ICT Notes - 2021-1

850/1 SUB ICT THEORY PAPER ONE
PREPARED BY
KASULE KALULE JOHN
ICT / COMPUTER STUDIES
DEPARTMENT 2020
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 1

© , MR. KASULE KALULE JOHN MADIBA 2021
850 SUB ICT TOPIC 1:
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTING
COMPUTER STUDIES DEPARTMENT
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 2

TOPIC ONE:
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTING
Topic Summary
 Unit One: Introduction to
computers
 Unit Two: World of ICT
 Unit Three: Implications of Using
ICT. (Merits and Demerits)
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© , MR. KASULE KALULE JOHN MADIBA 2021 3
TOPIC 1: INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTING
Unit One: INTRODUCTION TO
COMPUTERS
COMPUTER STUDIES DEPARTMENT
A LEVEL ICT 4
ICT
ICT in full stands for
Information and Communication Technology
Definition:
 ICT can be defined as a set of technological tools
and resources used to collect, communicate,
create, disseminate, store and manage
information.
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Reasons for studying ICT.
 Need to reduce the digital Divide.
 To acquire skills in critical thinking and
problem solving.
 To be equipped with skills for life long learning.
 To acquire knowledge and be aware of new and
emerging technologies.
 High demand of ICT skills in the job market.
 To develop into an independent user of ICT
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Digital divide
 Digital divide is a term that refers to the gap
between demographics and regions that have
access to modern information and
communications technology, and those that
don't or have restricted access.
This technology can include the telephone,

television, personal computers and the Internet.
Examples of ICT tools
 Computers.
 Internet
 Printers
 Cameras.
 Smart Phones
 Video cameras
 Radios
 Televisions
 Projectors E.t.c
What is a computer.
 A computer is a general purpose electronic
machine that receives / accepts, processes,
stores and output data into meaningful
information

Characteristics of a
computer
 Speed: Most computers carry out billions of
operations in a single second.
 Accuracy: computers process large amounts of
data and generate error-free results provided
the data is input correctly and instructions
work properly.
 Communication: Most computers today can
communicate with other computers, often
wirelessly.
Characteristics
 Reliability and consistency: the electronic
components in modern computers are dependable
because they have a low failure rate.
 Versatility: It means the capacity to perform
completely different type of work.
 Storage: The computer has an in-built memory
where it can store a large amount of data.
 Artificial intelligence: They can be programmed
to assume capabilities such as learning,
reasoning, adaptation, and self-correction.
 Adaptability: Modern Computers can be
adapted to comply with different settings and
environments.
 For example, they can be used as personal
computers, for home use, banking,
communication, entertainment, weather
forecasting, space explorations, teaching,
railways, medicine etc.
 Diligence (Endurance)
Computers have the ability to perform the same
task
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for a long time without getting
A LEVEL ICT
tired.
Computer System
 This is a combination of
interrelated components
working together for a
common goal.
 These include.
i. Hardware
ii. Software
iii. Data
iv. User.
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Parts of a computer system
 Hardware: These are the physical components
that makeup a computer.
 Software is a term for electronic instructions
that tell the computer how to perform a task.
 Data is a collection of unprocessed items,
which can include text numbers, images audio
and video.
 Human ware refers to the people who operate
and initialize instructions to the computer
system
Function of components of the computer
system
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Hardware.
 Inputs data
 Outputs information/data
 Processing data
 Storage of data
 Communication.

Software.
 Manages the operation of resources

 Provides user interface
 Guides computer operations
 Provides security on data
 Computer error management.

User.
 To instruct computer system.

 To program the computer system
 Designs hardware.

Data and Information
 Data is a collection of unprocessed items,
which can include text numbers, images audio
and video.
 Data is raw facts and figures by its self it

doesn't provide anything meaningful.
 Information: Is processed data. It has meaning
and is useful to one or more people.
Differences btn data &
information
 DATA INFORMATION
 Letters e.g. (a, b? c) Word e.g. apple
 Words and symbols a report, letter, an essay
 Numbers a mathematical formula
 Musical notes a piece of music song

Information Processing
Cycle.
 These are the series of steps (stages) through
which data is processed into information.
 These stages may include.
i. Data collection and capture.
ii. Data Input
iii. Processing
iv. Output
v. Storage.
Stages
 Collection and Capture: This is the first stage in
the cycle. This stage involves collection of data
from the outside or also from within the
system.
 Input: This involves entering the data into the
computer using input devices are keyboard, bar
code readers, mouse, and scanners etc.
 Processing: This is the stage where by the
computer works on the data entered and makes
it usable.
 Output: This is the stage in which the
processed information is now transmitted to
the user. The output can be given inform of
audio, video, text and graphics. Results can be
viewed on the screen or printed on a physical
medium.
 Storage: After the data has been processed into
information the results can be kept for future
use.
END OF UNIT
NEXT UNIT:
WORLD OF ICT
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USES AND APPLICATION
OF ICT.

Application Of ICT

APPLICATION OF ICT IN
BUSINESS
 Facilitates Communication among business
people through e-mail
 Enables advertisement through internet,
televisions, radios etc.
 Computers help business men in scheduling
and printing of reports.
 Quality control has been possible through the
use of ICT.
Business Con’t
 Payroll and financial modeling software have
been developed.
 ICT has ensured that customers and suppliers
share and access real time data.
 Performing internet banking (On line banking)
or access other financial services through the
internet.
 Online shopping (delivering of goods online)
Business Con’t
 Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS)
EPOS is the system used to adjust and take
payments as items are sold in shops. Each item
has a barcode. When a customer wants to pay for
the item selected, the item’s barcode is scanned
at the store’s check point (till).

Business Con’t
 Electronic Fund Transfer at Point of Sale
(EFTPOS)
 An EFTPOS device allows the retailer to receive
payment directly from the customer’s bank
when the customer uses their bank card to pay.

E- Commerce.
 E – Commerce is the general term used for

companies trading online. It is a shorter way of
saying electronic trading. The “E” is for
Electronic and commerce means trading.
E-commerce activities have been divided into 3

major categories

In banking
 Banking systems must perform electronic
transactions. Direct deposit is an example of an
electronic transaction.
 Call Back system to manage customers in
lines.
 Use of biometric devices like finger print
scanner to access accounts.

 Business-to-Consumer (B2C)
 In a Business-to-Consumer E-commerce
environment, companies sell their online goods
to consumers who are the end users of their
products or services.
 Business-to-Business (B2B)
 In a Business-to-Business E-commerce
environment, companies sell their online goods
to other companies without being engaged in
sales to consumers.
 Consumer-to-Business (C2B)
 In a Consumer-to-Business E-commerce
environment, consumers usually post their
products or services online on which
companies can post their bids.
 Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C)
 In a Consumer-to-Consumer E-commerce
environment consumers sell their online goods
to other consumers. A well-known example
is eBay.
 Online auction sites
 These websites are used by both businesses
and the general public to buy and sell new and
used items.
Revision Questions.
a) Mention the advantages and disadvantages of using
e-commerce.
b) What is On-line shopping.
c) Mention four advantages and disadvantages a
consumer faces as a result of buying goods online.
d) List the requirements for carrying out online
shopping
 Online Banking
 Online banking is when the user can access
their account via the internet.
 Telephone banking
 Telephone banking allows the customer to
carry out transactions using a digital telephone
keypad to enter numbers when prompted by a
recorded message.
 Automated Teller Machines
 Web-based banking systems use a dedicated
server through a bank network system
ICT in Education

ICT in Education

 Distance learning. Sometimes the delivery of
education occurs at a place while the learning
occurs at other locations
 Students use software to assist with learning or
complete assignment.
 Through ICT there has been enhanced class
room teaching through use of presentations as
well as projectors to deliver the information in a
more convincing way.
 Schools and Institutions use computers to
typeset examinations.
 Online registration and admissions: Most
institutes and schools have opened up websites
which offer online registration and admissions
without visiting the institute physically.
 Ubiquitous learning (through virtual mentors /
teacher)
 Research. Teachers and students use the
internet to carry out research on various topics.
 Communication (Teacher-students / Teachers –
Parents communication) through e-mail.
 0nline discussion (video-conferencing).
IN GOVERNANCE

 E-mail functions: Government offices that have
e-mail facilities for communication.
 Government ministries design websites that
talk about specific ministries and services they
offer.
 Payroll: state and federal offices use computer
and e-banking to distribute payments to people.

 Record keeping: The government uses
database to maintain records of employees and
citizens,
 Information distribution via computer networks.
All government entities can share information
that is sent by the central body through
computer networks.
 Video conferencing equipment such as
projectors that help in public workshops,
seminars and conferences
Health
 Hospitals and doctors use computers to
maintain patient’s records.
 Computers monitor patients’ vital signs in the
hospital room and at home.
 Computers and computerized devices assist
doctors, nurses and technicians with medical
tests.
 Doctors use the web and medical software to
assist with researching and diagnosing health
conditions. Nurse
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https://blogs.dailylifetech.com/mq5B/neck-relax/d1/neck-
relax-relief-from-neck-pain-sufferers-1123

 Doctors use e-mail to correspond with patients.
 Pharmacists use computers to file insurance
claims.
 Surgeons use computer controlled devices to
provide them with precession during
..
operations such as for laser eye surgery and

robot assist heart surgery.
 Surgeons implant computerized devices, such
as pace makers that allow patients to live
 Many websites provide up-to date medical
fitness, nutrition or exercise information.
 They have chart rooms so you can talk to
others diagnosed with similar conditions.
 Websites even allow you to order prescriptions
online. An exciting development in health care
is telemedicine, which is a form of long
distance health care.
 Through telemedicine, Health care
professionals in separate locations have live
conferences on computers.
ICT in Transport

Transport
 Global Positing System, or GPS. These feature a
screen that shows a map which track your vehicle's
movement through satellites signals.
 ONLINE BOOKING. We can book our tickets of bus,
train; airplanes online.
 Traffic lights are embedded with java programming
languages which enables smooth flow of vehicles in
urban centers.
 Transport Apps like Safe boda, Uber help people to
board easily.
Air Transport.

Maps for Direction

Mobile Digital TV

Mobile Ticket

Mobile App

Art, Leisure and
Entertainment

 More and more families enjoy television
 computers and electronic games in their homes
 The internet can be used to book tickets for
concert or visit to the cinema.
 Portable devices like phones are used for
playback music and video files.
 Digital transmission is used to broadcast TV
and radio programs.
 Music download from the internet, the internet
is used as a channel for the distribution of
music through music download website.
 Playing of games is an important leisure
activity for many computer users

Use of Smart Phones to play
music.

Entertainment

Industry and Manufacturing
 CAD (Computer Aided Design)
Computers are used to design the model of a
product on the computer. This process is called
Computer Aided Design
 CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing)
Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) refers to the
use of computers to assist with manufacturing
process as fabrication and assembly. Often robots
carryout processes in a CAM environment,
 Process control
Some entire manufacturing processes are now
fully automated and controlled by computer
technology

Agriculture and Car
Assembly

Health

 Hospitals and doctors use computers to
maintain patient’s records.
 Computers monitor patients’ vital signs in the
hospital room and at home.
 Computers and computerized devices assist
doctors, nurses and technicians with medical
tests.
 Doctors use e-mail to correspond with patients.
 Doctors use the web and medical software to
assist with researching and diagnosing health
conditions. Nurse
 Pharmacists use computers to file insurance
claims.
 Surgeons use computer controlled devices to
provide them with precession during
operations such as for laser eye surgery and
robot assist heart surgery.
 Surgeons implant computerized devices, such
as pace makers that allow patients to live
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6/28/2021 66
 Many websites provide up-to date medical
fitness, nutrition or exercise information.
 They have chart rooms so you can talk to
others diagnosed with similar conditions.
 Websites even allow you to order prescriptions
online. An exciting development in health care
is telemedicine, which is a form of long
distance health care.
 Through telemedicine, Health care
professionals in separate locations have live
conferences on computers.
Security
 For forensic computing as in gathering evidence
from scenes of crime
 Used to monitor places using CCTV cameras
 Access control using biometrics devices
 Computer based recording keeping by security
organs
 Communication using internet and mobile
equipment in cases of security emergency
 Research on criminal cases using internet
 Computer guided fighter planes
Monitoring of security situations by drones
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 Weapon assembly by the military manufacturing
firms
 Computer based alarm systems in homes and cars
 Detection and detonation of booms and dangerous
items like landmines
 Tapping and tracking calls for security purposes
 Training and educating forces using simulated
models
 Controlling UAV or unmanned air-crafts an example
is Predator. If you have cable I would recommend
watching the shows " Future Weapons" and "
Modern Marvles". The show future weapons gives
an entire hour to the predator.
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Uses of computers at Home
 Computers help in calculating home grocery

bills.
 Computers can be used as Television sets
those that have TV cards.
 Computers can act as radios at home since
music can be heard from computers by either
inserting in a CD or MP3.
 You can access internet on a computer at home
Implications of Using
ICT
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Social / ethical
Positive implication
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 ICT has enabled efficient and instant
communication through the use of TV, radios
and telephones with comprehensive news.
 Elders were custodians of secrecy and
indigenous knowledge, technology has
demanded that their Knowledge be drained and
stored in DB (Database) where much of it is
moved to the public Domain
 Fast and easy way of getting friends through
social networks like Face book, twitter e.t.c
Positive
 Use of mobile money to pay bills, fees, and
convey money to our family members without
incurring costs
 E-policy, viewing policies online.
 Online Education where by people gets
academic qualifications online.
 People can communicate any time and at any
place with the introduction of phones
 Information rich and easy access through the
internet
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Negative Implications
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 Social Networking has removed the boundaries
of respect and direct dialogue between and
among youths and elders.
 Access of pornographic material and immoral
movies by young people through the internet
has led to moral decay.
 Culture degeneration due the exposure of
western culture.
 ICT has diluted traditional community religions.
 Information poor: not all people have access to
computers thus making it difficult to access
information that can be got from computers.
 High level of unemployment as a result of
introduction of ICTs in most companies. ICT
replace human beings.
 Change in family patterns may be indirectly and
partly caused by computerization. Research
has shown that families are spending less and
less time together.
Economic implications.
Positive
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 Establishment of ICT networks has led to more
infrastructure development e.g. more software
applications have been introduced to the
market.
 ICTs has contributed to labour productivity
growth. Workers are trained to use the
machines thus increasing on the productivity
level.
 Through the use of ICTs, many countries have
developed databases that provide detailed and
comprehensive data on the performance of
individual firms.
79
 The effective use of ICT has helped firms gain
market share at the cost of less productive
firms, which could raise overall productivity.
 The use of ICT has helped firms to be
innovative, e.g. by helping them to expand their
product range, customize the services offered,
or respond better to clients.
 ICT has helped to reduce inefficiency in the use
of capital and labour, e.g. by reducing
inventories. These effects all lead to higher
productivity
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growth. A LEVEL ICT
 Capital deepening as a result of investment in
ICT.
 Computers have automated most aspects of
banking, and bill paying and automotive
productions.

Negative impacts
 Many ICTs are being sold on the market. Most
electronic equipment from certain country are
fake and do not last long.
 With many ICT technologies on the market, it
has become difficult to choose from options.
 Most ICTs are not environmental friendly.
 There is a high rate of unemployment as ICT
has replaced man.
GREEN COMPUTING
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Definition
 This is the environmentally responsible use of
computers and related resources.
It can also be defined as

 The practice of efficiently and effectively using
computers and related resources with minimal
or no impact on the environment

State four elements of green computing
 Environmental saving activities- proper
disposal of IT
 Switching off computers while not in use.
 Electronic products environmental assessment
(EPEAT) tools for IT firms.
 Green computing groups / associations – Use of
LCD monitors instead of CRT monitors.
 Software products like Little Green Genie, which
monitor and reduce on the impact of carbon
circulation in the air. – Use of energy saving
devices.
85
Advantages
 Reduced energy usage from green computing
helps lower carbon dioxide emissions that
come from the fuel used in power plants and
transportation.
 Conserving resources means less energy is
required to produce, use and dispose of
products which are environmental friendly.
 Saving energy and resources means saving
money.
86
 Reduce the risk existing in the laptop such as
chemical known to cause cancer, nerve damage
and immune reactions in human.
 Green computing also includes changing
government policy to encourage recycling and
lowering energy use by individuals and
business.

Disadvantage
 High start-up cost
 Not readily available
 Still experimental

Green computing practices
 Turning of computers when not in use.
 Using devices that comply with energy star
program.
 Telecommuting
 Recycling old computer components and
devices.
 Using paperless means of communication e.g.
e-mail
NEXT CHAPTER
COMPUTER MANAGEMENT
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MICRO SOFT WINDOWS
 A Microsoft widow has been described as
Graphical User Interface (GU1). This is an
interface in which almost everything is
represented graphically. It is an environment
that enables one

It is an environment that
enables one
 Basically easily start up and work with
application.
 Run more than one application at home
 Transfer information between running
application
 Organize and manage the files created in these
applications easily

DESKTOP.
This is a colored area that displays when a
computer starts up and the user logs in.

Elements of a desktop.
 Start button
 Icons (for programs, system directories, file
folders, shortcuts and documents)
 Task bar
 Desktop Background picture.
 Notification Area (for time, volume, network
notification)
 Mouse Pointer
 TASK BAR:
It is a row of buttons and icon that usually appear
along the button of the screen
 ICONS:
This is a graphic presentation of a program or an
application. They are small picture that represent
various types of windows application or files.
 MOUSE POINTERS.
It is an arrow used in pointing at the screen.

RUNNING PROGRAMS
 Starting a program.
You can only start a program that has been
installed onto your computer.
Installing a program: This is the process of

making a program ready for execution.
You can start a program in various ways.

Starting a program from the
start menu.
 Click on the start button.
 Click on all programs.
 Select the program you want from the list
provided.
Using a shortcut icon.

Double click the program shortcut Icon on the
desktop. To open the program.
WORKING WITH DOCUMENTS /
Files
 There are several ways for opening the
document/ Files in a computer system.
Opening a file in a program

 Open a document with in a program, double
click a document icon
 Click Open from the file Menu or from the Office

button.
Open a document / File on a
storage medium
Opening a file in my documents
I. Open my document folder by clicking on start My
document.
II. Locate the file / document.
III. Double click on the file / document. Or Right click
on the file and click open.
Or Click on the start button, or This Pc icon
Click on My computer or This PC
Locate the storage media (CD, Flash disk)
Double click on the medium
Revision Question
 How would create a Microsoft excel file on a
flash disk in a folders called Files 2020.

Using a shortcut on the
desktop
 A short cut is an icon linked to an icon on the
computer. When a short cut is double clicked it
opens the document.
 A shortcut provides easy access in the
documents and programs we use most often. A
shortcut does not change a file location; it just
lets you open the file quickly.

SHORTCUT ON THE
DESKTOP.
 Locate the item you want to easily access
 Use the right mouse button to drag the item to
the desktop then release the mouse button.
 Then the shortcut will appear on your desktop

SAVING YOUR WORK.
 Saving a document is the process of

transferring or copying a document from a
temporary memory to a more permanent
memory

Saving a document with a
new name or first time
 To save a document for the first time you click
on the office button or File (depending on your
office version)
 And then click Save As.
 From the dialog box choose the file location i.e.
(Desktop, removable disk, hard drive).
 Type the file name from the file name option
and click save
Rules followed whenever
naming a file of a folder.
 Use clear names or labels that cannot easily be
forgotten.
 Try to use short lengthy characters when
naming your file/ folders.
 Avoid using some symbols that relate with
mathematical operators as they confuse the
computer.
 Do not use similar identities to name different
files / folders.
 Avoid hierarchy complex structures.
 Use under score to delimit and avoid wild
cards.
 You may also use a hyphen instead of an
underscore to delimit names.
 If you are naming files using dates, the order of
importance role should be respected e.g. year /
month / Date (XY/MM/DD).

Saving changes in an
already existing documents
The changes we add in a document are not
included until when a user saves them to save
these changes do one of the following.
 Use the save command to save changes in an
already existing document.
 Or Press Ctrl + S using the keyboard.

FINDING A DOCUMENT
 Click the start button and click search.

 Select files or folders and then type the name of
the file or folder you want to find.
 Specify where to search and then start
searching.

Search for a file or folder
using a program
 You can also find a file using an application
program i.e. AVA finds is also a specialized
program for locating files and folders.
 Open the program from your start menu or
desktop icon.
 Type the name of the file or folder the list of file
with similar names will appear for you to
choose the right one.
CUT, COPY AND PASTE
 Cut removes selected information from its
current location without leaving a copy.
 Copy makes a duplicate of the selected
information leaving a copy of the original
behind.
 Paste bring back the information the has been
cut or copied to the desired location.
 Drag and drop is another method of moving or
copying the information from one file to
another to another location in the same file.
How to copy or cut a File
 Right click on the file (e.g. a song)
 From the drop down list click copy or cut.
To paste the file

Right click in the location where you what to put
the file.
Then click on paste.

CONTROL PANEL,
 The control panel helps to change the setting of

your computer. You can change your screen
colours, install programs or change settings
hardware and software and setting up or
changing settings for a network.

FILE MANAGEMENT
 File
This is an electronic piece of data or information
created by a computer program stored on a
computer
 Each file has a file name
 Each file name has two parts: filename.
Extension
 By default, the computer allocates a name to a
file which you can change.
File extensions
 A file extension is the end part of a file name

that is separated by a dot, containing
characters based on the program used to
create the file
 The extension helps to identify the file type.
 It identifies what program to associate the file
with and how to properly open it using the
correct program.
 It helps to easily locate files.
SOME COMMON FILE
EXTENSIONS
 EXE EXEcutable commands
 .SYS Various types of SYStem files –
usually drivers to control devices
 .DOC or .DOCX DOCument files created by
e.g. Microsoft Word
 .AVI Microsoft Windows Movie file
 .BMP Graphical Bit Mapped File used in
Windows Paint.
File extensions
 .DOCX New Microsoft Word open
standard introduced with Microsoft Word 2007
 .HTML Web page files containing HTML or
other information found on the Internet
 .GIF Graphics Interchange Format, a digital
image file format
 .TXT TeXT files associated with the Notepad
program
 .XLS. A spreadsheet file created by Microsoft
Excel
 .JPG or JPEG A graphics file commonly
used for photos and illustrations
 .PDF Portable Document Format – a file
type that displays finished text and graphics in
application such as Adobe Acrobat.
 exe Executable
 bat batch
Assignment. Write down other 10 file extensions
including all of the Microsoft office program.
A LEVEL ICT
6/28/2021 121
A folder.
 A folder is an electronic directory/container for
storing and organizing different files.
 A folder can also contain many sub-folders

Creating a folder
On the desktop.
I. Find an empty space on the desktop.
II. Right click.
III. Click on New.
IV. Click on Folder.
V. Type the name of the folder
VI. Press Enter.
Assignment : Write down the steps for creating a
folder with your names on a flash disk.
RENAMING A FOLDER
or FILE
 Right click on the file /folder.
 From the drop down dialog box click Rename.
Or
Select the file or Folder
Press F2 from the keyboard

DELETING A FOLDER / OR A
FILE
 Files deleted are put in the recycle bin.
A recycle bin is a place for files no longer needed

or where deleted files are kept.

How to delete Files / Folders
 Select or (click on the file/folder).
 Then press delete on the keyboard
 From the message box “Are sure you want to
delete the folder” click OK/Yes
Or
Right click on the file.
Then press delete
From the message box “Are sure you want to
delete the folder” click OK/Yes
Illustrations

HOW TO RETRIEVE
DELETED FILES
 Double click on recycle bin icon to open the
recycle bin.
 Right click on the folder / file you want to
restore.
 From the sub menu click on Restore

EMPTING THE RECYCLE
BIN
 It is always advisable to empty the recycle bin
because it fills up the computers hard disk
space.
 Right click on the recycle Bin and then click

empty recycle Bin

File hierarchy
 A file hierarchy defines directories (also called

folders), which can contain files and other
directories.
 The top-most directory in any file system is
called the root directory.
 A directory that is below another directory is
called a subdirectory.
 A directory above a subdirectory is called the
parent directory.
File path
 A file path is a route to a specific file.

a) Study the file path bellow and answer the
questions that follow.
C:\users\Desktop\classlessons\mumbejja.xls

 Mention the file type of the given file.
Microsoft office excel file
 Identify the immediate folder in which the file is
stored.
Class lessons
 Name the file name for the above file.
Mumbejja.
 On which store media is the file located.
On the hard disk

Exercise
 Given the file path
C:\User\Desktop\Abdu\Letter.Doc, identify the

following:
 (i). File name
 (ii). File type
 (iii).The subfolder in which the file is locate
 (iv). The drive on which the file is located.
 (b). State the file extension for an Ms. Excel file.
Solutions
 Letter.doc
 Word processor
 Abdu
 Drive C:
 .xlsx
 .xls

To view file extensions in Windows XP or
later versions:
 Click on Start.
 Click Control Panel.
 Click Folder Options.
 Click View.
 Uncheck Hide extensions for known file types.

SYSTEM START-UP
 System start-up refers to the procedure for

starting the computer software, namely the
operating system, and other programs.

