REVISION NOTES

for

Unit-01: Digital Devices

​

Prepared By
Dip Sir
Methodist English Medium School
What is a computer?
●​ A computer is an electronic device capable of taking an input, processing data,
storing information and providing an output
●​ Data that is input, is raw, unprocessed information
●​ Information is data that people understand

Mainframe computers & microprocessors

What is a mainframe computer?
●​ A mainframe computer is a computer with huge processing power and data storage
capabilities
●​ Built to handle enormous amounts of data and carry out complex calculations
●​ Designed to be secure, reliable and support large volumes of simultaneous users
●​ Carry out critical tasks for large organisations in sectors such as:
​Finance
​Health
​Government etc.

What is a microprocessor?
●​ A microprocessor is an integrated circuit (IC) that contains a central processing
unit (CPU)
●​ A microprocessor is embedded into devices to help them carry out tasks
●​ The microprocessor is responsible for executing instructions
●​ Microprocessors are used in a home to monitor and control devices such as:
​Central heating systems
​Security alarm systems
​Home entertainment system etc.
Laptops & desktop computers
What is a desktop computer?
●​ A desktop computer is a computer designed to stay in one place, for example on a
desk
●​ A desktop computer traditionally consists of a separate:
○​ Monitor
○​ Computer
○​ Keyboard & mouse
●​ Desktop computers are typically more powerful than mobile computers
●​ Desktop computers are upgradable, the parts can be replaced/changed to increase
performance

Uses of desktop computers

Office & Business Education Gaming & entertainment

Word processing Online learning Online gaming

Financial modelling Research (www) Streaming

Email Content creation music/film/TV

Data storage & backup Multimedia presentations Social media

Video/image editing Online collaboration Online browsing

Project management Online communication

Video conferencing
What is a laptop computer?
●​ A laptop computer is a computer designed to be portable
●​ A laptop computer traditionally consists of built-in:
○​ Monitor
○​ Computer
○​ Keyboard & trackpad or touch screen keyboard & pointer
●​ Laptop computers are typically less powerful than desktop computers due to:
○​ Power constraints due to size
○​ Focus on extending battery life
●​ Laptop computers are not easily upgradable, components are integrated for size
and efficiency
●​ Laptop computers are battery powered
●​ Some laptops are used as desktop replacements

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages Disadvantages

Easy to carry and use on the go Limited expandability (Difficult to

(Portability) upgrade hardware)

Easy to carry and use on the go Less powerful (Lower performance

(Portability) compared to desktop computers)

Can be used for various tasks and Shorter battery life (Needs frequent
activities (Multi-functionality) charging)

Mobile phones & tablet devices

What is a mobile phone?
●​ A mobile phone is an ultra portable electronic device designed to be lightweight
and fit in a pocket or small bag
●​ Mobile phones are used to transmit information between people and devices using
radio waves
●​ Two examples of mobile phones are:
○​ Smartphones
○​ Specialist
Smartphones
●​ A smartphone is a versatile general purpose device
●​ Smartphones use subscriber identity module (SIM) cards to link the devices to a
network carrier, allowing them to make phone calls and send messages
●​ Smartphones include features such as:
●​
1.​ SMS messaging:
●​ Quick communication
●​ Messages are stored on the device and can be read at any time
●​ Use virtual keyboards and predictive text

2.​ Phone Calls:

●​ Simple voice communication
●​ Requires cellular reception

3.​ Voice over internet protocol (VoIP):

●​ Audio & visual communication via the internet
●​ Requires extra apps installed on the devices
●​ Can make & receive calls via smartphone, tablet and computers
●​ Requires a forward facing camera for video calls

4.​ Accessing the internet:

●​ Requires cellular reception to access on the move
●​ Web pages are optimised for smartphone access
●​ Automatically used Wi-Fi when in range and connected

5.​ Mobile payments:

●​ Using NFC

6.​ Camera:
●​ Smartphones have built-in cameras for video calls
●​ Camera can act as a barcode scanner for QR codes

Tablet:
●​ A tablet is a general purpose device that sits between a laptop and a smartphone
Smartphone Vs Tablet:
Feature SmartPhone Tablet
Size Extremely portable, Portable but the larger
designed to fit in a pocket screen means they require a
bag or case to carry around

Focus Communication (calls, Entertainment &

texts, mobile data), camera productivity (games,
for capturing images & reading, watching movies)
videos

Power & performance Carry out everyday tasks Typically more powerful
but may lack power for than a smartphone but not
demanding applications or as powerful as a laptop,
tasks more processing power &
RAM.

