SUMMARY

 5.7 SUMMARY

A personal computer (PC) is a general-purpose computer, used for day to day activities in different areas including education, business, administration and health. Now-a-days PC has become vital part of the life of a person. In this unit we have focused on the practical aspects of a PC. We have discussed about various types of personal computer such as Desktop Computer, Laptop, Work Station, Netbook, Tablet PC etc. We have also discussed about the configuration of these computers. Configuration is basically the technical specifications/details about a computer. As we know hardware is essential part of a computer. Different hardware components such as monitors, CPU, Mouse, Key board etc. are combined together to form a PC. We have studied about some of the hardware components such as computer cases, central processing unit(CPU), motherboard, video card in this unit. Apart from hardware components software is also very important to operate a computer. Software plays major role in a computer. Without software computer is of no use. Software can be broadly classified as System software, Application software and Utilities. In this unit we have mainly focused on Application software and Utility software. Desktop is the place on a computer screen which holds icons, images, files, folders etc. we have also briefly mentioned about My Computer, My Documents, Recycle Bin and Taskbar on the desktop of a computer. Finally this unit provides knowledge and details about Internet and different types of Internet connections.

5.8 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

👉Check Your Progress-1

1. True/ False 

    (a) True     (b) True     (c) False     (d) True    (e) True

Multiple choice Questions 

2. (a) Light pen (b) All of these (c) Operating system

3. PC stands for personal computer. It is a general purpose computer which is used for personal use. It is mostly suited for a single user and we can perform day-to-day activities in areas such as education, office, business etc. It is used for computational, word processing, and data storage purpose among others. 

Types of PC

Desktop computer, Laptop Computer, Netbook, PC Tablet etc are different types of a PC.

4. Although both laptop and desktop computers are personal computers but the main characteristics which separates both is their portability feature. A laptop is a portable device which can be used anywhere by the user whereas a desktop is not a portable device. It has to be fixed as a given location and can be operated there. Also their looks and sizes make them different from each other. 

Configuration of a Laptop 

Processor: Intel Core™ i5-2410M

Memory: 4GB DDR3 1333MHz memory

Hard Disk: 640GB HDD (5400rpm)

5. Motherboard holds some of the most important components of the computer system. It acts as a base for these components. It is also known as system board, main board etc.In a typical computer microprocessor, main memory and other components are connected to the motherboard. Motherboard also provides connectors for several other devices. 

Some major components of a motherboard are: 

    i) ATX Power Connector

    ii) AGP Slot

    iii) CD-in header 

    iv) PCI Slots

    v) USB Headers

Check Your Progress-2

1. True/ False

(a) True (b) False (c) True (d) False 

2. Fill in the Blank

(b) DiskPart (b) Zip (c) System Restore (d) CHKDSK

3. Operating system is an example of system software. It acts as an interface between user and hardware of a computer. Operating system is must in order to operate a computer. OS controls and manages all the hardware components of a computer as well as it also controls input and output, memory and files. It optimizes and utilizes various kinds of resources like I/O devices, Memory, CPU etc.

4. Utility software is basically a set of programs that helps user to perform routine system task and maintenance such as taking back ups of data, checking disks for potential errors, disk management etc. It basically deals to optimize, manage, configure and analyze the computer system. Generally utilities are included with the operating systems. Generally Utility programs play supporting roles and it is small programs for specific tasks.

Examples of Utility Software: 

 System Restore 

 Disk Defragmenter 

 Data Compression 

 Disk Management 

 File compare 

5. System restore is used to undo changes to the computer and it restores its settings and performance. System restore helps us to restore computer’s system files to an earlier state. System restore backs up system files such as .dll, .exe etc and saves it for later use. System restore creates restore point for this purpose. 

To use System Restore follow these steps:

1. Click on Start button, select All Programs, from there choose Accessories, click 

        on System Tools, and then click System Restore. System Restore starts.

2. On the Welcome to System Restore page, click Restore my computer to an 

        earlier time (if it is not already selected), and then click Next.

3. On the Select a Restore Point page, click the most recent system restore point in 

        the On this list, click a restore point list, and then click Next.

4. On the Confirm Restore Point Selection page, click Next, System Restore restores 

        the previous Windows XP configuration, and then restarts the computer.

5. Log on to the computer as Administrator. The System Restore Restoration 

        Complete page is displayed. 

6. Click OK.

Check Your Progress-3 

1. True/ False

(a) False     (b) False     (c)True     (d) True 

2. Fill in the Blank 

(b) Recycle Bin     (b) Microsoft Windows interface     (c) Desktop

3. Desktop is a place on our computer which holds icons, folders, files etc. it is the background area on our computer screen. We can also customize our desktop in different ways like we can add background picture, background colors etc. When we start our computer desktop is the first thing which comes in front of us.

Some of the items found on the Desktop are:

 My Computer

 My Documents

 Recycle Bin

 Task Bar

4. The two primary methods of accessing the Internet are through a direct connection and dial-up connections through a modem and phone line. Direct connection is an ISDN (Integrated services digital network) line, a fiber optical line etc. Direction internet connection is faster than dial-up connection. It is a permanent connection, which can be set up over a high-speed communication line. This is normally used in organizations and corporate, using cable modem (used for cable Internet) and DSL connect to the Internet

In Dial-Up connection, telephone lines are used to establish a connection to the internet service providers (ISP). Dial-up internet service is provided through a number of ISPs. A Modem is required for dial-up internet connection.