Understanding Computer Systems

Unit R001Exam

60 MARKS

Computers and Us

This unit will test your knowledge and understanding of computers in today’s world.

Computers are now part of everyday life. The majority of UK households now own at least one computer.

In the last few years laptops, tablets, smartphones, games consoles and handheld gadgets have become commonplace in our society.

They were so big they filled entire rooms!

The computer in this image was called ENIAC and weighed in at over 27 tonnes.

People said that it took so much power to use it that the lights in the city dimmed when it was turned on.

The first computers were giant machines that did little more than basic calculations.

Computers in the 1980s and 1990s

The first games consoles also appeared during this time from companies like Sega and Nintendo.

During the 1980s and 1990s computers became more popular.

Children all over the UK were enjoying programming in BASIC (a computer language) and playing simple games like Space Invaders and Pacman.

Computers at Home

These days many people have computers in their home and use them for things like running a small business, keeping in touch with relatives and friends and playing games.

It is now very easy to set up your own website, edit photos, make a movie, create presentations and use the internet for research, entertainment and shopping.

Computers for LearningOne area that has become popular is the use of computers for learning.

E-Learning uses computers to teach people in the comfort of their own homes.

Most schools and universities use the internet for learning through the use of a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), email, blogs and for doing research for homework, projects and revision exercises.

When you are out of the office you can read and send email, keep your appointments and use GPS to visit your clients.

You can also read important documents that allow you to keep in touch with the workplace whilst out and about.

Smartphones

These devices are not only functional but the large number of apps available make them very useful for business.

Getting Connected

Businesses and organisations connect their computers together to enable the sharing of printers, files and their internet connectivity.

Local and wide area networks (LAN and WAN) allows employees of even the largest business to stay connected even if they are in different countries.

Cloud Services

Cloud services have become popular in the last few years with iCloud, Skydrive and Dropbox allowing people to backup their important files to the internet.

Using Microsoft Web apps and Google Docs it is possible to create, share and edit documents with others allowing for collaborative work to take place.

Being Safe and Secure

Along with this technology comes the hacker, the virus, malware, pop-ups, adverts and phishing.

You need to know how to stay safe and sound as well as the legal framework designed to keep you and your data safe.

Staying LegalThere are laws that prevent companies from misusing your personal data, stop hackers and ensure anything that is legally yours is protected from abuse and theft.

You will learn about how these laws apply to businesses and their day-to-day working practises.