Battery life Due to battery size they Typically longer battery life
usually require charging depending on usage
more often than a tablet

Multifunctional devices
What is a multifunctional device?
●​ A multifunctional device is a device designed to carry out a wide range of tasks
●​ Multifunctional devices combine functions that would usually be separate
●​ Examples of multifunctional devices include:
○​ Smartphones - Communication, photography, gaming, media
playback/streaming, web browsing all in one device
○​ Printers - Printing, copying and scanning in one device
○​ Smart TVs - Watch TV, connect to the internet, stream content

What is convergence?
●​ Convergence is the merging of technologies that would usually be separate
●​ Convergence led to the rise of smartphones
Features of digital devices
What are the features of digital devices?
The most common features of a digital device are:

●​ Portability: How easy is the device to carry around

●​ Performance: Processing power/memory (RAM)
●​ Storage: How much data can the device hold
●​ Connectivity: How can the device connect to other devices
●​ Media support: What media formats can the device play
●​ Energy consumption: How much energy does the device consume
●​ Expansion capability: Can more storage, memory or other features be added
●​ Security features: What security features does the device have to help protect
device and user data

What is a user interface?

●​ A user interface is how the user interacts with the operating system
●​ Examples of user interfaces include:
○​ Command Line Interface (CLI)
○​ Graphical User Interface (GUI)
○​ Menu
○​ Natural language (NLI)

VS.
What is a command line interface?
●​ A Command Line Interface (CLI) requires users to interact with the operating
system using text based commands
●​ CLIs are more commonly used by advanced users
●​ Examples of CLIs are MSDOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System) and Raspbian
(for Raspberry Pi)

What is a graphical user interface?

●​ A Graphical User Interface (GUI) requires users to interact with the operating
system using visual elements such as windows, icons, menus & pointers (WIMP)
●​ GUIs are optimised for mouse and touch gesture input
●​ Examples of GUIs are Windows, Android and MAC OS

What is a menu interface?

●​ A menu interface is successive menus presented to a user with a single option at
each stage
●​ Often performed with buttons or a keypad
●​ Examples include
○​ Chip and pin machines
○​ Vending machines
○​ Entertainment streaming services

What is a natural language interface?

●​ A natural language interface (NLI) uses the spoken word to respond to spoken or
textual inputs from a user
●​ Examples include
○​ Virtual assistants - Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri
○​ Search engines
○​ Smart home devices
Digital device comparison
Feature Desktop Laptop Smartphone
Computer
Portability Low Moderate High

Performance High Moderate Low

Storage High Moderate Low

Media Support High Moderate Moderate

Energy High Moderate Low

Consumption

Expansion High Moderate Low

Capability

Security Measures Moderate (Depends Moderate (Depends Low

on user) on user)

User Interface Keyboard and Keyboard and Touchscreen

Mouse touchpad
(Touchscreens on
some laptops)

Connectivity Multiple, wide Most common ports Wireless

variety of ports available but fewer (Wi-Fi/Bluetooth)
(USB, HDMI etc.) numb
System Software & Application Software
Purpose of application & system software
What is software?
●​ Software is the set of programs that control the hardware; they live on the computer
system but cannot be physically touched
●​ Software can be broken down into two categories:
○​ Application software
○​ System software

What is application software?

●​ Application software (abbreviated 'apps') is software chosen by a user to help them carry
out a specific task
●​ Application software is installed on top of system software and is user-chosen to best suit
industry requirements
●​ Common categories of application software include:
○​ Word processing: creating and editing text documents
○​ Spreadsheet: organising and analysing data in a grid format
 ○​ Database management systems: storing, retrieving and managing data in
databases
○​ Control/measurement: uses sensors to measure and control a system
○​ Video editing: creating and modifying video files
○​ Graphics editing: creating and modifying images
○​ Audio editing: creating and modifying sound files
○​ Computer-Aided Design (CAD): designing and modelling objects in 2D or 3D

What is system software?

●​ System software is software essential for the operation of a computer system
●​ Without system software, a user has no starting point for giving a computer instructions
●​ System software gives users a platform to run applications and carry out tasks
●​ Essential services carried out by system software include:
○​ Compilers: translating high-level programming languages into machine code
○​ Linkers: combining object files into a single executable program
○​ Device drivers: controlling hardware components and peripherals
○​ Operating systems: managing the computer's resources and providing a user
interface
○​ Utilities: tools for maintaining and optimising the computer's performance

Utility software
What is utility software?
●​ Utility software is software designed to help maintain, enhance and troubleshoot/repair a
computer system
●​ Utility software is designed to perform a limited number of tasks
●​ Utility software interacts with the computers hardware, for example, secondary storage
devices
●​ Some utility software comes installed with the operating system
●​ Examples of utility software and their function are:

Defragmentation (maintain)
●​ Defragmentation software groups fragmented files back together in order to improve
access speed
●​ As programs and data are added to a new hard disk drive, it is added in order, over time
as files are deleted this leaves gaps
●​ As programs and data are added over time, these gaps get filled and data becomes
fragmented
 ●​ Defragmentation can only used on magnetic storage
●​

If the concept of defragmentation still seems a little difficult then hopefully this analogy will help
-​ In a tidy bedroom you can find your things faster because they are in the right place (in
order)
-​ Over time you move things, forget to put them back and/or add new things
-​ The time taken to find your things increases, until, You tidy your room and finding things
becomes quicker again (defragmentation!)

