UNIT 2

A TYPICAL COMPUTER

In this lesson students will:

- Understand what a computer is and what its main parts are.
- Get familiar with the following terms:

instruction Storage Device

program Disk Drive
Hardware plug
Software CPU
microprocessor Power supply
data Video card
memory Mouse
RAM Keyboard
ROM Hard disk
Peripherals Slot
Input Device Optical drive
Output Device sleeve

- Develop language skills on the topic of A Typical Computer.

PART A: ICT BASICS

Task 1. Read the passage and answer the question: What is a computer?
Computers come in a huge variety of shapes, and sizes. You will be most familiar with Personal
Computers (PCs) – the small computer on your desk, or the laptop in your bag.
However there are some computers that fill whole buildings and others that are small enough to fit
in a slim mobile telephone. Whatever the size, all computers do the
same thing…
A computer is a device that stores and processes information
according to a set of instructions.
In other words, a computer is a device that you feed information
into and it does something with the information (processes it) based
on some instructions (a ‘program’) that it has been given.
An Information Processing System
A computer is an information processing system...
It doesn’t matter what type of computer we are looking at, or what programs the computer is
running, it always takes in information and does something with it.

For example, a spreadsheet running on a personal computer...

Or a game being played on a games console (these are computers too)...

Task 2. Look at the picture of computer essentials and read the text, then do the exercises
that follow.

Computer essentials

Parts of a computer
Acomputer is an electronic machine that accepts, processes, stores and
outputs information. A typical computer consists of two parts: hardware
and software.
Hardware is any electronic and mechanical part of the computer system
that you can see and touch.
Software is a set of instructions, called a program, which tells a computer
what to do.
There are three basic hardware sections.
1. The CPU is the heart of the computer, a microprocessor chip which processes data and
coordinates the activities of all other units.
2. The main memory holds the instructions and data which are being processed by the CPU.
It has two main sections: RAM (random access memory) and ROM (read only memory).
 3. Peripherals are the physical units attached to the computer. They include: Input Devices,
which let us enter data and commands (e.g the keyboard and the mouse); Output Devices,
which let us extract the results (e.g. the monitor and the printer); Storage Devices, which
are used to store information permanently (e.g. hard disks and DVD-RW drives). Disk
Drives are used to read and write data on disks.
At the back of a computer there are ports into which we can plug external devices (e.g. a scanner,
a modem, etc.) They allow communication between the computer and the devices.

a. Read these quotations and say which computer essential they refer to.
1. “Accelerate your digital lifestyle by choosing a Pentium at 4.3 GHz”.
2. “Right-click to display a context-sensitive menu”.
3. “You will see vivid, detailed images on a 17’’ display”.
4. This will produce output, with sharp text and impressive graphics”.
5. “Use it when you want to let grandparents watch the new baby sleeping”.
6. “Press any key to continue”.

b. Label this diagram with the correct terms.

Task 3. Look at the picture of functions of a PC

Complete the diagram and the sentences below

1. Computer ……………… is the visible and audible result of data processing – information that
can be read, printed or heard by the user.
2. The CPU will process data as instructed by the programs you are running. ………………..
includes functions like calculating, sorting, editing, drawing and searching.
3. DVDs are expected to replace CDs as …………………. devices.
4. As a scanner, the Sigma-100 can be used to …………………. photographs as well as
documents into the computer.

PART B: LANGUAGE SKILLS

Task 4. Watch the video taken from howstuffworks.com, take notes on the main parts of a
computer and their functions.
Parts Functions Interesting facts
Task 5. Read the passage adapted from https://www.pcworld.com/article/3429648/acer-
aspire-5-a515-54-51dj-review.html and do the exercises that follow.

Acer Aspire 5 A515-54-51DJ review: Slim and inexpensive, but middling quad-core
performance
By Ben Patterson
PCWorld | AUGUST 06, 2019 03:41 AM PT

If you’re looking for an inexpensive quad-core laptop that’s less than three-quarters of an inch
thick, the Acer Aspire 5 A515-54-51DJ might fit the bill. This slim laptop packs in more than
enough power for everyday computing tasks, and its quad-core performance is respectable, if shy
of awe-inspiring. A fingerprint reader and nearly all-day battery life will appeal to productivity-
minded road warriors, although they’ll have to settle for a display that’s on the dim side.

