ASSIGNMENT

OF

Computer

Faculty Name: MS LUBNA

KHAN

Semester: 1

Submission Date: 29/05/2010

Student Name: Aijaz.Ahmed.Bhat.

University: MKU
Qno:-1 What is a computer? List down the
different characteristics of computer.
A computer is an electronic device that operates under the
control of a set of instructions that is stored in its memory
unit. A computer accepts data from an input device and
processes it into useful information which it displays on its
output device. Actually, a computer is a collection of
hardware and software components that help you
accomplish many different tasks. Hardware consists of the
computer itself, and any equipment connected to
it. Software is the set of instructions that the computer
follows in performing a task. We will explore hardware and
software more in depth in the next module. .

The different characteristics of computer are:-

1.Speed
The computer is a very high speed electronic device. The
operations on the data inside the computer are performed
through electronic circuits according to the given
instructions. The data and instructions flow along these
circuits with high speed that is close to the speed of light.
Computer can perform million of billion of operations on the
data in one second. The computer generates signals during
the operation process therefore the speed of computer is
usually measure in mega hertz (MHz) or gega hertz (GHz).
It means million cycles units of frequency is hertz per
second. Different computers have different speed.
3.Accuracy

In addition to being very fast, computer is also very

accurate device. it gives accurate output result provided that
the correct input data and set of instructions are given to
the computer. It means that output is totally depended on
the given instructions and input data. If input data is in-
correct then the resulting output will be in-correct. In
computer terminology it is known as garbage-ingarbage-out.

4.Reliability

The electronic components in modern computer have very

low failure rate. The modern computer can perform very
complicated calculations without creating any problem and
produces consistent (reliable) results. In general, computers
are very reliable. Many personal computers have never
needed a service call. Communications are also very reliable
and generally available whenever needed.
5. Storage

A computer has internal storage (memory) as well as

external or secondary storage. In secondary storage, a large
amount of data and programs (set of instructions) can be
stored for future use. The stored data and programs are
available any time for processing. Similarly information
downloaded from the internet can be saved on the storage
media.

6. Retrieving data and programs

The data and program stored on the storage media can be

retrieved very quickly for further processing. It is also very
important feature of a computer.
7.Automation

A computer can automatically perform operations without

interfering the user during the operations. It controls
automatically different devices attached with the computer.
It executes automatically the program instructions one by
one.

8.Versatility

Versatile means flexible. Modern computer can perform

different kind of tasks one by one of simultaneously. It is the
most important feature of computer. At one moment your
are playing game on computer, the next moment you are
composing and sending emails etc. In colleges and
universities computers are use to deliver lectures to the
students. The talent of computer is dependent on the
software.

9.Communications

Today computer is mostly used to exchange messages or

data through computer networks all over the world. For
example the information can be received or send throug the
internet with the help of computer. It is most important
feature of the modern information technology.

10.Diligence

A computer can continually work for hours without creating

any error. It does not get tired while working after hours of
work it performs the operations with the same accuracy as
well as speed as the fist one
Qno:-2 what is a cache memory? How is it different
from primary memory?

Ans:- The cache memory is also a random access memory

but it works faster than the traditional RAM. The data which
is going to be processed by the processor is already
presented in the cache memory. The operating system uses
the cache memory to reduce the time for searching of data.
The required data is always provided in the cache for
processing. The cache is very effective. The reason is most
programs share same data and instruction again and again.

In some processors the cache memory is built in. Some

processors don't have the cache memory. The main
difference between Intel Celeron and Intel original
technology was of cache memory.

Primary memory is a kind of Computer Data storage. It is

the kind of memory that is directly accessible to the CPU.
The CPU of a computer reads the instructions stored in the
primary memory and then executes them.

On the other hand, a cache memory is a kind of memory

that is smaller and faster. It stores copies of data from the
frequently used main memory locations. It is used by the
CPU of a computer such that the average time to access the
memory is reduced Whenever a processor wants to read or
write to a location in the main memory, it first checks out for
a copy of that data in the cache, and if it is present there,
the processor will read or write to the cache. This reduces
the time spent on the main memory.
Qno:-3 what is menu bar, title bar, tool bar,
status bar, rule bar, vertical scroll bar,
hoizontal scroll bar, in MS-word windows?

Menu bar:-
A menu bar is a horizontal strip that contains lists of
available menus for a certain program. In Windows
programs, the menu bar resides at the top of each open
window, while on the Mac, the menu bar is always fixed on
the top of the screen. Despite this major difference, the
menu bar serves the same purpose on each platform.