# Example of Defragmentation:

Question: ​
Here is a diagram that shows secondary storage.​
Four files (A, B, C and D) are stored on it. Each file is made up of several blocks (1, 2, 3, etc.)

C1 A1 A2 D1 B1 C2 C3 B2 D2

Complete the diagram to show the state of the storage after running a defragmentation utility.

ANS:

A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2 C3 D1 D2

(N.B. Remember to keep as many empty blocks together as possible after you are done
performing the defragmentation of each file.)
Compression (enhance)
●​ Compression reduces the amount of secondary storage required by performing an
algorithm on the original data
●​ Lossy compression physically removes data from the original data to reduce its size, the
original file can not be re-created
●​ Lossless compression uses mathematics to order data more efficiently reducing its size,
the original files can be re-created as no data is lost

Encryption (enhance)
●​ Encryption is the process of scrambling data using an algorithm from plain-text into
cipher-text in order to make it unreadable to users without the master key
●​ Encryption software enhances the security of the computer system and keeps data safe

Task manager (troubleshoot/repair)

●​ Task manager is software that is built into the operating system to allow users to monitor
system resources in order to help troubleshoot potential problems
●​ Task manager gives system information such as:
○​ Processes
○​ Performance
○​ App history
○​ Start-up apps
○​ Users
○​ Services
Operating Systems
Role & function of an operating system
What is an operating system?
●​ An operating system (OS) is software that provides an interface between the user and the
hardware in a computer system
●​ An operating system hides the complexities of the hardware from the user, for example:
○​ A user does not need to know 'where' on secondary storage data is kept, just that it
is saved for when they want it again
●​ There are two main types of operating systems:
○​ Single User Operating System
○​ Network Operating Systems (NOS)
●​ An operating system has many functions, this includes:
○​ Memory management
○​ Resource management
○​ Security
○​ Print spooling

Single user VS network operating systems

Single user Network

Allow for a single general user Provide access to network storage and shared
resources

No option to customise user interface for different Server is sent requests when users log in with
users usernames and passwords

Typically used in a household appliances User accounts are kept separate to ensure users
cannot access each other's files
Resource management
●​ Memory
○​ Memory management is a process carried out by the operating system allocating
main memory (RAM) between different programs that are open at the same time
○​ The OS is responsible for copying programs and data from secondary to primary
storage as it is needed
○​ Programs and data require different amounts of RAM to operate efficiently and
the OS manages this process
○​ RAM is allocated based on priority and fairness, for example, system applications
(essential) may have a higher priority than user applications
○​ The OS dynamically manages the memory, adjusting allocation as needed to
maintain optimal system performance
○​ Memory management makes multitasking possible
●​ Processor
○​ Processor management is a process carried out by the operating system dividing
time (time slicing) in to small chunks and allocating them to different programs
○​ The CPU can only execute one instruction at a time, it can can execute billions of
them in one second.
○​ The OS decides what programs get access to the CPU to give a user the
perception of being able to use multiple programs at the same time (multitasking)
●​ Inputs & outputs
○​ Input/output (I/O) management is a process carried out by the operating system
managing the way input and output devices interact with software
○​ The OS allocates system resources to inputs/outputs to ensure efficient operation
○​ I/O management makes plug-and-play (PnP) functionality possible, automatically
detecting and configuring new inputs/outputs without the need for manually
installing device drivers or power cycling the system
●​ Files
○​ File management is a process carried out by the operating system creating,
organising, manipulating and accessing files and folders on a computer system
○​ The OS manages where data is stored in both primary and secondary storage
○​ File management gives the user the ability to:
■​ Create files/folders
■​ Name files/folders
■​ Rename files/folders
■​ Copy files/folders
■​ Move files/folders
■​ Delete files/folders
○​ The OS allows users to control who can access, modify and delete files/folders
(permissions)
 ○​ The OS provides a search facility to find specific files based on various criteria

Security
●​ Security management is a process carried out by the operating system enabling different
users to log onto a computer
●​ A system administrator is able to allocate different access rights for different users on a
network
●​ The OS is able to maintain settings for individual users, such as desktop backgrounds,
icons and colour schemes
●​ The OS audits (keeps a log of) files created by users, accesses, edits and deletes
●​ Operating systems can provide software firewalls

Print spooling
●​ Print spooling is a process carried out by the operating system when printing is required
●​ The spooler creates a temporary holding area (queue) for the print job
●​ Queuing pages increases efficiency
Application Software
Office-productivity tools
What are office productivity tools?
●​ Office productivity tools are applications designed to enable common work related tasks
to be carried out
●​ Office productivity tools are often combined into a single application suite

Word processing
●​ Word processing software is software used primarily for tasks involving text and images
●​ Common tasks include:
○​ Letters
○​ Reports
○​ Essays
○​ Books
●​ Examples of word processing applications include:
○​ Microsoft Word
○​ Google Docs

