individual assignment

GROUP COURSE WORK ONE
SECTION ONE
Question one
Explain why it is essential to learn computers today and discuss several ways computers are integrated into our business and personal lives.
A computer is an electronic device that accepts data inform of input, processes it into meaningful information for human consumption, stores and displays it for end users.
Learning computers is essential today because of the need to be knowledgeable of how to operate it since computers form part of our lives in the activities we do daily for improved quality of work which every organization is aiming towards today thus they improve our efficiciency and productivity
It is again important to learn computers in order to be very competitive with the changing world of business today. Many organizations and firms today aim higher to suit tastes and preferences of their clients by extensively advertising their products in the media through the aid of computer work.
We learn computers today to improve work turn over to meet the ever increasing demand for goods and service by the population which had not been possible before their introduction as opposed to the contemporary world hence the fastest medium of communication rendering postal and telegraphic communication almost worthless.
It is further important to learn about computers because through computer your message or anything written or photographed can reach any part of the world using internet facilities.
Computer ensures consistent and error free processing of data. However it should be noted the error free processing is subject to correct feeding of data and correct programming.
Computers have been integrated into our business and personal lives in socially, economically, politically and educationally aspects as in the following scenarios.
Computers equip us with the knowledge of how to improve on the quality of our products to fit in the ever increasing competitive world through advertising in form of displays in television.
Computers improve our mode of communication within organizations and departments through electronic mails, video conferencing, skipping, electronic cash transfers in the banks and so forth which was not the case before the invention of computers hence has improved service delivery.
Computers have increased work out put in that work which was done in one week is now being done in three days time hence staff efficiency/productivity and save valuable time in any business and office.
In the military, computers have made a tremendous effort to improved intelligence network and targets have been hit correctly thus reducing on casualties and civilian population.
Computers have enabled research work easy in that result for suspected cases in diagnosing sickness have been detected easily and immediate responses are given to counter spread of diseases timely records of patients can easily be accessed.
In the business world, it is used in the preparation of payrolls, in recording accounts receivables, in keeping tracks or inventions such that errors are minimized and fraud cases are easily detected for smooth running of the organization and companies involved.
In homes where there is access to computers, they are used for managing home finances, preparing budgets, listening to music, watch videos and play games. One can also access online banking services and order for products online, chat with friends to mention if you have internet at home. One can also work from home without physically going to an office hence computers are being an integral part of our lives.
In the banks and insurance companies, computers are used to manage customer information related to their accounts and specific risks being insured respectively
In libraries, computers are used to keep records of resources purchased, books borrowed and books available hence speeding up service delivery to clients' thereby increasing satisfaction on the part of the users of these facilities.
In the supermarkets, computers are used for monitoring purpose, entering transaction details through a system called Transaction Processing System that takes note of daily transactions made by the supermarket. The system has an inventory management system that monitors stock levels and helps management make decisions on when to re-stock in case stock levels go low.
In education sector, computers have helped students comprehend basic and difficult concepts with aid of video and audio examples which had not been the case in the past and has made students to perform better especially in the institutions of higher learning.
Computers have generally improved our businesses and our personal lives by with increased efficiency and productivity at work place.

Question 2
Define a computer and describe its primary operations.
A computer is an electronic device that accepts data inform of input, analyses stores and displays it for end users.
An illustration of the primary functions of a computer.
Systems Boundary
Processing
Processing
InputsOutput
Inputs
Output
Feedback
Environment

