It seems this couse is close to ending, but it was fun. All of the projects we did in this course were helpful (I'm listing them for my own future reference):
Under the Hood - what's inside a computer
Boot Process
Computer Component (Very helpful - I would like to keep all of the presentations for future reference!)
Ultimate Computer
Distaster Recovery - Very applicable to me since my computer did experience a disaster
recently.
Malware - I hadn't heard of keyloggers before. I also now know about some good anti-spyware
software as well.
I am glad that we did these projects and the order and organization of the course was very good.
Live long and prosper!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
CEDU 581 Computer Architecture Week 5
This week we worked on a "Build Your Perfect Computer" project. I looked around at a few websites, such as Dell and HP. I ended up creating a really wicked HP gaming computer. I'm pretty happy with my current computer, a Dell Studio laptop, but if I were to buy a different computer, I think this HP machine would be very nice. The only reason to buy a new computer at this time would be if I wanted gaming or graphic design features. I'm not as into gaming as I used to be, though, so I doubt that I would seriously consider purchasing a new computer at this time. As usual, this was a beneficial assingment for us. If we didn't already, we know know how to buy a computer and what to look for. I'm certainly learning things in this class that will help me in the future in my job and personally.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
CEDU 581 Computer Architecture Week 3-4
How does a computer work?
There are various essential components of the computer that are necessary for it to function.
The CPU is the brain of the computer. It carries out preprogrammed orders. After watching Bill Kunst's presentation on this, I would say that it is very important to get the right CPU for your computer needs.
The CPU (Central Processing Unit) is located on the motherboard, which connects all of the guts of the computer, as well as the periphery devices. The motherboard allows all of the computer's components to connect with each other and work in conjunction.
The hard drive stores large amounts of data. The data is permanently stored, unless the user wipes the hard drive or uses a program to write over it. The hard drive allows the user to recall files and information during each use. Data on the hard drive is nonvolatile, meaning it can store the data when the power is not on.
RAM (Random Access Memory) is also very important for running programs on the computer. The data stored in RAM is volatile, meaning it cannot be stored when the computer is not on.
The BIOS helps the computer start up properly and makes sure that the computer is where it is supposed to be when it is powered up. To me it seems kind of like a parent that makes sure their kids wake up on time, eat breakfast and get to school on time every day.
All of these components, along with others, work in concert to do what the programmers, builders, software writers and users want their computers to do.
There are various essential components of the computer that are necessary for it to function.
The CPU is the brain of the computer. It carries out preprogrammed orders. After watching Bill Kunst's presentation on this, I would say that it is very important to get the right CPU for your computer needs.
The CPU (Central Processing Unit) is located on the motherboard, which connects all of the guts of the computer, as well as the periphery devices. The motherboard allows all of the computer's components to connect with each other and work in conjunction.
The hard drive stores large amounts of data. The data is permanently stored, unless the user wipes the hard drive or uses a program to write over it. The hard drive allows the user to recall files and information during each use. Data on the hard drive is nonvolatile, meaning it can store the data when the power is not on.
RAM (Random Access Memory) is also very important for running programs on the computer. The data stored in RAM is volatile, meaning it cannot be stored when the computer is not on.
The BIOS helps the computer start up properly and makes sure that the computer is where it is supposed to be when it is powered up. To me it seems kind of like a parent that makes sure their kids wake up on time, eat breakfast and get to school on time every day.
All of these components, along with others, work in concert to do what the programmers, builders, software writers and users want their computers to do.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
CEDU 581 Computer Architecture Week 2b
Watching the movie "Pirates of Silicon Valley" was a hoot. I like how it jumped around in time, at least at the beginning. I tend to like stories (movies, books, etc.) that involved flashbacks and show the main characters at different ages. This one started in 1984, went ahead to 1997 and then jumped back to when Jobs and Gates were young adults (early 20s?).
In the flashback to the riots at UC Berkeley it was interesting to note that these people were not so interested in the political goings on of the time, but were embarking on a separate but equally (or even more) revolutionary path.
The parts of the film that involved the early IBM PC and Apple Lisa were fun to watch. I also liked some of the film's music, with some 80s rock and funky 70s stuff.
