into the terminal about the flight, and back would come a message saying perhaps that only two seats remain on that flight. If you then take these seats by sending that information back, confirmation would take place and then no-one anywhere in the world would be able to book a seat on that particular flight (even if they tried to book only ten seconds after you). Spreadsheet A spreadsheet is a special application package, which allows the user to set up tables of information and add up rows and columns which make up the table. They are used mainly for displaying cash forecasts of companies, in the form of a table where all the figures are interconnected. Each intersection of a row and a column is called a cell. The cells are filled with figures and then changes can be made and the spreadsheet calculates all the related cells, alters and reprints them. Figures can be changed and the overall effect on the complete table can be seen immediately.

Child Abuse Can be Reduced by Educating Parents Essay -- Violence Agai

Parenting is not instinctive. If it were, everyone who had a child would be a good parent. Consequently, child abuse is a rising phenomenon in our society. Though no single factor has been identified as the cause of child maltreatment, it appears to be influenced by parents' histories, psychological resources, and economic status. Parenting must be learned. While this is often done through experience, education courses for individuals prior to their becoming parents, and close evaluation of questionable homes could enhance parents' knowledge and the childrens' well being. A large number of abusive parents have histories of physical and emotional abuse inflicted upon them during their childhood. Thus, they were deprived of parents who taught them how to be good parents. In describing how she felt when she realized her children were being abused, Jean states: "All of a sudden I could feel all the {old} anger back and {I was} wishing that someone would have protected me when I was little"(Janko 18). Child abuse scenarios that seem tragic to others are ordinary to parents from abusive backgrounds, and often overlooked. The absence of "good" parents is detrimental to a child's learning how to fulfill parental roles. The children think their environment is normal, correct, and acceptable, and grow to emulate that lifestyle. Sometimes abuse does not stem from a lack of knowledge, but rather from a psychological disorder. The majority of abusive parents "represent a range of personality and emotional disorders"(Justice 77). An authoritarian personality is characteristic of abusive parents, as well as "drug or alcohol dependency, neurosis, mental deficiency, and/or emotional immaturity"(Justice 77). Mothers make up ... ...e discredible, teachers and other childcare workers should be trained to recognize symptoms of abuse immediately, and be required to report them. I think that we need to take our role as citizens so seriously that we value the lives of other citizens. Our Judicial system should be such that endangered children are promptly removed from their environment, as they are presently left in the situation until abuse can be proven. As a nation, children are our most valuable resource. Therefore, in attempts to better our future, we must protect the children. The problem seems to stem from a lack of child rearing skills on behalf of the parents, and a lack in the desire to be parents. Though it cannot be completely subsided, I feel that the situation can be deferred through child education courses, and close evaluation of parents bordering the "unfit" category.

