UNIT 3: P2-IDENTIFYING AND DESCRIBING COMPUTER SYSTEMS

BY AMIE

Introduction Unit 3 is all about different computer systems such as

laptops, smart-phones, etc. It is also about the components inside the computer, (P1).

In this particular pass task, I have to identify and explain the different computer systems, such as desktop, laptops, smart-phones, etc.

LaptopsLaptops are personal and portable computers. They serve the same

function as desktop computers and contain all of the same components, however, instead of a mouse, there is a touch pad and the form factor is different, which means that there is a different Motherboard. The touchpad is an input device. When using a laptop, you can do a lot of different things, such as accessing the internet, playing games, creating and editing documents, ordering shopping, etc.

One of the main advantages of laptops are that they can be used anywhere, due to the lack of ports and cables. This makes it more practical to use.

As technology improves, touchscreen laptops are becoming increasingly popular. The touchscreen is also an input device.

Desktop ComputerA desktop computer is not portable, it is stationary. You can do nearly everything that a computer can do, however, you can’t use it on the move and whilst travelling. It consists of a monitor, keyboard, mouse and a computer tower. It also has many ports and cables to allow connection to the router for the internet and other peripherals.

TabletA tablet is a small computer that can be taken everywhere. It usually has one main button and has a large touch screen. There is a virtual keyboard and usually a camera. You can access the internet, play games, create documents, e-mail people, etc. The form factors are also different to desktop computers and laptops.

SERVERA server is a group of computers that allows different devices to connect together and share data. This usually happens across a network, either over a LAN or WAN. There is more than one, type of server, such as internet and file.

SMART PHONESSmart phones are just like usual phones, however, they have extra and better features, such as accessing the internet, purchasing and downloading apps and they have a QWERTY keyboard instead of a few buttons with more than one letter and you can send e-mails. The screens are often larger and most of them are touchscreens.

Games Console A games console is a device, used to play video games. They range from portable ones, such as the Nintendo DS range, (Nintendo DS, DSi, DSi XL, 3DS) to ones that are wired up (XBOX 360, Nintendo Wii, PlayStations, etc.) They usually have a couple of buttons on the front, (power button, eject button, reset button, etc.) and a place to put the disk. They can be wired up to the television, using the sound and audio cables (red, yellow and white). As technology has developed, more games consoles are now wireless and can be played anywhere.

Embedded SystemsAn embedded system is a system used in cars, planes and other larger resources which have specific instructions programmed into them. “Typically, an embedded system is housed on a single microprocessor board programs stored in ROM.”

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_embedded_system

Sometimes, there is an operating system, but not in all circumstances.

The Google Car The Google Car is known as “the car from the future”. This is because it is the first driverless car. The body of a normal car can be used with the technology. For example, during testing, a Toyota Prius, Audi TT, and a Lexus RX450h were used. The cars have travelled 300,000 miles and there have been no recorded accidents.