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ICT: TECHNICAL DRAFTING

QUARTER 1 – MODULE 3

Software & Understanding

Memory

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I. INTRODUCTION
In this module, you will learn about software and its categories, and understand
memory. You will also have several activities after the lessons in this module. Moreover,
you will undergo assessment after finishing the module.

To start with this module, let us first understand software and memory.

II. CONTENT
LESSON 1: SOFTWARE

Software is a computer program that tells computer hardware how to operate.

Software is even more diverse than hardware there are thousands and thousands of
software programs out there. Software ranges from the Operating System that manages
your computer, to the word processor you use to print letters, to the Web browser you
use to peruse the Internet.

BIOS
The most basic software is the Basic Input Output System (BIOS). This software
is stored on a read-only chip on the motherboard so that it doesn’t accidentally get
changed or corrupted. This important software helps the computer start up and performs
some basic testing on the hardware.

Operating System
An Operating System is a software program that loads automatically and controls
just about everything on your computer. The Operating System (OS) manages all the
computer’s activities after startup. There are a number of operating systems out there,
including MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows XP. The operating system serves several
purposes:

1. It provides the user interface that humans use to communicate commands and
receive feedback.
2. It runs applications, and enables humans to interact with them.
3. It controls and manages the file storage system.
4. It communicates with the hardware, instructing it to take action to accomplish tasks.
For example, the OS tells the printer to print a document, and tells the monitor what
image to display.

Microsoft Windows is the most popular operating system. Other operating

systems include Mac OS and Linux for desktop and notebook PCs, UNIX for
mainframes and servers, and Android for tablets and smartphones.

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 The Four Categories of Software

Programming software
Programming software is a set of tools to aid developers in writing programs. The
various tools available are compilers, linkers, debuggers, interpreters and text editors.

System software
System software serves as a base for application software. System software
includes device drivers, operating systems (OSs), compilers, disk formatters, text editors
and utilities helping the computer to operate more efficiently.
It is also responsible for managing hardware components and providing basic non-
task-specific functions. The system software is usually written in the C programming
language.

Application software
Application software is intended to perform certain tasks. Examples of application
software include office suites, gaming applications, database systems and educational
software.
Application software can be a single program or a collection of small programs.
This type of software is what consumers most typically think of as "software."

Malicious software (malware)

Malicious software is intentionally developed to damage computers and/or disrupt
other software. Harm is often caused unbeknownst to users who inadvertently installed
malware since this type of software usually acts in secret.
Examples of malware are:
• Spyware
• Computer viruses
• Trojan horses
• Worms
• Adware
In a nutshell, without software, a computer won’t perform any function and will
simply be a useless, inert machine. Different types of software also exist in direct mutual
relations.

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 LESSON 2: UNDERSTANDING MEMORY

Most people know that a computer has memory. But what does that really mean?
You often hear techies toss around numbers like “60GB hard drive.” Okay, that sounds
impressive, but what does it tell you? This lesson breaks memory into measurable units.

The first thing you need to know is that, at its most basic level, a computer only
understands the concept of “on and off.” On is represented by the number one (1); off is
represented by the number zero (0). Everything that a computer does is based on this
combination of ones and zeros, which is known as the binary system. These ones and
zeros are digits, known as bits, which are the smallest memory unit. The term bit is short
for binary digit.

The smallest unit of data in a computer is a bit. A bit is a single binary digit, with
either a 1 (on) or 0 (off) value. Eight bits can combine to make a byte, which is an 8-digit
binary number, as shown

Wempen, F., Hattersley, R., Millett, R., Shoup, K. (2014). Computing Fundamentals Digital Literacy Edition. pp 22. ISBN 978-1-118-97472-8
(ePDF)

Modern systems work with thousands, millions, and even billions of bytes at a
time. The second thing you need to know is that a computer saves information in bytes,
not bits. So what is a byte? The term byte is short for binary digits eight. So one byte is
made up of eight bits. And a byte is the equivalent of a character, which can be a letter,
a number, or a symbol.

Computer storage and memory is often measured in megabytes (MB) and

gigabytes (GB). A medium-sized novel contains about 1 MB of information. 1 MB is
1,024 kilobytes, or 1,048,576 (1024x1024) bytes, not one million bytes.

