Personal Computers and Applications

Networking for Home and Small Businesses Chapter 1

Version 4.0

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Objectives

Identify the purpose and uses of personal computers and describe local and network applications.
Compare and contrast different types of computing devices. Explain the binary representation of data. Determine appropriate components and peripheral devices to meet requirements.

Install, verify, and upgrade computer components and peripherals.

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Purpose and Uses of Personal Computers

Multiple uses for computers

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Purpose and Uses of Personal Computers

Common local and network applications

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Computer Applications
Business/Industry
Educational tools or for use by the legal profession

General Use

Local stored on the hard drive of the computer

Network designed to run over a network
E-mail

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Types of Computing Devices

Different types of Computers

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Features of Servers
High performance computers used in businesses and other organizations to provide services to end users or clients
Services that need to be available to users at all times Often contain redundant parts to prevent failure or downtime

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Portable Devices
Laptops or notebooks
Can be attached to a docking station Allows users to utilize a larger monitor or other external devices

PDA (personal digital assistant)

Handheld or palmtop Small devices that provide storage for calendars and other information Portability is the key to always having access

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Binary Representation of Data

Digital (binary) representation of various common forms of data Base 2 number system
Bit an individual binary digit Each bit can have only two possible states on or off or 0 and 1

A group of 8 bits is a byte

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Binary Representation of Data

Convert approximately between bits, bytes, Kilobytes, Megabytes, and Gigabytes

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Binary Representation of Data

Measuring speed, resolution and frequency
Data transfer time is measured in bits per second
bps with a lower case b - bps Bytes per second is with an upper case B - Bps

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Determining Appropriate Components and Peripheral Devices

These comparisons are based on the level of knowledge of the user
Preassembled Computer
Advantages:
Lower cost Adequate to perform most applications No waiting period for assembly Typically used by less knowledgeable consumers who do not require special needs

Disadvantages: Often lack the performance level that can be obtained from custom built computers

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Determining Appropriate Components and Peripheral Devices

Custom Built Computer
Advantages:
The end-user can specify exact components that meet user needs Generally support higher performance applications such as graphics, gaming, and server applications

Disadvantages:
Generally more costly than a preassembled device Longer waiting periods for assembly

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Determining Appropriate Components and Peripheral Devices

Motherboard

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Determining Appropriate Components and Peripheral Devices

Central Processing Unit (CPU) the nerve center of the computer

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Determining Appropriate Components and Peripheral Devices

Random Access Memory (RAM)
More is always better since many current computers can run multiple applications simultaneously

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Determining Appropriate Components and Peripheral Devices

Adapter cards add functionality to a computer system

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Adapter Cards
NIC network interface card is key for our purposes
Enables a computer system to exchange information with other systems on a local or wide area network The speed of the network and the type of network determine what type of NIC is needed Ethernet is currently the most common network technology

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Determining Appropriate Components and Peripheral Devices

Storage Devices and Requirements
Hard disk drives are the main storage medium found in almost all computers including servers, desktops and laptops

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Determining Appropriate Components and Peripheral Devices

Peripheral device purposes and requirements

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Determining Appropriate Components and Peripheral Devices

Cases and Power supplies
Importance of Surge Protectors and UPS
Surge suppressors are designed to remove voltage spikes from power lines to prevent them from damaging a computer UPS provide backup power to the system without interruption They are designed to give the user enough time to properly shut the computer down.

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Install, Verify and Upgrade Components and Peripherals

Computer Repair Best Practices

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Safety and Best Practices

First on the list is use a grounding strap
ESD or electro-static discharge can cause catastrophic failures ESD can also cause intermittent failures which are very difficult to troubleshoot and correct

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Install, Verify and Upgrade Components and Peripherals

Connect Computer System components and verify operation

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Verifying Operation of Components

Newer components and operating systems are able to dynamically assign system resources.
Auto detect or Plug and play

Older devices may need to have the resources manually set through software configuration

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Install, Verify and Upgrade Components and Peripherals

Installing Peripherals and Verifying Operation

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Installing Peripherals
Connect the peripheral to the host with the appropriate cable
Install the appropriate driver To troubleshoot
Verify that cables are properly connected That the device is powered on Use self test functions of the device itself PBI

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Summary

Computers are used all over the world and in all types of environments including: government, medical, education, manufacturing, legal and leisure. There are many different types of computers available including: Mainframes, Servers, Desktop PCs, Workstations, Laptops and Hand-held portable devices. Data is represented by binary digits (bits) organized into bytes (B), kilobytes (kB ), megabytes (MB), gigabytes (GB), and terabytes (TB). Data transfer rates are measured by bits per second. Computer screen resolution is measured in pixels. Analog frequencies, wireless transmissions and radio frequencies are measured in Hertz. Things to consider when purchasing a computer: Motherboard, CPU, RAM, Adapter Cards, Storage, Peripherals, UPS, Surge Suppressors Computers are a collection of very complex components and peripherals. Safety procedures must be followed when working inside a computer, both to protect the equipment and prevent harm to the technician.
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Key terms
General use software
Industry specific software Docking station Hertz RAM NIC Surge suppressor

UPS
CPU Resource assignments Bit Byte binary

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