Assignments/Activities

1.  Study the exterior of a particular computer. See if you can identify the power supply, the drives, and all of the ports described in this chapter.

2. Find a broken or disused desktop computer. Figure out how to open up the case. Identify all of the hardware components that have been described in this chapter.

3.What type of software is used on the computer you use most frequently? Identify the operating system, the productivity software, the Internet browser and the anti-virus software. For each of these also state whether they are proprietary or open source.

If you are having trouble finding out information about some of your programs, here are some tips:

·To find out about your computer’s operating system, right click on the Computer or My Computer icon from your desktop or Start menu. Choose Properties.

  

To find out about a productivity program, open that program and then find a menu that includes the word “About”. To find the About screen in Microsoft Office 2007, click on the Microsoft Office Button, then click on word Options  Resources  About.

  4.      How much RAM does the computer you use most frequently have? Also how fast is the processor on this computer? To find this information, right click on the Computer or My Computer icon from your desktop or Start menu. Choose Properties.

5.      Have a discussion with a manager of a local computer lab about computer operating systems. What operating systems are being used in that computer lab and why? What factors went into the decision to choose an operating system?

6.      Workshop Activity: In a group, observe the exterior of computer. How many ports and hardware devices can your group identify? Ask the instructor for assistance with any items that cannot be identified.

7.      Workshop Activity: In a group, open up the case of a computer. Identify all of the hardware components that have been described in this chapter.

8.      Workshop Activity: Participate in a group discussion or a debate on the advantages and disadvantages of using open source software.

9.      Workshop Activity: Experiment with an operating system that you are not familiar with. See if you can figure out how to change the background, open and close windows, open and close programs, and perform any other computer tasks that you frequently perform with other operating systems.

 

Challenge!

· What is an operating system? Is it software?

· You are viewing this lesson on a computer. Do you know what operating system the computer is using? If not, find out.

· Visit the Microsoft, Apple, and Linux websites to learn more about each operating system.

· Search the Internet for articles that compare Windows Vista and Mac OS X.

·If you have a PC and currently use an older version of Windows, such as Windows XP, search for articles comparing Windows Vista with Windows XP. Gather information from Microsoft and other reputable sources to determine if an upgrade is right for you.