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 Similarly, one 1 GB is 1,024 MB, or 1,073,741,824 (1024x1024x1024) bytes. A
terabyte (TB) is 1,024 GB; 1 TB is about the same amount of information as all of the
books in a large library, or roughly 1,610 CDs worth of data. A petabyte (PB) is 1,024
TB. 1 PB of data, if written on DVDs, would create roughly 223,100 DVDs, i.e., a stack
about 878 feet tall, or a stack of CDs a mile high. Indiana University is now building
storage systems capable of holding petabytes of data. An exabyte (EB) is 1,024 PB. A
zettabyte (ZB) is 1,024 EB. Finally, a yottabyte (YB) is 1,024 ZB.

Many hard drive manufacturers use a decimal number system to define amounts
of storage space. As a result, 1 MB is defined as one million bytes, 1 GB is defined as
one billion bytes, and so on. Since your computer uses a binary system as mentioned
above, you may notice a discrepancy between your hard drive's published capacity and
the capacity acknowledged by your computer. For example, a hard drive that is said to
contain 10 GB of storage space using a decimal system is actually capable of storing
10,000,000,000 bytes. However, in a binary system, 10 GB is 10,737,418,240 bytes. As
a result, instead of acknowledging 10 GB, your computer will acknowledge 9.31 GB. This
is not a malfunction but a matter of different definitions.

We count in base 10 by powers of 10:

101 = 10
102 = 10*10 = 100
103 = 10*10*10 = 1,000
106 = 10*10*10*10*10*10 = 1,000,000

Computers count by base 2:

21 = 2
22 = 2*2 = 4
23 = 2*2*2 = 8
210 = 2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2 = 1,024
220 = 2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2 = 1,048,576

The following table summarizes all the units of memory.

UNIT ABBREV. SIZE SYMBOL EQUIVALENT

Bit An atom or
speck, the
smallest unit of
memory.
Byte 8 bits A single letter, a
number, or a
symbol.

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Kilobyte K or KB 1,024 bytes A one-page,
double
spaced letter.

Megabyte M or MB 1,048,576 bytes A best-selling

novel.

Gigabyte G or GB 1,073,741,824 bytes An

encyclopedia
set.

Terabyte T or TB 1,099, 511,627,776 A bookstore.

bytes

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III. EXERCISES/ACTIVITIES
ACTIVITY 1: NOT HARD BUT SOFTWARE

Directions: Identify the following, choose your answer from the box and write the
LETTER of your answer in a separate sheet of paper.

A. Operating System F. Malicious Software

B. Software G. Programming Software
C. Information System H. System Software
D. Application Software I. Microsoft Windows
E. Operating System J. Basic Input Output System

_____ 1. Computer program that tells computer hardware how to operate.

_____ 2. Most basic software that is stored on a read-only chip on the motherboard so that
it doesn’t accidentally get changed or corrupted.
_____ 3. Software program that loads automatically and controls just about everything on
your computer.
_____ 4. Most popular operating system.
_____ 5. Set of tools to aid developers in writing programs like compilers, linkers,
debuggers, interpreters and text editors.
_____ 6. Serves as a base for application software. System software includes device
drivers, operating systems (OSs), compilers, disk formatters, text editors and
utilities helping the computer to operate more efficiently.
_____ 7. Software is intended to perform certain tasks like office suites, gaming
applications, database systems and educational software.
_____ 8. Software intentionally developed to damage computers and/or disrupt other
software.
_____ 9. System that manages all the computer’s activities after startup.
_____ 10. System responsible for managing hardware components and providing basic
non-task-specific functions.

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ACTIVITY 2: DOUBLE PUZZLE

Directions: Unscramble each of the clue words. Take the letters that appear
in boxes and unscramble them for the final message.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

ASSESSMENT:
• Please take the test if you are done with all the lessons in this module.
• Using any device and internet connection, go to
https://tinyurl.com/TDG11Q1M3Assessment

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Autodesk AutoCAD Offline Help
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Gindis, E. (2017). Up and Running with AutoCAD® 2017 2D and 3D Drawing and Modeling.
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Onstott, S. (2017). AutoCAD 2018 and AutoCAD LT 2018 Essentials. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN:978-1-119-41424-7 & 978-1-119-41429-
2
Onstott, S. (2014). AutoCAD ® 2014 and AutoCAD LT ® 2014 Essentials.
Phelps, M. (2012). Object Selection Methods within AutoCAD. retrieved from www.cadlinemanufacturing.co.uk. WP-CAD-00091
Schwendau M.S. (2012). CAD Coordinate Input Methods - AutoCAD/Draftsight
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(ePDF)
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