Input.
Input involves capturing and assembling elements (data) that is entered in the system to be processed. In other words, inputs provide the system with what it needs to be able to operate. The input devices used commonly here include the keyboard where the user enters the data into the computer whereas the mouse is used for pointing and clicking interface for entering commands.
Processing
Processing involves the transformation of an input into an input. This point acts as the brain of the computer and this where commands and instructions and the controls of the computer are acted upon. The Central Processing Unit is the one at work most of the times.
Output
Output is the end result of the transformation of an input into an output. Output involves transferring elements that have been produced by a transformation process to their ultimate destination that is human readable. For example the result of a calculation might be displayed on the screen or sent to a printer.
System Boundary
This may be natural or artificially created for example; an organization's are artificially created. Every system has a boundary that separates it from the environment, for instance a cost accounting department's boundary can be expressed in the terms of who works in it and what work it does.
The environment
A system accepts inputs from the environment. The environment exerts a considerable influence on the behavior of a system; at the same time the system can do little to control the behavior of the environment.
Feedback
Feedback is referred to as control information generated by the system itself and involves comparison of actual results against the target or plan. It can be both positive and negative depending on what control action it initiates
Control system
This involves monitoring and evaluating feedback to determine whether the system is moving towards achieving of its goals.
Question 3
List some important milestones in computer evolution.
Computer evolution gives us the various stages through which the performance of the computer was being evaluated and improvements were made upon areas of weakness for efficiency and productivity.
It took about more than five stages (generations) to come up with fully compliant computers to use in the organizations and firms with a high level of efficiency and productivity most notably;
First generation (1946-1956)
This generation dealt with technological development or innovations. The computers were big in size which heavily relied on vacuum tubes.
This generation computers used great amounts of heat which resulted into overheating and failure of the machines.
The computers at this period of time used magnetic drum memories, punched cards for input and output and programming was done in machine and assembler languages.
This generation had its setbacks as limited primary memory, consumed great deal of power, was short lived and needed a standby technician.
Examples of computers in the first generation included: Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer invented by Dr. John Von Newman and Universal Automatic Computer.
Second Generation (1957-1963)
The second generation of computers relied on transistor technology thus used less power and did not get so hot quickly.
This set of computers involved the development of assembly or symbolic language for instructing the computers and development of high level language such as FORTRAN (1954) and COBOL (1959) allowed programmers to give more attention to solving problems as were relatively easy languages.
The use of transistors made them more stable and reliable than vacuum tubes hence they generated less heat and consumed less power.
The second generation computers included the NCR 501, IBM 7094 and CDC6600 Mainframe computers.
Third Generation (1964-1979)
The third generation computers used Integrated Circuits (IC) which was made by combining several transistors known as the silicon chip, which revolutionized electronics.
This period saw the development of magnetic disk for storage purpose since the memory had already increased to some level – two mega bytes of Random Access Memory.
The generation also saw the production of the first microcomputers (1974) and the speed of computers accelerated to five million instructions per second (5MIPS).
There was the introduction of simple programming languages like BASIC which made the computers highly reliable and popular.
The third generation computers consisted of fast mainframe computers such as IMB360, IBM370 and eight (8) microcomputers which were relatively cheap.
Fourth Generation (1979-1989)
The fourth generation computers used microprocessors, a chip which contains all the main electronic components of a computer.
This generation of computers made it possible for very large space integration achieved. This was done by combining thousands of transistors into a single chip.
The computers in this period used magnetic disks, bubble memories and optical speeds to 50 MIPS (million instructions per second) and the introduction of a wide range of software came into play. This made the faster fourth generation that included powerful mainframes such as IBM308, Amandah 580 as well as 16 bits and 32 microcomputers.
Firth generation
Computers in this generation have a very large scale microprocessor circuit in parallel architecture. At the same time, these computers have a highly sophisticated operating systems.
In conclusion, the above summarizes the major computer generations. It is also noted that computers are becoming increasingly smaller, more powerful and less expensive hence the factors of speed, cost, capacity (storage), heat (power), and adaptability to devices.
Question 4
Discuss the societal impact of computers, including some benefits and risks related to their prominence in our society.
The computers have made very tremendous impact on us and the society both positively and negatively. The following benefits have been in the society today.
Computers have made communication easy in that one is able to get feedback instantly from the computer itself inform of display on the monitor or from any other user within an organization or across the globe with the use of internet. Examples of such communication could be through electronic mail, video conferences and so forth.
Computers have eased our work in that, work which used to be done in a couple of weeks can now be in few days thus improving on efficiency and productivity. For example an information concerning details of students in the registry is just a click away from the user if the institution has data base.
The use of the computers have enabled the users to store a big volume of information hence it has reduced the keeping of hard copy files physically which in most times takes a lot of space. For example the various departments in an organization will just need a computer to have all the details stored instead of having several cabinets of files.
The use of computers has enabled improved monitoring and performance at work place with installation of CCTV cameras e.g. in a banks, supermarkets etc. the operator can check on all activities in the banking hall and act accordingly.
The technology associated with the use of computers has improved security at work place by regulating access to the public places and buildings since there are many cases of terrorism acts today in the world.
In the business world, there is a lot of online electronic commercialization going on with minimum physical involvement of either party. For example a customer in Uganda can order for his goods directly from China and pays for them on line and await their delivery at the port of his choice destination and saves on air ticket which he would have used.
In the governments and banks computers have helped in the process of preparing pay rolls, invoices and electronic fund transfers have made transactions quick and faster leaving stakeholders satisfied.
Much as computers have done a great deal on their own, they have actually employed a lot of information technology specialists in the society hence improving the standard of living through provision of employment opportunities which results to improved income levels in the society.
However, much as the computers have benefited the society, there are also societal risks associated with their usage as;
The continuous usage of computers has resulted into fatigue and strain on the use of mind and body. Many of such persons have complained of back problems and strains in their eyes.
Computers have equally caused unemployment to the users as some of the tasks to be performed by many people end up being done by a few as their labour may not be necessary with the presence of the computer which needs an operator.
Computer usage in this world of modernity has also resulted into emergency of hackers that can intrude into and access one's security login credentials (pass word) and access information easily hence impersonation results.