BOOTING A COMPUTER
 Booting is the process of starting or restarting
a computer which involves loading the
operating system on the computer’s memory.
Or
 The process of starting or restarting a
computer is called booting.

Types of booting a computer
 Cold booting: This is the process of turning on
a computer that has been turned powered off
completely.
 Warm booting. This is the process of switching

or restarting a computer that has been
switched on. By pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete

Starting a computer /
Booting
 Switch on the mains.
 Switch on the stabilizer/backup/UPS (in case
you have one)
 Switch one the system unit because most of
the parts including the power supply unit are in
it.
 Switch on the monitor or Visual display unit
reason being that what it displays comes from
the system unit.
THE BOOTING PROCESS
 BIOS which stands for Basic Input and Output System is a firmware
that contains the computer's startup instructions.

 The BIOS carries out a series of tests to make sure the computer is
connected properly and operating properly (correctly).

 Power on self-test (POST) at this stage the computer checks all the
parts of the computer to verify whether they exist, it checks memory
integrity, battery, settings and hard disk settings, floppy and cd rom
and other necessary components.

 As the Post executes LEDs (tiny lights) flicker on devices such as
the disk drives and keyboard. Several beeps also sound and
messages are displayed on the screen. E.g. "Keyboard Failure" or
"Keyboard error"

 then the computer proceeds to look into the following files which
allow the booting and loading the operating systems, lo.sys –
control the initial booting
 Recovery disk or boot drive is a drive from which a personal

computer boots (starts) in most cases drive C. (the hard disc) is the
boot drive. It also contains the files that a needed to start a
computer Boot files (startup files).
Why carry out warm booting
Reasons for a user restarting a computer
 After/during installing new software
 After installing new hardware
 When switching from one operating system to
another
 When a computer application hangs/freezes or
a deadlock state
 After uninstalling a software
 After uninstalling a hardware
Restarting a computer
 After updating a hardware or software
 After scanning for viruses
 Computer system slows down
 Application fails to load
 When a device is not ready
 When there is a possible attack on a system
 After configuring server or changing CMOS
settings
SHUTTING DOWN A
COMPUTER
 Close all applications (Active window)
 Click on the start button and then click on shut
down or turn off computer. A dialogue box will
appear from which;
 Select the option shut down or turn off and ok
or yes.
 Finally switch monitor.

UTILITY PROGRAM
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 146

UTILITY PROGRAM
 A utility program is a type of system software

that performs specific task usually related to
managing a computer its devices or its
programs.
 Utility software: Utility software is a kind of

system software designed to help analyses,
configure, optimize and maintain the computer.
Examples of Utility
Programs
 Anti-virus utilities scan for computer viruses
and remove them.
 Backup utilities can make a copy of all
information stored on a disk, and restore either
the entire disk.
 Data compression utilities reduce the size of
the file.
 Disk cleaners can find files that are
unnecessary to computer and can decide to
delete.
148
 Disk compression utilities are used to reduce
the size of the contents of a disk increasing the
capacity of the disk.
 Disk defragmenters are utility programs used
reorganising scattered files and unused space
on the hard disk .
 Screensavers This is a utility program that
enables a monitors to display a moving image
on the screen if the computer is inactive.
149
 Sorting utility: This is a utility program used for
organizing files in a predefined sequence or order
 Merging utility. This is a utility program used in
combining different files in one
 Diagnostic utility compiles technical information
about computers hardware and software and
prepares a report outlining any identified
problems.
 BACKUP UTILITY.
It allows users to copy or backup selected files or
an entire hard disk on another disk.
 ARCHIVE utilities output a stream or a single
file when provided with a directory or a set of
files. Archive suites, at times include
compression and encryption capabilities.
 CRYPTOGRAPHIC utilities encrypt and decrypt
streams and files.
 REGISTRY CLEANERS clean and optimize the
Windows registry by removing old registry keys
that are no longer in use.
 MEMORY TESTERS check for memory failures.
 NETWORK utilities analyze the computer's
network connectivity, configure network
settings, check data transfer or log events.
 A SPYWARE REMOVER is a utility that detects
and deletes spyware and other similar
programs.
 Spyware is a program placed on a computer
without the user's knowledge that secretly
collects information about user, often related to
Web browsing habits. A LEVEL ICT
6/28/2021 152
 FILE MANAGERS provide a convenient method
of performing routine data management tasks,
such as deleting, renaming, cataloging,
moving, copying, merging, generating files and
modifying data sets.
 INTERNET FILTERS are utilities that remove or
block certain items from being displayed.
 Four widely used filters are anti-spam
programs, Web filters, phishing filters, and pop-
up blockers
Uses / application of screen
saver.
 Screen savers were developed to prevent a problem
called ghosting in which images would be permanently
on the monitors screen.
 Screen savers are also used for security reasons.
 Prevent unwanted onlookers from access information
and data from your computer.
 Screen savers are also used for business advertisement.
 Entertainment; Digital photos can be put on your screen
as moving images.
 Screen savers are also used to prevent burn out of the
monitor.
ANTI-VIRUS
 These are programs that detect and remove
viruses from the computer memory or storage
device.
Examples of anti-virus.
 Norton anti-virus
 Panda anti -virus
 A vast anti-virus
 F-secure anti-virus
 MacAfee anti-virus
 Kaspersky anti-virus E-scan anti-virus
COMPUTER LABORATORY CARE AND
MAINTAINANCE
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 156

AREAS OF LABARATORY SECURITY.
PHYSICAL
ELECTRICAL
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 157

PHYSICAL
a) Employ security guards to keep watch over data and information
centers.
b) Apply burglar proof for the computer laboratory by reinforcing weak
access points like windows, doors, roofing with metal grills and
strong padlocks.
c) Set up alarms to alert you in case of break-ins.
d) Use system locks (locked key systems) to make it difficult to access
internal components like hard disks and memory sticks.
e) Use cables to lock the equipment to desk, cabinet or floor.
f) Electronic locking mechanism with keys, swipe cards, finger print
recognition.
g) CCTV Cameras to keep watch over computer systems and centers.
 Installing lightening arrestors on the computer
room.
 The room should be well laid out with enough
space for movements
 Computer should be placed stable wide enough
desks to avoid accidentally knocking them
down.
 Dust and dump proofing the computer room;
dust can be controlled by setting good
containers and air conditioning system that
filter dust particles from the air entering the
room.
159
 The computer should be covered with dust
cover when not on.
 The room should be properly ventilated to
avoid dizziness caused by lack of adequate
oxygen and to allow the computer room cool.

ELECTRICAL
 Providing stable power supply by installing surd
protectors, power extension cables
 Use an interruptible power supply (UPS) for each
computer and power backup generators.
 Cables and power secrets should be well isolated
 Use the correct resting to avoid short circuits that
can damage the computer components.
 Cables should be well laid away from the user
paths to avoid tripling on them.

Why must there be safety rules
and precautions in the
computer laboratory?
a) To avoid accidental injuries to
the users
b) To avoid damage of computers
c) To provide a conducive and
safe environment for computer
use.
A LEVEL ICT
Lab Rules and Regulations
 Do not enter the computer lab without
permission.
 Do not insert any device in the computer
without instruction.
 Do not connect or disconnect any device
without instructions.
 You are not allowed to open any program on a
computer without instructions.
 Do not take anything you did not come with
from the computer lab.
 Wet things such as umbrellas, clothes are not
allowed in computer lab.
 Never delete a program or file you do not
understand.
 Do not enter the computer setting of any kind
without instructions.
 Never eat or drink from the computer lab.
 Unnecessary movement in the computer lab
should be avoided.
 Do no make any hardware connection without
knowledge of the teacher.
 Do not enter the computer laboratory with
bags.
 Report any error or problem to the computer
lab attendant or teacher.

 Handle delicate devices with care.
 near computers.
 Avoid dropping and hardware to the ground as
this could cause any of the delicate
components to break or be damaged

Computer servicing
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 167

 This is the process of maintaining computer
and devices in good and sounding working
conditions.

Tools used in
computer servicing
A Blower
This is a tool used to remove dust from the computer
and computer devices.

Anti-virus.
This is a software tool used to detect and remove
malicious programs like viruses from the computer.

Foam cleaner
A multi-purpose, anti-static cleaner that removes
all types of dirt, grease, stains and Contaminants
from computer plastic surface devices such as
keyboards.

Woolen carpet
 Prevent damage of devices when they fall
down.
 Trap dust
 Absorb moisture
 Prevent electric shock

Air conditioner
Air conditioning units monitor and
maintain the temperature, purity of
the air circulating and humidity in a
computer room.
A LEVEL ICT
Antiglare screens
Regulate excess light from monitors
especially CRT monitors.
Water proof covers

Protect computers from moisture,
water and liquids.
A LEVEL ICT
 Sucker
 Computer covers.
 Dry Soft cloth or brush
 Dryer sheets
 Compressed air
 Vacuum cleaner
 Antimicrobial wipe
 Keyboard duster
Reasons For servicing a computer
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 176

Reasons for service & ma
 To protect the computer components from damage.
 To keep the computer in sounding and running
condition.
 To update computer parts and software.
 To ensure that the computers’ security is update.
 To replace nonfunctional parts.
 To reduce in costs of repairing computers
 To prevent data loss.
 To prevents computers from acquiring viruses.
 To Improve on the speed of the computer.
Activities involved in servicing &
Maintenance computers
Ways of Servicing &

Maintenance of computers
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 178

These include both hardware and software
maintenance.
In general these activities include:-
 Removing dust from the computer and devices.
 Installing anti-virus software
 Upgrading and updating computer software
 Replacing worn out devices.
 Unplugging peripherals from the computer
when it is powered off
 Avoid using computer during stormy weathers
for safety reasons, lightening may affect the
computer.
179
 Performing a computer scan both full and
drives for viruses.
 Defragmenting the hard disk to create space.
 Upgrading the computers operating system.
 Install security measures to restrict illegal
access.
 Using a power Stabilizer or uninterrupted
power supply
Hardware maintenance
 Make sure that the hardware is operating
properly.
 Check the condition of cables, components, and peripherals.
 Repair or replace any components that show signs of abuse
or excess wear.
 Keep components clean in order to reduce the likelihood of
overheating.
 Remove the dust from fan intakes.
 Remove dust from power supply.
 Remove dust from components inside the computer.
 Clean mouse and keyboard.
 Check and secure any loose cables.
Software maintenance
 Review security updates.
 Review software updates.
 Review driver updates.
 Update virus definition files.
 Scan for viruses and spyware.
 Remove unwanted programs.
 Scan hard drives for errors.
 Defragment hard drives.
(c). Mention two ways you can
care for a printer.
 Keep your printer clean. You can remove dust.
 Keep it covered when not in use.
 Turn it off after use to prevent power problems
 Use it frequently
 Maintenance Mode - Every printer features a
maintenance mode that self-checks
 Avoid cheap/refilled ink cartridges and toners
 Avoid cheap paper - Using cheap
 Refer to the manual in case of anything.
 Handle it well replacing cartridges and handling -
State two ways data loss can be
minimized in a computer laboratory.
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 184

ways data loss can be
minimized
 Frequently updating the antivirus programs.
 Setting up passwords.
 By encrypting data.
 Frequently carrying out data backups.
 Keeping a log of people that enter and use
computer resources.
 By sensitizing users about dangers of data
loss.
 By scanning devices before they are used.
cont
 By not allowing devices from external places in
the laboratory.
 By activating firewalls.
 By installing UPS terminals on every computer
set.
 By switching of the computer correctly.
 By threading printed but not wanted materials.
 By penalizing people that are found deleting
peoples work intentionally
Give two ways you can control intruders
into a computer laboratory.
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 187

Ways you can control intruders
 By burglar proofing of the computer lab.
 By employing the use of possessed objects so
as to gain entry.
 By use of passwords.
 By introducing the use of computer locks.
 By activating computer firewalls.
 By maintaining a log of people that enter the
computer laboratory
Ways you can control intruders
 By penalising intruders found in the compute
laboratories.
 By use of call back systems.
 Through installation of CCTV cameras.
 By installation of alarm systems.

Computer Trouble Shooting
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 190

Computer Trouble Shooting
 It is logical systematic search for a problem so
that it can be solved so that the product or
process can be made operational again.
 Computer trouble shooting is a form of problem

solving after applied to repair failed products or
process.

HOW TO TROUBLE SHOOT
A COMPUTER. (general)
 Restart the computer;
Many software problems will collect themselves
when you do so.
 Check your cables;
Keyboard not working make sure it is plugged in
if the mouse is not responding you plug in.
 Check the electric power
Plug a lamp in the same power outlet that is
connected on your computer to make sure that
the outlet is working.
192
 Make sure that the monitor and computer are
plugged in
 Disconnect peripheral devices such as printer.
 Listen to unusual sounds in the cooling fan
running on it’s hard working noise.
 Look inside the computer for wires that are not
plugged in or other faulty connections.
 Start a computer from an external start up disk
such as system software disk that come in your
computer.
Qns
 How would you troubleshoot a printer that has
failed to print.
 Walakira was using his desktop computer.
Suddenly the keyboard stopped responding.
Write down the steps for finding and solving
this problem.
 How would the secretary respond to the
System unit that has not powered.
TYPES OF FILES
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 195

There are three types of files;
i. System files.
ii. Application file.
iii. Data files
 SYSTEM FILES.
These contain information that is critical for the
operation of a computer.
 APPLICATION FILES.
They record programs that are inevitable
 DATA FILE.
 These contain users’ specific data.
File types

MANAGING STORAGE DEVICES
USING WINDOWS.
 Microsoft windows provide the user with storage
media management utilities such as disc
formatting, scan disk compression, disk
defragmenter, back up utilities.
 Formatting means writing trucks and sectors from

disk to make it ready for data storage, other
storage devices which are not discs can also be
formatted to create a file system on them.
Steps to format a disk
 Insert the disk
 Locate my computer icon or This PC
 Double click my computer icon
 Right clicks the device to format.
 On the menu click format
 In the format dialogue box specify the type file
system and label.
 Then click on start
Reasons for formatting a
disk.
 To prepare a disk for writing
 To change the file allocation format e.g. from
NTFS to FAT
 To erase viruses from the disk.
 When passing on a disk from one person or
employee to another.

DEFRAGMENTING DISC.
 A single file may have several [fragments]
scattered in several non-cretaceous sectors on
disc.
 The read I write head has to move back and
forth over the disc surface to retrieve the
fragments of defile.
 To avoid disc the file should be fragmented
disc scattered parts are re-assembled on a
contagious part using a defragmenters
TO DEFRAGMENT A DISC
 In my computer window right click the drive.

 From the short cut menu click properties.
 In the properties dialogue box, click tools tab.
 Click defragments now, disc defragmenter is
displayed.
 Select the volume to defragment.

Backing up data (files)
Creating Backups
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 203

BACKING UP DATA (files)
Backing up data is the process of making copies
of the data on a separate disc or location. This
prevents complete loss of the data in-case the
current storage fails, gets lost or is destroyed

TO BACK UP DATA FROM A
HARD DISC.
 In my computer windows, right click the hard
ware.
 From the shortcut menu click properties
 In the properties dialogue box, click tools tab
 Click back up now.
 The backup button guide you through the
process

COMPUTER ERROR MESSAGES
What do you thing an error message is?
Have you ever encountered any error message while using a computer?
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 206

 An error message is information displayed
when an unexpected condition occurs, usually
on a computer, program or other device.
Do not write
 On modern operating systems with graphical user
interfaces, error messages are often displayed
using dialog boxes. Error messages are used when
user intervention is required, to indicate that a
desired operation has failed, or to relay important
warnings (such as warning a computer user that
they are almost out of hard diskspace).
Common error messages.
 Access denied
This error occurs if the user has insufficient
privileges to a file, or if it has been locked by
some program or user.

The device is not ready
 This error most often occurs when there is
no floppy disk (or a bad disk) in the disk drive
and the system tries to perform tasks involving
this disk.

File not found
 The file concerned may have been damaged,

moved, deleted, or a bug may have caused the
error. Alternatively, the file simply might not
exist, or the user has mistyped its name.

Low Disk Space
 This error occurs when the hard drive is
(nearly) full. To fix this, the user should close
some programs (to free swap file usage) and
delete some files (normally temporary files, or
other files after they have been backed up), or
get a bigger hard drive.

Out of memory
 This error occurs when the system has run out
of memory or tries to load a file too large to
store in RAM. The fix is to close some
programs, or install more memory.
 [Program name] has encountered a problem
and needs to close. We are sorry for the
inconvenience.

SYSTEM FREEZE and BUGS
a)What is a system freeze.

b)When do system freeze.
c)How do you rectify a system freeze
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 214

SYSTEM FREEZE
 This is a condition in which the computer that
stops working and the computer will not
recognize any input (command) from the user.

REASONS FOR A COMPUTER TO FREEZE
AND SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS.
 Hardware problems most especially when
hardware has technical problems.
 Aged hardware like hard disks are likely to
cause a system freeze.
 Presence of viruses or malware programs.
 Limited space on the hard disk.
 Opening up very many programs compared to
space available.
 Limited memory on the computer making hard
 Corrupted Registry
 Outdate software.

Solutions to system freezing
 Replacing aged hardware devices.
 Updating and upgrading computer software.
 Having enough hard disk space. E.g. installing
programs that correspond with your space.
 Installing an anti-virus.
 Closing some programs and remain with the
program that you are using.
 Performing a disk clean up using a utility
program.
NEXT TOPIC
COMPUTER HARDWARE
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 219

Definition Computer
Hardware Devices
 These are the physical components of a
computer that help it to process data.
 They can also be defined as parts / components

of a computer that are tangible and occupy
space.
 These components include input devices,
output devices, a system storage devices and
communication devices.
Categories of computer
Hardware.
Hardware devices are categorized into
 Input devices
 Processing devices.
 Output devices.
 Storage devices

Computer Peripheral
devices
A peripheral device is a device which is
connected externally through ports or by wireless
connectivity to the motherboard (system unit)
and can be removed and lives the computer
working.
e.g. Keyboard, mouse, monitor,

INPUT DEVICES
 Input is data (instructions) entered into the
computer.
 Input devices is any hardware component that

allows you to enter data or instructions into the
computer
Six widely used input devices are the keyboard,
mouse, microphone, scanner, digital camera and
PC video camera or webcam.
Categories of Input devices
According to the type of data they input, they can
be grouped into the following:
 Text input devices

 Pointing input Devices
 Imaging input Devices
 Gaming input Devices
 Audio input Devices
 Biometric input Devices.
POINTING INPUT
DEVICES
 A pointing device is an input device, which
allows users to move a pointer and make
selections on the computer screen.
 A pointing device is any piece of hardware that

is used to input spatial data into a computer.

Examples of pointing
devices
 Mouse
 Stylus pen & digitizing tablet
 Cordless Mouse
 Trackball
 Touchpad
 Light pen
 Touch Screen
 A Track Point
A mouse
 Is a pointing device used to manipulate on
screen objects. A mouse is a small handheld
device.
 A MOUSE is a device that moves a pointer on
the computer screen

Basic parts
 A mouse typically has two buttons: a primary
button (usually the left button) and a secondary
button (usually the right button).
 The primary button is the one you will use most

often. Most mice also include a scroll wheel
between the buttons to help you scroll through
documents and webpages more easily.

Parts of a mouse

230
Mouse operations (Uses
of a Mouse)
 Pointing means moving your mouse so the
pointer appears to be touching the item. When
you point to something, a small box often
appears that describes the item.

Clicking (single-clicking)
 This means pointing to the item on the screen,

and then press and release the primary left
button once.
 Clicking is most often used to select (mark) an

item or open a menu. This is sometimes called
single-clicking or left-clicking.

Right clicking
 This means pointing to the item on the screen,
and then press and release the secondary right
button once.
 Right click to open a menu and to give more
advanced instructions

Double-clicking.
This is the activity of pointing to the item on the
screen, and then click twice quickly.
 If the two clicks are spaced too far apart, they

might be interpreted as two individual clicks
rather than as one double-click.
 We double click when we want to open files,
folders, start a program
Drag
 To drag an object, point to the object on the

screen, press and hold the primary button,
move the object to a new location, and then
release the primary button.
 Dragging (sometimes called dragging and
dropping) is most often used to move files and
folders to a different location and to move
windows and icons around on your screen
Scrolling
 Scrolling or scroll is the act of moving the
visual portions of a window up, down, left, or
right, to see additional information on the
window

Tips for using your mouse
safely
 Place your mouse at elbow level.
 Don't squeeze or grip your mouse tightly. Hold it
lightly.
 Move the mouse by pivoting your arm at your
elbow. Avoid bending your wrist up, down, or to
the sides.
 Use a light touch when clicking a mouse button.
 Keep your fingers relaxed. Don't allow them to
hover just above the buttons.
 When you don't need to use the mouse, don't hold
it
237
STYLUS PEN & DIGITIZING
TABLET
 Stylus pen- The pen lets you draw on what is
called a digitizing tablet that mirrors the surface
area of the computer screen.
 The pen can be used as a standard mouse
(without wires connected to it) or also as a free
flowing drawing device.
 The pen is useful for drawing since drawing
graphics with a mouse tends to be somewhat
difficult
STYLUS PEN &
DIGITIZING TABLET

Cordless Mouse
 This mouse runs on a battery without using a
cable. When you move the mouse, it sends an
infrared beam to a sensor which interprets it
causing the pointer to move.

Track ball.
 A track ball is a stationary pointing device with
a ball onto its top.

Touchpad.
 A touchpad is a small, flat, rectangular pointing

device that is sensitive to pressure and motion.
To move the pointer using a touchpad, slide
your fingertip across the surface of a pad.

Joystick and wheel.
 A joy stick is a vertical lever mounted on a

base. You move the lever in different directions
to control the actions of the simulated vehicle
or players

Pointer stick
A pointer stick is a pressure-sensitive pointing

device shaped like a. pencil eraser that is
positioned between keys on a keyboard.

Light pen
A light pen is a handheld input device that can
detect the presence of light.

Touch screen
A TOUCH user's screen is a touch-sensitive

display device. Users interact with these devices
by touching areas of the screens require a lot of
arm movements.

TEXT INPUT DEVICES
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TEXT INPUT DEVICES
 These are input devices entering data inform
characters such as letters, numerical digits,
symbols and marks that combine to form
words, sentences, paragraphs and so on.
 Text is a general word for all characters such
as letters, numerical digits, symbols and marks
that combine to form words, sentences,
paragraphs and so on.
Examples of Text Input
devices
 The keyboard,
 Voice Recognition Equipment
 OMR and Barcode readers
 OCR and Optical readers
 MICR readers
 RFID readers
 Magnetic Strip Card Readers, etc.

Keyboard
This is an input device comprising of alphabetical
letters, numbers and other keys used to enter
data into a computer.
A keyboard is the main and most reliable

computer input device

Keyboard layouts
 The QWERTY is referred to as the "Universal"
keyboard.
 The name "QWERTY" comes from the first six
letters in the top alphabet row (the one just
below the numbers).
 There are other setups or layouts also available
such as Dvorak, ABCDE, GKOS, QWERTZ and
AZERTY
Sections / Parts of a Keyboard
 Many computer keyboards have got four
sections
 Typing keys (Alphabetical key pad): Which
include letters of the alphabet, numbers,
punctuation marks, and other basic keys.
 Numeric key pad: on the right side of the
keyboard.
 Functional Keys: which are labeled with the
letter F followed by a number (Fl, F2.........F12)
 Cursor movement keys:
Sections on the keyboard

Keyboard connection
 Desktop computers often attach via a cable to a
serial port, a keyboard port or a USB port on
the system unit.
 However, some computers do not use wires at
all.
 A cordless keyboard is a battery powered
device that transmits data using wireless
technology such as radio waves or infrared
light waves.
KEYS ON THE KEYBOARD
 Enter Key (Execute key)
It is used to accept a command or execute a
command. Or it is used to go to another line when
typing,
 Back space key.
It is used to erase / rub characters to the left side of
the cursor.
 Space bar
It is the longest key on the keyboard and it is used
to insert spaces between word and characters.
Keys / buttons on the
keyboard
 Caps lock.
It is used to turn capital letters into small letters and
small letters into capital letters
 Shift key
It is used to activate characters on top of the buttons, it
can also turn in either small letters or capital letters
depending on the keyboard case mode.

Keys / buttons on the
keyboard
 Delete key.
 It is used to erase characters on the right side
of the cursor.
 Fl: It is used as help.
 Esc (escape): it is used to cancel an application
under taken.
Qn. A part from the keys listed above mentions
any other keys on the keyboard and their uses.
FUNCTIONS OF THE KEYBOARD.
 Its keys allow the user to type data in form of

text.
 It can be used to command the computer to
perform an operation or task, e.g. saving
 It is the major connector between the user and
the computer,
 It is used to format text.
 It is used to startup a computer.
Advantages of Keyboard
 Keyboards are very common (commonly

supplied with computers)
 Entering data and commands with keyboard is
faster as compared to the mouse
 Keyboards are more reliable

Demerits of Keyboard
 It takes a lot of time to practice in order to type
quickly
 Keys can easily become faulty due to dust.
 Some keyboards keys are very hard to press,
causing fingers to hurt.