Spreadsheet
●​ Spreadsheet software is software used for tasks involving calculations
●​ Spreadsheets allow users to model financial situations and answer 'what if' questions
●​ Formulas and functions can be used to aid complex arithmetic calculations
●​ Examples of spreadsheet applications include:
○​ Microsoft Excel
○​ Google Sheets

Desktop publishing
●​ Desktop publishing software is software used for tasks that involve complicated page
layouts
●​ Common tasks include:
○​ Newsletters
○​ Leaflets
●​ Examples of desktop publishing applications include:

1. Microsoft Publisher 2. Adobe InDesign

Database
●​ Database software is software used to store data
●​ Common features include:
○​ Data entry form design
○​ Perform queries to select data that meet a certain criteria
○​ Build reports to display data in a readable format
●​ Examples of database applications include:
○​ Microsoft Access
○​ Oracle MySQL
○​

Web authoring software

What is web authoring software?
●​ Web authoring software is software designed to allow the creation of websites
●​ Websites are written in HTML and translated by web browsers to display in a way users
can see and read
●​ Web authoring software gives users with little to no HTML experience tools to help them
create web pages
●​ Uses a What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) interface
●​ Examples of web authoring applications include:
○​ Adobe Dreamweaver
○​ Google Sites

Project management software

What is project management software?
●​ Project management software is software designed make the organisation of projects
more efficient by tracking individual tasks
●​ Common features include:
○​ Timeline - shows a graphical representation of events and the time and order in
which they occur
○​ Critical path - allows a project manager to see the shortest time a project will take
to complete
○​ Milestones - a time or date by which a task must be completed
●​ Gannt charts are often used to visualise project timelines
●​
Image editing & sound editing software
What is image editing software?
●​ Image editing software is software that allows users to manipulate and enhance digital
photographs and images
●​ Common features include:
○​ Resizing
○​ Adjusting brightness & contrast
○​ Applying filters
○​ Red-eye removal
○​ Cropping
●​ Examples of image editing applications include:
○​ Adobe Photoshop
○​ GIMP

What is sound editing software?

●​ Sound editing software is software that allows users to edit audio files
●​ Common features include:
○​ Cut and join audio clips
○​ Alter volume
○​ Change tempo
○​ Add effects
○​ Apply audio processing
●​ Examples of sound editing applications include:
○​ Audacity
○​ Adobe Audition
Presentation software
What is presentation software?
●​ Presentation software is software designed to allow users to create multimedia content
that can be displayed typically on slides
●​ Common features include:
○​ Transitions & animations
○​ Presenter notes
○​ Automatic or timed navigation
●​ Examples of presentation applications include:
○​ Microsoft PowerPoint
○​ Google Slides

Control software
What is control software?
●​ Control software is software that users sensors to capture inputs, processes them and
outputs something
●​ They make something happen in the physical environment
●​ Outputs can be commands that control devices such as:
○​ Actuators
○​ Motors
●​ Commonly used in engineering, vehicles and building control
Software Licenses
Free/open source & proprietary software
What is a software licence?
●​ A software licence is a legal agreement that lays out rules for how software can and can't
be used
●​ There are two main types of software licence, each with very different rules on usage,
distribution and support, they are:
○​ Free or open source
○​ Proprietary

Features of open source & proprietary software

Software Licence Features

Free Free to modify, study, copy or distribute

Open source 1. Access to source code to edit/change

2. Able to edit and distribute

Proprietary 1. Costs money

2. Produced by 'professional' companies
3. More regular official updates/support/upgrades/fixes
Advantages & disadvantages of open source & proprietary
software

Software Licence Advantages Disadvantages

Free or open source - Allows collaboration with other people - Relies on support of other users
who may want the same modifications
- To edit the code, you need expert
- Less buggy versions of the software may knowledge
appear faster
- May not receive regular updates
- Usually free, good for companies with
limited budgets - Could be more open to
exploitation through users adding
- Generally strong social support malicious code

Proprietary - Generally free customer support - Cost can be significant

- Created to professional standards - Limited expansion, only what is

available
- Always someone to go back to with any
problems - Relies on one company

- May not fully meet the need of the

user/customer
Communication Software
What is communication software?
●​ Communication software is software that provides remote access to systems
●​ To exchange files and messages in text, images, audio and/or video formats between
different computers or users
●​ Common examples of communication software include:
○​ Web browsers
○​ Email
○​ Social media
○​ SMS/MMS
○​ Instant messaging

Web browsers
●​ A web browser is a piece of software used to access and display information on the
internet
●​ The purpose of a web browser is to render hypertext markup language (HTML) and
display web pages
●​ Web browsers interpret the code in HTML documents and translate it into a visual
display for the user