Price and specifications

Acer packs a bewildering number of configurations into its budget Aspire 5 line, ranging from
$350 for a dual-core AMD Ryzen 3 3200U-powered model with a bare-bones 4GB of RAM and
a 128GB solid-state drive, all the way to a considerably beefier quad-core Core i7-8565 model
with a hefty 12GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and dedicated Nvidia GeForce MX250 graphics that
cost about $850 at the time of this writing.
The configuration we’re reviewing here is a middle-of-the-road model, complete with a quad-
core Core i5-8265U CPU, a Whiskey Lake processor that debuted in late 2018 as a modest
upgrade (mainly a slightly faster boost clock speed) to 2017’s Core i5-8250U Kaby Lake Refresh
chip. Comparable to a Core i7 processor from a couple of generations prior, the i5-8265U is a
solid workhorse that can hold its own when it comes to CPU-intensive tasks like video editing.
The Core i5-powered version of the Acer Aspire 5 comes with an impressively slim and trim
shell. Also on board: a reasonable 8GB of RAM, which helps to smooth out performance when
running multiple programs at once; a 256GB SSD, a decent amount of storage for a speedy solid-
state drive; an integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620 chip, and a full-HD (1920x1080) 15.6-inch
display.
On paper, that all adds up to a relatively sturdy workhorse for everyday computing chores like
web browsing and composing Office documents. Intel’s integrated UHD 620 will let you do a
little light gaming, but think Minesweeper more than Fortnite.

Design
The laptops in Acer’s Aspire 5 line do a nice job of feeling thinner and lighter than they really
are. This particular model of the Aspire 5 is no different: Yes, it tips the scales at nearly 4.25
pounds, but at just 0.7 inches thin the Aspire 5 manages to feel reasonably light, particularly
given its sizable 14.3-by-9.9-inch footprint.
The laptop’s slim aluminum lid and tapered shell make it look fairly stylish for a budget laptop.
Opening the lid reveals the 15.6-inch display with svelte left and right bezels, a dapper “Aspire”
logo along the laptop hinge, and a silver-colored chassis offset by the black keyboard.
Incidentally, the lid bends way back slightly
beyond 180 degrees, which means you can lay
the Aspire completely flat with the lid open.

Display
When it comes to the Aspire’s display, let’s start
with the positives. Its 1920x1080 resolution is
the minimum we like to see when dealing with a
15.6-inch screen. The Aspire’s IPS (in-plane
switching) panel makes for solid viewing angles,
with the display looking relatively bright and
readable even when looking from the side,
above, or below. The display’s matted “ComfyView” design minimizes glare, though direct
outdoor sunlight will fight back hard.
Unfortunately, the display on this particular model of the Aspire 5 is disappointingly dim - just
201 nits (or candelas) according to our measurements, which is well below the 250 nits we
generally prefer. While the Aspire 5’s screen looked bright enough indoors, it began to fade
noticeably when I was using it outside in the shade, and it looked even worse in direct sunlight.

Keyboard, trackpad, speakers, and extras

The Aspire 5 offers a roomy backlit keyboard complete with a 10-key numeric keypad. The keys
themselves felt good to type on, delivering a satisfying bump and springy rebound on each
keystroke. That said, travel (basically a measure of how far the key travels on each stroke) felt a
bit skimpy compared to other productivity-minded laptops I’ve tested.
The Acer Aspire 5’s roomy trackpad felt smooth and responsive during my testing. I did
occasionally notice the cursor jittering across the screen as my palms dragged over the trackpad
surface while typing. It was only slightly annoying, but trackpads on other laptops I’ve tested
have done a better job at rejecting such false inputs.
Back on the plus side, the trackpad comes with a fingerprint reader, handy for signing into your
Windows profile or any Windows Hello-compatible apps by pressing your fingertip on the
sensor. I used the fingerprint reader, which sits in the top-left corner of the trackpad, repeatedly
throughout my testing and didn’t have any problems.
The stereo speakers on the Aspire 5 are about as mediocre as those on most other laptops we've
tested. You can crank them nice and loud, which is a plus, and they even deliver a hint of bass,
although the sound gets muddy at higher volumes.