2. Voice Recognition
Equipment
 Voice Recognition Equipment (a.k.a Speech
recognition) converts spoken words to text.

Advantages
 No typing of data is necessary.

 Voice recognition can be used by people whose
hands are disabled.
 Dictating text is faster than typing.
 Voice Recognition systems are also ideal for
the blind.

Demerits of text input by
speech Recognition
 Error rate is high, depending on user’s accent.
 Words with the same pronunciations
(Homophones) like see and sea cannot be
distinguished
 Speech Recognition does can’t work in noisy
environment
 The Voice Recognition software must be trained to
recognize more words.
 It requires the user to speak in a writing style, i.e.
even pronouncing the marks such as comma. 264
3. Optical mark recognition
(OMR)
 Optical mark recognition (OMR) devices are
input devices that read hand-drawn marks such
as small circles or rectangles, barcodes.
Examples of Optical Mark recognition include.
Barcode.

Barcode reader.
 A bar code reader is an optical reader that uses
laser beams to read bar codes that are printed
on items usually in super markets.

Optical character
recognition (OCR)
 Optical character recognition (OCR) is a
technology that involves reading typewritten,
computer-printed, or handwritten characters
from ordinary documents and translating the
images into a form that the computer can
understand.
 OCR devices include a small optical scanner for
reading characters and sophisticated software
(OCR software) for analyzing what is read.
MICR readers
 Magnetic-ink character recognition (MICR)

reader is used to read text printed with
magnetized ink.
 MICR readers are mainly used by the banking
industry for processing checks
 Each check is inserted into an MICR reader,
which sends the check information to a
computer for processing.
MICR readers

Imaging Devices
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Imaging Devices
 Imaging input Devices are devices that input

data in form of images such as still photos,
motion pictures, graphics, video etc. into the
computer for processing.

Common Imaging devices
include:
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Examples of Image
 Image scanner
 Digital Camera
 Digital video (DV) camera
 Camcorder
 Web cam

Image scanner (Optical
Scanner)
 This is a light-sensing input device that reads
printed text and graphics and translates the
results into a form a computer can process

Common types of scanners
include:
 Flatbed scanner
 Pen or handheld scanner
 Sheet bed scanner
 Drum scanner.

2. DIGITAL CAMERA
 It allows users to take pictures and store the

photographed images digitally Instead of on
traditional film.

3. WEBCAM
 This is a video camera that displays its output
on a web page.

4. Digital video (DV)
camera
 This is an input device that transfers or records
video as digital signals instead of analog
signals.
 To transfer recorded images to the computer
hard disk, users connect DV cameras directly
to a port on the system unit.
 After saving the video on a storage medium,
you can play it or edit it and burn it to a DVD
using software programs on the computer.
5. Camcorder
 This is a light weight video camera that records

data in digital form onto a storage device such
as a videotape.

Gaming Input Devices
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Gaming Input Devices
Gaming input devices are devices specifically
designed to be used for playing computer games.
Examples Include:
 Gaming keyboard
 Gaming wheels
 Joysticks
 Game pad
 Light guns
 Dance pad
 Motion sensing game controllers
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Gaming keyboard
 Gaming keyboards typically include
programmable keys so that gamers can
customize the keyboard to the game being
played.

Gaming wheels
A gaming wheel is a steering wheel-type input
device. Users turn the wheel to simulate driving a
vehicle using programs on a computer.

Joystick
Joystick an input device for playing games it
consists of a stick that pivots on a base and
reports its angle or direction to the device it is
controlling. Joysticks are often used to control
video games, and usually have one or more push-
buttons whose state can also be read by the
computer.

Joystick

Game Pad
 This is a gaming input device that controls the
movement and actions of players or objects in
video games or computer games.

Light guns
 A light gun is a gaming input device that work
by detecting light used to shoot targets and
moving objects after you pull the trigger on the
weapon.

Dance pad
 A dance pad is a flat electronic device divided
into panels that users press with their feet in
response to instructions from a music video
game.

Audio input Devices
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 290

Audio Input device.
 Audio inputting: is the process of entering any
sound into the computer such as speech,
music, and sound effects.
 Audio Input device:
 This is an input device that enable a user to
enter data in to the computer in form of sound,
such as speech, music and other forms of
sound.
Examples of Audio Input devices
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Sound Card
 An Input device that can be slotted into a
computer to allow the use of audio components
for multimedia applications.
 Without a sound card, Audio input and output
is not possible.
 However on addition to the sound card your
computer should have sound drivers programs
that will allow the operating system to
communicate with the sound card to produce
sound.
Sound Card
A LEVEL ICT
Microphones
 A microphone is an input device for converting

sound waves into electrical energy variations,
which may then input into the computer for
processing, recording or audio playback.
 Microphones are connected to the sound card

in the system unit.

Microphone

MIDI devices
 MIDI (musical instrument digital interface) is the

standard that defines how digital musical
devices represent sound electronically.
 MIDI devices such as electronic pianos allow
users to record and edit music
 For example, you can set the beat speed, and
add notes, to produce sound.

MIDI

BIOMETRIC INPUT DEVICES
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What is a Biometric
Device
 This is a device that translates a personal
characteristic (input) into a digital code that is
compared with a digital code stored in a
computer
What is a Biometric Identifier
 Is a physical or behavioral characteristic. e.g.
fingerprint, hand geometry, facial features,
voice, e.tc.
Examples of Biometric Devices
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 301

Fingerprint scanner.
 This is a biometric device that captures curves

and indentation of a finger print.

Face recognition.
 This is a biometric device that captures a live

face image and compares it with a stored image
to determine if a person is legitimate.

Hand geometry system .
 This is a biometric device that measures the

shape and size of a person’s hand and
compares it with the store one.

Iris recognition.
 This is a biometric device that uses iris
recognition technology to read partners in an
iris of the eye

NEXT UNIT: OUTPUT DEVICES
i. What is output.?
ii. What is the difference between output and output
devices.?
iii. Mention any output devices available in your school.
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 306

OUTPUT
 Output is data that has been processed into
useful form. The computer processes input
(data) into information (Output).
 Users view output on screen, print it, or hear it

through speakers and head sets.

Forms of Output
 Text: example of text-based documents include
letters, announcements, press releases,
 Graphics: Documents often include graphics to
enhance their visual appearance and convey
information. Business letters have logos, reports
include charts, use drawings, clipart or photo graphs.
 Audio: users insert their favorite music CD in a CD or
D drive and listen to the music while working on a
computer.
 Video: Users watch a live or pre-recorded news
report, view a movie.
308
OUTPUT DEVICES
 This is any type of hardware component that
conveys (shows) information to one or more
people.
 Commonly used output devices include display

devices, printers, speakers and heads

Examples of Output Device
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 310

Display device.
 This is an output device that visually conveys
text, graphics, and video information to users.
 Information stored of a display device
sometimes called soft copy is electronically
and appears for a temporary period.

Examples of Display
devices
 CRT Monitors,
 LCD Monitors,
 Plasma monitors ,
 Projectors,
 Head mounted display (Headgears)
 LED displays, etc.

Monitors
 This is an output device that visually conveys
text, graphics, and video information to users.

Types of Monitors

CRT MONITORS (Cathode
Ray Tube)
A device that represents data or graphics in
visual form by means of controlled electron
beams impinging on the face of a vacuum tube.
His electronic vacuum tube is much like a
television picture tube.

Advantages of Using CRT
monitors
 They provide a more resolution as compared to
LCD monitors.
 They are cheaper to buy than the LCD monitors.
 The viewing angle does not affect the image
quality.
 They are best suitable for graphics application.

Disadvantages of Using
LCD.
 They consume too much power as compared to
LCD.
 They are bulky
 They occupy a bigger space.
 They need an anti-glare
 CRT monitors produce electromagnetic
radiation.

LCD MONITOR
 LCD monitor sometimes called an LCD flat
panel monitor, is a desktop monitor that uses a
liquid Crystal Display instead of cathode - ray -
tube to produce images. These monitors
produce sharp, flicker -free images.

Advantages of Using LCD
monitors
 They consume less power as compared to CRT.
 They are slim hence occupying lesser space.
 They are portable.
 They produce little or no glare
 LCDs have a larger viewing space as compare
to CRT

Disadvanatges of LCD.
 They are expensive to buy.

 They only have one native resolution.
 They are hard to repair due their new
technology basis.

FUNCTIONS OF DISPLAY DEVICES
(MONITOR, SCREEN, VDU)
 It is used to display or show the output / results
of the users command.
 It makes the computer a productive interactive
tool due to its instant visual feedback.
 It is a communication link between the user and
the computer.

Advantages of using
Display Devices
 Output can be modified and changed easily
 They are generally quiet
 No need of paper.
 Scrolling enables focus on a particular or part
of the document.
 Transmission to another device is faster e.g. on
a LAN

 The displays are the user’s workplace,
therefore making it easier to use.
 The time taken to display the image is fast.
 Screen displays can include text, graphics and
colour.

DATA PROJECTORS
 These are output devices that take the images
from a computer screen and projects it onto a
larger screen and projects it onto a larger
screen so an audience of people can see the
image clearly.

Projector connected

Head mounted display
(HMD) / headgear

LED displays
 A LED display is a flat panel display, which
uses light-emitting diodes as a video display.
 A LED panel may be a small display, or a
component of a larger display.
 They are typically used outdoors in store signs
and billboards.

LED DISPLAYS

PRINTERS
 A printer is an output device that produces
output on to a physical medium such as a
paper or transparent film.
Or
 A printer is an output device that converts a
softcopy in a hardcopy.
 A printer is a device transfers information from
a computer onto paper.

330
Hard copies
 Hard copy this is a type of output printed by a
printer and exists physically and it is a more
permanent form of output than that presented
on display devices (soft copy)
 A hard copy also printout is either in landscape

or portrait orientation.

Factors considered before
buying a printer
 The number of pages per minute (ppm) the
printer can print.
 The memory size of the printer i.e. at least 2 MB
 The price of the cartridge or tonner.
 The availability of cartridge or tonner.
 The price of the printer.
 The purpose for which the printer is going to be
put to use
 Printer resolutions if colored or not.
Advantages of Hard copy
over soft copy
 A hard copy do not need a computer to be read.
 Information can not be destroyed by a virus.
 It can be read off-line namely without a computer.
 It is cheaper compared to softcopy, which requires
computer devices to be able to read the information
/ data.
 Hard copies last longer if stored in a safe place
compared to softcopy,
 Hard copies don’t require electricity to be accessed
Disadvantages of Hard
copies.
 Hard copies can hardly be shared among
people.
 Hard copies cannot easily be edited
 Hard copies can be affect by natural conditions.
 Hard copies can easily be destroyed by
children.
 Hard copies can not be easily traced when
needed.
Paper Orientation / layout
 Page orientation is the direction in which a
document is displayed or printed.
 The two basic types of page orientation are

portrait (vertical) and landscape (horizontal). Most
monitors have a landscape display, while most
documents are printed in portrait mode.

Types of page orientation
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 336

Portrait Orientation
 A portrait orientation is a type of page
orientation where information is printed
information printed across the shorter width of
the paper.

Landscape Orientation
 A print in landscape orientation is wider than it
is tall with information printed across the
widest part of the paper.

Page Orientations

Types of Printers
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 340

TYPES OF PRINTERS
There are basically two types of printers

 Impact printers and
 Non - impact printers.

1. IMPACT PRINTERS
 An impact printer forms characters and
graphics on a piece of paper by striking a
mechanism against an inked ribbon that
physically contacts the paper.

Examples of Impact Printers
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Examples of Impact
Printers
1. DOT- MATRIX PRINTERS.
These produce printed images when tiny wire
pins on a print head mechanism strike an inked
ribbon.
When the ribbon presses against the paper, it

creates dots that form characters and graphics.

Advantages of dot
matrix printers
 They are Inexpensive compared to non-impact
types.
 They can use stencils very well unlike any other
non- impact type
 They can print triplicate documents because of the
striking mechanism.
 They are able to use continuous paper rather than
requiring individual sheets making them useful for
data logging unlike some of the non-impact type.
Advantages
 Can print on multi-part stationary or make
carbon copies.
 They can withstand dusty environment,
vibrations and extreme temperature.
 They are good, reliable workhorses ideal for
use in situations where printed content is more
important than quality.

Disadvantages
 They are usually slow unlike non-impact types
like laser jet printers.
 They are noisy when printing unlike laser jet
type.
 They can only print low resolution graphics,
with limited color performance and limited
quality contrary to laser jet printers.

Disadvantages
 They are not readily available on the market.
 They are not easily serviced because they are
based on old technology.
NOTE: (The same advantages and disadvantages

apply for impact printers)

DAISY WHEEL.
 This is a kind of impact printer where
characters are arranged on the ends of the
spokes of a wheel.

Daisy wheel Printers

2. NON-IMPACT PRINTER
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NON-IMPACT PRINTER
 These form characters and graphics on a piece
of paper without actually striking the paper.
Some spray ink, while the use heat or pressure
to create images.
 Printers are much quicker than the previously

discussed impact printers because non-impact
printers do not strike the paper.
Examples of Non-impact printers
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Ink-jet printers
Ink - jet printers: Is a type of non-impact printer
that forms characters and graphics by spraying
tiny drops of liquid into a piece of paper.

Laser printers
 Laser jet:
This a non-impact printer capable producing good-
quality printed material by using a laser to form a
pattern of electrostatically charged dots on a light-
sensitive drum, which attract toner (or dry ink
powder). The toner is transferred to a piece of paper
and fixed by a heating process.

Photo printers
This is a color printer that produces photo-lab-
quality pictures.

Thermal printers
 These generate images by pushing electrically
heated pins against heat sensitive paper.

Mobile printers
 These are small, lightweight, battery-powered
printer that allows a mobile user to print from a
notebook computer, Tablet PC, or PDA.

Plotters
 These are printers used to produce high-quality
drawings such as blue-prints, maps, and circuit
drawings.
 These printers are used in specialized fields

such as engineering and drafting.

Plotters

Advantage of Non-Impact
Printers.
 They are relatively faster than the impact
printers
 Non-impact printers are quieter than Impact
printers because they do not make noise
 They have better quality print outs.
 Non-impact printers can print in many colours.
 Non-impact printers can print a variety of fonts.

Disadvantages of Non-
impact printers.
 They are more expensive than impact printers.
 Non-impact printers cannot print carbon
copies.
 Non-impact printers cannot with stand a dusty
environment.

Devices that are both Output and
Input devices
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 364

Touch Screen
 Touch Screen - a touch-sensitive display device
you touch words, pictures, numbers, letters, or
locations identified on the screen.

 Optical Disk Writer - a device used for both
reading and writing data to and from optical
disks such as CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray disks
 a hard disk drive - a device used for both
reading and writing data to and from a Hard
disk
 USB flash drive - used for both reading and
writing data to and from Flash disks
 Modem
Next Unit : Storage Devices
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 367

Terms associated storage
 Storage Capacity : is the number of bytes
(Characters) a storage medium can hold.
 Reading: is the process of transferring data,
instructions and information from a storage medium
into the memory.
 Writing: is the process of transferring items from
memory to a storage medium.
 The speed of a storage media is defined by its
access time, which is the amount of time it takes to
locate an item on a storage medium.
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Terminologies
 Access time: The amount of time it takes a
storage device to read from a storage medium.
 Storage devices is a device used to writes and
records item) information to and from a storage
media.
 Storage medium: also called secondary
storage, is a physical material on which a
computer keeps data, instructions, and
information. E.g. floppy disk, Zip disk, hard
disks, CDs and DVDs, tapes, PC Cards.
369
COMPARISION BTN
STORAGE MEDIUM AND DEVICE
Storage Device Storage Medium
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 370

CATEGORIES OF STORAGE MEDIUMS
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 371

Categories of storage
Storage medium can be classified or categorized
into:-
i. Magnetic storage mediums.
ii. Solid state storage medium.
iii. Optical Storage medium.
iv. Online storage

Magnetic storage Media.
 Magnetic storage media are storage media that

represent data as magnetic spots on the tape or
disk
 Examples include:
 Magnetic tape
 Floppy disk,
 Zip and Jaz disks
 Hard disks

Hard Disks
A hard disk drive (HDD) is a non-volatile computer
storage device containing magnetic disks or platters
rotating at high speeds. It is a secondary storage
device used to store data permanently

Examples of Hard
Disks
 Fixed hard disk
 External Hard drives

Advanatges of Hard disks.
 They have bigger storage capacity.
 They can hardly be misplaced because some
are positioned in the system unit.
 They have a faster access time more especially
the internal ones.
 They are cheaper in terms of bytes.
 They are readily available on the market.

Disadvantages of Hard Disks
 A hard disk is less portable compared to other
storage mediums like flash disk.
 A hard disk is costly
 Data becomes less secure if left on the hard disk.
 Head crush of the hard disk may occur due to
extreme shock or contaminations.
 Since hard disks are metallic, they expand and
contract depending on changes in temperatures,
this may cause data loss.
Disadvantages
 Hard Disks always fail due to violent shaking
(vibration)
 Hard Disks are always affected by magnetic
field since their storage media is made of the
same material.
 Hard disks are susceptible to virus attacks.

FLOPPY DISKETTE
 Is a portable inexpensive storage device that
consists of a thin circular, flexible enclosed in a
square shaped plastic shell (cover).
 The storage capacity of a floppy disk is

approximately 1.44MB.

Example of floppy disk,
 8 inches wide
 3.5 inches wide ( was commonly used)
 5 inches wide,

Characteristics of floppy
diskettes
 Consists of a thin, circular, flexible plastic
Mylar.
 Are magnetic media and use magnetic panicles
to store instructions, data e.t.c.
 A floppy diskette stores information in tracts
and sectors.
 A typical floppy disk stores information on both
sides.
 The storage capacity is 1 .44MB.
Care of floppy diskettes
 A void exposing it to cold magnetic fields,
magnets and contaminant
 Always keep them in their plastic covers
 Never open a disk recording area
 Never touch the disk recording surface
 insert the disk properly in the floppy disk
 When you are using a disk, keep them in
storage tray or other container that allowed
them to stand vertically.
Advantages of using floppy
diskettes
 There use does not involve complications
 They store information in bags.
 They are cheap storage devices
 They are portable storage devices.
 Information can be transported from one
computer to another.

Disadvantages
 They have a very low storage capacity.

 They transmit viruses
 Floppy diskettes may refuse to open in time
anywhere,
 They cannot be used to store videos, music,
audio e.t.c
NB. There is no need to put emphasis on Floppy
disks because they are rarely used due to low
capacity, high failure rate, and access time
FORMATING DISKETTE /DISK
 Formatting is the process of preparing a disk

(hard disk, floppy disk, flash disk) for reading
and writing by organizing the disk in storage
location called tracks and sector.
 The process also erases file location,

information and ready fine the file allocation a
table for this item of a formatted disk.
Magnetic tapes
 Tape is a magnetically coated ribbon of plastic
capable of storing large amount of data and
information at a low cost.
 One of the first storage media used with
mainframe computers was tape.

Zip disks
This one looks similar to floppy disk but has
much greater storage capacity equivalent to 100
MB to 750MB of data. A larger capacity zip disks
holds about 500 times more than a standard
floppy disk.

2. Optical Storage Medium
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 388

Optical Storage media.
 These are storage media that represent data
using light laser beams.
Examples include.
 Compact Discs
 Digital Versatile Disc.
 Blue Ray.

CD-ROM. (Compact Disk -
Read Only Memory)
 This is a round and flat optical device; it uses a
narrow laser beam to read the data, which has
been etched on the surface. It is usually used in
drive D, It hold data equivalent to 650MB.

CD-R (Compact Disc-
Recordable)
 These are compact Discs that are used to
record data once.
 These are also other types of WORM (Write

Once Read Many) disks, although there is no
standard for these.

CD-RW (Compact Disk-
Rewritable)
 These are compact Discs where Information
can be recorded on more than once.
 There is a third type of optical disk which can
be erased and use to rewrite new information.
These are sometimes known as EO (erasable
optical) disks and CD-RW (CD rewritable).

DVD. Digital Versatile
Disk
The next generation CD-ROM which stores 10-20x
the current capacity? It is extremely a high
capacity optical disk capable of storing 4.7 to 17
GB (Gigabyte)

CHARACTERISTICS OF
DVDs AND CDs
 CDs and DVDs are usually optical storage media.
 Consists of a flat, round, portable disk made of metal,
plastic and lacquer.
 They normally store information, software, digital
photographs, movies and music.
 They are usually 4.75itches in diameter and one tenth
of an itch
 CDs and DVDs typically stores data, instructions and
information in a single track that spirals from the
center of the disk to the edge of the disk.
Magneto-optical disks
Magneto-optical disks combine magnetic disk

and CD-ROM technologies. Like magnetic media
they can read and written to and like floppy disks
they are removable.

CARE OF CDs AND DVDs
 Manufactures guarantee a properly cared for

CD and DVD will last for 100 years
 Here are some ways for properly handling your
CD or DVD
 Never bend the disk it may break.
 Do not expose the disk to extreme temperature
or humidity because it may cause it to wrap.
 Do not expose the disk to any contaminant
because it may cause it to scratch.
Characteristics
 Do not expose the disk to excessive heat or
sunlight.
 Do not touch the inside of the disk.
 Do not stack the disk,
 Place, the disk in its protective ease called
Jewel jackets when YOU have finished to use it.

Advantages of Using C.D
 They cannot easily be attacked by viruses.
 Information stored on a CD cannot easily be
deleted.
 C.D are common.
 C.Ds are cheap to buy.

Disadvantages of C.D.
 They have a low storage capacity i.e 700 MBs to
4.7GB.
 C.Ds are very delicate storage mediums.
 They have a low access time compared to flash
disks and hard disks.

3. Solid State storage devices
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 400

Solid State Storage
Devices
 These are storage media that consist entirely of
electronic circuits and contain no moving parts.
 e.g. Flash disk, Memory card, Smart cards.

Flash disk drive
A USB flash drive is a data storage device that
includes flash memory with an integrated USB
interface with no mechanical platters.
Advantages
i. It is typically removable
ii. They are Rewritable devices
iii. smaller than an optical disc. Most weigh less
than 30 g.
Advantages and Disadvantage
of Flash Disks
 Flash disks have friendly data transfer.
 They are plug and play.
 They are resistant to magnetic fields
Disadvantages
 Flash disks are easy to be lost and misplaced.

 Flash disk can be easily infected by viruses.
 They Can physically be worn out
Flash disk drives

Memory card
 Memory card is a type of storage media that is
often used to store photos, videos, or other data in
electronic devices.
Devices that commonly use a memory card

include digital cameras, digital camcorders, handheld
computers, MP3 players, PDAs, cell phones, game
consoles, and printers.
Some of the most popular forms
of memory cards
 Secure Digital (SD) card
 CompactFlash (CF) card
 SmartMedia
 Memory Stick
 MultiMediaCard (MMC)
A LEVEL ICT
Types of memory cards
 Secure Digital card, the SD card is one of the
more common types of memory cards used
with electronics.
 MicroSD
 CompactFlash, CF is a 50-pin connection storage
device. CompactFlash is a storage medium
commonly found in PDAs, digital cameras, and
other portable devices.
Smart cards
 A smart card, typically a type of chip card, is a
plastic card that contains an embedded computer
chip–either a memory or microprocessor type–that
stores and transacts data.

4. Cloud storage media.
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 409

Cloud storage media.
 Refers to the practice of storing data on remote

servers accessed via the internet, or cloud.

Examples of cloud storage
service providers;
 Dropbox,
 Google Drive,
 OneDrive,
 iCloud,
 NextCloud,
 SpiderOak,
 IDrive,
 pCloud
NEXT UNIT: PROCESSING COMPONENTS
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 412

PROCESSING COMPONENTS
 Data Processing is the activity of converting

data into information by the processing
components of a computer.

PROCESSING DEVICES (COMPONENTS) OF A
COMPUTER.
 These are hardware devices used to convert
data into information.
OR.
 Devices used to carry out (Executing) the
instructions commanded to the computer.
 The processing components of a computer are
located inside the system unit.
System Unit
 The system is the case that contains electronic
components of the computer used to process
data
e.g. motherboard, the disks and drive bays, the
power supply and cooling systems.
 The components in the system unit are
connected to the motherboard.
 The size and layout of a system unit is called
the form factor.
System Unit

Functions of system unit
 Protect the internal components of a computer.
 Housing the internal Parts of a computer

COMPONENTS OF SYSTEM UNIT
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 418

Components of the
motherboard
 Some of the components found inside the
system unit include:-
i. Motherboard
ii. the disks and drive bays,
iii. Power supply and cooling systems.
iv. Data cables

1. Motherboard
 This is the main electronic circuit board of a
microcomputer (system unit), to which other
circuit boards (also known as cards) can be
connected in order to fulfil special functions,
e.g. a Sound Card or Video.