Email
●​ Email is a method of exchanging messages and files over the internet
●​ The main uses of email are:
○​ Personal communication
○​ Professional correspondence
○​ Marketing
●​ Companies provide guidelines about acceptable use of emails
●​ Guidelines about emails from a company include:
○​ Purpose of the email
○​ Using acceptable language
○​ Email security, including anti-virus software
Social media
●​ Social media is a platform where users can connect with others and share content
●​ They include platforms such as
○​ Facebook
○​ Tiktok
○​ X (Twitter)
○​ Instagram
○​ LinkedIn
●​ Social media platforms usually require users to create a profile and allow them to share
text, images, videos, and links
●​ They facilitate interaction, collaboration, and information sharing on a large scale
●​ Privacy settings allow users to control who can see their content

SMS/MMS
●​ Short messaging service (SMS) and multimedia messages service (MMS) are a method of
communication using a mobile phone network
●​ SMS allows 160 text characters per message
●​ MMS allows more than 160 characters and can include video, animations, images and
audio
●​ No internet connection is required

Instant messaging
●​ Instant messaging requires an internet connection to allow multimedia communication
between single and groups of users
●​ Includes extra features such as:
○​ See when users are typing (online/offline status)
○​ Include location data
Software updates
Why is software updated?
●​ Software is updated to:
○​ Fix bugs or software vulnerabilities
○​ Increase compatibility with newer operating systems
○​ Improve performance
○​ Introduce new features
○​ Improve usability
●​ Updates are typically downloaded from the internet by a user or automatically from
within the software itself
●​ Operating system can schedule updates to suit user needs and minimise disruption

What are the risks of updating software?

●​ Software updates typically require the removal of components to be replaced with new
ones
●​ This process can cause
○​ Incompatibility - may not work with older hardware or software
○​ Workflow disruption - new features/interface tweaks may need time to adjust to,
slowing down productivity
○​ Update issues - in rare cases the installation process can go wrong, leading to data
loss

What are the risks of NOT updating software?

●​ Software is often released in a less than perfect state and flaws/vulnerabilities may exist
which can provide an opportunity for hackers
●​ Unpatched/outdated software can lead to:
○​ Data breaches
○​ Installation of malware
Input & Output Devices

Input devices
What is an input device?
●​ Input devices are hardware components that allow users to interact with a computer
system
●​ They enable the user to input data or commands into the system, which the computer then
processes to produce an output

Types of input devices:

Input device Use Advantages Disadvantages

Keyboard Entering data into a - Easy method of entering data - Repetitive strain injury
computer - Very common - Slow to enter data compared to
direct data entry

Mouse To select on screen - Intuitive and precise control - RSI (strain on wrist)
objects - Fast to make on-screen - Requires flat surface
choices - People with disabilities can find
them difficult to use

Joystick Moves - Enhances - Expensive

sprites/characters gameplay/simulation - Limited use outside of gaming
around a game experience and simulators
- Improve realism
- Accurate

Graphics tablet Use a stylus to draw - Precise - Cost

or write - Natural feel - Learning curve
- Ergonomic - Battery life

Scanner Convert paper - Accurate reproduction - Quality depends on resolution

documents to - Easy to share and store - High quality means can be slow
electronic - Combined with barcodes
becomes a DDE

Digital camera Taking - Vast amounts can be captured - Storage compression can lead to
photos/videos - No developing a loss in quality
- Easy to share - Need to be tech-savvy to use
effectively
Webcam Streaming - Real-time communication - Image quality
images/video - Cheap - Privacy concerns
- Multipurpose

Microphone Input speech, sensor - Hands-free input - Variable quality

to pick up sounds - Can be used for voice - Verbal inputs can be inaccurate
recognition - Need to remember key words
- Fast and/or phrases

Resistive Pressure causes - Intuitive - Screens can get dirty

touchscreen layers to 'touch'
- No need for a separate - Easily scratched
Durable pointing device
- Less precise than a mouse
- Easy to keep clean

Capacitive Conduct electricity

touchscreen
Finger causes a
change in electrical
charge and can be
measured precisely

OMR Read marks on exam - Fast processing - Limited to specific forms

paper in pen/pencil
Optical Mark - Reduced human error - Cannot read handwriting
Recognition
- Form must be completed
accurately

OCR Text to digital data - Fast data entry - Can struggle with complex
layouts
Optical - Accurate and less error prone - Font dependent
Character - Not always 100% accurate
Recognition - Expensive

Barcode scanner Reads barcode labels - Fast and accurate - Requires line-of-sight
- Low cost - Barcodes are easily damaged
- Allows for automatic stock - Barcodes can be
control swapped/altered by consumers
- Tried & trusted

Biometric Fingerprint/facial/vo - Easier than passwords - Privacy concerns

scanner ice/iris recognition - More secure - Expensive
- Speed

Magnetic stripe Debit/credit cards - Fast - Magnetic stripes can get

reader - Simple to use damaged and become unreadable
- Secure (unreadable) - Reader must be in close contact
Chip and PIN Retail card payments - Secure - Requires PIN input
reader - Reduced fraud risk - Potential for skimming
- High payment limits an issue for
stolen cards