Title bar:-
A bar on top of a window. The title bar contains the name of
the file or application. In many graphical user interfaces,
including theMacintosh and Microsoft Windows interfaces,
you move (drag) a window by grabbing the title bar.

Tool bar:-

Toolbars provide shortcuts to menu commands. Toolbars are

generally located just below the Menu bar. Before
proceeding with this lesson, make sure the toolbars you will
use -- Standard and Formatting -- are available.

Status bar:-
At the very bottom of the Word window is the status bar.
This often overlooked feature of the window provides

important information about the cursors position in the

document, in addition to offering functionality. The left-most
side of the status bar shows the page number, section
number, and the vertical and horizontal position of the
cursor, among other things.

Rule bar:-
The ruler is generally found below the main toolbars. The
ruler is used to change the format of your document quickly.
To display the ruler:

Vertical scroll bar:-

This lets you easily navigate through documents too big to
be displayed onscreen at once.
Some people may wish to disable these scroll bars to
increase the amount of room available to view or edit the
current document. Removing scroll bars does not limit the
ability to navigate through larger documents. Scrolling can
still be done using the keyboard with the cursor keys, Page
Up / Page Down keys, etc.

Horizontal scroll bar:-

we trying to get horizontal scroll bar for drop down box
using HTML,css and javaScript, when value in drop down is
toolarge.
If any body know the solution, it will be greate help to us.

Qno:-4 What are the difference between

hardware and software? What are the different
types of software?
There are few distinct points between computer hardware

and software. Though, the basic disparity between hardware

and software is that hardware is a bodily device amazing
that you're talented to stroke and observe. For example, the
computer screen you're screening this wording on or the
mouse you're by means of to find the way is carefully
called computer hardware. Like the printers from which you
get the hard copies of the computer material on which you
can touch.
Software is policy and commands that inform a computer
and/or hardware how to function. Your can not touch but
only feel them. These are basically the sets of laws can be
viewed and run using a computer or other hardware device.
On the other hand, without any hardware software would
not live. Examples of software are Window which is currently
installed into your computer, an operating system that
facilitates you to manage your computer and other
instructions that execute on it. One more example of
software is the Internet browser/ internet explorer you're
using to view this page
the difference between hardware from software as:

Hardware can be touched, handled, hugged, dropped,

broken, etc. software is usually presented through
hardware. Software can not be touched, smelt nor tasted
but "felt" through the usual 2 main senses, namely sight and
sound.
Hardware can be thought of as your body and Software as
your brain...
If your brain (software) is removed, your body (hardware)
will not be able to function.
Ps. Some people have awesome hardware but lack the much
needed software.

Some examples of hardware:- iMac, MacBook, MacBook Pro,

Mac Mini- Sony Vaio Laptops,various other PC desktop
computers- iPhone, iPod, iTouch- Hammer- Light Bulb-
Ruler- Calculator

Some examples of software:- Microsoft Windows- OS X

Snow Leopard- Ubuntu Linux- Tweet deck- Various Games-
Mozilla Firefox- Google Chrome- Safari Web Browser-
Calculator

Note that even a calculator needs software too, you can't

see it but the results are evident when you see an answer
on the screen.

Qno5:- write in brief about Secondary storage devices,

input and output devices.

Ans:-
Secondary storage, sometimes called auxiliary storage, is all
data storage that is not currently in a computer's primary
storage or memory. An additional synonym is external
storage.

In a personal computer, secondary storage typically consists

of storage on the hard disk and on any removable media, if
present, such as a CD or DVD.

Input devices

A range of devices can be connected to the input ports.

Some are shown below. They are usually connected to one
of the serial or USB ports although the printer and keyboard
have separate ports. Can you think of any other devices that
can be connected to a computer unit?

Input ports are connections at the back of a

computer. Input devices are connected to these ports, for
example, a keyboard which is used to type data into a
computer.
An interface such as a ‘Smart Box’ is connected to a
COMMS PORT (another name for a port) at the back of a
computer. Sensors can be connected to the smart box and
temperature readings or light levels can be read on the
computer screen.

Output device:-

Any device that outputs information from a computer is

called, not surprisingly, an output device. Since most
information from a computer is output in either a visual or
auditory format, the most common output devices are
themonitor and speakers. These two devices provide instant
feedback to the user's input, such as displaying characters
as they are typed or playing a song selected from a playlist.

While monitors and speakers are the most common output

devices, there are many others. Some examples include
headphones, printers, projectors, lighting control systems,
audio recording devices, and robotic machines. A computer
without an output device connected to it is pretty useless,
since the output is what we interact with. Anyone who has
ever had a monitor or printer stop working knows just how
true this is. Of course, it is also important to be able to send
information to the computer, which requires an input device