Ports
The Aspire 5’s collection of ports offers a decent selection of new and legacy options. You’ve
got a full-on Gigabit ethernet port for an old-school wired connection to your router. You don’t
often see ethernet ports in laptops this thin, but this one has a "dropjaw" spring mechanism so the
port can expand to accommodate a cable connector. You also get a couple of speedy USB 3.0
Type-A ports, HDMI, and a USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C port for connecting newer USB-C-equipped
storage devices and peripherals.
Disappointingly, there’s no memory card reader, which means you won’t be able to pop in
memory cards from your Android phone or your digital camera.

Performance
With its middle-of-the-road specs, we were expecting middle-of-the-road performance from this
Core i5-equipped version of the Acer Aspire 5, and that’s pretty much what we experienced.
The good news is that the Aspire’s got it where it counts, putting up excellent scores when it
comes to everyday productivity - think web browsing, Office productivity, playing tunes, and
even some light photo editing. However, the Aspire’s quad-core processor chugs a bit when it
comes to CPU-intensive activities, particularly video encoding.
The Aspire 5’s relatively strong single-threaded performance bodes well when it comes to
everyday computing duties.

To sum up, this slim $530 laptop packs in more than enough power for everyday computing
tasks, and its quad-core performance is respectable, but you'll have to settle for a dim display.
Pros Cons
Inexpensive Dim display
Plenty of mainstream productivity power No memory card reader
Impressive battery life So-so quad-core performance
Fingerprint reader

a. Find the word or phrase in the passage that means.

• Very large, offering many choices (Price and Specifications)
• Stronger (Price and Specifications)
• Not extreme (Price and Specifications)
• A very useful piece of equipment that you use a lot (Price and Specifications)
• Not very expensive (Design)
• Be against something (Display)
• Less than necessary (Keyboard, trackpad, speakers, and extras)
• Average or below average in quality (Keyboard, trackpad, speakers, and extras)
• Still used, but no longer the most modern or advanced (Ports)
• Work or move slowly (Performance)

b. Base on the information in the reading complete the table of the reviewed model’s Tech
Specs
Aspire 5: Model Name: A515-54-51DJ Specs
Processor & Chipset
Processor Manufacturer Intel®
Processor Type Core™ i5
Processor Model (1)………………………………
Processor Speed 1.60 GHz
Processor Core (2)………………………………
Display & Graphics
Graphics Controller Manufacturer Intel®
Graphics Controller Model (3)………………………………
Graphics Memory Technology DDR4 SDRAM
Graphics Memory Accessibility Shared
Screen Size (4)……………………………….
Display Screen Type LCD
Display Screen Technology (5)………………………………
In-plane Switching (IPS) Technology
Screen Mode (6)……………………………….
Backlight Technology LED
Screen Resolution (7)………………………………
Memory
Standard Memory (8)………………………………
Memory Technology DDR4 SDRAM
Memory Card Reader (9)………………………………
Storage
Solid State Drive Configuration 1 x 256 GB
Total Solid State Drive Capacity (10)………………………………
Optical Drive Type No
Network & Communication
Wireless LAN Standard IEEE 802.11ac
Ethernet Technology Gigabit Ethernet
Bluetooth Standard Bluetooth 5.0
Built-in Devices
Microphone Yes
Finger Print Reader (11)………………………
Number of Speakers 2
Sound Mode (12)…………………………
Interfaces/Ports
HDMI Yes
Number of USB 2.0 Ports (13)………………………..
USB Type-C (14) ………………………..
Network (RJ-45) Yes
Software
Operating System Windows 10 Home
Operating System Architecture 64-bit
Input Devices
Pointing Device Type (15)………………………..
Keyboard Yes
Keyboard Backlight Yes
Battery Information
Number of Cells 4-cell
Battery Chemistry Lithium Ion (Li-Ion)
Battery Capacity 3220 mAh
Maximum Battery Run Time 11 Hour
 Power Description
Maximum Power Supply Wattage 45 W
Physical Characteristics
Height 0.7"
Width 14.3"
Depth 9.9"
Weight (Approximate) 4.19 lb
Miscellaneous
Package Contents • Aspire 5 A515-54-51DJ Notebook
• Lithium Ion Battery
• AC Adapter
Warranty
Warranty Limited Warranty agreement applies.

c. Translate “Price and Specifications” part.

Task 6. Speaking. Work in pair: What features of the laptop Aspire 5 reviewed in the
reading do you like and not like?

Task 7. Give presentation on the topic: One Particular Computer.