Components of the
motherboard
 A desktop motherboard contains components
that attach to it, including the
i. Processor (C.P.U),
ii. Adaptor cards,
iii. Ports
iv. Memory and memory slots.
v. Expansion slots or sockets

PC motherboard
Motherboard: The place where most of the

electronics including the CPU are mounted.
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Robot mother board
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Laptop Mother
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Mobile device motherboard
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Parts (components) of the
Motherboard
1. Processor (Central Processing Unit (C.P.U))
The processor (C.P.U) is a component of a
computer that interprets and carries out the basic
instructions that operate a computer.
Or
 The component of a computer for turning data
into information.
Components / Parts of the
C.P.U
 Processors contain the control unit, Arithmetic
Logic unit and registers.
 These three components work together to

perform processing operations

Components of the C.P.U

1. The control unit.
 The control unit is the component of processor
that directs and co-ordinates most of the
operations in the computer.
 To this the Control Unit Performs the Machine

cycle.

Machine Cycle
 These are series of steps a processor repeats to
process the instruction or carry out the operation;
i. Fetching: is the process of obtaining a program
instruction or data item from the memory.
ii. Decoding: Refers to the process of translating
the instruction into signals the computer can
execute.
iii. Executing: This is the process of carrying out the
commands.
iv. Storing: this is writing the result to memory but
not storage mediums.
Pipelining
 Pipelining is where the processor begins
fetching for a second instruction before it
completes the
 machine cycle for the first instruction.
Processors that use pipelining are faster because

they do not have to wait for one instruction to
complete the machine cycle before fetching the
next one.
Buses
 The bus is a common electrical path, that
enables data flow between the various system
components.
 A bus, allows the various devices inside and
attached to the system unit to communicate
with each other.
 Examples of buses.
 The data bus which transfers actual data bits.
 The address bus which transfers information
about where the data should go in memory.
2. Arithmetic Logic Unit
 The Arithmetic Unit is another component of
the processor, which performs arithmetic,
comparison, and Logic operations.
 Arithmetic operations include basic

calculations such as addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division.

 Comparison operations involving comparing
one data item with another to determine
whether the first item is greater than, equal to,
or Hess than the other.
 Logical Operations. Include conditions along

with logical operators such as AND, OR, and
NOT.
Registers
 Registers are high-speed storage locations that
temporarily hold data and instructions long
enough to executed.
 Registers are part of the processor not part of

memory or storage

Types of registers
 Instruction register, which contains the instruction
being executed;
 Address register, which keeps track of where a
given instruction or piece of data is stored in
memory;
 Storage register, which temporarily holds data
taken from or about to be sent to memory;
 The Accumulator, which collects the result of
computations;
 General-purpose register, which is used for
several
6/28/2021
functions, as assigned by the
A LEVEL ICT
CU
Operation codes.
(Opcodes)
 The instructions used on a processor are called
“opcodes” (short for “operation codes”). These
opcodes interact with the processor’s registers,
temporary storage locations for intermediate
results. At nearly every clock time, the
processor places an address on the address
bus. The memory responds by placing data on
the data bus.
SYSTEM CLOCK
 The processor relies on a small quartz crystal
circuit called the system clock to control the
timing of all computer operations. Current
personal computers processors have clock
speed in the Gigahertz range.

Parallel Processing
Parallel processing, This method uses multiple

processors simultaneously to execute a program.
 Microprocessor. A CPU that composes only

one chip. Some CPUs may actually be several
square feet is size; but, the microprocessor is
designed to be 100% self-contained in a single
chip.
Coprocessor:
This is a special additional processor chip or
circuit board that assists the processor in
performing specific tasks and increases the
performance of the computer.

2. Expansion slots
An expansion slot is a socket on the motherboard
that can hold an adaptor card.

3. Adaptor cards
 An adapter card, also called expansion card, is
a circuit board that increases the capabilities of
the system or provides connections to
peripherals.

Examples of adaptor cards
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 444

Sound Card
 A sound card enhances the sound generating
capabilities of a personal computer by allowing
sound to be input through microphone and
output through external speakers and headsets.

MIDI card
Connects musical instruments

Network interface card (NIC)
 A network card (RJ45) is a communication

device that allows computers to access a
network.

Video card
 A video card also called a graphic card

converts computer output into a video signal
that travels through a cable to monitor which
displays an image on the screen. It is used to
connect monitors and other displays.

USB card
 Connects USB devices

TV tuner card
This an adaptor card that allows viewing of
television channels in addition to TV tuner driver
programs.

Video capture card
Connects a video camera

Modem card
Converts telephone or cable analog signals to
digital and vice versa

FireWire card
 Connects FireWire devices

4. Ports
A computer port is also a physical docking point
using which an external device can be connected
to the computer.
A connector joins a cable to the peripheral.

Ports

Ports

Examples of Computer Ports
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 457

Serial Port
 A serial port is a type of interface that connects
a device to the system unit by transmitting data
one bit at a time. It usually used to connect
devices that do not required fast data transmission
rates, such as a mouse or keyboard.

Parallel ports
These are ports that connect devices that
transmit several bits simultaneously. These ports
provide the interface for such devices as high-speed
printers

PS/2 Port
 Used for old computer keyboard and mouse
 Also called mouse port.
 Most of the old computers provide two PS/2
ports, each for mouse and keyboard.
 Also known as IEEE 1284-compliant Centronics
port.

Universal Serial Bus (or
USB) Port
 Can connect all kinds of external USB devices
such as external hard disk, printer, scanner,
mouse, keyboard, etc.
 Most of the computers provide two USB ports
as minimum.
 Data travels at 12 megabits per second.
 USB compliant devices can get power from a
USB port.
VGA Port
 Connects monitor to a computer's video card.
 Has 15 holes.
 Similar to serial port connector but serial port
connector has pins, it has holes.

Power Connector
 Three-pronged plug
 Connects to the computer's power cable that
plugs into a power bar or wall socket.

Firewire Port
 Transfer large amounts of data at very fast

speed.
 Connects camcorders and video equipment to
the computer
 Data travels at 400 to 800 megabits per second.
 Invented by Apple
 Three variants: 4-Pin FireWire 400 connector, 6-
Pin FireWire 400 connector and 9-Pin FireWire
800 connector
Modem Port
 Connects a PC's modem to the telephone
network.

Ethernet Port
 Connects to a network and high-speed Internet.
 Connects network cable to a computer.
 This port resides on an Ethernet Card.
 Data travels at 10 megabits to 1000 megabits
per second depending upon the network
bandwidth.

Game Port
 Connect a PC to a joystick.
 Now replaced by USB.

Digital Video Interface, DVI
port
 Connects a Flat panel LCD monitor to the
computer's high-end video graphic cards.
 Very popular among video card manufacturers.
 MIDI PORT (Musical Instrument Digital
interface)
 A special type of serial port that connects the
system unit to a musical instrument, such as an
electric keyboard is called a MIDI port
OTHER COMPONENTS OF THE SYSTEM UNIT
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 469

Power Supply
The power supply is
the component of the
system unit that
converts the wall
outlet AC (Alternating
Current) into DC
(Direct Current).
A LEVEL ICT
HEAT SINK AND HEAT
PIPES
 Although the computer's main fan generates
airflow, today's processors require additional
cooling.
 Heat sink: It absorbs and ventilates heat
produced by electronic components such as
processor.
 Heat pipes: These cools processors in
notebook computers
Heat Sink Fan

473
Internal Power Cables
A power cable is any cable that powers the internal
components of a computer

A bay is an opening inside the system unit in which you
can install additional equipment. Rectangular openings
called drive bays hold disk
Drives.
An external drive bay allows a user to access the drive
from outside the system unit. E.g. Floppy disk drives,
CD drives, DVD drives, Zip disk drives and tape disk
drives.
An internal drive bay is concealed entirely within the
system unit. Hard disks are installed in internal bays.
HARD DISK
 A hard disk drive (HDD) is a non-volatile computer
storage device containing magnetic disks or
platters rotating at high speeds. It is a secondary
storage device used to store data permanently

Internal Data cables
A data cable is a cable that provides communication
between devices

NEXT TOPIC: COMPUTER SOFTWARE
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 480

OBJECTIVES

SOFTWARE
 Software is a set of instructions that drive a
computer to perform specific tasks.
 When a computer is using a particular program,

it is said to be running or executing the
program.
 Installing a software: This is the process of

making an application ready for execution.
CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD
COMPUTER SOFTWARE
 It has to be accessible to those who need it.
 Fair in terms of cost and maintenance
 It should provide a user guide
 It should be easy to install
 It should be free from errors (bugs)
 It should be upgradeable.
 It should be well documented
 It should meet the users’ needs.
 Software which is user friendly with wizards
FACTORS TO CONSIDER BEFORE
BUYING SOFTWARE.
 The cost of the software: The software should

be reliable.
 It accessibility: Good software should be easily
accessible
 The user friendliness need to be easy to learn
and use.
 Should have a users’ guide and manual.
 Good software should be easy to load and
install.
FACTORS TO CONSIDER BEFORE
BUYING SOFTWARE.
 It should be compatible with other software

(should be able to work with other software).
 The amount of memory that your computer has
and what the software requires.
 The hard disk space
 The processor speed of the computer.
(Note these factors are both on the side of the
User and the Computer)
TYPES OF SOFTWARE
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 486

Types of software
 Computer software is broadly divided into two
categories namely:
 1. System software
 2. Application software

Software Tree

SYSTEM SOFTWARE
 This is a software that control or manage the

operation of the computer and its devices.
 System software serves as an interface between

users, the application its software and the computer's
hard ware.
 System software is computer software designed to

operate the computer hardware and to provide
maintain a platform for running application software.
Examples of system
software include;
 The operating system
 Utility Programs
 Programming language

OPERATING SYSTEM
 This is a system software responsible for
coordinating all the activities among hardware
and software resources.
 In other words, an operating system is a

computer’s master control program.
 It provides a user with the tools (commands)
that enable him/her interact with the computer.
Operating Systems

Classification of Operating systems
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 494

Classification of operating
system
 Real-Time operating Systems:
These are operating system that aims at
executing real-time applications.
 Single-User/Single-Tasking Operating Systems:
These are operating system that allows a single
user to perform just one task at a time
examples include; MS-DOS and Palm OS for palm
handheld computers.
Classification of operating
systems
 Single-User/Multi-Tasking Operating Systems:
These are operating system that allows a single
user to perform two or more functions at once.
e.g. Examples include; Microsoft Windows and
MAC OS.
 Multi-User/Multitasking Operating Systems:
These are operating system that allows multiple
users to use programs that are simultaneously
running on a single network server. E.g. UNIX,
Linux
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are examples. A LEVEL ICT
 ii) Multiprocessing OS:
A multiprocessing OS can support the execution
of multiple processes at the same time using
multiple number of CPU. Operating system like
Unix, 64 bit edition of windows, server edition of
windows, etc. are multiprocessing.

 v) Multithreading:
A multi-threading OS are operating Systems can
divide process into multiple sub-processors
(threads) and execute those threads. This
increases operating speed but also increases the
complexity. For example: Unix, Server edition of
Linux and windows.

 Batch Processing:
A batch processing is a group of processing
system in which all the required input of all the
processing task is provided initially.
 vii) Online Processing:
It is an individual processing system in which the
task is processed on individual basis as soon as
they are provided by the user
FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN
SELECTING AN OPERATING SYSTEM
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 500

 Basic Design of the computer.
 Applications intended to be used by the
computer. They should be compatible with the
operating system.
 It has to be user friendly.
 You must consider the cost of the operating
system.
 The operating system has to be available on the
market.
 It has to be reliable.
 You must consider the minimum hardware
requirements for installing the operating
system.
 Hard disk space of the computer because the
operating system files are kept on the hard
disk.
 Amount of memory that the computer has.
 User friendliness of the Operating System.
 System type based on bit/bus architecture
(Type, Function, Purpose, Nature) e.g 64bit/32
bit
 CPU specification (type, speed)
 System manufacturer
 Size of hard disk
 Internal memory (RAM) size or capacity
 Disc drive and other ports
FUNCTIONS OF OPERATING
SYSTEM
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 504

Functions of the Operating
system.

Summary Functions
 Allocating system resources.
 Provides user interface
 Offers data and software security
 Scheduling computer job/ spooling print job.
 Managing memory
 Monitoring system performance
 Device management/configuring devices
 Provide a platform for application to run.
 File management.
 Establishing a network connection.
 Managing a booting process
 Interrupt handling.
Functions of the
Operating System
 The operating system manages the computer
devices (Device manager)
 It conducts the process of booting or starting
the computer (starting a computer)
 It acts as a file manager (file management):
Operating systems often provide users with the
capability of managing files, viewing graphics
files, uninstalling programs, scanning disks.
 The operating system is the processing
management,
 It gives instruction to display the results on the
monitor.
 It also manages the printing process: some
operating system determines the order in which
jobs are processed. A job is an operation that
the processor manages.

 Memory management: the purpose of memory
management is to optimize the use of Random
Access Memory.
 Configuring Devices: A driver is a small
program that tells the operating system how to
communicate with a specific device. When you
boot the computer, the operating system loads
each device's driver.

 Controlling a network: Some operating systems
are network operating systems.
 A network OS is an operating system that
organizes and coordinates how multiple users
access and share resources on a network
resources including hardware, software, data
and information. It has more security features
than other OS.
Examples of Operating
Systems
 Windows XP
 Windows2000
 Fedora
 Ubuntu
 Linux
 UNIX
 Novel Netware
 Macintosh
 Window server
Computer
System User Interface
 A user interface is systems or mechanisms or
tools through which a user interacts with a
computer system (which can be graphical
tools, menus, command programs, voice and
touch recognition tools. Remote control
interfaces etc.)

Types of user Interfaces
 1. GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE (GUI)
These are interfaces which use icons, small
pictures and viewable images to issue
commands.
You are provided with a coloured screen with

lines (bars) each representing a program and a
mouse.
Graphical User Interface
(GUI)

Elements of a GUI
 Taskbar
 Desktop
 Dialogue boxes
 Icons
 Windows
 Menus
 Pointers

Advantages of Graphical
User Interface
 User friendly
 Provides faster start up and shut down
 You can benefit from WYSIWYG
 Provides better file management
 You do not have to learn complicated
commands
 Frees the computer user for memorizing and
typing text command
 Lets you exchange data from different software
application
516
Disadvantages
 GUI take up a much larger amount of hard disk
space than other interfaces.
 They use more processing power than other types
of interface.
 They need significantly more memory (RAM) to run
than other interface types

2. COMMAND LINE USER
INTERFACE
 This is an interface that allows users to interact
directly with the computer system by typing
special keys on the keyboard, a user is
provided by a blank screen with a blinking
cursor called a prompt. Example includes DOS,
Linux.

Command line User
Interface

Advantages of CLI
 GUI take up a smaller amount of hard disk
space than other interfaces.
 They use and require less processing power
than other types of interface.
 They need significantly less memory (RAM) to
run than other interface types

Disadvantages of CLI
 User must remember all commands.
 CLI in not user friendly.
 Operation depends on the typing speed of
the user.
 You must learn the commands

Menu Driven Interface
 This is an interface consisting of a series of
screens which are navigated by choosing
options from lists, i.e. menus.
Because of their simplicity, menu-driven

interfaces are commonly used for walk-up-and-
use systems, such as information kiosks and
ATMs.
Menu Driven Interface

A menu in a menu driven
Interface
 “Menu” is not used here to refer to pull-down
menus, but to lists of options on the screen
that lead to other screens.

Sound and
Speech Interface
 A speech interface is a software that enables
interaction between humans and voice enabled-
applications or software.
 such as virtual assistants and voice assistants.
Speech interfaces use and mimic human speech
via speech recognition technology.
 But designing an effective speech interface
requires more than writing a script for your voice
assistant.
NETWORK OPERATING
SYSTEMS (NOS)
 These are operating systems that have additional
features that allow computers to be networked,
they have advanced security features.

Examples of NOS include
 Novel Netware
 Windows NT server.
 Windows 2000 server.
 UNIX

APPLICATION SOFTWARE
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Application Software
These are programs (software) that perform
specific tasks to a user.
As system software are basically for the

computer application are basically for the help of
the user not the computer.

Reasons for using
Application Software.
Application software is used for a variety of
reasons.
 As a business tool.
 To assist with graphics and multimedia
projects
 To support home, personal, and educational
activities.
 To facilitate communication
Classification of Application
software
The common Classifications of application
software include:
 Off-the-shelf (standard) software,
 Custom (bespoke) software,
 Shareware, Freeware,
 Open-source, Public-domain software,
 Web-based software, copyrighted software,
 Special Purpose and General purpose.
1. Packaged software (off-
shelf)
 This is a mass produced, copy written retail
software that meets the needs of wide variety of
users not just a single user or company.
Application software are available in general

nature
Examples: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, and
Microsoft Powerpoint.
Advantages of off-shelf
(package)
 They are relatively cheap in terms of cost and
maintenance compared to customized
 They are usually provided together with
documentation explaining how to use them.
 They are easy to use and suitable for non-
specialists.
 Packaged / off-shelf provides online help unlike
customized
 They are readily available from software vendors.
 They have less errors as compared to customized.
Disadvantages
 They make the user pay for what he does not
use.
 They are exposed to computer viruses.

2. Custom software/
bespoke
 These are software designed to meet the needs
of a particular organization or user (consumer)
and performs function specific for the business
or industry.
 Sometimes the company cannot find package

software that meets its requirement so it orders
for a custom software
Examples of Custom made
software.
 Content management systems (CMS)
 Customer relationship management (CRM)
 A business process automation system.
 Automated invoicing.
 Company-facing / Customer-facing web portals.
 E-commerce software solutions.
 Bug tracking software.

Advantages of Custom
software.
 They meet the needs of a single user.
 Provides maximum utility to the consumer.
 They cannot be pirated
 They are less exposed to viruses

Disadvantages of custom
software.
 They are expensive to buy.
 They are not user friendly
 They need special training.
 Custom software is not readily available.
 Custom software are normally provided with
errors

Shareware
 This is a copy written software that it is
distributed free for a trial period.
 To use a share ware program beyond that

period you send the payment to the person or a
company that developed that program

Examples of shareware
 Adobe acrobat 8 professional
 PHP Debugger 2.1.3.3
 Winzip
 Getright

Types of shareware.
 Adware – Contains ads to generate revenue for the
developers
 Donationware – payment is optional
 Nagware – reminds user to purchase the license or
the software
 Freemium – free for non-premium but of cost for
premium features
 Demoware – demonstration version. It is further
classified as crippleware and trialware.
 Crippleware – Some features are disabled under time-limit
 Trialware – all features are available under time-limit
Free ware
This software is provided at no cost to a user by
an individual or a company
Examples
 Adobe PDF
 yahoo messenger
 Google Talk
 MSN messenger
Public ware
Public domain software is any software that has no
legal, copyright or editing restrictions associated with
it.
It is free and open-source software that can be
publicly modified, distributed or sold without any
restrictions.
Examples : SQLite, I2P and CERN httpd are
popular examples of public domain software.
Open source software
Open source software is software provided for
use, modification, and redistribution. This
software has no restrictions from the copyright
holder.
 Open source software usually can be

downloaded from the Web at no cost.

Examples of Open – Source
software.
 Apache HTTP web server
 Mozilla’s Firefox web browser
 Thunderbird email client
 database system
 GNU compiler collection
 Moodle
 OpenOffice
 PHP
 perl
Web-based software
Web-based software refers to programs hosted by a
Web site.
Users access and interact with Web-based software

from any computer or device that is connected to the
Internet.

Factors to consider before buying
an application software
 Upgradeability
 Purpose
 Security/safety provisions
 Free bugs/errors
 Flexibility
 Cost of the application program
 Compatibility
 easy to learn
 documentation
 self-help menu
EXAMPLES OF APPLICATION
SOFTWARE.
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 548

WORD PROCESSORS.
 Word processors are application softwares
used to create and manipulate documents like
reports, memos, letters e.t.c and sometimes
contain graphs

Examples of word
processors
 Microsoft word.
 Sun star office writer
 Corel word perfect (DOS editor). Word
processor that uses the keyboard to operate
 Word pad

2. SPREADSHEET
SOFTWARE
 Spreadsheet software is software that allows
users to organize data in rows and columns
and perform calculations on the data.
 A spread sheet package is a program with

some aspects of a filing system and some of a
calculator. The program will do calculations as
instructed by you. It is used to re-calculate
automatically.
Examples of Spreadsheet
programs
 Microsoft excel
 Lotus 1-2-3
 Visual calc
 Symphony
 Corel Quattro pro
 Sun star Office calc
 Apple Pages,

Advantages of spreadsheet
 Easy to make changes and corrections (ease of edit
and format) to data on the worksheet.
 Electronic spreadsheets can perform mathematical,
statistical, and financial calculations quickly and
accurately.
 The rest of the worksheet is recalculated whenever
data in one place changes.
 Spreadsheets have built-in functions and macros
which made work easy.
 Calculation is always accurate, provided that data
and formulae entered are correct.
Advantages
 They offer different options of data
presentation such as pie charts, bar graphs,
etc.
 They are very useful for applications that
require modeling and what-if analysis.
 They easily filter, sort, and arrange data in
alphabetical order for better organization.
 Workbooks can be saved in soft copies that can
be easily modified and reused in future.
Disadvantages Of
Spreadsheet Programs
 Need for specialized software and hardware
which is expensive.
 Spreadsheets require enough time for training
and practicing before use.
 There is a lot of complexity surrounding
formulas, functions and their arguments.
 May lead to loss of data. Computers are prone
to system errors, power outages and virus
infections.
Disadvantages
 Difficulty in finding Data Mistakes. Electronic
spreadsheets are known for having numerous
fields, sometimes in different sizes, making it
look like a screen full of small boxes.
 Difficult printing: Obtaining hard copies
becomes very hard especially when the
worksheets are wide as compared to the
available page sizes.
3.DATABASE
MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
 A database management system is a
specialized program/software that permits easy
creation of data, access, retrieval and make use
of data.

Activities where database
management system can be used
 Cataloguing books in a library

 Making telephone directory
 Making inventories
 Capturing patient’s biodata in health units
 Capturing student’s biodata in schools
 Hotel reservation systems
 Employee payroll system

 Supermarket goods/stock updating
 Accounting/financial system
 School management system
 Registration system
 Report making system

Examples of Data bases
 Microsoft Access
 Microsoft Visual Fox Pro
 Borland Dbase
 Lotus Approach
 Corel paradox
 Oracle
 Sun star Office base
 Visual Basic
PRESENTATION
SOFTWARE
This allows users to create a visual aid
presentation, it enables you to create, organize
and design effective presentation.

Examples of presentation
software
 Microsoft PowerPoint,
 Flash MX.
 Open Office impress
 Corel presentation.
 Harvard Graphics
 Adobe Persuasion
 Corel presentation
 Lotus Freelance
 Adobe Keynote
COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN
(CAD) SOFTWARE
 This is a software that assists professional
users in creating engineering architectural and
science designs e.g. engineers design plans
and security systems

Examples of CAD
 Autodesk Auto card
 Quality plan Chief Architect
 Microsoft office Visio 2003
 Arch card

Autodesk card

DESKTOP PUBLISHING
SOFTWARE (DTP) SOFTWARE
This enables professional designs to create
decorative documents that contain text, graphics
and many colours.
It is an ideal producing high quality documents

such as book covers e.tc.

Examples of Desktop
Publishing software
 Adobe InDesign
 Adobe page maker
 Adobe paint maker
 QuarkXPress
 Corel VENTURA

DTP (Ms. Publisher)

GRAPHICS / IMAGE
EDITING SOFTIWARE.
 Graphics artist use graphical software to draw
pictures and design text and other graphical
images with an on screen tools such as a pen
brush, eye dropper text etc.

Examples of graphics/
images editing soft ware
 Adobe photo shop
 Adobe illustrator
 Corel draw
 Paint
 Print artist
 Corel Painter.

VIDEO AND AUDIO
EDITING SOFTWARE
 Video editing software allows users to modify a
segment of video, called a clip for example you
can reduce the length of a video clip.
 Audio editing software: This lets users modify
audio clips and produce studio quality sound
tracks. Audio editing software usually includes
filters. Which are designed to enhance audio
quality.
Examples of video and
audio editing software.
 Adobe audition
 Adobe encore DVD
 Adobe Premiere Pro
 Pinnacle system studio DV
 Ulead Media Studio DV
 Macromedia sound edit.

Video editing software

ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE
This a software used for preparing payrolls,
capturing cash inflows and outflows, generating
financial statements as well as balance sheets,
etc.

Examples
 Intuit QuickBooks
 Peachtree complete accounting.
 Tally

O) Reference software
 Reference software provides valuable and thorough
information for all individuals.
 Popular reference software includes encyclopedias,
dictionaries, health/medical guides, and travel
directories.
 Examples include:
 Encyclopaedia Britannica 2011 Ultimate Reference
DVD
 Microsoft Student with Encarta Premium, e.t.c.
576 A LEVEL ICT

S) Email Software / Email
client
 Email software (Commonly known as email client) is a
computer program used to access and manage a user's email
account.
 Web applications that provide message management,
composition, and reception functions are sometimes also
commonly referred to as webmail.
 Popular locally installed email clients include Microsoft
Outlook, Pegasus Mail, Mozilla's Thunderbird, KMail,
Evolution and Apple Mail.
 Popular web-based email clients include: GMail, Yahoo! Mail,
mail.com, Lycos mail, and Hotmail.
577 A LEVEL ICT
E) Communications software
 One of the main reasons people use computers
is to communicate and share information with
others. A variety of communications software
options exist. Common communications
software includes Web browsers, e-mail
software, chat rooms, newsgroups, Text
messaging, FTP programs, blog software, and
teleconferencing software.
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Software suite
A software suit is a collection of individual
application soft-ware programs sold as a single
package.