Howard Hughes

Legend of the Aviator Howard Hughes is a man of many mysteries, very few actual facts are known about him. Historians constantly argue to decipher which of their theories are correct and which are Just over glorified rumors. The fact is Hughes liked to keep to himself. This man left behind not only the â€Å"Legend of the Aviator† but also one of the biggest gaps in the world of film and aviation. â€Å"Hughes was the ambassador who ushered in a new era of living and a new way of life† (Hack 5). He introduced new ideas and accomplished things that people had deemed impossible.He believed that with his oney nothing was impossible, he made that very apparent through his invention's. He designed planes and made some of the most revolutionary movies that captivated the minds of millions. Howard lived his life behind closed doors, hiding all of his true ambitions and how he achieved them. He also hid the world from not only his crazed ideas but also his mental illness, perha ps because he himself did not know that he was mentally ill. Howard Hughes related every aspect of his life to modernism. Not only did he relate to modernism but he himself was a modernist.His ingenious ideas ere thought to be radical for his time but at the same time they were somewhat inspirational. He was an idealistic man who looked beyond the possible and did not take no for an answer. Because of this, he broke world records and raised the bar for the upcoming 20th century. In order to truly understand this man, his actions, and how the â€Å"Legend of the Aviator† started one has to look into early life. If there ever was a more crucial part of anyones life it was Howard Hughes' upbringing. Hughes birth place and date are not precisely known and are still a major controversy.What ou need to know is that he was born somewhere in Texas in the year 1905. He was born to a very fortunate family. At the time Hughes father Robert was the sole owner ofa crucial piece of equipme nt that was used to drill oil. His father made it rich selling land that contained massive oil deposits and by designing and selling the only drill bit that was strong enough to penetrate hard layers of granite. This drill bit was also the only one that could actually drill deep enough to tap into large oil reserves. In later years Hughes took over the family company after the death of his father in 1924.He inherited 75 percent of Hughes Tool Co. and later bought out the other 25 percent from the rest of his family (Hack 43). He was inspired to be like his father, a businessman. At heart, Hughes was not a businessman but his positive â€Å"go get 'em† attitude helped him seem like one. Hughes' company was once accused of being a monopoly, his response was simply â€Å"We don't have an monopoly. Anyone who wants to dig a well without a Hughes bit can always use a pick and shovel† (Howard 1). Howard Hughes was one of the most iconic fgures of the earlier half of the 20th century.He revolutionized the airline industry, presenting ideas that made flights smother and took less time from takeoff to landing. He single handedly defeated the social norms of his time and was known for setting a certain standard of class. Modernism by broad definition is, â€Å"a style or movement in the arts that aims to break that his individual attitude and matches that of modernism. In 1927 the film industry was booming, and Hollywood was at its highest peak in setting new standards. Out of now where a 23 year old millionaire came from Texas and dropped millions of dollars nto one single film.People were skeptical and thought of this producer as a crazed Texan with money that Just wanted to find a way to spend it, but as proven by Howard Hughes they were wrong. Three years later Hughes' movie was release. He had successfully raised the bar for film industry. The movie Hell's Angels had broken the record for the highest budget spent, most time ever spent on a film and t he highest yield (Hell's 1). The critics withdrew their previous remarks and Howard Hughes' name in the film industry was established. Now the man not only owned a great share of the oil arket but now had his foot in the film industry.He produced films, directed movies, and threw around his money around as if it would never leave his side. Some would call it a gamble, and it was but he never did lose that money. Many people that tried to follow in his footsteps ended up broke, and with nothing left in their pockets. For Hughes it was never the case, he was an invincible man. He could do anything he wanted and have any thing he desired. His bank account kept on growing despite his vast expenditures on his little projects. After working on Hell's Angels he got more nvolved in aviation. Howard Hughes, the man who is known as the Aviator. After production on Hell's Angels was wrapped up, Hughes became more involved in aviation and started designing his own planes† (Hack 103). He c reated some of the fastest planes and thought up ideas that seemed impossible or even pointless. For example, the Hughes H-1 Racer. He designed this plane to be fast, his goal was to take off everything on the plane that it did not need and by doing so he made it light and aerodynamic, thus giving the plane greater speed. He sunk the screws into the aluminum exterior educing wind resistance and made many other small advancements that gave his plane a design that was superior to others.Because of this fascination with planes he always had work. Aviation design opened the door for government contracts designing and creating prototypes of spy planes. Once this door was opened, it shaped Hughes future for years to come. His government contracts were the basis of most of the rumors about Hughes. In his later life scams arose about Howard Hughes, himself trying to plot ways to kill Cuban leader Fidel Castro, along with CIA operations that were claimed to be associated with Hughes. These c laims were later discovered to be coverups for a CIA reconnaissance mission of a Soviet Union Nuclear Submarine.To allude the attention of the public to their massive ships trolling international waters, the CIA claimed that it was simply a drilling rig operation owned by Howard Hughes (Central 2). It was later discovered that he had absolutely nothing to do with this government reconnaissance mission and had no knowledge of it. This man didn't always have the best of luck. On two occasions he came close to death. He dodged death and survived two deadly plane crashes. In his first plane crash he was one of the two survivors, out of the four XF-11, â€Å"a military plane that was designed with a counter rotating double propeller system† (History 1).It was the first of its kind and in early experimental stages. Hughes took the XF-11 for its first test flight. Upon his return to the Air Force base after a very successful first flight, he lost oil pressure in one of the right eng ines. Rapidly losing altitude he attempted to crash land in a Beverly Hills mansion. Upon impact the plane's fuel tank ruptured and ignited. Hughes barely managed to escape eath, sustaining third degree burns on most of his body and this left him with a severe case of â€Å"Complex Regional Pain Syndrome† (Hughes's 1).The Aviator died on April 4, 1976 (Hack 215). At this point in his life he was dependent on opiates and codeine and had a hygiene issues. He would only cut his hair once a year and was supposedly seen with long grown out fingernails. He became so mentally ill that he believed that the germs did not come from him but came from the world which is ironic because his health was in very poor condition. He died of malnutrition and kidney damage. X-rays later revealed hat he had five broken off hypodermic needles in his arm.