The evolution of computers has again resulted into creation of computer viruses, for example Trojan horses which are human -made soft ware programs created specifically to wreak havoc on personal computers and networks. The chance of contracting one of these viruses over the internet has increased dramatically leading to loss of data.
Lastly, computer evolution has resulted into lack of human creativity and laziness causing so much reliance onto computers even when the tasks at hand can be accomplished without necessarily using computers.

SECTION TWO
Qn1 a) Using examples distinguish between input and output devices
Input devices are devices that are used to enter data into a computer inform of sound, alphanumeric text, or images.
Examples of input devices include;
Mouse
Keyboard
Webcams
Digital camera
Microphones
Touchpad
Light pens
Joysticks
Etc.

While Output devices are devices that display the result of processed data carried out by a computer. The display may be in form of series or information that can be as a hard or soft copy.
Examples of output devices include;
Monitor
Printer
Speaker
Projectors
Etc.





b) Give at least three situations where computers are more appropriate than human beings?
More Storage Capacity than human beings
In situations where faster speed & time is needed in processing data (information)
Efficiency in terms of consuming many numbers & figures than human beings.
In situations of producing quality work past human level.
In case of multipurpose scenarios where man cannot handle a variety of issues/programs together or at the same time.

c) How has technology evolved and what are some of the emerging technologies in the world today?
The inception of the abacus as a computing device in china and Japan for use Before Christ (BC) was then the 1st evolution step as a technology.
The evolution of the logarithm tables by John Napier in 1614.
The slide rule developed by William Oughtred in 1620's backing the concept of the logarithms.
The early discovery-Mechanical Era that evolved as part of technology in the 17th Century by a French man, Blaise Pascal in 1647, using a mechanical Calculator.
And a German Mathematician G.W Leibniz who invented the Leibniz's stepped Rodconer a more effective calculator.
In the 19thC, there was the development of analytical engine which was able to combine arithmetic and process data on its own by Charles Babbage of England (1772 – 1871)
There was the development of weaving loom which stores programs using metal cards punched with holes by Jacquard.
The development of Hollerith's tabulator which used punched cards to store and tabulate data by Hollerith.
Finally there has been the development of the technological, electronic computer generations like

+ 1st + 4th
+ 2nd + 5th Generations
+ 3rd + 6th + 7th
Finally, all these stages of technology led to its evolution to the present day.


c) EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN THE WORLD TODAY
Information technologies i.e. passing, creating, storing & utilizing the information in its various forms.
Space technology (moon journey)
Building & engineering
War fare technology (Military/Artillery)
Aviation technology(Flight)
Nuclear technology
Hydro power technology.

Qn. 2 (a) is memory a necessary component for the computer's operation? Justify your answer
YES!
JUTIFICATION:
It consists of electronic components that store instructions waiting to be processed by the processor, data needed by those instructions & the results of the processed data. (Information)
What are some of the precautions a computer user should take to ensure that its daily use does not take a toll on his/her health?

Making sure power points are not over loaded to avoid fire outbreak.
Avoiding trailing cables as they can easily be tripped over causing injury and loss of data.
Taking regular breaks when working to avoid strain due to over/constant use of the mouse, or keyboard coupled with damaging of your eyes.
Avoid bad posture e.g. leaning forward or backward affecting the back in the long run.
Ensuring that the monitor is at eye level adjustable and have a foot rest.
Avoid eating or drinking over the keyboard to prevent liquids from being poured on the keyboard that leads to damage.