RFID reader Contactless - Fast transaction (no pin) - Transaction limit is smaller
payments - Data wirelessly transferred
securely - RFID signals can be
- Retailers don't have to access read/intercepted
customer credit/debit
information

Analogue Measure - Generally accurate - May require calibration

sensors environmental data - Provides real-time - Data must be converted to
e.g. temperature, information digital data (ADC)
light, sound, - Automatic - Data may need to be checked for
humidity etc. - Can collect data from places accuracy
where they may be threat to
human life
Output devices
What is an output device?
●​ Output devices are hardware components that receive information from a computer
system and present it to the user in a comprehensible form
●​ They enable the computer to communicate the results of processed data or commands

Types of output devices:

Output Device Use/Features Advantages Disadvantages

CRT monitor Display output from a - Large viewing angles - Run hot
computer - Can be used with light - Heavy
pens - Consume more power
(than other monitor
types)

LCD monitor Screen size is measured - Low power - Motion blur/ghosting

diagonally in inches - Lightweight
- No flickering - Colour & contrast
- No image burn-in variable from different
viewing angles

LED monitor Resolution is the - No motion - More expensive (than

number of pixels blur/ghosting LCD)
measured horizontally - Low power - Contrast can be poor
across the screen - Long life

Laser printer High volume printing - Fast - Expensive initial cost

- High-quality prints - Limited to flat
Electronically charged - Lower cost per page surfaces
toner

Dry ink

Inkjet printer Home printing & - Lower initial cost - Slower

photographs. - High-quality prints - Higher cost per page
Uses wet ink separated - Ink can be refilled - Ink may smudge
into black, cyan,
magenta & yellow.
Tiny dots sprayed onto
paper.

Dot matrix printer Useful when printing - Low cost - Noisy

multiple copies - Can print multi-part - Low print quality
 forms - Slow
Paper is impacted - Very good for long
through a ribbon of ink print runs

3D printer Create real-life versions - Customisable designs - Limited materials

of digital models - Rapid prototyping - Slow process
- Medical benefits - Counterfeit items
easier to produce
- Very expensive

Plotters Create drawings & - High accuracy - Slow

blueprints - Can print on various - Expensive to buy
materials - Large size
- Inexpensive to run

Multimedia projector Output computer - Large display - Requires darkened

usually to much larger - Good for room
display presentations - Expensive bulbs
- Space saving - Need separate audio
- Quality is variable

Speakers Output audio - Range of sizes and - Expensive for higher

power outputs quality output
- Immersive audio - Varying sound quality
- Helps people with
disabilities

Actuators Control motors, pumps, - Precise movement - Requires power

switches etc. - Programmable - Potential mechanical
- Allow automatic wear
control of many devices - Requires DAC
interface
Storage devices
What is a storage device?
●​ A storage device is the hardware that reads from and writes to different storage medias
●​ Storage devices are non-volatile secondary storage, that retain digital data within a
computer system
●​ They provide a means of storing, accessing, and retrieving data, which can include
software applications, documents, images, videos, and more
●​ There are 3 types of storage device:
○​ Magnetic
○​ Solid State
○​ Optical

Magnetic storage
●​ Magnetic storage is a type of non-volatile media that uses magnets (polarity) to store
binary 0s and 1s

Advantages Disadvantages

Capacity - High storage Durability - Moving parts can get damaged if

dropped

Cost - Low per gigabyte Portability - Heavy & bulky making them less
convenient for transport

Speed - Moderate read/write access Reliability - Prone to mechanical failure

Noise - Loud (spinning disks)

Solid state storage
●​ Solid state storage is a type of non-volatile media that uses electronic circuits to store
binary 0s and 1s

Advantages Disadvantages

Capacity - Medium/high storage Cost - Very high per gigabyte

Speed - Very fast read/write access Reliability - Limited read/write cycles

Durability - No moving parts

Portability - Small and no moving parts

Noise - Silent

Optical storage
●​ Optical storage is a type of non-volatile media that uses lasers to burn the surface of a
disk, creating pits and lands suitable for storing binary 0s and 1s

Advantages Disadvantages

Cost - Very low per gigabyte Capacity - Very low

Durability - No moving parts Speed - Very slow read/write access

Portability - Small and no moving parts Reliability - Prone to scratches

Noise - Silent
Capacity of storage
What is the capacity of storage?
●​ Capacity of storage describe the amounts of binary digits that can be stored on a digital
device
●​ These are the units you need to know for this IGCSE:

Unit Symbol Value

Bit b 1 or 0

Nibble 4b

Byte B 8b

Kilobyte KB 1024 B

Megabyte MB 1,048,576 KB (1024 x 1024)

Gigabyte GB 1,073,741,824 MB (1024 x 1024 x 1024)

Terabyte TB 1,099,511,626,776GB (1024 x 1024 x 1024 x 1024)

#Example:​

1. Convert 5GB to Byte

​
Answer: 5 x 1024^3 → 5,368,709,120 B

2. Convert 2KB to GB
​
Answer: 2 / (1024^2) → 0.0000019073 GB

3. How many bits are there in 24MB?

​
Answer: (24 x 1024 x 1024 x 8) → 201326592 b

TRY For your self:

