Computer Science Midterm Project.
Instruction
For your midterm project, complete the following using screenshots, images or diagram of sample products, processes, etc. to illustrate and descriptive texts to address the items below (you may also consult YouTube.com as a source). This is not a research paper; however, provide your source(s): 1. Identify at least three types of computers, how they process information, and the purpose and function of each computer. 2. Identify how software and hardware work together to perform computing tasks and how software is developed and upgraded. 3. Identify at least three different types of application software and provide a general description each application software. 4. Using an operating system, identify what is an operating system, how it works, and how it solves common problems related to the operating systems. 5. Illustrate the process of using an operating system to manipulate a computer’s desktop, files and disks. 6. Use screenshots, images or diagram of sample products, processes, etc. to illustrate and descriptive texts to explain each items provided.
MID-TERM PROJECT
Institution Affiliation
Student’s Name:
Types of Computers and Their Functions
A computer by definition is a machine that receives instructions as data to process, store it and output information. Throughout revolutionizing computers, there are at least four basic types of computers that we use today. They include; Supercomputers, Mainframe computers, Minicomputers, and Microcomputers.
Supercomputers
These are the most powerful computers in the world and are often dedicated to processing program functions at very high speeds. The functions are facilitated by multiple high-end processors, with speeds being measured in petaflops. Their uses include space exploration, weather forecasting, etc. An example of a supercomputer is IBM’s Sequoia, in the United States (Patrick, 2019).
Mainframe computers
Mainframe computers are also large and expensive machines, although comparing them to supercomputers, they happen to appear as the second-best computers. They are ideal in supporting multiple users simultaneously. Institutions like banks, census analytics use mainframe computers to execute bulky data-related tasks. An example is Fujitsu’s ICL VME, (Byte Notes, 2019).
Minicomputers
These are the computers ranked below the mainframe computers in terms of size, cost, and performance. They also support multiple users simultaneously, from 4 to 200 users. Today, they are modified to merge and act as servers. A company may opt to use minicomputers to run the production process. An example of a minicomputer is IBM Midrange computers, (Byte Notes, 2019).
Microcomputers
Microcomputers are what we popularly use today as personal computers. The type of computer is designed to be cheap, portable and capable of fulfilling the general one-user tasks like entertainment. Examples of microcomputers; smartphones, laptops, and desktops.
How Software and Hardware Work Together
Hardware is the physical part of a computer, such as a keyboard, mouse, and monitor. The software is the set of commands that instructs the hardware on how to function. An example of software is Microsoft Word. For a computer to function properly the two components, work for hand in hand, right from the software giving commands while the hardware executes the commands as output. Neither of them can function independently, (Sophia, 2019).
When it comes to upgrading components, the hardware is a very common tool to get the upper hand, where factors like weight, size are put into consideration. However, with software upgrades, in most cases, the aim is to fix bugs, enhance compatibility, performance, security and malware protection. The upgrade is always an update released to fix the issues, (Elmblad, 2019).
Operating System And How It Works
Operating systems are complex softwares that bridge the primary computer language of 1s and 0s into an understandable language customized with multiple options to execute tasks. Basically, having an operating system, a user can manage hardware and enjoy program services using just a mouse. Examples of operating systems include; Windows, Mac, iOS, Linux, Ubuntu, and Android, (Le, 2018).
Below is an illustration of creating and deleting a folder in Windows 8.1 desktop.
- Right Click on Desktop.
- Hover around the New Option and Select Folder to Create the Folder.
- To delete the Folder permanently, select the Folder and press Shift + Delete, select Yes. Alternatively, select the folder and press the Delete button, here the folder can be retrieved from the Recycle bin.
References
Byte Notes, 2019. Introduction to Computing; Four Types of Computers. Retrieved from; https://byte-notes.com/four-types-computers/
Elmbald, 2019. The Difference Between Software Updates and Upgrades. The Balance. Retrieved from; https://www.thebalance.com/what-is-a-software-update-vs-software-upgrade-1294256
Le, 2018. How Operating Systems Work: 10 Concepts you Should Know as a Developer. Retrieved from; https://medium.com/cracking-the-data-science-interview/how-operating-systems-work-10-concepts-you-should-know-as-a-developer-8d63bb38331f
Patrick, 2019. Examples of Different Computer Types. Retrieved from; https://turbofuture.com/computers/computer-types
Sophia, 2019. The Relationship Between Hardware and Software. Retrieved from; https://www.sophia.org/tutorials/the-relationship-between-hardware-and-software