Examples of software
suites
 Microsoft Office
 Adobe Master collection

Advantages of using
software suites
 Costs significantly cheaper than buying each of
the application package separately
 Easy to learn and use because applications
within a suite usually use a similar interface
and share common features such as clip art
and toolbars.
 Easy installation because all the various
applications can be installed at once.
NEXT TOPIC: INTERNET AND THE
WORLD WIDE WEB
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 582

Unit Objectives
 Identifies the different Internet
To be able to know the: communication services.
 explains the Internet.  uses email to communicate
 states the advantages uses
and disadvantages of  Internet facility for research.
using the Internet..  explains the concept of
Features of Intranets, Netiquette.
 Internet service providers (ISP)
Extranets and
 Factors to consider when
Internet. choosing ISP
 Basic surfing and  Services available on the
email skills with Internet
Microsoft Internet
Explorer
June 21
583 A LEVEL ICT
Topic
Internet and World Wide Web
Topic Summary
 Unit One: Introduction to the Internet
 Unit Two: Internet Services
 Unit Three: Uses and functions of computers
 Unit Four: World Wide Web
Web browsers
Search engines
Websites
Cloud computing
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What is Internet
 The Internet is a global system of
interconnected computer networks that use the
standard Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to link
several billion devices worldwide.
 The internet is a global network of networks

that enables people to communicate and share
resources
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Characteristics of the
Internet
 It is Made up of numerous networks world wide.
 There is No organisation that has a direct
control over the Internet.
 It is dynamic ; ever changing.
 It offers very many services
 The Internet size and technology grow at a very
fast rate.
 It is not owned by any single organisation(has
no central control.
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Advantages and disadvantages
of using internet
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Advantages
 Easy access to of variety of information.
 Faster transmission of information
 Efficient and effective communication through
the use of email and social network.
 Reduced expenses for example transport due
to online services like video conferencing.
 Provision of online employment.
 Internet is a source of income to people who
engage in online businesses.
 Easy and flexible research that is available any
time as long as your connected.
 Increased storage space as a result of online
storage facilities like google drive.
 Easy access and use of software i.e. almost
most of the software can be installed online.

Advantages of Internet to a
school
 A lot of information is easily obtained which is
not available in a single textbook.
 Updated or current information is obtained
quickly since internet is dynamic.
 Learning is fun and easy as internet is exciting
due to the multimedia content used.
 It offers different sources of information hence a
variety of opinions on a topic.
 It is a quicker way of getting information where
internet connection is good.A LEVEL ICT
Advantages of the Internet
 It encourages group work through collaboration
therefore sharing of information and experience
among students and teachers.
 Related topics are easily accessed through
hyperlinks.
 Students are able to attend virtual classes.
 Instant or timely communication is done by use
of the E-mail system.
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Disadvantages of the Internet
 No Information control over the Internet such
that all sorts of bad information is accessed.
 There is no privacy of information and
information piracy is common.
 Indecent material is published on the Internet.
 Its not readily available to most people.
 It is expensive to access drains school
resources.
 Time is lost where Internet speed is low due to
poor links, hardware and congestion.
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Disadvantages
 Some sites give outdated therefore misleading
information because they are not regularly
updated.
 Time wasting occurs when students easily
stray into non essential materials.
 Computer viruses are easily spread over the
Internet.
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Disadvantages
 Difficult to obtain information relevant to a
particular level of a student.
 It is possible to obtain contradictory
information.
 Many students and teachers do not have
adequate skills of accessing the Internet.
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Possible solutions to Internet
issues
 Use of firewalls against illegal access to networks
 Use of updated antivirus software against viruses
 Use of anti spyware against hackers.
 Carefully choosing an ISP who will provide the best
service within your means.
 Installing filters against pornographic and other
undesirable content.
 Use of encryption software to protect sensitive
information and prevent fraud.
 Use of complicated passwords to restrict access to.
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Uses of the internet
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Uses of Internet

Advantages of Using
Internet
 For Advertisement. People use internet to
publish information about them selves or their
work
 Make cheap internet calls
 Send and receive email to and from other
connected users.
 Easy communicate with others around the
world through chat rooms, videoconferencing
e.t.c
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Advantages of Using
 Has storage where you can store information
safely and can access it anywhere.
 It is accessible 24/7 (always on)
 Search Engines like Yahoo, Google can help
you get what you want – compared to looking
for a information in a Library.
 Access sources of entertainment and leisure,
such as online games, magazines, and vacation
planning guides, listen to music, and watch
movies..
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Question
 A company has decided to introduce an

intranet and remove Internet access for its
staff.
 (a) Describe two reasons why the company
will not allow its staff internet access.
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 Spending time on social networks e.g. facebook at the
expense of doing their work.
 Slowing it down due to many users accessing at the same
time.
 Cost implication according to the package.
 Efficient in terms initial cost and regular maintenance.
 Effective internal communication
 Reduce on easy spread of viruses
 Reduce on possibility of hackers getting access to the
system. A LEVEL ICT
Determinants of internet
access speed
 The amount of bandwidth allocated by ones ISP.
 Connection technology used ; telephone lines are much
slower than newer technology such as ISDN and ADSL.
 The volume of traffic. the more the number of people
logged on the internet the slower the internet speed.
 Modem
 Nature of web browser used.
 Speed of the device being used to access the
internet.
 speed used. A LEVEL ICT
Review Questions
1. How can the Internet be useful in the area of
education?
2. List at least possible advantages and disadvantages
connected with a school being online.
3. State the similarity and difference between internet and
intranet.
4. List and explain some of the services offered by the
internet.
5. What is an information network? Give examples of
computer networks.
6. Why is there low internet use in Uganda.
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Requirements/infrastructure for
Internet connection
 Host computer
 Communication hardware such as Modem
and router.
 Communication Software such as a Web
browser and internet protocols
 Communication media such as VSAT,
wireless antenna or telephone line.
 Internet Service provider(ISP)
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Internet Service providers (ISP)
ISP is a company which provides services for
accessing and using the Internet at a fee.
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SERVICES OFFERED BY
THE ISP.
Internet access- internet connectivity.
Internet transit- connecting smaller ISP networks
to the Internet
Domain name registration
Web hosting
Hiring storage space to small organisations
Electronic mail services
 They do system analysis and consultancy
 Network servicing and maintenance
 Provide network security
Task
 Give some examples of ISPs in Uganda
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Examples Of ISPs
 MTN - Vodafone
 Africa online - Roke
 Uganda one - Broadband
 Uganda telecom
 Infocom
 Airtel
 Orange
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 There are many ISPs on the market in Uganda
to choose from such as AFSAT, UTL, MTN etc.
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Which services ISPs offer?
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The Factors to consider when
choosing an ISP
 Setup costs that the ISP requires
 Experience for both ISP and client.
 Auxiliary/additional services offered by the ISP
e.g. E – Mail/telephone SMS facility.
 Availability of online help.
 Compatibility of ISP software with yours e.g.
windows Vs Linux Vs Wang.
 Efficiency/Effectiveness of ISP devices e.g.
speeds of ISP modem, Bandwidth etc. cabling
architecture, Bit–Bus architecture for devices etc.
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 Available technology. For example, In case you
intend to hire a dial-up service, you need to
consider the availability of a local phone
number or toll-free number for access,
 You also need to consider the level of update
Technology offered by the ISP. i.e. should be
recent.
 Availability of Technical support that ISP offers.
 The terms of service offered by the IsP
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 Other services offered by the ISP that you can
have on top of internet connection. E.g. web
hosting and domain services.
 The fee charged for the services. i.e. Monthly fee
for the services,
 The size of the ISP’s Client base. ISP capacity is
usually limited, the bigger the client base the less
reliable is the ISP.
 Coverage. Does the ISP coverage reach your
location or not?
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Services offered by the
Internet
What is available on the
Internet (Internet services)
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Services offered by
the Internet
 World wide web  Video conferencing
 E-mail  E-commerce,
 FTP  Telnet,
 Newsgroups  Gopher
 Message boards  Discussion boards.
 Mailing lists  E- Banking and electronic
 Chat rooms money transfer
 Instant messaging  E- Libraries
 Internet telephony.  Usenet.
 Wikis and blogs
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1. E. mail
(Electronic mail)
This is a messages (text, sound, video and
graphics) send and received on the internet or via
a network.
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E-mail
 When mail is received on a computer system,
it is usually stored in an electronic mailbox for
the recipient to read later.
 Messages can be replied to or forwarded with
speed and ease.
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E-mail software (e-mail
client)
 E-mail software is an application software
which allows individuals to create an e-mail
accounts and be able create, send and receive,
store, and forward e-mail using SMTP and POP.
 Examples Microsoft outlook express, Yahoo,
Eudora light, Gmail, Opera mail, etc.
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Mail servers
 A mail server is a dedicated computer on the

Internet that receives incoming messages,
store them and delivers outgoing messages.
 It allocates a certain amount of storage space
referred to as mail box to hold mail to
registered users. The user can receive mail by
supplying the username and password through
the mail client.
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The Features of an E-mail
software
 Email address. All email software require the
user to have an email address, username and
password which are unique to ensure security
of the users emails.
 An email address has two parts separated with
the @ sign for example
yourname@yahoo.co.uk
 The first part of the of the address is the e-mail
name made up of the username of the email
account while the second/last part indicates
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STRUCTURE OF AN E-MAIL
ADDRESS
 User name: This is a unique combination of
characters, such as letters of alphabets or
numbers that identifies a specific user
 Domain name: This is the name of the search
engine, website e.g. yahoo, hotmail, my way
 Top level: This indicates the purpose of the
organization which the computer sometimes has
no part e.g. com, org.
 @ sign: which separates the domain name from
username
Example
nabunyajanelinda@yahoo.com.
Username: nabunyajanelinda.
Domain name: yahoo.
Top level domain: com

Components of an E. mail

 To: This is where the address of the mail recipient is
typed
 Cc: (carbon copy)This is where other addresses to
receive copies of the same message are indicated
(acknowledged) in addition to the main recipient.
 Bcc: (blind carbon copy)this enables copies of the e-
mail message to be sent to a third party without
acknowledging/showing any other recipients(if any)
 Subject: refers to the theme/topic of the email. It is
where the theme of the message is indicated.
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 Compose: This is where one types the actual
message.
 Attachments: an attachment is the added file or
files that are sent with the message. Such files
are usually too large to be sent as a simple
message.
Such files are known as MIME(multimedia
internet mail extension) attachments.
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 One advantage of this is that large files are
conveniently sent.
 Address book: is an area that stores email
addresses for future use or mailing lists
 Inbox: this where all incoming messages are
stored and can be viewed, it shows the name of
the sender of he message, the date it was sent
and the subject of the message.
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 Outbox/sent messages: Stores copies of any
messages that have been sent at stated dates.
This is useful for future reference.
 Spam: where unwanted messages are stored
e.g. unsolicited adverts.
 Draft. Folder that stores messages that were
not sent.
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Handling ones mails
 Creating document folders in which to store mails.
 Checking and reading mail in the inbox
 Transfer messages form the inbox to a specific
folder or storage file either by the drag and drop
facility or right click and move.
 Deleting a message. This can be done by right
click then delete or delete on the tool bar
 Sorting messages .
 Drafting or composing a new message
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Handling ones mails
 Inserting an attachment/file to your message.
To insert and attachment, click on insert file
attachment or attach file, then browse the hard
disk or any other disks to find the file you want.
Repeat the operation as many times as you
need.
 Adding new contacts in your address book.
 Filtering messages received to avoind spam in
your mail box.
 Sending messages.
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Sending an Email to Multiple
Recipients – Cc and Bcc
 Use Cc and Bcc to send an email to more than one
person easily and fast
 "Cc" is short for "carbon copy". Enables one to
send the same e-mail to two (or more) people
without the task of having to write it more than
once.
 The message you compose is sent to the person
in the To: field, but a copy of exactly the same
message is also sent to all the addresses listed in
the Cc: field
A LEVEL ICT
 To enter more than one address in the Cc:
field, separate them with commas.
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The Shortcomings of Cc:
Enables copies of the email message to be sent

to the third party while acknowledging other
recipient.
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BCC
 Bcc is stands for "blind carbon copy".
This component enables copies of the e-
message to be sent to a third party without
acknowledge any other recipient (if present).
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What to consider when using
email
 Email can be junk mail. so avoid unnecessary
proliferation of messages.
 Email takes up computer space, so delete
messages you no longer need.
 The integrity of an email message cannot be
guaranteed. If a received message seems out of
character for the sender, double-check before
taking it seriously.
 Take care opening attachments. treat any
attachment you receive with suspicion unless you
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Benefits/advantages of using email
 Faster delivery of information by e-mail
 E-mail services are cheaper in terms of delivering
information
 They are secure since can be protected by passwords
 Offers immediate delivery report/feedback
 Mail can be sent to multiple recipients at the same
time and cost.
 Less prone/susceptible to loss
 Facilitates management of stored mails
 Can be sent anywhere at any time
 Allow attachments A LEVEL ICT
Disadvantages of e-mail
 The sender and receiver both need internet
access and e-mail accounts-most people in
Uganda do not have access to e-mail.
 The hardware needed is expensive
 Email will not be delivered if there is a small
error in the address.
 Some people are not keen on checking their
mail boxes. So an urgent message may not be
read in time.
A LEVEL ICT
Advantages of post-mail services
over e-mail communication
 There are lower chances of eavesdropping
 Legal documents with original signatures can
be sent using post mail service
 Physical messages can be sent by post.
 No loss of mail due to virus attack
 Documents can be tracked during transit
 Possibility of checking documents before
sending to the destination
 It is convenient for all categories of people.
2. File transfer
 This is an Internet standard service that allows
us to upload and download files with other
computers on the Internet.

3. Chat room
This is an online forum where people can chat
online (talk by broadcasting messages to people
on the same forum in real time)..

4. Instant messaging
This is a real-time Internet communications
service that notifies you when one or more
people are online and then allows you to
exchange messages or files or join a private chat
room with them.
To use IM you install software from an instant
messaging service, sometimes called an instant
messenger (ICQ, Skype, AIM, MSN, Jabber, …).
A LEVEL ICT
5. Newsgroups
 A newsgroup is an online area in which users
conduct written discussion about a particular
subject.
Examples of news groups

6. IRC (Internet Relay
Chat).
 This service allows the Internet to one or more
of Internet users who are hooked to the same
channel at the same time see the text that you
type on your computer, and the texts of other
active users typing on his computer.

7. Telnet.
This is a protocol that allows you to connect to a
remote computer.
A LEVEL ICT
8. Voice / Video
Communication – Skype
 Skype is software that enables the world's
conversations. Millions of individuals and
businesses use Skype to make free video and
voice one-to-one and group calls, send instant
messages and share files with other people
on Skype

9. Social networks:
 This is an online platform that is used by
people to build social relationships with others
and to share relationships with others and to
share similar personnel or career interests,
activities.
 e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn', 'Myspace', 'Tumblr',

‘Instagram, TWITTER, BLOG
A LEVEL ICT
10. Search Engines
These are application programs that allow a user
to find specific information from the internet.
i.e. Apple, google, yahoo, bingo, e.t.c

11. Mailing list
This is an e-mailing facility which distributes the
same messages to the electronic mailboxes of all
subscribers to the mailing list.
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12. Usenet
 This is a service on the Internet on which one
can post and read electronic messages.
 The messages are stored on usenet servers

and organized by topic into newsgroups.
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 There is a large volume of unsolicited e-mail
known as ‘spam’ that tends to fill up mailboxes.
 E-mail tends to take peoples valuable time at
the expense of work or study.
 Parcels cannot be delivered via e-mail which
limits its usability.
 Most viruses are spread via email.
 The privacy of an email message cannot be
guaranteed. So confidential messages ought
not sent via e-mail.
A LEVEL ICT
13. Video Conferencing
 This is an internet service that allows users
conduct meeting between two or more
geographically separated people who use
a network or the Internet to transmit audio and
video data
A LEVEL ICT
Video conferencing
A LEVEL ICT
Advantages of Video
conferencing
 Reduces on transport costs.
 Saves the members on any exposure to risks
like accidents while travelling.
 Save time that would have been used while
traveling.
 Information can be backed up.
 It is convenient because members do not have
to move place to place.
A LEVEL ICT
Disadvantages
 It might affected by network problems.
 It requires a computer and other related
devices which makes it expensive.
 The information can easily be hacked.
A LEVEL ICT
13. Electronic commerce
 This is business where the buying and selling
of products or services is conducted over
electronic systems such as the Internet and
other computer networks, involving the
exchange of data to facilitate the financing and
payment of business transactions.
 Business organisations have websites(online
market place), where online transactions and
purchases can be made.
A LEVEL ICT
Example of virtual shops/online
market place include;
 http://www.shopsonthenet.co.uk
 http://www.ukshops.co.uk/enter.shtml
 http://bookshop.co.uk
 http://www.amazon.com
 http:// www. Jumia.com
A LEVEL ICT
Merits of e-commerce
 Overheads are reduced as there is no need for
retail premises that is shops
 Businesses can attract new customers through
the Internet who might not have come into their
shops.
 The number of employees is reduced which
reduces costs.
 Customers have access to information all the
time increasing the chances of making sales
A LEVEL ICT
 There is no need to handle money because
payment is done through electronic fund
transfer(EFT)
 Businesses are able to collect information
about their customers(market research) that
they wouldn’t be able to do normally.
 It reduces travel time and costs for the
customers since they do not need to visit the
shops
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 Prices are reduced as the business can offer
lower prices due to lower overheads.
 The customer is able to sample the products
on-line, for example view movie clips or listen
to music before buying.
A LEVEL ICT
Disadvantages of on-line
businesses
 Many businesses have to run traditional retail
businesses alongside their Internet operation which
increases cost.
 Sales may be reduced if customers are unable to try
products before they can buy.
 The web may be hacked leading to loss of money
fraudulently by businesses.
 Conmen can easily trick unsuspecting customers
leading to loss of money when they get access to
customer’s credit card numbers.
A LEVEL ICT
Online Shopping
This is the buying of products via the internet.

Advantages of On-line
shopping.
 Saves the business man from the risks such as
accidents that may arise out of movements.
 Saves the buyers from theft due to holding
large sums of money.
 It avails the buyer with a variety of goods.
 It is convenient since it operates all time.
 It saves the consumer from being over charged
since it eliminates the middle man.
Disadvantages of online
shopping
 Exposes user credit card details to hackers.
 Possibility of purchasing poor quality goods.
 Limits possibility of bargaining as prices are
fixed hence exploiting the buyer.
 Sometimes goods may delay to be delivered to
the owner.
 Requires internet which may not be available
and reliable in some areas.
Telecommuting
 This is a work arrangement in which employees
may work away from the standard workplace of
a company, but communicate with the office
using some kind of communications
technology or Network

Advantages of
Telecommuting
 Reduces time and expenses for travelling to and
fro work.
 Eliminated travelling during bad weather
conditions.
 Allows flexibility in the work schedule.
 Reduces air pollution by vehicles driven to and
fro work.
 Employers reduce costs due to less office space
and furniture required.
 Favors the disabled employees.
Disadvantage
 Total lack of face to face interaction.
 High initial costs of setting it up.
 Damage with the server affects the entire
process.
 Leisure time at home may be replaced by work.
 Misuse of office tools and equipment
 Data security may be jeopardized.

14. WWW
(World Wide Web)
This consists of worldwide collection of
electronic documents. Each document on the
web is called web page.

The World Wide Web (WWW)
This is the global collection of web sites and web
pages which are hyperlinked containing text,
graphics, sound and video. There are virtually
no regulations regarding the content of the
WWW, so any one with appropriate software
and hardware can create a web site on any
topic. Consequently there are millions and
millions of pages of information covering every
conceivable topic.
A LEVEL ICT
WEB PAGE.
 This is a file created in Hyper Text Markup
Language (HTML) saved on a webserver.
 IT can contain t audio (sound) and video.

A. WEBSITE.
A website is a collection of related web pages
and associated items such as documents and
pictures owned by an individual or organization
on a web server.

Types of websites
 STATIC WEBSITES
These are websites that are fixed and display the
same content to every user, they are usually written
in plain HTML e.g. Apple
 DYNAMIC WEBSITE
This is a website that can display different content
and can provide user interaction by making use of
advanced programming and database addition to
HTML. E.g. Facebook, Amazon
Examples of Websites
 Web portal
 Online Social Network:
 wiki.
 Community site:
 Political site.
 E-commerce site.
 Forum website
 News site
A LEVEL ICT
Examples of websites
 A blog
 Media sharing website
 Content aggregator
 Content aggregation site
 Podcast
 Webcasts
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1. Web Portal
 Web portal: Is a site that provides a starting
point or gateway to other resources on the
internet or intranet.
 E.g. URA web portal provides other services

like electronic to register tax returns.

Web Portal

2. Social Network websites
Refers to a websites where users can
communicate with one another and share media
such as pictures, video, music with other users
Examples
 Whats App LinkedIn
 Imo Pinterest
 Viber Snap chat
 Instagram
 Twitter
Social Networking
websites

3. Wiki
 Is a website whose users can add, modify or
delete its content via web browser using a
simplified mark-up language. e.g. corporate
intranets, note taking, community websites.
A LEVEL ICT
Don’t write
 A website or similar online resource which allows anyone to set up a
resource in which content can be created collectively. It's important
feature is that it allows anyone who views the wiki to add to or edit the
existing content as if they were adding to or editing, for example,
someone else's Word document. Wiki also refers to the software used
to create such a website. The word "wiki" derives from the Hawaiian
"wiki-wiki", meaning "quick". Wikipedia is the best known example of a
wiki. It's a collaboratively written encyclopaedia:
http://www.wikipedia.org. There is an article on Computer Assisted
Language Learning in Wikipedia, which you can add to or edit yourself:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer-assisted_language_learning. It is
also possible to set up a personal wiki that cannot be added to or
edited by other people, e.g. here is Graham Davies's personal wiki:
http://grahamdavies.wikispaces.com. Wikis may also be used for
Conferencing: see Section 12, Module
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 1.5, headed Discussion lists,
683
A Wiki
A LEVEL ICT
4. Community Site
 Is a site where persons with similar interests
communicate to each other through chatting
and messaging or through social message
boards, such as MySpace or Face book.

Community Site

5. Blogs
A blog: Is a web page that have short frequent
updates to it. Or is a personal journal published
on the World Wide Web.
Examples
 WordPress.org.
 Wix.com. Wix is similar to Squarespace.
 Joomla.com.
 WordPress.com.
 Medium.com.
 Ghost.org. A LEVEL ICT
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6. PODCASTS(Netcasts)
 Podcasts are digital media files consisting of
an episodic series of audio, video, PDF, or
ePub files subscribed to and downloaded or
streamed online onto a computer or mobile
device.
 Podcasting means making digital audio or
video files available on the internet in such a
way that others can set their computers to
automatically download new episodes in a
series as you post them.
A LEVEL ICT
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7. Webcasts
 A Webcast is the delivery of live or delayed
sound or video broadcasts over the internet
using streaming media technology.
 The sound or video is captured by the

conventional video or audio systems, then
digtized and streamed . Eg News broadcast,
Radio and TV programs
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Webinars(Web conferencing/online
workshops)
 A Webinars is short for web based seminar. It
refers to conducting a seminar or lecture via
the internet using graphics, text and live sound,
unlike web casting, the audience is able to
interact with the presenter such as asking
questions by sending an instant message.
A LEVEL ICT
8. Media sharing website
 Is a site that enables users to upload and view
media such as pictures, music and video clips.

9. Content aggregation site.
A content aggregator is an individual or
organization that gathers Web content (and/or
sometimes applications) from different online
sources for reuse or resale.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content_agg...
http://www.google.com/reader/view/
htp://www.feedzilla.com/default.asp
http://reader.rocketinfo.com/desktop/
A LEVEL ICT
10. News site
Similar to an information site, but dedicated to
dispensing news, politics, and commentary e.g.
CNN, BBC, SkySports
A LEVEL ICT
11. School site
 A site on which teachers, students, or
administrators can post information about
current events at or involving their school.