# Convert:​
​ 1. 24 MB to Byte
2. 29 GB to KB
3. 4 KB to TB
4. 21000 B to GB

# Find the number of Bits:

1. 2TB
2. 30 KB
3. 2000 Bytes
4. 50 GB
Storage media
What is storage media?
●​ Storage media is the physical media that holds non-volatile data
●​ Storage devices have a specific read/write mechanism built in to interact with a particular
storage media
●​ For example, magnetic tape media is read by a magnetic storage device

Media
Hard disks
●​ Hard disks are a magnetic storage media
●​ Made up of platters that spin on a central spindle
●​ A read/write head moves on an arm across the platter to read/write data
●​ The amount of time taken to read/write data is influenced by:
○​ How fast the platters spin (measured in revolutions per minute (RPM))
○​ How fast the head moves across the platter
●​ Used in personal computers, servers and backups
Optical media
●​ Used with an optical storage device
●​ All optical media is recordable (CD-R, DVD-R, BD-R)
●​ Some optical media can be re-written (CD-RW, DVD-RW, BD-RE)
●​ Used for multimedia (music, games & films)

CDs DVDs Blu-ray

up to 700 MB data 4.7 GB single sided/single layer​ 25 GB single sided

18 GB double sides/double layer
50 GB double sided

Flash media
●​ Flash media is a solid state storage media
●​ More reliable than a hard disk as contains no moving parts
●​ Very fast read/write speeds
●​ Used in mobile devices, laptops

Magnetic tape
●​ Old technology used primarily for recording sound
●​ Now used to store vast amounts of data (backups)
●​ Very slow read/write speeds
●​ Used for whole system backups and archives
RAM & ROM

RAM
What is RAM?
●​ RAM (Random Access Memory) is primary storage that is directly connected to the CPU
and holds the data and instructions that are currently in use (temporary)
●​ RAM is volatile which means the contents of RAM are lost when the power is turned off
●​ For the CPU to access the data and instructions they must be copied from secondary
storage
●​ RAM is very fast working memory, much faster than secondary storage
●​ RAM is read/write which means data can be read from and written to
●​ In comparison to ROM, it has a much larger capacity
●​ RAM capacity can be increased to improve performance

ROM
What is ROM?
●​ ROM (Read Only Memory) is primary storage that holds the first instructions a computer
needs to start up (Boot file)
●​ ROM contains the BIOS (Basic Input Output System)
●​ ROM is a small memory chip located on the computers motherboard
●​ ROM is fast memory, much faster than secondary storage but slower than RAM
●​ ROM is non-volatile which means the contents of ROM are not lost when the power is
turned off
●​ ROM is read only which means data can only be read from
●​ In comparison to RAM, it has a much smaller capacity
●​ ROM capacity can not be increased
●​ Some types of ROM can be changed
○​ EPROM - erasable programmable read only memory
○​ EEPROM - electronically erasable programmable read only memory
Differences between RAM & ROM
Feature RAM ROM

Stores Data & programs in use Boot file (start-up instructions)

Capacity Variable Fixed

Contents Temporary Permanent

Read/Write Read & write Read only

Volatile/Non-volatile Volatile Non-volatile

What is flash memory?

●​ Flash memory is a type of EEPROM (Electronically Erasable Programmable Read Only
Memory)
●​ Non-volatile
●​ Fast access times
●​ Low power consumption
●​ Used in solid state drives, USB drives and SD memory cards
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
What is the purpose of the CPU?
●​ The purpose of the Central Processing Unit (CPU) is to execute instructions
●​ The CPU achieves this by completing processor cycles
●​ A modern CPU is capable of performing billions of processor cycles in one second

The processor cycle stages

Fetch stage
●​ During the fetch stage of the cycle, the next instruction or data must be fetched from the
computer's memory (RAM)
●​ The instruction or data is brought back to the CPU

Decode stage
●​ During the decode stage of the cycle, the CPU needs to work out what is required from
the instruction
●​ This could be a range of tasks depending on what the instruction or data included

Execute stage
●​ During the execute stage of the cycle, the CPU will carry out the instruction that was
fetched
●​ Some examples that would take place at this stage are
○​ Performing a calculation
○​ Storing a result or data back in main memory (RAM)
○​ Going to main memory to fetch data from a different location

How is the speed of a processor measured?

