Activity 4

1) Construct a table that summarises the file formats per the syllabus:
.cgm, .svg, .bmp, .gif, .jpeg/.jpg, .tif, .png, .mp3, .wav, .wma. Your table
should cover the following aspects:
a. Extension
b. Extension Name
c. Type graphic/audio
d. Lossy or Lossless e. History (from where it originates)
f. Major uses/applications in industry and/or home
g. Software applications that can edit or create these (Reference your
laptop)
H. Advantages (2) of each i. Disadvantage of each

Extension
Full name

.CGM
Computer
Graphics
Metafile

.SVG
Scalable Vector
graphics

.bmp
bitmap

.gif
Graphics
Interchange
Format

.Jpeg/.jpg
Joint
Photogr
Experts

Type

Image type

Vector image
format

Raster image
format

Graphics
Interchang
e Format

Raster im

Lossy or
Lossless

N/A

lossy

Lossless

lossless

lossless

World Wide Web

Consortium

Microsoft

CompuServe
introduced
the GIF
format in
1987

created i
by digita
photogra

History

Major uses

Software
applications

Advantages (2)

Disadvantages

international
standard for
storage and
exchange of
twodimensional
graphical data
2D graphical
information
independent
from any
particular
application,
system,
platform, or
device
1.

1. outdated

Interactivity and
animation

Used to store
bitmap digital
images

Animated
images

Supports
animated
static im

two-dimensional
graphics with
support for
interactivity and
animation

used to
store bitmap digita
l images,
independently of
the display device

GIFs can
be used for
small
animations
and lowresolution
film clips

Used by
cameras
other
photogra
image ca
devices

1.Svg is
compatible with
many devices and
screen sizes

1.easily created

1Relatively
small sizes

1.Easily c

2.Can be saved as
the smallest size
possible
1 Variable browser
support
2.complex
development

2.Pixel values may

be modified
individually or as
large groups

1. Can be large files

2. Typically dont
scale very well

2.Easy to
make

1.Hard to
modify once
created
2.no sound

2.good fo
printers/C

1.Dont s
very well

2.Can be
large

Extension

.Tif

.png

.mp3

.wma

.wav

Full Name

Tagged Image
File

Portable
Network
Graphics

MPEG-1 or
MPEG-2 Audio
Layer III

Windows
Media
Audio

Wave
Audio
Forma

Type

Graphic

Graphic

Audio

Audio

Audio

Lossy or lossless

Can be Lossless
and lossy

Can Be
Lossless and
Lossy

Lossy

Can Be
lossless
and lossy

Lossle

History

TIFF was created

as an attempt to
get desktop
scanner
vendors of the
mid-1980s
Scanning, faxing,
Word
processing, optical
character
recognition and

the PNG
format was
created in
early 1995
by

Created in 1979,
by Manfred R.
Schroeder

WMA is based
on earlier
work
by Henrique
Malvar, full
version
developed in
1998

Develo
Windo

Raster
graphics,

For consumption
of audio
streaming or
storage

For
consumptio
n of audio
streaming
and to

audio
forma
and a
stream

Major Uses

releas
1991

other applications.

compress
audio files

Software
Application

Adobe

Advantages (2)

1.Supported by
most operating
systems,
2.Doesnt use
compression =
no loss of image
quality

1.Not
constricted to
256 colours
2.Very High
Detail

Disadvantages (2)

1.Size is bigger
than JPEG
2.Tiff is barely
used and JPEG is
preferred over
this

1.Much larger
files than
other 2file
types
Very hard to
transfer

Windows Media
Player, After
effects

Windows
Media
Player

ITune
Windo
media

1.Capacity devices
that use mp3
format can store
far more music in
the same amount
of disc space then
they could use
uncompressed
format
2.avaliablity
popularity of the
mp3 format
means that you
will find it easy to
get music that
uses the mp3
format
Sound quality
although mp3 is
designed to
reduce file size
doesnt do it that
successfully
2. Meta data info
about the file
which include
numerous
categorys such as
song

1. Quality
64BPS
(Beats Per
Second)
finals
sound just
as good as
128
2.Upgrade
s WMA
continues
to go
under
numerous
upgrades

Accur
(lossle
forma

Recognition
not all
audio
software
recognise
the
software all
are due to
propriety
constriction
s
Competitio
n not at the
same level
as other
lossless
audio files
and mp3s

1.WAV
are la
get up
20MB
mp3 i

3. Log onto your Windows 7 VM and install MS Project. Take screenshots

of the process. What is MS Project used for?
MS Project is a project management software program which is designed to
assist a project manager in developing a plan, assigning resources to tasks,
tracking progress, managing the budget, and analysing workloads.

2.The
file si
impra
devic

4.

Find out how Microsoft handles

updating multiple computers in a network. Points to consider are:
a. How a home computer gets updates

Windows Update helps keep your PC saferand your software currentby

fetching the latest security and feature updates from Microsoft via the Internet.
In Windows 7, Windows Update is now part of Action Centre, which makes
updating your PC even more convenient. To check for updates, just click the
Action Centre icon on the taskbar
b. The problems caused if, say, 1000 (like we have) computers in a
network all download updates individually
The server would become clogged up, and the download speed would slow
dramatically, the server would crash due to the number of people that are
accessing it at the same time.
c. How Microsoft overcomes this issue
They overcome this issues by using an update server which downloads the
update to the computers hard drive, and from the hard drive the other
computers then download the update onto the other computers through the
network, and then the update is installed upon restart.
5. Distinguish between Open and Closed source software giving two
examples for each.
Open-source software is computer software with its source code made available
with a license in which the copyright holder provides the rights to study, change
and distribute the software to anyone and for any purpose.
Examples of Open-source software, are:
-

Linux
Firefox
AVG Antivirus

Closed source (or proprietary) is a type of computer program source code

development. With closed source software, the source code is not shared with
the public for anyone to look at or make changes to. Closed source is the
opposite of open source.
Examples of Closed-source software, are:
-

Microsoft Windows
Internet Explorer
Norton Antivirus

6. What is the difference between Shareware and Freeware? Give two

examples for each type

Freeware is copyrighted computer software is made available for use free of

charge for an unlimited time. Authors of freeware often want to give something
to the community, but also want to retain control of the software.
Examples of freeware are:
Adobe PDF
Google Talk
The term shareware refers to commercial software that is copyrighted, but which
may be copied for others for the purpose of their trying it out with the
understanding that they will pay for it if they continue to use it.
Examples of Shareware, are: WinZip
Get right
Cuteftp

7. What is meant by the term Proprietary Software? Give examples to

illustrate your definition.
Proprietary software is software that is owned by an individual or a company
(usually the one that developed it). There are almost always major restrictions on
its use, and its source code is almost always kept secret.
Examples of Proprietary Software, include:
-

Windows
Mac OS X
Android
Unix
Excel
Word