E-commerce site
These are sites designed for purchasing or selling
goods, such as Amazon.com, CSN stores, and
Overstock.com

BROWSING THE WEB.
i. Do know what it means to browse the web?
ii. Have you ever browsed the web?
iii. What do you need to browse the web?
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 699

A Web Browser
A web browser is application software that allows
users to view or access web pages,

Examples of Web
browsers
 Microsoft internet explorer
 Mozilla v. Safari
 Netscape vi. Opera
 Google chrome vii. KonqueroR
 Opera,
SURFING THE WEB

This refers to the activity of using links to explore
the web.
The Functions of a Web browser
 It is used to request for webpages from a web server
when the user types in the uniform resource locator
 The web browser accesses information from the web
server using the HTTP protocol over a network to
communicate with the web server.
 It displays webpages on the screen. The coding in
the HTML files tells the browser how to display the
text, graphics, links, and multimedia files.
 It is used for streaming video content over the
internet.
A LEVEL ICT
DOWN LOADING
 Down loading is the process of a computer

receiving information from a server on the
internet such as a web page from a server

HYPER LINK (LINK)
This is a built -in - connection from a web page to

another related web page or part of a web page.
Links allow you to navigate around the World

Wide Web

SEARCH ENGINE
 This is a program designed to help a user find
web sites and web pages. Search engines are
particularly helpful in locating specific web
pages about certain topics of web pages for
which you do not know the exact web address.
 Search engines are programs that search

documents for specified keywords and returns
a list of the documents where the keywords
were found.
Examples of Search
Engines
SEARCH ENGINE WEB ADDRESS
 Yahoo Yahoo.com
 Google google.com
 AltaVista altervista.com
 HotBot hotbot.com
 Looksmart looksmart
 WebCrawler webcrawler.com
 Overture overture.com
A LEVEL ICT
Photo of google search

How search engines work
Don’t write
 When the user keys in the search query in the
search text box and presses ok button, the
search engine invokes a program that queries
its database (a collection of all the web pages it
has access to).
 The results are returned to the user as a
number of possible URL's ranked in priority,
the top URLs are the ones with most
occurrences of the query words or phrases
used.
A LEVEL ICT
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UNIFORM RESOURCE LOCATOR (URL / WEB
ADDRESS)
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 711

What a URL (Uniform
Resource Locator)
 This is a unique address of a web page.
The URL tells the browser where to locate the

names and sometimes the path to a specific web
page or location on a web page.
For example the home page for bbc web site has
a web address of http://.bbc.com. A web browser
retrieves a web page such as bbc home page
Parts of a URL
i. The protocol being used, which could be http
or ftp
ii. The domain name which is the location that
contains the file of web page
iii. The path to a web page which may contain a
folder name and document file name both of
these separated by forward slashes
iv. The query string, or parameters. These are
optional but show information about the
page/file
A LEVEL ICT
Components of a web
address / URL
Example of a web address / URL
 http://www.newvision.com http: //
www.globalcomacademy.co.ug
 Http: Protocol
 //
 www: World Wide Web
 globalcomacademy: host / domain name
 co: top level domain
 Ug: country domain
A LEVEL ICT
716
Task
 Write at least five domain names you

know
A LEVEL ICT
INTERNET ADDRESS
 The internet relies on an addressing system
much like the postal service to send data to a
computer at a specified destination.

An IP (Internet Protocol)
 This a number that uniquely identifies each
computer or device connected to the Internet.

“Don’t write”
Computers can determine the addresses of other
computers on the network and use these addresses to
send messages to each other.
 IP addresses consist of four bytes (32 bits) that
uniquely identify all computers on the public Internet.
 You either enter the host's configuration information
manually or you can have it automatically receive an
address and other IP configuration information from a
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server.

Domain Name
 This is a text version of an IP address. As with
an IP address, the components of a domain
name are separated by periods

Don’t Write
An example; www.bbc.co.uk
The domain is separated into four parts just like
the IP address. A user normally finds it easier to
use a domain name instead of an IP address to
access the internet, but the internet protocol only
understands IP addresses so the domain name
must be translated(resolved) into an IP address
by the DNS server (domain name system)
Domain name system (DNS)
Domain Name System (DNS), is a system on a
computer that maps text names to IP addresses
automatically.
DNS has one function on the network, and that is

to resolve hostnames to IP addresses.
A LEVEL ICT
“Don’t write”
 Think about using the Internet. You open your
browser, and in the address bar type the name
of your favorite website, something like
www.google.com, and press Enter. The first
question your computer asks is, "Who is that?"
 The DNS server provides the answer, "That is
72.14.205.104." Now that your computer knows
the address of the website you want, it's able to
traverse the Internet to find it. Think about the
implications of that for just a minute.
Domain name hierarchy on
the domain name
 The hierarchy of domains descends from the
right to the left label in the domain. Each label
specifies a sub domain of the domain to the
right.
 For example, given the domain name
www.bbc.co.uk
 .bbc is the subdomain of co.uk, while .co is the
subdomain of .uk
A LEVEL ICT
Top level (highest level)domain names
Top-level domain (TLD), is the last part of

an Internet domain name, that is, the
group of letters that follow the final/last
dot of a domain name.
Examples of top level
.org
.gov
.com
.net
A LEVEL ICT
Commonly used Top level
domain names
 .com indicates that the organisation is a
commercial one ie business
 .gov indicates that it is for a government
department
 .ac is for an academic organisation
 .org is for a non commercial or non business
organisation
 .sc is for a school organisation
 .net is for a company that provides internet
A LEVEL ICT
Top level Domain of some
countries
.uk which is the last part of the domain name
indicates that the web site is based in the UK.
Each country has been asigned a two letter code
Such as;
.au for Australia
.de for German(Deutschland)
.it for Italy
.es for Spain (espania)
.ug for Uganda
A LEVEL ICT
Second level domain (SLD)
The second-level domain is the label

directly to the left of the top level domain.
e.g. www.cnn.com
cnn is the second level domain
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Third level domain
 This is the part of the domain name that is
immediately to the left of the second level
domain
For example;
www.bbc.co.uk
bbc is the third level domain
A LEVEL ICT
Uniform resource locator(URL)
 A URL is the full address used to find files
or web pages on the internet. For example
 http://www.awebsite.co.uk/index.html
 http://www.nypl.org/sitemap/index.html
A LEVEL ICT
Parts of a URL
i. The protocol being used, which could be http
or ftp
ii. The domain name which is the location that
contains the file of web page
iii. The path to a web page which may contain a
folder name and document file name both of
these separated by forward slashes
iv. The query string, or parameters. These are
optional but show information about the
page/file A LEVEL ICT
Guidelines for URL
 URLs don’t contain capital letters or spaces,
but contains dots and forward slashes.
 The Forward slashes specify the path to the
location of the file needed.
A LEVEL ICT
Internet connection
technologies
Dial-up (DUN)
 This is a connection method where the client
must request for a connection to the ISP server
each time he wishes to access the Internet.
This method requires the use of a MODEM and
a telephone line and the fee depends on the
amount of time spend on-line.
 Dial-up networking with WindowsXP
A LEVEL ICT
Leased line
 This is where there is a permanent connection
between the user and the ISP at a fixed fee.
This connection normally uses DSL technology
 DSL stands for Digital subscriber line. DSL or
xDSL, is a family of technologies that provide
digital data transmission over the wires of a
local telephone network via a DSL adaptor. DSL
Equipment.docx
 DSL family includes ADSL and ISDN, SDSL,
HDSL and others. A LEVEL ICT
Integrated Services Digital
Network (ISDN)
 ISDN is a method of creating high speed data
transmission using a telephone system in
Digital form by using an ISDN adapter at either
end to send and receive the data in digital form
instead of using a modem. There is no need to
modulate and demodulate data.
A LEVEL ICT
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber line
(ADSL)
 ADSL is a technology that provides high speed
transmission using the standard telephone
network in digital form with ADSL adaptor at
either end, but splitting the frequencies on the
telephone line into three channels of different
bandwidth (asymmetric).
 The bandwidth for each channel is set
according to how much data will be transmitted
through it
A LEVEL ICT
for example one channel is set to send and
receive voice data for telephone conversations,
one channel is set to upload to the internet and
the third one to download form the Internet.
A LEVEL ICT
Cable modem
 A cable modem is a type of modem that
provides access to a data signal sent over the
cable television infrastructure. Cable modems
are primarily used to deliver broadband Internet
access, taking advantage of unused bandwidth
on a cable television network.
A LEVEL ICT
Broadband Internet access
 Broadband Internet access (broadband), is
high-speed Internet access. In some countries
such as USA, TV cable companies install a
single cable to provide both cable TV and
Internet services to customers. A special cable
box is needed to split the signal for the
television and the PC. These cables are two-
way, an improvement over the one-way cables
used solely for cable TV.
A LEVEL ICT
BANDWIDTH
 Bandwidth is the amount of Data (bits) that can
be transmitted along a communication channel
in a given time (per second) which is measured
in bits per second or bps e.g. 32 bps. The larger
the range of frequencies the greater the amount
of data that can be transmitted.
A LEVEL ICT
The web server
 This is a dedicated computer which accepts file
uploads, downloads, distribution and storage
of these files over the Internet upon the users’
request.
A LEVEL ICT
Subject Directories
 This is a software that contains a listing of
links to different subjects or topics
already sorted by suject or topic category.
 Examples include; dir.yahoo.com,
infomine.ucr.edu, academicinfo.net,
about.com’ lii.org howstuffworks.com, etc.
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Characteristics of Subject
Directories
 They are built by human selection not
based on automated systems.
 The sites/pages are organised into subject
categories
 The sites/pages are evaluated. Only most
relevant web pages are availed.
A LEVEL ICT
How to effectively use a
search engine.
 Note that one can do a more complex search
using more than one keyword and linking them
together with AND and OR or NOT (boolean’s
logic)
 Be specific- eg if one wants to search about
windows 98 bugs, the search query should be
“windows 98 bugs” not just “windows”
 Using the symbols + or - the plus symbol lets
you find pages that have all the words in the
query eg to get pages that refer to both john
A LEVEL ICT
How to evaluate search
results
Not all that is published over the internet is good
or accurate. So the need to evaluate what one
finds. The following are the guidelines;
 The author’s authority on the subject.
 Accuracy of information.
 Objectivity or intention of the author.
 How current is the information presented.
 The extent of coverage of the topic.
A LEVEL ICT
 Authority Who are the authors? Are they
qualified? Are they credible?
 With whom are they affiliated? Do their
affiliations affect their credibility?
 Who is the publisher? What is the publisher’s
reputation?
A LEVEL ICT
How to evaluate search
results
 Accuracy Is the information accurate? Is it
reliable and error-free?
 Are the interpretations and implications
reasonable?
 Is there evidence to support conclusions? Is
the evidence verifiable?
 Do the authors properly list their sources,
references or citations with dates, page
numbers or web addresses, etc.?
A LEVEL ICT
 Objectivity What is the purpose? What do the
authors want to accomplish?
 Does this purpose affect the presentation?
 Is the information fact, opinion, spoof, or satirical?
 Currency Is the information current(up to date) ?
Is it still valid?
 When was the site last updated?
 Is the site well-maintained? Are there any broken
links?
A LEVEL ICT
How to evaluate search results
 Coverage Is the information relevant to
your topic and assignment?
 What is the intended audience?
 Is the material presented at an appropriate
level?
 Is the information complete?
A LEVEL ICT
Extranets
 An extranet is a private network that uses
internet protocols to share data of a particular
organisation with selected outside users such
as the clients of the company or subsidiaries of
a company.
A LEVEL ICT
A LEVEL ICT
Differences between an
Intranet and Internet
 Intranet is private while Internet is public.
 Intranet has geographical boundaries while
internet has no boundaries.
 Intranet only shares company information while
Internet has all sorts of information
 Intranet is a single source information while
Internet is a multisource information.
 Intranet is controlled by an organisation while
there is no control over the Internet.
A LEVEL ICT
Website publishing
Web publishing is the process involved in
making information available on the
World-Wide Web.
A website (or Web site) is a collection of
related hyperlinked web pages hosted on
a particular webServer on the World Wide
Web.
A LEVEL ICT
Web publishing process
This involves;
 Web designing
 Web site hosting
 Web site content management.
A LEVEL ICT
Web designing
 This is the initial process of web publishing
through which a web page is created.
 It’s about organizing web content so that it can
be easily found and easily read and is attractive
to visitors.
A LEVEL ICT
Web authoring
 Web authoring refers to designing and creation

of a Web site, ranging from writing the site's
underlying code to writing the text to managing
the site's upkeep.
 Web authoring software.
A category of software that is used to design web
pages
A LEVEL ICT
Website hosting
Website hosting is a service that allows individuals and
organisations to have their own websites accommodated
on a particular web server from which they are accessed
by others on the World Wide Web.
Web hosts are companies that provide space (web

hosting) on a server they own for use by their clients.
Some web hosts provide free services while others charge
a fee. Free web hosting is advertisement-supported web
hosting, and is often limited when compared to pay
hosting.
A LEVEL ICT
Evaluating Web Sites
 Anyone can publish anything on the World
Wide Web.
 Here are some ways to assess the credibility of
the information you find there.
 Who is the author of the article or Web site sponsor?
 On what kind of website does the information appear?
 What audience is the site geared toward?
 Is the site biased?

CLOUD COMPUTING

What is cloud computing
 Cloud computing consists of hardware and
software resources made available on the
Internet as managed third-party services.
 These services typically provide access to

advanced software applications and high-end
networks of server computers.

Types of cloud computing
 Virtual IT - configure and utilize remote, third-party
servers as extensions to a company's local IT
network
 Software - utilize commercial software applications,
or develop and remotely host custom built
applications
 Network storage - back up or archive data across
the Internet to a provider without needing to know
the physical location of storage.
Examples of Cloud
Computing Services
These examples illustrate the different types of
cloud computing services available today:
 Amazon EC2 - virtual IT
 Google App Engine - application hosting
 Google Apps - software as a service
 Apple MobileMe - network storage

Advantages of cloud
computing.
 Cost Efficiency due to the elimination of the
investment in stand-alone software or servers.
 Convenience and continuous availability
because services that are available wherever
the end user might be located.
 Provision of effective Backup and Recovery
 Cloud is environmentally friendly because it
takes fewer resources to compute, thus saving
energy.
 Resiliency and Redundancy: A cloud deployment is usually built
on a robust architecture thus providing resiliency and redundancy
to its users.
 Scalability and Performance
 Scalability is a built-in feature for cloud deployments
 Quick deployment and ease of integration
 Increased Storage Capacity
 Device Diversity and Location Independence
Cloud computing services can be accessed via a plethora of
electronic devices that are able to have access to the internet.
 Smaller learning curve
 Cloud applications usually entail smaller learning curves since
people are quietly used to them.
Disadvantages
 Dependency and vendor lock-in
 Technical Difficulties and Downtime as all systems
might face dysfunctions from time to time.
 Limited control and flexibility
 Since the applications and services run on remote,
third party virtual environments, companies and
 Increased Vulnerability
 Related to the security and privacy mentioned before,
note that cloud based solutions are exposed on

Risks Associated with the
Use of Internet.
 Child pornography: Involves making or distributing
child pornography.
 Cyber terrorism: Involves hacking, threats, and
blackmailing towards a business or person.
 Cyber bully or Cyber stalking: Means harassing
others online.
 Creating Malware: Involves Writing, creating, or
distributing malware (e.g. viruses and spyware.)
 Denial of Service attack: Involves overloading a
system with so many requests it cannot serve
normal requests.
Internet Risks
 Espionage: Means spying on a person or
business.
 Fraud: Involves manipulating data, e.g. changing
banking records to transfer money to an account.
 Identity theft: means pretending to be someone
you are not.
 Intellectual property theft: means stealing
practical or conceptual information developed by
another person or company.
Internet Risks
 Hacking: Involves illegally circumventing security
to access someone else’s computer system.
 Phishing: Involves getting a user to enter personal
information via a fake website.
 Pharming: Is the process of redirecting users to a
fraudulent copy of legitimate website, again with
the aim of stealing personal data and passwords
for criminal intent.
 Salami slicing: means stealing small amounts of
money from each transaction.
Internet Risks
 Scam: Means tricking a person into believing something that
is not true.
 Spamming: Involves sending unsolicited e-mail to hundreds
of different addresses.
 Spoofing: Means deceiving a system into thinking you are
someone you really are not.
 Unauthorized access: means gaining access to systems you
have no permission to access.
 Wiretapping: involves connecting a device to a phone line to
listen to conversations.
 Piracy: is the copying and distribution of programs, movies,
music or other intellectual property without permission 772
 Hacking involves unauthorized access into the
computer system. It can be legal or illegal.
 Hacking
Involves tampering with security codes of a software
product or file for personal gains.
 Eavesdropping and
Eavesdropping involving secretly spying onto ones
computer activities physically or by use of spyware.
 Denial of service attack involves engaging a network
user to deny him/her the right of using the network
line.
773
Digital forensics. (Trends in
Computing)
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 774

Digital forensics.
 Digital forensics is an ICT career involving the

recovery and investigation of material found in
digital devices, often in relation to computer
crimes.

Types of Digital Forensics
 Network Forensics .

Tasks by performed by a
computer forensic specialist
 Investigate and uncover evidence of illegal activities
conducted via computer
 Investigate and uncover evidence of crimes that weren‘t
directly committed via computer, but for which the
accused might have stored evidence on computer data
storage devices.
 Detect and close computer system security holes through
legal hacking.
 To analyze physical evidences by use of computers
 To store and present evidences with help of computers
Advantages
 i. It’s expensive
 ii. Requires only highly computer specialist
 iii. Some information can be forged
 iv. The privacy of the client may be compromised in some
cases
 v. It is also possible that some sensitive data or information
to the client may be lost in order to find the evidence.
 vi. There are also chances of introduction of some malicious
programs such as viruses or worms in the computer system
that may corrupt the data at a later stage of time
NEXT TOPIC: COMPUTER SECURITY
RISKS
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 779

What is computer security
Risk
 A computer security risk is any event or action
that could cause a loss or damage to
computer’s hardware, software, data
information or processing capability
 Some breaches to computer security are

accidental others planned.

 An intentional breach of computer security
often involves a deliberate act that is against
the law.
 Any illegal act involving a computer generally
is referred to as a computer crime.
 Cyber-crime refers to online or internet based
illegal acts. Today, cyber-crime is one of FBI’s
top ten priorities
TYPES OF COMPUTER SECURITY
RISKS.
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 782

1. COMPUTER VIRUSES
 A computer virus is a malicious program that is

often designed to affect, effect and infect a
computer negatively by altering the way the
computer normally works without the
knowledge or permission of the user.
 A computer virus is also a program that copies

it’s self into other programs and spread
through multiple.
Types of viruses
 BOOT SECTOR.
This is a virus which executes when a computer starts up
because it resides in boot sector of the floppy disk or the master
boot record of the hard disk.
 FILE VIRUS.
This attaches itself to a program file and it’s loaded into the
memory when the infected program is run.
 MACRO VIRUS
This uses the macro language of an application e.g. word
processor, spread sheet to hide the virus code.
 LOGIC BOMB
This is a virus that activates when it detects a certain
condition.
 TIME BOMB.
This is a Kind of logic bomb that activates on a
particular date.
 WORM
This copy it's self repeatedly in the memory or on the
disk drive until when no memory disk space remains
which
6/28/2021
marks the computer to stop working.
A LEVEL ICT
 TROJAN HORSE
This is the program that hides within or looks like a
legitimate program but executes when a certain
condition or action is done.
 POLYMORPHIC VIRUS
This modifies its program codes each time it attacks
to another program or a file so that even an antivirus
utility as difficult in detecting it.
How are computer Viruses Spread
or acquired
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 787

HOW COMPUTER
VIRUSES ARE SPREAD
 Opening an infected file.
 Running an infected program
 Starting up a computer with a floppy disk in a
floppy drive
 They are also spread into e-mail and internet.
 Through down loads.
 Through shareware and free ware.
 Through some computer games.
 Through networks.
Give some symptoms or indicators that
a computer is affected by a virus
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 789

SYMPTOMS OF COMPUTER
VIRUSES
How to tell that your computer has got a virus.
 Disks change volume e.g. volume name
 System speed reduces
 Alteration of files
 The computer shut down and restarts without any command from
user.
 Un expected anti-virus disabling
 Un precedent loss of memory
 Change of keyboard stroke
 Corrupting of files
 Duplication of files
 Creation of shortcuts
Symptoms
 Freezing is very often
 Unfamiliar graphics /images on the screen
 Pop up of scary /warning messages
 Posts which you did not post appears on your pages
 Denial of access to some system tools
 Files disappear mysteriously
 Failure to do print jobs.
 Familiar graphics appears on the screen.
 Less memory is available than usual
 Programs take longer than usual to load.
 Access light turning on for none referred devices.
 WAYS OF PROTECTING COMPUTERS
FROM COMPUTER VIRUSES

 (SAFE GUARDING COMPUTERS
AGAINST COMPUTER VIRUSES)
 Explain five measures to put in place to
safeguard computers against (viruses) malware

Safeguards against viruses
 Scan every external storage device e.g. flash disk.
 Create a recovery disk and write-protect it.
 Install a personal firewall program
 Educate or train users on what to be done in case
of misuse
 Minimise foreign storage media
 Join/connect to secure networks
 Buy software from genuine sources
 Regulate automatic updates
 Block unwanted file types at the email gateway
 Always know the source of your software before installing it
on your computer.
 Install an antivirus definition frequently for detecting and
removing viruses,
 Never startup a computer with a floppy disk in a floppy drive,
 When down loading softwares from the internet always save
it and virus check it before using it.
 Ensure that the e-mail is from a trusted source before
opening it.
 Backup important files regularly.
 Always un install out dated anti-viruses because some of
them may turn to be viruses.
ANTI-VIRUS
 These are programs that detect and remove viruses from
the computer memory or storage device.
 When an anti-virus is installed and an infected device is
connected installed into the computer, the anti-virus will
request you to either or heal the infected file.
Examples of anti-virus.
 Norton anti-virus.
 Panda anti-virus.
 A vast anti-virus.
 F-secure ant--virus
 MacAfee anti-virus
 Kaspersky anti-virus
E-scan anti-virus
2.UNAUTHORISED
ACCESS AND USE
Unauthorized use: is the use of a computer or its
data for unapproved or possibly illegal activities
e.g. an employee using an organization’s
computer to send personal e-mails.
Unauthorized access is the use of a computer or

network without permission.

Safe guards against unauthorized
Access and Use.
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 797

i. Firewalls
A firewall is a security system consisting of
hardware or software that prevents unauthorized
access to data, information and storage media.

ii).Intrusion detection
software.
This automatically analyze all network traffic,
access systems vulnerabilities, identify any
unauthorized access (intrusion) and notifies
network administrators of suspicious behaviors
pattern system breaches.

iii). Access control and
audit trial.
An access control is a security measure that
defines who can access a computer, when they
can access it, and what actions they can take
while accessing the computer.

iv). User names and
passwords.
A username, or user ID (Identification), is a
unique combination of characters, such as letters
of the alphabets or numbers that identifies one
specific user.
A password is a private combination of

characters associated with the user name that
allows access to a certain resource.
How to make a strong
password
 Make it alphanumerical comprising of both
numbers and letters.
 Do not share your password with anyone.
 Use a password that you won’t forget.

v). Use Possessed
Objects.
 A possessed object is any item that you must
carry to gain access to a computer or computer
facility example include; badges, cards, smart
cards and ATM the card you use is an
Automated Teller Machine (ATM). Is a
possessed object that allows access to your
bank account.

vi). Biometric devices.
 Biometric devices grant access to programs,
computers, and rooms using computer analysis
of some biometric identifier.

vii). A Personal Identification Number (PIN)
Is a numeric password either assigned by a company
or selected by a user. PINs provide an additional
level of security. An ATM card typically requires a
four – digit pin.
viii). Call back system.
This is a system where a user connects to a
computer only after the computer calls that user at a
previously established telephone number.
3. HARDWARE THEFT
AND VANDALISM
 Hardware theft is the act of stealing computer
equipment.
 Hard ware vandalism is the act of defacing or

destroying computer equipment. e.g.
somebody cutting a computer cable to

individuals breaking into a school computer lab
and aimlessly smashing computers
APPROACHES FOR SECURING A COMPUTER
SYSTEM FROM HARDWARE THEFT AND
VANDALISM.
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 807

Safeguards
 Use physical access controls, such as locked doors, and
windows.
 Use cables to lock the equipment to desk, cabinet, or
floor.
 Install alarm systems for additional security.
 Install CCTV cameras.
 Use biometric devices.
 Burglar proof the computer room.
 Employ guards to keep watch over data and information
centers and backups.
 Never leave a notebook computer or handheld computer
unattended in a public place
4. SOFTWARE THEFT
 Software theft is when someone steals software
media, intentionally erases programs or
illegally copies a program.

Safeguards against
Software theft
 Keep original software boxes and media in a
secure location.
 Schedule regular software audits to guard against
piracy.
 Set installation passwords that deter illegal
installation of software.
 Use licenses and certificates to identify originals.
 Enact laws that protect the owners of data and
information against piracy
 Make software cheap enough to increase
affordability.
810
5. SOFTWARE PIRACY
 This is unauthorized and illegal duplication of
copyrighted software.