Different subject:
Last week my computer was attacked and pretty much taken out of commission by a virus. I did reinstall the OP (Vista) but it is still having problems. The Geek Squad says the problem could be one of two possibilities. Either the OP was not installed properly or there is a problem with the hard drive. To have the Geeks run diagnostic tests would cost $70 so I am going to try reinstallation again and this time I am going to wipe the hard dive first. If I still have problems, I will take it back to the Geeks. Even though I was not able to install a new patch or service pack this week, I think this trouble should earn me one point toward the OS assignment. I have learned things from this problem.
In the flashback to the riots at UC Berkeley it was interesting to note that these people were not so interested in the political goings on of the time, but were embarking on a separate but equally (or even more) revolutionary path.
The parts of the film that involved the early IBM PC and Apple Lisa were fun to watch. I also liked some of the film's music, with some 80s rock and funky 70s stuff.
Different subject:
Last week my computer was attacked and pretty much taken out of commission by a virus. I did reinstall the OP (Vista) but it is still having problems. The Geek Squad says the problem could be one of two possibilities. Either the OP was not installed properly or there is a problem with the hard drive. To have the Geeks run diagnostic tests would cost $70 so I am going to try reinstallation again and this time I am going to wipe the hard dive first. If I still have problems, I will take it back to the Geeks. Even though I was not able to install a new patch or service pack this week, I think this trouble should earn me one point toward the OS assignment. I have learned things from this problem.
CEDU 581 Computer Architecture Week 2a
Windows 7
The next operating system I will use will likely be Windows 7, so I decided to explore it. I was able to do some looking around on a computer that uses this operating system (actually two - I went to Best Buy and tested some of their computers). I am considering buying a new computer because there are some online games I want to play and I want a mean machine that has more than enough of the recommended features, so all of these assignments we are doing definitely have real world application for me.
The feature that really stands apart from other versions of Windows is Windows 7's taskbar. Nicknamed the Superbar, it allows for some interesting new capabilities. One capability, which the Best Buy salesperson called "Aero Peek", allows the user to minimize all windows at once to get a quick peek at the desktop. This is useful if you want to open something else on the desktop. Now you don't have to minimize the windows. Also, the "Aero Snap" feature will automatically maximize a window when dragged to the edge of the screen. The Best Buy person noted that there are usually few problems with upgrading from Vista to Windows 7, even less than from XP to Vista. This was in response to my question about the ease or lack thereof of upgrading to a different operating system.
I did check out Windows 7 on a friend's machine and it seemed to boot up and shut down a little faster than my machine, which uses Vista. My machine is not more than a few months older, so it is a good comparison. Features such as Movie Maker, Photo Gallery and Windows Calendar were available in Vista. These features are still present in some form in Windows 7 as part of the Windows Live Essentials. Other very important features that were cut from Vista are now available again in Windows 7, such as internet spades, backgammon and checkers.
My current machine certainly has the minimum requirements for an upgrade to Windows 7. they are 1 GHz 32, 1 GB of RAM, DirectX 9 graphics processor with WDDM driver model 1.0, 16 GB of available disk space and a DVD drive.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
CEDU 581 Computer Architecture Week 1
I didn't have a whole lot of previous knowledge about computer history. It's not something that has been touched on very much in my education, probably because it is a relatively recent development and has happened so fast. You could really call people like Gates and Jobs pioneers. It's possible that they share some of the same traits as people such as Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell.
I have looked inside a computer before, but did not pay too much attention to what I was looking at. Now I know a little better what to look for when I want to find specific parts. I think our projects will force us to really become familiar with the ins and outs of our specific computer part.
Questions:
If we wanted to find a manual or more information about a particular computer model, is there a good place to look?
In a different class you showed us several technology journals / newsletters that you read and it sounded like there was one in particular that you thought was really good. Which one was it?
I have looked inside a computer before, but did not pay too much attention to what I was looking at. Now I know a little better what to look for when I want to find specific parts. I think our projects will force us to really become familiar with the ins and outs of our specific computer part.
Questions:
If we wanted to find a manual or more information about a particular computer model, is there a good place to look?
In a different class you showed us several technology journals / newsletters that you read and it sounded like there was one in particular that you thought was really good. Which one was it?
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
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