QUESTIONS WITH
ANSWERS—INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER
Prepared by Mwl.
Japhet Masatu.
Q. Distinguish between
the following :--
{1}. Primary and
Secondary memories.
--- Primary storage,
also known as main storage or memory, is the area
in a computer in which data is stored for
quick access by the computer's processor. The terms
random access memory (RAM) and memory are often as
synonyms for primary or main storage.
Primary memory is also
known as primary storage or main memory.
----Secondary memory
refers to storage devices, such as hard drives and solid state drives.
It may also refer to removable storage
media, such as USB flash drives, CDs, and DVDs.
{2}. Binary
and Decimal Numbers
In
mathematics and digital electronics, a binary number is a number
expressed in the binary numeral system, or base-2 numeral system,
which represents numeric values using two different symbols: typically 0 (zero)
and 1 (one).
binary number system
A method of representing numbers that
has 2 as its base and uses only the digits 0 and 1. Each successive digit represents
a power of 2. For example, 10011 represents (1 × 24) + (0 × 23)
+ (0 × 22) + (1 × 21) + (1 × 20), or 16 + 0 +
0 + 2 + 1, or 19.
Decimal is a term that
describes the base-10 number system, probably the most commonly used number
system. The decimal number system consists of ten single- digit numbers: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,
8, and 9. The number after 9 is 10. The number after 19 is 20 and so forth.
Additional powers of 10 require the addition of another positional digit.
Decimal Number System
The
number system that we use in our day-to-day life is the decimal number system.
Decimal number system has base 10 as it uses 10 digits from 0 to 9. In decimal
number system, the successive positions to the left of the decimal point
represent units, tens, hundreds, thousands and so on.
Each
position represents a specific power of the base (10). For example, the decimal
number 1234 consists of the digit 4 in the units position, 3 in the tens
position, 2 in the hundreds position, and 1 in the thousands position, and its
value can be written as
(1x1000)+ (2x100)+ (3x10)+ (4xl)
(1x103)+ (2x102)+ (3x101)+ (4xl00)
1000 + 200 + 30 + 4
1234
{3}.Hardware
and Software
--Computer
software, on the other hand, is not something you can touch. Software is a set
of instructions for a computer to perform specific operations. You need
both hardware and software for a computer system to work. Some hardware
components are easy to recognize, such as the computer case, keyboard,
and monitor.
---Computer hardware is any physical device used in or with your
machine, whereas software is a collection of code installed onto your computer's hard
drive; it is intangible. For example, the computer monitor you are using to read this text
and the mouse you are using to
navigate this web page is computer hardware. The Internet browser that allowed you to
visit this page and the operating system that the
browser is running on is considered software.
{4}. Desktop
and Control Panel
A desktop computer is a personal computer that is designed to fit conveniently on top of a typical office desk.
-----A desktop computer is a personal computer in a form
intended for regular use at a single location desk/table due to its size and power requirements, as
opposed to a laptop whose rechargeable
battery and compact dimensions allow it to be regularly carried and used in
different locations
-----The desktop is the main screen area that you see after you
turn on your computer and log on to Windows. Like the top of an actual desk, it
serves as a surface for your work. When you open programs or folders, they
appear on the desktop. You can also put things on the desktop, such as files
and folders, and arrange them however you want.
----The control panel,
in the context of Windows, is a software module used to perform administrative
and management operating system tasks and/or provide access to specific
software features.
The control panel is used to configure and manage almost all aspects of Windows, including keyboard and mouse functionality, users and passwords, power options, network settings, desktop background, display settings, sound settings, mouse settings, hardware and software options, installation and removal of programs, parental control, speech recognition, etc.
The control panel is used to configure and manage almost all aspects of Windows, including keyboard and mouse functionality, users and passwords, power options, network settings, desktop background, display settings, sound settings, mouse settings, hardware and software options, installation and removal of programs, parental control, speech recognition, etc.