Safe guards against software Piracy.
 License agreement. It is the right to use the software.
 Keep original software boxes and media in a secure
location out of sight.
 Keep original software boxes and media in a secure
location.
 Schedule regular software audits to guard against piracy.
 Set installation passwords that deter illegal installation of
software.
 Use licenses and certificates to identify originals.
 Enact laws that protect the owners of data and
information against piracy
Make software cheap enough to increase affordability.
6. INFORMATION THEFT
This occurs when someone steals personal or
confidential information. If stolen, the loss of
information can cause as much damage as
hardware theft and software theft.

Safe guards against
information
 User identification theft.
and authentication
 Use Encryption Techniques: This is the process of
converting readable data into unreadable characters to
prevent unauthorized access. To convert the data to readable
form you Decrypt it
 Implement access control to computers and networks like
use of passwords.
 Create backups in locations away from the main computing
center.
 Reinforce weak access points like windows, doors and
roofing.
 Employ guards to keep watch over data and information
centers and backups.
814
7.SYSTEM FAILURE
 This is the prolonged malfunction of a
computer. A variety of causes can lead to
system failure.
 Noise: id any unwanted signal varying quickly,
mixed with normal Voltage entering the computer.
 Under Voltage: this is the drop of electronic
current.
 Over Voltage or Power surge: This is when
incoming electronically power increases
significantly above the normal 120 volts.
 Brownout / sag: this is the prolonged under
voltage. Or Is a drop-in voltage in an electrical
power supply.
 Brownout can cause poor performance of
equipment or even incorrect operation.
 Blackout: this is the complete / total loss of
electronic power.
 Spikes: This is defined as a brief high voltage
excursion.
 Surge: This defined as momentary or sustained
increase in the main voltage.
816
Protecting computers systems
from power outages
 Use an Uninterrupted Power Supply or UPS: This
provides a constant flow of electricity in the event that a
primary power supply becomes an available.
 Surge protector: This absorbs the excess voltage in
events where voltages increase for a few seconds.
 Install surge protectors to protect computer equipment
against voltage spikes.
 Regularly replace aging components before they
completely stop working.
 Install lightening conductors or arresters to protect
computer hardware from lightning strikes
NEXT UNIT: COMPUTER ETHICS
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 818

Computer ethics
 Computer ethics are the moral guidelines that
govern the use of computers and information
systems.

Frequently concerned areas
of computer ethics are:
 Software piracy
 Unauthorized use and access of computer system (see topic
on security risks)
 Information privacy
This refers to the right of individuals or organization to deny or
restrict the collection and use of information about them.
 Intellectual Property Right
Intellectual Property (IP) refers to work created by inventors,
authors, and artists.
 Intellectual property rights are the rights which creators are
entitled for their work.
Examples of Intellectual
Property
 A copy right gives authors and artist exclusive rights
to duplicate, publish and sell their materials.
 Trade mark: Protects companies’ logo and brand
names.
 Patent Right: This is a right, granted by the
government, to exclude others from making, using, or
selling your intellectual property.
 Code of Conduct.
A code of conduct is a written guideline that helps to
determine whether a specific action is ethical and
unethical
821
Netiquette,
This is the code of acceptable behaviors users
should follow while on the Internet
 Examples of Netiquettes
 i. Be polite. Avoid offensive language.
 ii. Read the message before you send it.
 iii. Avoid sending or posting flames, which are
abusive or insulting messages
 iv. Avoid reading other people’s massages.
 v. Avoid sending spam, which is the internet ‘s
version of junk mail
Ethical rules for computer
users (IT code of conduct)
 Do not use computers to harm other users.
 Do not use computers to steal others information.
 Do not access files without the permission of the owner.
 Do not copy copyrighted software without the author’s permission.
 Always respect copyright laws and policies.
 Respect the privacy of others, just as you expect the same from others.
 Do not use other user's computer resources without their permission.
 Use Internet ethically.
 Complain about illegal communication and activities, if found, to Internet
service Providers and local law enforcement authorities.
 Users are responsible for safeguarding their User Id and Passwords. They
should not write them on paper or anywhere else for remembrance.
 Users should not intentionally use the computers to retrieve or modify the
information of others, which may include password information, files, etc..
Legal and ethical issues
 Legal issues
 Legal issues relate to a system of rules/laws
and principles backed by sanctions governing
computer system acquisition, usage and
disposal.
 Ethical issues
 Ethical issues are general moral guidelines of
conduct or behavior for computer systems
acquisition, usage and disposal
(ii) Ethical issues
 Respect of computer ownership without recourse to
laws.
 Guarding against computer misuse
 Systems safety (Hardware, software, Data and users
safety)
 Systems privacy
 Environmental protection
 Respect for human dignity
 Usage with permission
 Shutting down the computer properly after use
 Virus alerts
Polite tone
6/28/2021
A LEVEL ICT
825
Computer crime
Refers to all un authorized / illegal / un lawful / un

allowed access to the computer.

Danger of computer crime to the user.
 Leads to losses in terms of the software developer.
 Leads to spread of computer viruses.
 The user does not obtain support from the software
centre.
 Leads to imprisonment.
 Leads to loss of data.
 Leads to penalty of the offender.
 It can cause social discomfort of people e.g. Desire
Luzinda.
 Leads to moral decay e.g. Watching of pornography.
Leads to system failure.
NEXT UNIT: HEALTH AND SAFETY.
HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE
USE OF COMPUTERS.
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 828

Health Risk caused by
use of computers.
 Eye strain.
 Headaches.
 Neck pain due to poor sitting posture.
 Back pain due to poor sitting posture.
 Wrist pain to do over typing use of non-
ergonomics keyboards.
 Stress due to noise from fans, printers, power
inputs.
 Ear problems for use of ear phones
A muscles Skeletal
Disorder(MSD),
 A muscles Skeletal Disorder (MSD), also called
Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI): is any injury or disorder
of the muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments and
joints.
 You can prevent this problem by taking frequent
breaks during the computer session to exercise your
hands and arms
 To prevent injury due to typing, place a wrist rest
between the keyboard and the edge of your desk.
 To prevent injury while using the mouse, place the
mouse almost inches from the edge of your desk.
A LEVEL ICT
6/28/2021 830
Computer vision
syndrome
 You may have a computer vision syndrome if
you have any of these conditions sore, fired,
burning, itching or dry eyes, blue red or double
vision, distance blurred vision after prolonged
staying at a display device.
 Headache or sore neck, difficulty shifting focus
between a display device and documents,
difficulty focusing on the screen image.
SOLUTIONS TO THE
VISION SYNDROME.
 Every 10 – 15 minutes, take an eye break. Roll your
eyes in a complete cycle, look into a distance and
focus on an object for 20 – 30 seconds, close your
eyes and rest for 1 minute.
 Blink your eyes every after five seconds.
 Place your display device about an arm length away
from your eyes with the top of the screen eye level or
below your eyes with the top.
 Use large fonts
 Adjust the lighting.
computer addiction
This is when the computer consumes someone’s

entire social life.
Symptoms to user with computer addiction.

 Craves computer time.
 Overjoyed when at the computer.
 Unable to stop computer activities.
 Neglects family and friends.
 Irritable when not at the computer.
Computer parts and their
effects.
 Monitors over brightness or too much like from
monitor causes eye strain.
 Headaches over using of the computer
 Neck pain due to poor sitting posture.
 Back pain due to poor sitting posture.
 Wrist pain to do over typing use of non-ergonomics
keyboards and poor mouse moving habits.
 Stress due to noise from fans, printers, power inputs.
 Ear problems for use of ear phones

Measures to the health risks
 Pay attention to sitting posture to avoid back and neck
pain
 Take a break to stand up, walk around or stretch every to
avoid back and neck pain.
 Use ergonomics keyboards to avoid wrist pain.
 Adjust the monitor brightness to reduce on the eye strain
and headache
 Place the display device about an arm’s length away from
the eyes with the top of the screen at eye level or below
to reduce on the EMR that causes eye strain.
 Adjust on the volume of audio or video playing device to
avoid
6/28/2021
ear problems A LEVEL ICT
Illustration of a proper
sitting posture

 Always Sit upright to avoid muscle pains and back aches caused
by poor sitting posture. (see figure)
 Proper cable installation and placement. Cables should be
preferably along walls, avoiding danger of exposing the use to
electric shock
 Always install lightening conductors to the computer laboratory to
protect the machines and the users of the computers.
 Ventilation should be good. Good aeration to avoid dizziness and
suffocation
 A computer room should have enough light avoid eyestrain, and
headaches, and Radiation filter screens can be fitted to reduce the
light that reaches the eye.
 Standard furniture: The table on which a computer is placed must
be strong and wide enough to bear the weight and accommodate
all the peripheral devices
NEXT TOPIC: DATA COMMUNICATION
AND COMPUTER NETWORK
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 838

Unit Objectives
To be able to know the:  Transmission media
 Definition of types.
terminologies  Wireless Broadcast
associated with  Data Transmission
computer  Networking hardware
communication  Communications
 Importance of computer software
communication  Network topologies
 Limitations of computer  Types of computer
communication Networks.
A LEVEL ICT
June 21 © , MR. KASULE KALULE JOHN MADIBA 2021
Data communications
Data communications: refers to the transmission
of this digital data between two or more
computers and a computer network or data
network is a telecommunications network that
allows computers to exchange data.

Elements of Data communications
 Message - It is the information to be communicated.
Popular forms of information include text, pictures,
audio, video etc. Text is converted to binary, number
doesn’t converted, image is converted to pixels, etc.
 Sender - It is the device which sends the data
messages. It can be a computer, workstation,
telephone handset etc.
 Receiver - It is the device which receives the data
messages. It can be a computer, workstation,
telephone handset etc.
 Transmission Medium - It is the physical path by
which a message travels from sender to receiver.
Some examples include twisted-pair wire, coaxial
cable, radio waves etc.
 Protocol - It is a set of rules that governs the data
communications. It represents an agreement
between the communicating devices. Without a
protocol, two devices may be connected but not
communicating.
Definition of terminologies
 Computer Communication
Computer communication is the transmission
of data and information over a channel between
two or more computers.
 Communications between computers can be as
simple as cabling two computers to the same
printer.
A LEVEL ICT
June 21 © , MR. KASULE KALULE JOHN MADIBA 2021 843
Computer Communication
(Illustration)
 Computer Communication
A LEVEL ICT
 Computer Network
 A computer Network is a collection of two or
more computers and devices connected by
channels so that they can communicate with
each other and share resources:
 Examples of resources
 data, a single internet connection,
 software,
 peripheral devices, processing power.
A LEVEL ICT
 Encoding
This is the process through which Information
(e.g. data, text, voice or video) from the sending
device is converted into signals which the
communication medium can carry.
 010110
Sending device Receiving device

send digital signal receive analog signal
A LEVEL ICT
 Transmission
This is the process through which the signals
are broad cast/ sent out through the medium to
the receiving device.
 Decoding
 This is the process through which the signals
are converted back into the information in its
original form in the receiving device.
A LEVEL ICT
 Telecommunication refers to transmission of data and information
over a long-distance, eg television
 Teleprocessing: This refers to access and modification of computer
files located elsewhere.
 Downloading: To Download is to transfer a file to your computer from
another.
 Uploading means to transfer a file from your computer to another.
 Throughput refers to the rate of how much data is moved during a
certain amount of time.
 The amount of signals that can travel over a communications channel
sometimes is called the Bandwidth. The higher the bandwidth, the more
data and information the channel can transmit.
A LEVEL ICT
 Data Encryption
 This is Process of converting data into coded form
(cypher text) to prevent it from being read or
understood by unauthorized people.
 This is the process of converting readable characters
into un readable characters.
 Communications Software
 This refers to a set of instructions (software) needed
by a computer before it starts sending and receiving
data from other computers.
A LEVEL ICT
Importance of computer
communication
 It allows sharing of hardware like printers.
 It allows sharing of software between two or
more computers, hence reducing on cost.
 It allows sharing and transfer of data and
information stored on other computers on the
network.
 Facilitate communications between people e.g.
through electronic-mail, Mobile phones,e.t.c.
A LEVEL ICT
Importance of computer
communication
 Computer communication has security & tight
control measures over data access.
 It enables online learning and collaborative
research.
 It allows access to common databases for
example in banks.
 Has enabled improved travel service through e-
bookings and e-reservation.
 Provides for online employment e.g.
telecommuting.
A LEVEL ICT
Limitations of computer
communication
 Data theft. If a computer is a standalone, physical access becomes
necessary for any kind of data theft. However, if a computer is on a
network, a computer hacker can get illegal access.
 Rapid Spread of Computer Viruses: If any computer system in a
network gets infected by computer virus, there is a possible threat
of other systems getting infected.
 Expensive Set Up: The initial set up cost of a computer network
can be high depending on the number of computers to be
connected.
 Dependency on the Main File Server: In case the main File Server
of a computer network breaks down, the system becomes useless.
A LEVEL ICT
Limitations of computer
communication
 Exposure to External Exploits. Someone on a different computer
can send data to the computer in such a way as to attack it - make
it lock up or crash, make it slow down, or even take control of it.
 Automatic Downloads. If a computer is connected to a network, it's
easier to download and install software from the network onto the
computer without any human intervention. If the new software
hasn't been tested, it could cause unpredictable behavior.
 Computer Networks can Fail. Computer networks can be so
powerful and useful that it is very vital for them to be used. All of
the computers in an office building might become completely
useless if a single network component fails.
A LEVEL ICT
Factors to consider while choosing
a communication media
 Cost – Initial, maintenance/support cost
 Speed – Data transfer, propagation speed
 Distance and expandability
 Environment – Noise level
 Security – Wiretap possible? Need encryption

Transmission media (Channels)
Transmission media refers to the physical

materials that are used to transmit data between
computers.
 There are both physical (cable , guided or

wired) media, and wireless (unguided) media.
A LEVEL ICT
Cable/ Guided
transmission media
 This is the type of transmission media where
data is transmitted from one device to another
through a physical medium (device)
 For communications between computers that

are linked by cable, there are three choices:
A LEVEL ICT 856

June 21 © , MR. KASULE KALULE JOHN MADIBA 2021
Types of Cable/ Guided
transmission media
 Twisted cable,
 Coaxial cable
 Fiber optic cable.

Twisted Pair Cable
Twisted pair cable is a type of cable that consists
of eight insulated copper wires twisted in pairs
and arranged in a regular spiral pattern

UTP and STP
 The basic difference between UTP and STP is UTP
(Unshielded twisted pair) is a cable with wires
that are twisted together to reduce noise and
crosstalk. On the contrary, STP (Shielded twisted
pair) is a twisted pair cable confined in foil or mesh
shield that guards the cable against
electromagnetic interference.

Twisted wire
 This Twisted pair cable comes
in two varieties: Shielded and Unshielded
Twisted Pair (UTP).
 UTP is the most popular
June 21 A LEVEL ICT

Advantages of Twisted Pair
cables
 They are relatively cheap to use because its
cost per unit length is low.
 They are convenient to use because they are
small in size.
 They are easy to install because of their
flexibility it is easily strung around the room or
wall.
 Shielded twisted pair has a foil shielding to
help provide a more reliable data
communication.
 Because UTP is small, it does not quickly fill up
wiring ducts A LEVEL ICT
6/28/2021 861
Disadvantages
 Used over a short distance, usually less than 100
meters
 Twisted pair’s susceptibility (prone) to the
electromagnetic interference which leads to
signal loss.
 They are easily damaged. Especial the UTP.
 They are low frequency cables. So they are not
suitable for transmission of very high
frequency signals like cable TV, TV antenna
and radio antenna signals
Coaxial cable
A transmission line that consists of
a tube of electrically conducting Advantages
material surrounding a central  Coaxial cable is insulated more
heavily than twisted-pair cable. So it
conductor held in place by is highly resistant to signal
insulators and that is used to interference.
transmit telegraph, telephone,  Used for longer distances (300 – 600
meters)
television, and Internet signals.
 Transmits faster than UTP
Cable TV wiring often uses
Disadvantages
coaxial cable because it can be
 Heavy & bulky
cabled over longer distances
 Needs booster over longer
than twisted-pair cable.
distances
June 21 A LEVEL ICT
863
Fiber Optic Cable
 Fiber Optic Cable is a transmission medium,
which is made up of hundreds to thousands of
fine, light-conducting filaments made up of
glass or plastic.

Fiber Optic Cable
 Each strand, called an optical
fiber, is as thin as a human Advantages:
hair.  Carry significantly more signals than
 Each optical fiber is other cables.
surrounded by an insulating  Faster data transmission.
glass cladding and a  Less vulnerable to electrical noise from
protective coating. other devices
 Fiber-optic cables are used  Better security for signals during
by many local and long- transmission.
distance telephone  Smaller size, and much thinner and
companies, cable TV, and in lighter than other cables.
high-traffic networks or as the
main cable in a network.
June 21 A LEVEL ICT
866
Disadvantages
Fiber optics are expensive compared to the
other types of cables.
They are difficult to install and modify,
therefore require skilled installers
It is difficult to add additional nodes on the
network.
It is much more costly than other cables to
install
Wireless Broadcast
Unguided media, or wireless communication this
where the transfer of information over a distance
is done without the use of cables(wires) as a
medium.
Data is transported through electromagnetic
waves without using a physical conductor.
e.g. broadcast radio, cellular radio, microwaves,
communications satellites, and infrared &
Bluetooth.
A LEVEL ICT
Types of Wireless data
Transmission
 Radio waves
 Microwave
 Infrared
 Blue tooth
 Satellite

Microwave
 Microwaves are high-frequency radio waves that are sent
through the atmosphere and space to deliver
telecommunications services, including TV distribution.
It is dependent on line of sight.
 Advantage:
 Speed of light
 Microwave signals can carry thousands of channels
at the same time
 Disadvantage:
 Line-of-sight only-
(there is need for radio transmitters
in networks using air interface (radio waves)
to be positioned free of obstacles)
A LEVEL ICT
Infrared Light
Is a wireless transmission medium that sends
signals using infrared light waves.
Infrared (IR) light is electromagnetic radiation with

longer wavelengths than those of visible light.
Infrared signal is usually transmitted across relatively

short distances to transmit data between personal
devices for example, between a computer and a cell
phone. A LEVEL ICT
6/28/2021 871
A LEVEL ICT 872
© , MR. KASULE KALULE JOHN MADIBA 2021 June 21
Satellite
 A satellite is basically a
microwave station placed in
outer space. The satellite
receives a signal from the
earth, amplifies it, and then
rebroadcasts it at a different
frequency to any number of
earth-based stations.
 Advantage: Always in sight
 Disadvantage: Expensive
uplink and downlink facilities
A LEVEL ICT
Communication satellite

Bluetooth
 Bluetooth is a short range wireless technology which Operates at
approximately 1Mbps with range from 10 to 100 meters.
A LEVEL ICT
875
Advantages of wireless
transmission
It is fast to connect the device to the network.
Can move longer areas with the device i.e. allow
mobility.
Can connect many devices cheaply
Fast data transfer rates are possible where there are no
environmental obstacles.
It also allows an organization to offer visitors wireless
internet access or hot-desk or hotspot facilities.
Wireless technology makes it easy to set up temporary
network installations.
Disadvantages
It requires one to have a password or security
key to connect to a network.
It may be only accessible at a given range/
distance.
Signals can be interfered with by bad weather
and other noises
Can be easily hacked.
They are exposed to external interference
DATA TRANSMISSION
 This is the sending or transferring of data,
information, and instructions among computers.
A LEVEL ICT
Features of a data / Transmission
communication Media
 Transmission speed (measured in bps)
 Band width (capacity of communication media,
measure is Hertz or bps)
 Transmission mode
 Transmission Direction
 Signal Type

1. Signal Types
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 880

Data signal
 A pulse or frequency of electricity or light that
represents data as it travels over a network, a
computer channel or wireless.

Analog Signals
 An analog signal uses variations which are
represented by a continuous waveform to
convey information.
 It is particularly useful for wave data like sound
waves.
 Analog signals are what normal phone line and
sound speakers use.
A LEVEL ICT
Digital Signals
 A digital signal is a series of discrete
(discontinuous) bits which are simply the
presence or absence of an electric pulse. The
state of being on or off represents the binary
digit of 1 or 0, respectively.
 Advantages of digital signals include:

 Digital signals can be copied exactly without any loss of quality
 Digital signals can be further processed by computer.
A LEVEL ICT
2. Transmission Mode
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 884

Transmission Modes
 When two devices exchange data, the data
flows between the devices as a continuous
stream of bits.
 There are two basic transmission techniques
for separating the groups of bits:
asynchronous transmission and synchronous
transmission
A LEVEL ICT
Asynchronous transmission
Asynchronous transmission transmits one byte
at a time over a line at random intervals.
 Asynchronous transmission is relatively slow
and used for low-speed transmission.
 This is used mainly to transfer medium

quantities of data over a long distances.
A LEVEL ICT
Characteristics of
Asynchronous Transmission
 Each character is headed by a beginning bit and
concluded with one or more end bits.
 There may be gaps or spaces in between
characters.
Examples of Asynchronous Transmission
 Emails
 Forums
 Letters
 Radios
Televisions
887
Synchronous transmission
Synchronous transmission transmits groups of bytes
simultaneously at regular intervals.
Characteristics of Synchronous Transmission
 There are no spaces in between characters being sent.
 Timing is provided by modems or other devices at the
end of the transmission.
 Special ’syn’ characters goes before the data being sent.
 The syn characters are included between chunks of data
for timing functions.
A LEVEL ICT
Examples of Synchronous
Transmission
 Chatrooms
 Video conferencing
 Telephonic conversations
 Face-to-face interactions

4. Transmission Direction
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 890

Transmission Direction
 The direction in which data flows along
transmission media is characterized as
 simplex,
 half-duplex,
 full-duplex or
 multiplex
A LEVEL ICT
Simplex transmission
 Simplex transmission is the transmission data
signals in one direction only.
 Simplex transmission is used only when the

sending device does not require a response
from the receiving device
A LEVEL ICT
Examples of Simple
Duplex
 Television broadcasting.
 Radio broadcasting
 Keyboard and traditional monitors. The
keyboard can only introduce input, the monitor
can only give the output.

Half-duplex transmission
 Half-duplex transmission allows data
transmission in either direction, but only one
way at a time.
A LEVEL ICT
Examples of Half
Duplex
 Walkie- talkie in which message is sent one at a
time and messages are sent in both the
directions.
 Many fax machines,
 police radio calls,
 credit card verification systems and automatic
teller machines use half-duplex transmission.

