IT THEORY SUMMARY GRADE 12

HARDWARE
Mobile technologies - Tablet
- Laptop & netbook o Larger version smartphone, run same OS and has same
o Complete comp in case w screen, keyboard, point device, tech w adv of larger screen for > productivity
wifi and bat to power dev when away from fixed power  Adv: larger screen, bigger keyboard, long bat life than
source laptop
o Netbook less powerful & cheap  Dis: mobile OS can’t run full desktop SW, (same
 Adv: powerful CPU, Full OS, expandable smartphone)
 Dis: Size, battery life, not always on - E-reader
- Smartphone o Single purpose dev design allow read e-books
o Mobile comp w OS but a large as cellphone, run apps and  Adv: cheap tablet/smartphone, lighter, longer battery,
easy read sunlight
sensors built in HW extend to multipurpose dev
 Dis: single purpose, can’t see in dim light, extra device carry
 Adv: always on, small, long bat life, convergence
 Dis: Mobile OS, input difficult, not easy add peripherals
- Advantages of mobility - Constraints on mobile technology

o Always on: always work in background, allow fast o Battery life
intuitive  Long operation = bigger battery = bigger dev
o Always connected: can always connect to Internet  More powerful dev = greater need elec = bigger
o Powerful: phone/tablet include CPUs almost good as bat
desktop comp
o Convergent: Trend where separate tech & functions from  Limited battery life:
mult dev are combined single multi-purpose dev 1. Always need carry chargers
o Mobile: not need to stay 1 place / attached to wired 2. Run out power daily
connections; wearable 3. Lim dev usage to conserve power
4. Trade comp pwr & pwr consumer

o Speed & availability of communication Factors influencing computer’s performance
 Poor cell recap.: phone/tablet can’t use calls, 1) CPU
data transfer, browsing ,’, red useful  Speed (GHz): bigger better, higher speed = CPU process more instruc
in same time
 Cores: single complete working CPU circuit, modern chips multi-core,
o Size contain more 1 core in single CPU
 Small & light = easy carry 2) Memory
 Bat & comp components use physical space ,’,  Bigger better
lim space available ,’, lim space for component &  Where comp keeps data & instructions working w
batteries  Memory fast
3) Cache
 Bigger is better
 Use lim faster media for faster access data/instruc store on slower
media
 Temporarily store recently accessed data/instruc on faster media
 Bigger cache = more data access from faster media
 Built into components, cant chng/upgrade w/out replacing
4) Storage 6) Graphics processing ability
 Low access time better  Graphics card perform relies:
 Access speed = average time take read/write data 1. Speed & no. of process cores on GPU chip
 Improve comp speed replacing mech hard drive w SSD 2. Speed & amount memory on card
 SSDs = expensive & smaller sizes 3. Speed of comm w motherboard
5) Network  Better graphics card improve speed when doing graphics-
 Higher network speed better intensive tasks
 Measured Mbps/Gbps 7) Bus performance
 Higher speed = more data transferred same amount time  Bigger is better
 Affects perform when lot computing work is connect to  Transfer data between CPU & other part occurs over various
comp/resrcs over net ‘buses’
 Only matter when put together fastest possible computer



- Hardware recommendations - System unit recommendations
o CPU: standard for personal & SOHO, pwr user need best
o Home/personal user: ltd office tasks e-mail, web browsing, social net, o Memory (RAM): more better for any user, pwr user need more
Skype , entertainment (casual gaming, music, movies) o HDD: Entertain user need largest, pwr user need RAID tech
(Redundant Array of Independent Disks" is a data storage
o SOHO (Small Office Home Office) describe smaller busines org & differ virtualization technology)
from large corp, some need workstation for design plans o SSDs: pwr user use as primary drive of comp
o DVD Drive: mainly for backward compatibility
o Entertainment users: music, videos, web browsing, social net, play
o Port: USB port for all users (USB 3 fast), network port for
casual games
connect to net. Firewire/thunderbolt high speed data
o Power users Users who need high-end comp spec for jobs/interests. connections
Need specific SW related to task & use most advance funct of SW