●​ The speed of a processor is measured by it's clock speed
●​ Clock speed is measured in Hertz (Hz)
●​ The clock speed measures the number of processor cycles that can take place in 1 second
●​ The faster the clock speed, the more instructions can be fetched and executed per second
●​ Modern computers have a clock speed in Gigahertz (GHz), meaning billion
●​ A clock speed of 3.5GHz can perform up to 3.5 billion instructions per second
Number of cores
●​ A core works like it is its own CPU
●​ Multiple core processors mean they have multiple separate processing units that can
fetch, decode and execute instructions at the same time
●​ Multi-core processors can run more powerful programs with greater ease
●​ Multiple cores increase the performance of the CPU by working with the clock speed
○​ Example: A quad-core CPU (4 cores), running at a clock speed of 3Ghz
■​ 4 cores x 3GHz
■​ 4 x 3 billion instructions
■​ 12 billion instructions per second
ICT Systems to Meet Specified Needs
Devices & peripherals to meet specific needs
●​ When selecting digital devices and peripherals to meet specific needs, it is crucial to
consider the tasks they are intended for and the user's requirements

Devices
●​ Desktops: Ideal for high-performance tasks including graphic design, and video editing
●​ Laptops: Portable, with similar functionality to a desktop, and suitable for a wide range of
tasks including studying and day-to-day business
●​ Tablets: Lightweight, touch-controlled, good for reading, browsing, and simple
applications
●​ Smartphones: Highly portable, useful for communication and light computing tasks
including email and web browsing

Peripherals
●​ Keyboards and mouse: Essential for desktop setups and for ergonomic options to enhance
comfort​
Monitors: Larger screens improve productivity and reduce eye strain - they are also
essential in aiding the use of computers for users with severe visual impairment​
Printers and scanners: Necessary for hard copy documentation, including increasing the
size of documentation for users​
External storage: Provides additional or backup storage capacity

Peripherals to aid accessibility

●​ There are some essential peripherals which aid with accessibility, some of these include:
○​ Ergonomic keyboards: Designed to reduce strain on the hands, wrists and arms by
preventing repetitive stress injuries (RSI)
○​ Screen readers: Assist visually impaired users by reading text aloud to them
○​ Braille displays: Enable visually impaired users to read digital text
○​ Braille keyboard: Enables visually impaired users to use the keyboard effectively
○​ Braille printers: Prints a hard copy of a document in braille for visually impaired
users to read
○​ Haptic feedback/vibration devices: Provides feedback to the user without reliance
of visuals or sound
○​ Reading pen: Allows users with dyslexia to interpret text
Software to meet specific needs
●​ Software can be broken down into categories, depending on a user's needs, these include:
○​ Productivity software
○​ Specialised software
○​ Accessibility software

Productivity Software:
●​ Word processors: Essential for creating and editing documents
●​ Spreadsheets: Used for data analysis and data management
●​ Presentation tools: Vital for creating engaging presentations

Specialised Software:
●​ CAD programs: Necessary for design and engineering tasks
●​ Graphic design tools: Critical for creating visual content
●​ Database management systems: Important for organising and managing large data sets

Accessibility Software:
●​ Screen readers: Convert digital text into speech for visually impaired users
●​ Voice recognition software: Allows users to control devices and input text using voice
commands
●​ Magnification tools: Enlarge text and images on the screen for users with low vision

Matching Software to User Needs:

●​ Ensures optimal performance and accessibility
●​ An example of this would be text-to-speech software which aids students with dyslexia in
reading and comprehension
Settings & ICT Systems to meet specific needs
●​ ICT systems and their settings and configured to greatly aid the user
●​ Many users have specific needs and they often demand a system which can be configured
to suit their needs
●​ Configuring a system can be done in a variety of ways, including:
○​ System configurations
○​ Adjusting hardware and software settings

System Configuration
●​ Display settings: Adjust screen resolution, brightness, and font size for better readability
●​ Audio settings: Customise volume and audio output options to enhance listening
experience
●​ Accessibility features: Enable high-contrast modes, screen magnifiers, and voice
commands.

Hardware and software settings

●​ Using hardware and software settings to enhance a users experience and specifically meet
their needs comes with great benefits, these include:
○​ Enhances usability and productivity
○​ Ensures the ICT system meets specific operational and security requirements
●​ There are many ways hardware and software can be configured to meet a user's needs,
some of these include:
○​ Network settings
○​ Adding user permissions
○​ Security protocols
●​ Network settings: Configure network connections, set up virtual networks and manage
bandwidth to ensure users and guest users all have a positive experience
●​ User permissions: Assign user roles, restrict access to sensitive data, and ensure data
security
●​ Security protocols: Implement firewalls, antivirus software, and encryption for enhanced
data protection
●​
Accessibility
Hardware solutions
●​ Adjustable monitor stands: Provide ergonomic viewing positions to reduce strain
●​ Alternative input devices: Use trackballs, head pointers, or adaptive keyboards for users
with limited dexterity
●​ There is a wide variety of other accessibility hardware features available such as:
○​ Gesture interface
○​ Braille keyboards
○​ Reading pen
○​ Puff suck switch
○​ Foot pedals
○​ Eye typers

Software solutions
●​ Screen readers: Assist users with visual impairments by reading on-screen text aloud
●​ Voice-to-text applications: Enable users to dictate text and control devices via voice
commands
●​ Customisable keyboard shortcuts: Simplify navigation and command execution for users
with motor impairments