Full-duplex transmission
 Refers to transmission of data signals in both
directions at the same time (simultaneously).
 e. A regular telephone line, for example,
supports full-duplex transmission, allowing
both parties to talk at same time.
A LEVEL ICT
Multiplex transmission
 In multiplex transmission, several different
types of signals can be carried at once through
the same line. E.g. During Video calls where
Images
A LEVEL ICT
Describe what you can see.
A LEVEL ICT
898
COMPUTER NETWORKS
June 21 A LEVEL ICT

COMPUTER NETWORK
 This is a collection of two or more computers
via a communication media to share resources.
E.g. a group of computers can be sharing a
printer.
A LEVEL ICT
900
Types of computer networks
 There basically three types of computer
Networks namely.
1. Local Area Network (LAN).
2. Wide Area Network (WAN).
3. Metropolitan Area Network (MAN).
These networks are grouped basing on the
distance that they cover.
A LEVEL ICT
901
Local Area Network
 This is a network that connects computers and
devices in a limited geographical area such as
a home, school computer lab, Office Building
A LEVEL ICT
902
Wide Area Network
 Is a Network that covers a large geographical
area such as a city, country or the world using
a communication channel.
A LEVEL ICT
903
Metropolitan Area Network
(MAN)
 Is a high-speed network that connects local
area networks in a metropolitan area e.g. a city
or town.
A LEVEL ICT
904
Requirements Needed to
connect to a network
 There both hardware and software
requirements.
A LEVEL ICT
905
Components of a computer
Network.
 Network hardware devices e.g. a network card
 Terminal nodes e.g. Computers and Printers
 Communication (Network) media/Channels
 Network software e.g. network protocols
A LEVEL ICT
906
Network Hardware Devices
 Hubs/concentrators
 MODEM
 Switches
 Repeaters
 Bridges
 Routers
 Network Interface Cards (NICs)
 etc.
A LEVEL ICT
907
Networking hardware
 Networking hardware includes all computers,
peripherals and Communications devices that
enable two or more computers to exchange
items such as data, instructions, and
information with each other.
 Examples include: a server computer,
clients/work stations, network interface card,
modems, Hub/Switch, repeater, Router, etc.
A LEVEL ICT
1. SERVER
 A server is the host or central computer that
manages the resources on a network.
 A server provides a centralized storage area for
programs, data, and information.
 A dedicated server is a server that performs a
specific task. Examples of dedicated Servers
include: file server, print server, database
server, and a network server
A LEVEL ICT
Roles of Dedicated Servers
 A file server stores and manages files on a
network
 A print server manages printers and print jobs.
 A database server stores and provides access
to a database
 A network server (e.g., a DNS) manages
network traffic.
A LEVEL ICT
Requirements of a server
computer
 It needs a computer with very high processing
speed
 It needs large amounts of RAM
 It needs a very big storage capacity
 It needs a very fast Network interface card
 It needs network operating system such as
Novell Netware, Windows NT Server or Apple
Share
A LEVEL ICT
2. NETWORK INTERFACE CARD
 A network card, also called
network interface card (NIC),
is a device that enables the
computer or device that
does not have built-in
networking capability to
access a network.
 Examples include
adapter card, PC Card,
USBJune
network
21 adapter, flashA LEVEL ICT
3 MODEMS (signal
converters)
 The modem, is a device which Modulates a
digital signal from computers into an analog
one to send data out over the phone line. Then
for an incoming signal it Demodulates, the
analog signal into a digital one.
A LEVEL ICT
4. HUBS and SWITCHES
 This is a central device that provides a
common connection points for nodes on a
network.
A LEVEL ICT
Difference between a hub
and a switch
 A hub has no capability of directing data to a particular IP
address.
 A hub is a layer 1 device implying that it has no knowledge of
address while a switch is a layer 2 device
 A hub is half duplex while the switch is full duplex.
 vital difference between a hub and a switch is that all the
nodes connected to a hub share the bandwidth among
themselves, while a device connected to a switch port has
the full bandwidth all to itself

5. REPEATER
 A repeater is a device that accepts a signal
from a transmission medium, amplifies it, and
retransmits it over the medium.
 As a signal travels over a long distance, it
undergoes a reduction in strength, an
occurrence called attenuation.
A LEVEL ICT
Switch
A LEVEL ICT
917
6. A ROUTER
 This is a communication
device that connects
multiple computers
together and transmits
data to its correct
destination on the
network.
A LEVEL ICT
7. NETWORK
BRIDGE
 This is a device  A bridge knows all of the addresses on
that joins similar each side of the bridge and can send
topologies and information accordingly.
are used to
divide network
segments.
Bridges keep
traffic on one
side from
crossing to the
other.
June 21 919 A LEVEL ICT

Gateway
 A device with the ability to
link/interconnect/enable interface between
networks of different configuration/protocols.
A LEVEL ICT
© , MR. KASULE KALULE JOHN MADIBA 2021 28-Jun-21
920
8. MULTIPLEXER
 A multiplexer is a device that combines two or
more input signals from various devices into a
single stream of data and then transmits it over
a single transmission medium.
 By combining the separate data streams into
one, a multiplexer increases the efficiency of
communications and reduces the need for
using multiple separate transmission media.
A LEVEL ICT
COMMUNICATIONS
SOFTWARE
 The principal functions of communications software are
network control, access control, transmission control, error
detection/correction, and network security.
 Communications software consists of programs that :
1. (1) help users establish a connection to another computer or network;
2. (2) manage the transmission of data, instructions, and information;
3. (3) provide an interface for users to communicate with one another.
 The first two are system software and the third is application
software.
A LEVEL ICT
Networking Operating System
 A network operating system (NOS) is the  Examples of
system software that organizes and NOSs include:
coordinates the activities on a network.  Novell NetWare
The principal functions of NOS include  Microsoft
network control, access control, Windows
transmission control, error server 2003
detection/correction, and network security. and 2008.
 System maintenance tasks such as backup  AppleShare
 File management tasks  Unix /NFS
 Prioritizing print jobs on the network  Sun Solaris
June 21 A LEVEL ICT

Network Protocols
 This refers  The principal functions of protocol in a
to a set of network include:
rules and  identifying each device in the
procedures communication path;
governing  securing the attention of the other device;
transmissio  verifying correct receipt of the transmitted
n between message;
component  determining that a message requires
s in a retransmission if it is incomplete or has
computer errors;
network.  performing recovery when errors occur.

Packets and Packet
Switching
 When a computer sends data over the Internet, the data is
divided into small pieces called packets.
 Each packet contains the data, as well as the recipient
(destination), the origin (sender), and the sequence
information used to reassemble the data at the destination.
 Each packet travels along the fastest individual available
path to the recipient's computer via communications
devices called routers.
 This technique of breaking a message into individual
packets, sending the packets along the best route available,
and then reassembling the data is called packet switching.
A LEVEL ICT
925
Common protocols
 Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) - an internet protocol for
transferring of e-mails.
 File Transfer Protocol (FTP): It allows files containing text,
programs, graphics, numerical data, and so on to be
downloaded off or uploaded onto a network.
 Internet Protocol (IP) - does the packet forwarding and routing.
 Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) is a
network standard that defines how messages (data) are routed
from one end of a network to the other, ensuring the data arrives
correctly.
 Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) - responsible for delivery
of data over the network.
A LEVEL ICT
926
Common protocols
 Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP): It allows Web browsers and
servers to send and receive Web pages.
 Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP): It allows the
management of networked nodes to be managed from a single
point.
 Telnet Protocol: It provides terminal emulation that allows a
personal computer or workstation to act as a terminal, or access
device, for a server.
 Sequential Packet Exchange (IPX/SPX) - works with the Novell's
internet work' packet / sequential exchange; responsible for
delivery of sequential data over the network
A LEVEL ICT
927
Comminucations application
software.
 These are computer  e-mail,
software programs that  FTP,
help to accomplish  Web browsers,
specific tasks related to  newsgroup/message
telecommunications. boards,
 A variety of examples of  chat rooms,
application software for  instant messaging,
communications  video conferencing, and
include:  VoIP.

Why computer Network
28-Jun-21 929 A LEVEL ICT

Advantages of networking
computers
 Facilitates communication: Using a network, people
communicate efficiently and easily via email, Instant
messaging, chat rooms e.tc
 Sharing hard ware: In a networked environment, each
computer on the network has access to hardware on
the network e.g. Printers, scanners e. t. c.
 Data and Information sharing: In a networked
environment any authorized computer user can
access data and Information stored on computers on
the network.
A LEVEL ICT
© , MR. KASULE KALULE JOHN MADIBA 2021 28-Jun-21
930
advantages
 It Facilitates easy communications e.g.
through Electronic mail
 It Reduces on cost by sharing hardware like
printers and sharing software among network
users since one device is jointly used on the
network instead of installing devices to each
computer.
 it allows for tight control over who has access
to data in the system
 It enables sharing of data and information
A LEVEL ICT
June 21
931
Advantages
 It enables online learning and collaborative
research
 It allows access to free common databases and
databanks like free software and ATM services.
 Software is easily upgraded on the network
since it is done at ago on the server.
 Computer networks enable centralized
administration, control and monitoring of
individual users on the network.
A LEVEL ICT
932
Disadvantages of computer
networks
A LEVEL ICT
933
Disadvantages
 Initial cost of installing a network on Cables,
network cards, and software are expensive, and the
installation may require the services of a technician.
 Networks require Administrative Time and expertise
for Proper maintenance of a network which leads to
additional cost.
 Time can be wasted on social networks instead of
doing meaningful work.
 Break in the communication channel affects the
entire network.
A LEVEL ICT
934
 The entire networker fails if the server
crashes, When this happens, the entire
organization loses access to necessary
programs and files.
 There is increased risk of data corruption,
since many users will be using the system to
access the same documents, some of whom
may be careless or deliberately tamper with it.
 Increased exposure to hackers which puts
private data at risk
 Greater risks of viruses A LEVEL ICT
June 21
29(a) Benefits of networking computers
in school (UNEB 2016)
 It lowers expenses on hardware and software
eg printer, anti-virus
 Software is easily upgraded via the server
 Allow multiple access to the school database or
internet
 Easy sharing of files and file transfer
 Allow flexible access to the as students and
teachers can logon and access their work from
any work station
A LEVEL ICT
936
Benefits of networking computers in school
(UNEB 2016)
 Collaborative learning is made possible
 It enables easy and faster communication
 It enables easy access to the internet resources
by many students at the same time
 Improved security through centralized
administration via the server
A LEVEL ICT
937
Benefits of a school having
a LAN
 Collaborative learning is made possible
 It enables easy and faster communication
 It enables easy access to the internet resources
by many students at the same time
 Improved security through centralized
administration via the server
A LEVEL ICT
938
Network Models
June 21 A LEVEL ICT

Client – Server Model
 A client/server network is a network model
which has one or more computers acting as a
server while the other computers (i.e., clients)
on the network can request services from the
server.
A LEVEL ICT
940
 A client computer is a computer that can
access the resources on a network.
 A server provides a centralized storage area for

programs, data, and information.
 Most client/server networks have a network

administrator who is in charge of the network
Client – Server Model
A LEVEL ICT
942
Advantages of Client-Server
Model.
 All Resources are centralized and easier to
access.
 Easy management and administration of the
network.
 More data security since all network access is
controlled through the server.
 The network is flexible, because changes and
new technology can be easily included into
system.
A LEVEL ICT
943
Disadvantages
 It is expensive to set up as compared to a P2P
network.
 It requires an extra computer to serve as a
dedicated server.
 Maintenance – large networks will require an
administrator staff to ensure efficient operation
 Dependence – When the server goes down,
operations will cease across the network
 Server can get overloaded since all the
processing is controlled at one point.
A LEVEL ICT
944
Peer to Peer
 Peer-to-peer network: A type of network in
which each workstation has equivalent
capabilities and responsibilities
 Peer-to-peer networks simply link a number of
PCs together with no network server.
A LEVEL ICT
945
Advantages of Peer – Peer
network
 A peer-to-peer network is simple to setup i.e. does
not require too much configuring
 It is not expensive to set up
 It does not require a dedicated server to control the
network
 It is perfect for home and small business users.
 The right choice for small companies that don't
expect future growth
 Setting up a peer-to-peer resource model simply
because it is cheap and easy to install could be a
costly mistake
A LEVEL ICT
946
Disadvantages of Peer-Peer
Network
 No centralized administration or control
 Every station has unique control over the
resources the computer owns
 Lack of centralized control can make it difficult
to administer the network
 The network isn't very secure
 May not be easy to locate resources
 Users need more training
A LEVEL ICT
947
NETWORK TOPOLOGIES
This refers to the physical or logical layout of
computers (nodes) in a communication network.
Or
A network topology is the physical arrangement
of the devices in a communications network.
 Bus or linear network topology,
 Ring network topology,
 Star network topology
 Mesh Topology - Tree Topology/ hierarchical network
topology
A LEVEL ICT
Bus topology
 A bus or linear network topology consists of a
single central cable that connects all computers
and devices together.
 The physical cable that connects the computers
and other devices is known as the bus or the
backbone.
A LEVEL ICT
Merits of BUS Topology
 Easy to implement and extend (quick setup)
 Cheaper than other topologies.
 Computers and devices can be attached and detached at any
point on the bus without disturbing the rest of the network.
 Failure of one device usually does not affect the rest of the
bus network.
 Data, instructions, and information in a bus network can be
transmitted in both directions.
 Cable faults are easily identified.
 Weight reduction due to less wires
A LEVEL ICT
950
Demerits of
BUS Topology
 If there is a problem with the cable, the entire network goes
down.
 There is no central host computer to control the network.
 Only one device can transfer items at a time.
 If many computers are attached, the amount of data flowing
along the cable increases, data collisions occur and the
network slows down.
 Limited cable length and number of stations.
 Performance degrades as additional computers are added or
on heavy traffic.(shared bandwidth)
 It is slower than the other topologies.
A LEVEL ICT
951
Ring Topology
 This is a network topology
connects each node to
exactly two other nodes,
forming a circular pathway Cable
for activity or signals - a ring.

 The interaction or data
travels from node to node,
with each node handling Workstation
every packet.
A LEVEL ICT
952
Advantages
of Ring Topology
 Ring topology Can cover a larger distance as
compared to a bus network and is commonly used
in wide area networks (WAN)
 No collisions occur because data takes one
direction only
 Very orderly network where every device has
access to the token and the opportunity to transmit
 The speed of data transmission is faster than in a
bus topology.
A LEVEL ICT
954
Demerits
of a Ring Topology
 Ring Topology Network is More difficult to establish.
 If the cable fails, the whole network goes down.
 Data messages travel in only one direction from device
to device around the entire ring
 If a node on a ring network fails, all nodes after the
failed nodes cannot function.
 There is no central host computer to control the
network.
 Moves, adds and changes of devices can affect the
network
A LEVEL ICT
955
Star Topology
 This is a network
topology where all of the
computers and devices
(nodes) on the network
connect to a central hub
or switch.
 All data that is transferred
from one computer to
another passes through
the hub. A LEVEL ICT
956
Merits of a Star Topology
 Easy to install and maintain.
 Better performance: The star topology prevents the
passing of data packets through an excessive
number of nodes.
 Computers and devices can be added to or
removed from the network with little or no
disruption to the network.
 Reliable because each device connects directly to
the hub, if one device fails, only that device is
affected. A LEVEL ICT
957
Demerits of a Star Topology
 If the hub fails, the entire network fails
 Lots of cable required so that the installation
cost is expensive.
 Network size is limited by the number of
connections that can be made to the hub.
 Performance for the entire network depends on
the capabilities of the hub.
 Set up of the system can be very complex.
A LEVEL ICT
958
Mesh Topology
 A network topology in which at least each node
has two or more paths between them.
Cable
Workstation
A LEVEL ICT
959
Merits of Mesh Topology
 Data will always be delivered.
 All of the data that is transmitted between
nodes in the network takes the shortest path
between nodes.
 In the case of a failure or break in one of the
links, the data takes an alternate path to the
destination.
A LEVEL ICT
960
Demerits of Mesh Topology
 Mesh topology is generally too costly and complex
for practical networks, and very hard to setup.
 Lots of cable required so that the installation cost is
expensive.
 Network size is limited by the number of
interconnections that can be made between the
computers.
 It requires that the nodes of the network possess
some type of logical 'routing' algorithm to determine
the correct path to use at any particular time.
A LEVEL ICT
961
Tree Topology
 Tree network
topology is also
known as a the
hierarchical
network topology.
 This is because it
contains different
levels of
hierarchy.
A LEVEL ICT
962
Tree Topology
 The type of network topology in which a central 'root' node (the
top level of the hierarchy) is connected to one or more other
nodes that are one level lower in the hierarchy (i.e., the second
level),
 Each of the second level nodes will also have one or more other
nodes that are one level lower in the hierarchy (i.e., the third
level) connected to it.
 The hierarchy of the tree is symmetrical - Each node in the
network having a specific fixed number, of nodes connected to
it at the next lower level in the hierarchy.
 It usually has three layers: the core layer, the distribution layer
and the Access layer.
A LEVEL ICT
963
Hybrid Topology
 Hybrid Topology is a network that has two or
more different types of physical topologies
connected to each other to form a complete
network. There are many different
combinations that can be created such as bus
plus Star(tree).
 A hybrid topology is easier to connect to other
computers than some other topologies. Also
the hybrid topology has a faster connection.
Hybrid Topology

Factors to consider When
Choosing a Topology:
 Cost of installation. A linear bus network may
be the least expensive way to install a network;
you do not have to purchase concentrators.
 Number of computers and other devices to
connect/size of the organisation
 The architecture of the building to be used.
 The purpose of the network
 Distance of connectivity
 Safety provisions of the network
A LEVEL ICT
966
 Personnel provisions/technicalities involved
 Ease in accessing the network
 Length of cable needed. The linear bus network
uses shorter lengths of cable.
 Future growth. With a star topology, expanding
a network is easily done by adding another
concentrator.
 Cable type to use. The most common cable in
schools is unshielded twisted pair, which is
most
6/28/2021
often used with star topologies.
A LEVEL ICT
Logical topology (Media
Access Method)
Logical topology is how computing devices access
the network and send data over the network. The
logical topology of a network determines how the
devices communicate across the medium.
There are four commonly used media access
methods:
Ethernet,
Token Ring,
Local Talk, and
FDDI.
Ethernet
 Ethernet is a type of local area network
technology that uses coaxial cable or special
grades of twisted pair wires. Ethernet is also
used in wireless LANs.

Local talk
 Local talk was developed by Apple Computer,
Inc. for Macintosh computers and supports
transmissions at speeds of 230 Kbps (Kilobytes
per second).

Token Ring
 A network topology developed by IBM in which
computers access the network through token-
passing.
 A Token is a special packet that contains data

and acts as a messenger/carrier between each
computer and device on a ring topology.

FDDI (Fiber Distributed
Data Interface)
FDDI is a network topology that is used primarily
to interconnect two or more local area
networks, often over large distances.
 It uses fiber optics for speeds of up to 100
Mbps

Packet switching
This is a data transmission technique which
involves transmitting and routing of messages
by dividing the electronic message/data into
packet segments before being sent.

Circuit switching
 A method of communicating in which a dedicated
communications path referred to as a circuit or
channel is established between two devices through
one or more intermediate switching nodes before
communication between the devices takes place.
 digital data is sent as a continuous stream of bits on
a circuit.
 Each circuit that is dedicated cannot be used by
others on the network until the circuit is released and
a new connection is set up.
 The telephone system uses circuit switching.
NEXT TOPIC: ICT INDUSTRY
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 975

System administrating-
 System administrating- installs, configures and
maintains organizations network, and enforce
policies and procedures

Duties of system
administrator
 They ensure that the information technology and
telecommunications of the company work and run
smoothly.

 They assist other managers and executives in assessing
the short- and long-term goals of the company, and
subsequently recommend and implement technological
solutions for reaching those goals.

 They oversee such areas as software development,
network security, and Internet operations.
Web developing-
Web developing- specializes in the development
of a website including the design, structure and
layout

Database designing-
 Database designing- design databases for
companies to store their records.
Duties of a database administrator

 They come up with effective ways of storing, organizing, analyzing,
using and presenting this data,
 Database administrators are usually skilled in using database
management software, which helps them do their job more quickly and
efficiently.
 Some database administrators are charged with integrating data from
old, outdated computer systems to new, more efficient systems.
System analysis
 System analysis- plan, implement, modify or
coordinate systems, such as electronic data
processing, systems analysis, information
systems and computer programming to meet
users business needs.

Software engineering
Software engineering - developing software for
different companies.

Computer Repairing and
Maintenance
 Computer Repairing and Maintenance: This is a
person in charge fixing, installing, maintaining,
and repairing hardware; he also installs,
upgrades, and configures software and
troubleshoots hardware problems.

Network System Analysis
 Network System Analysis: A network system
analyst is an expert in the relationship between
computers and various networks, like local area
networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), the
Internet, intranets and other communications
systems.
 They design and implement these networks

according to their clients' specific business and
telecommunications needs.
983
Graphics designing
 A graphics designers creates visual
impressions of products and advertisements in
fields of graphics, theater, and fashion.

Computer science
 Computer science / IT instructors are in
demand now days especially as ICT has made
one of the critical subject and a component in
every course offered at any institution.

ICT related employment
 CD/DVD writing.
 Internet café attendant.
 Typing and photocopying.
 Mobile money agent.
 Computer vending and selling.
 Computer lab attendant.

NEXT UNIT: TRENDS IN
COMPUTING
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 987

Trends in computing.
1. Digital Forensics 11. Virtualization.
2. Cloud computing
3. Artificial Intelligence.
4. Green computing.
5. Cyber Security.
6. Automation. Advanced Robotics
7. Virtual Reality.
8. Expert system.
9. The Internet of Things (IoT)
10. Mobile
6/28/2021
Computing and Applications
A LEVEL ICT
Expert System.
 Expert systems are computer programmes that
essentially emulate the knowledge of human
experts skilled in a particular field. E.g.
geologist or a medical doctor they have both
textbook knowledge and tricks of trade that
expert requires after years of experience as a
result of the programmes that can be really
complicated
The Internet of Things
(IoT)
 The Internet of Things (IoT) is an emerging
movement of products with integrated Wi-Fi
and network connectivity abilities. Cars,
homes, appliances, and other products can
now connect to the Internet, making activities
around the home and on the road an enhanced
experience.

Robots.
 Is the field of study concerned with building
and developing robots. Robots are machines
that are used in factories and other businesses
and can be programmed to do more than one
task. Robots are used in the manufacturing
mainly to reduce costs and increase
productivity.

What is a Robot
 This is a machine resembling a human being
and able to replicate certain human movement
and functions automatically.

 Robot: A machine designed to execute one or
more tasks automatically with speed and
precision.

Why are robots used.
 Dangerous jobs - E.g. disposing of bombs, spray painting or
cleaning up nuclear waste. Note: these are all jobs that could
harm or kill a human.
 Exploring extreme environments- E.g. inside volcanoes,
planets or the depths of the ocean. Note: humans cannot visit
these environments due to lack of oxygen and high pressure
/ heat levels.
 Repetitive manufacturing jobs - E.g. production lines,
packing and welding etc.
 Note: these jobs can also be performed by humans but
robots can do them much faster and more efficiently.
 Moving heavy objects - E.g. installing large engines, moving
pallets of items etc. A LEVEL ICT
6/28/2021 993
Types of Robots
 An industrial robot.
These are used in factories to form certain assembly tasks.
 Perception robot
Some robots imitate human senses e.g. robot with
television camera or vision system and can be used for
guiding machine tools for inspecting products and for
identifying and sorting parts.
 Mobile robot
Some robots act as transporters e.g. mail mobile which
carry mails to offices following preprogrammed route.
Virtualization.
 Computer virtualization refers to the idea of
computer resources, such as the process of
running two or more logical computer systems
on one set of physical hardware.
 With virtualization, a system administrator
could combine several physical systems into
virtual machines on one single, powerful
system,
Digital forensics.
 Digital forensics (sometimes known as digital
forensic science) is a branch of investigative
science around material found in digital
devices, often in relation to computer crime for
example, hacking, cracking, spamming, e.t.c.

Branches of digital
forensics include
 Computer forensics
The goal of computer forensics is to explain the
current state of a digital object; such as a
computer system, storage medium or electronic
document.
 Mobile device forensics
Mobile device forensics is a sub-branch of digital
forensics relating to recovery of digital evidence
or data from a mobile device.
 Network forensics
Network forensics is concerned with the monitoring and
analysis of computer network traffic, both local and
WAN/internet, for the purposes of information gathering,
evidence collection, or crime detection. Traffic is usually
stopped at the packet level, and either stored for later
analysis or filtered in real-time.
 Database forensics
Database forensics is a branch of digital forensics relating
to the forensic study of databases and their metadata.
Investigations use database contents, log files and in-RAM
data to build a time-line or recover relevant information.
Mobile Computing and
Applications
Mobile phones, tablets, and other devices have
taken both the business world and the personal
realm by storm.
Mobile usage and the number of applications

generated have both skyrocketed in recent years

Cybersecurity
 Cybersecurity is the protection of computer
systems and its data from unauthorized access,
attack and damage. Well, most of us may think,
we have been doing this for years, what is
going to change in 2019 ? Actually, a lot of
things are going to change in this domain. It
can even be said that most of the changes have
been observable since 2018.

Virtual Reality
 Virtual reality (VR), sometimes referred to
as immersive multimedia, is a computer-
simulated environment that can simulate
physical presence in places in the real world or
imagined worlds. Virtual reality can recreate
sensory experiences, including virtual
taste, sight, smell, sound, touch, etc.

DIGITAL BROADCASTING
MIGRATION
 Digital Broadcasting Migration is a process in
which broadcasting services offered on the
traditional analog technology are replaced with
digital based networks over a specific period.
 The transition or switch from analog television

to digital television is referred to as the Digital
Migration.
Advantages of digitalizing
Uganda
 1. BETTER QUALITY TV
The digital broadcasting experience, enabled by a Set
Top Box (STB) connected to your analog TV set or
viewed via a digital TV set, offers a sharper, brighter
picture, with reduced "ghosting” and interference.
 2. MORE CHOICE
Digital signals take up much less bandwidth than the
analogue signals. That means we can broadcast up to
10 TV channels in the space currently used to carry one
-6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT
1004
 3. MORE ACCESS
Digital broadcasting will ensure TV viewers in Uganda
have improved television reception, particularly in
areas with poor signal strength.
 4. MORE SERVICES
Because digital signals use less bandwidth than
analogue signals, digital TV broadcasting will free up
spectrum for other uses that will ultimately benefit
Ugandans, e.g. wireless broadband, telephony, etc

5. VIEWING OPTIONS
Broadcasters will be able to incorporate special functions to the
viewing experience, such as audio description and subtitles for
those with hearing impairments, amongst others.
6. ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
Digital Migration will help reduce on the environmental impact of
broadcast infrastructure by the ability to use single broadcast
infrastructures with multiple broadcasters instead of independent
parallel networks.
7. JOB CREATION
Digital Migration will allow new business opportunities and more
players in the market, and in turn provide more jobs for Ugandans in
broadcasting and digital content-generation.
END: WISH YOU SUCCESS
6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 1007


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850/1 SUB ICT THEORY PAPER ONE

6/28/2021 A LEVEL ICT 1

COMPUTER STUDIES DEPARTMENT

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COMPUTER STUDIES DEPARTMENT

This technology can include the telephone,

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 Manages the operation of resources

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 To instruct computer system.

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 Data is raw facts and figures by its self it

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 E – Commerce is the general term used for

E-commerce activities have been divided into 3

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operations such as for laser eye surgery and

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 Computers help in calculating home grocery

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It can also be defined as

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Installing a program: This is the process of

You can start a program in various ways.

Using a shortcut icon.

Opening a file in a program

 Click Open from the file Menu or from the Office