Themes in the Writing of Edgar Allan Poe that Mirror his...

This essay will discuss the themes in Poe’s writing that mirror his personal life and, in addition, the fear and supernatural motivators for his characters. First, I will discuss Poe’s background and explore how he became best known as a poet for his tales of mystery and macabre. In retrospect he was born January 19, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts. His father an actor abandoned the family when he was one years old and his mother an actress died of tuberculosis when 2 yrs old. His foster parents cared for him as a young child and their last names were Allan. This is where his full name Edgar Allan Poe comes from. When he was in college he wrote all of his walls and came of gloomy and depressed to some classmates. He removed his self from†¦show more content†¦It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore.† In other words, Poe is asking if he will ever again be able to his wife. From a depressed person talking about another depressed person, eve rything takes on different meaning when someone is depressed. Pictures, places, smells, sounds, voices of loved ones; they all remind us constantly of what was lost and will never be found again. It feels like random occurrences happened just to remind, torture us of the pain. The narrator heard the raven say â€Å"nevermore† frequently and interpreted it differently until he settled on the belief that it was referring to Lenore. Perhaps the â€Å"raven† symbolizes how Poe must deal with the day to day realities of someone suffering a great loss. In the poem the â€Å"Black Cat† the story is a symbol about Poe’s alcoholism and how you can feel like a completely different person, the more you drink the less and less the person who you truly are get pushed farther backed. This is where the doppelganger comes in; since Poe cant hold even a little bit of alcohol his another personality comes out which with every sip he loses control. The story appears to be about how within every person even the most gentle there is an instinct to destroy, to create chaos. The character cannot stop himself from hanging the cat, he cries as he does so, he cant resist feeling guilty. But as he lets go into this different person he begins toShow MoreRelatedEdgar Allan Poe and Love 1059 Words   |  5 Pages Edger Allan Poe is one of the most influential authors of his time. Well known for his short storys The Raven and A Tell-Tale Heart, Poe also wrote poems that reflected his struggles through out his life. Poe was born in 1809, Thomas Jefferson was president. Lots of events occurred during Poe’s life with the beginning of the war of 1812, to the writing of â€Å"Frankenstein† by Mary Shelley, and â€Å"The Vampyre† written by John Polidori. Slavery was banned in England in 1833 and a year later, The SpanishRead MoreThe Father of Gothicism1077 Words   |  4 Pagesto use intemperate language to my wife. At length, I even offered her personal violence.† This line comes from the story The Black Cat written by Edgar Allan Poe. Poe has been proclaimed the â€Å"Father of Gothicism† by many due to his grotesque short stories and poems. Gothic writers had their characters be more â€Å"prone to sin and self-destruction† than any other movement had experienced (Poets 2). This mysterious style of writing lasted until the 19th century, and other popular gothic writers and charactersRead MoreEmotion, Guilt, And Fear By Edgar Allan Poe1682 Words   |  7 Pageshowever they are also the strongest. Edgar Allan Poe, a nineteenth century author and poet, is known primarily for his use of these emotions, as well as the results that may come from these emotions, such as substance abuse, depression, and death. 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Edgar became an orphan before the age of three years, when his mother died on December 8, 1811 in Richmond, Virginia at the age of twenty-four years. His father died at the age of twenty-seven years old. After his mother’sRead MoreSimilar Gothic Elements in the Work of Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne2436 Words   |  10 PagesElements in the Work of Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allan Poe are considered masters of American gothic fiction. They used similar gothic elements in their writing and used it to build up a sense of impending doom. Even today numerous readers enjoy, study, and discuss the gothic elements both utilized in their work. Gothic writing is a style that is concerned with the dark side of society, an evil that lies within the self. Poe and Hawthorne contributedRead More Edgar Allan Poe and the American Mind Essay example1854 Words   |  8 PagesThroughout the first half of the 19th century, America gazed at itself in a mirror and saw that it was good. As a beacon for democracy, the United States appeared to shine bright as the light of the world, demonstrating through the 1828 election of President Andrew Jackson that even a commoner from the countryside had the potential to rise to the top of the political hierarchy. On another level, under the growing success and influence of the Industrial Revolution, the American people seemedRead More The Genius of Edgar Allan Poe Essay3688 Words   |  15 PagesThe Genius of Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe remains today one of the most unique figures in American literary history. Critics have likened him to both Leonardo Da Vinci and the Jingle Man ; either the keystone of American literature or simply a writer of fashionable entertainment. 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