OTHERS
Use of an adjustable chair.
Adequately lit & well aerated computer room.
Computers be placed on a vibration free space.
Use of a mouse mat for the mouse for better use or easy movement.
Having an adjustable screen.
Use of a good keyboard.
Avoiding dusty heat, cold or moisture.

Computer networks are a necessary evil. Explain why they are important stating at least five services that run over the internet and the demerits of having your computer connected to a network
Importance of computer network
Improved response time by organization, especially in communication.
Support organizational decision making processes by overcoming geographical barriers.
Enable formation of strategic alliances for superior linkages with customers.
Generation of revenues using electronic commerce, for business growth.
Cost saving & over coming cost barriers (less expensive).
Attracts new customers via web marketing, advertising & own line sales which innovative products.
It uses the loyalty of existing customers by improved well customer & support or it fosters communication.
Overcoming structural barriers esp. in business.
Communication & collaboration using browser
Services
Surfing & browsing using the browser.
Electronic mails
Electronic chatting & discussions.
Electronic commerce.i.e.Buying & selling of goods electronically.
Down loads of software's information files.
Electronic conferencing to avoid long distance calls.
(Skype), video conferencing Telephone conferencing
Electronic entertainment (video)
E-banking/Electronic Fund Transfer) EFT (ATN for 24hrs 7 days, banking/direct deposit of pay cheques ),Personal computer banking , Electronic cheque payment
Electronic marketing/web marketing/line marketing, internet marketing
Marketing products/services worldwide.
Electronic Education & research using CD ROM, internet.

Demerits of using net work connected to a computer.
Security concerns esp. business involving finance transactions due to traders (unauthorized users)
Viruses: (a program that can replicates & damage computer
Created by hackers. (Multiplies)
Initial & maintenance costs high
Misunderstanding:-
(Misinterpretation of written texts especially email minus face to face contact.
Information quality & access being in consistent & accurate to potential clients in urgent need.
Tedious information search due to information overload.
Unreliability in network, especially. Wireless due to blockage of signals caused by blockage by heavy walls.
Compatibility:
Different technology companies make different networks that may not rime.

Question 3: How can a computer help in the following?
A client at a bank who wishes to withdraw money at an Auto Teller machine (ATM)
It gives direction/Instructions
Enables a client know the bank balances
Issues a mini statement (Receipt)
Voice prompt
Verification of ATM card whether fake
Display on the screen
Counting the monies
People in distant places to hold a video conference
Video Conference
Images viewed
Voice recording/expression (Audio)
Eases communication
Collaboration
Captures images & voices at once on record

C) Students to send an assignment as an attachment to their lecturer
Typing the assignment(Data input)
Data processing
Data outputs
Corrections/checks & balances (validation)
Creating attachment of files
Storage purposes
checking data consistence
Feed back
presence check of data existence
Preparation of data, and verification
Qn.4 Question four
What is the relevance of computing to your profession?
Used in banks/by bankers to:-
Manage customer information, esp. in banks,
Transfer of funds harnessed in banks
Record keeping, effectively
Storage of data due to the high capacity
Research
High speed in checking errors (checks & balances
Communication (multiple sys of communication) network
Management of inventory (stock)
Time saving
Convenient & simple to use
Collaboration (conferences)
Calculations accurately
Big volume of work produced
Consistent results being produced
Efficiency placed (quality)
Running costs lower
Room for automation (automatic)
Compared human beings
Over deconity can easily be raised to less human intervention
Management can easily obscene new information & upgrade accordingly
Improved customer service due to the efficiency & effectiveness of the computers.
Management of customers information on record storage and account opening
Checking balances aiding deposits and withdrawals by customers
Helps in the transfer of funds,computing,processing and storing information
Helps in the provision of on line services like mobile banking internet and bill payments, printing bank statements, and transfer of funds etc.

REFERENCES BOOKS AND AUTHORS:
ICT in Business
By J Sonny Nyeko and Musa Moya
Second edition.
Page: 4-5,9-10

Information and Communication Technology.
Computer Studies
By Katongole Godfrey Nkwenge
Third Edition.
Page: 8-16.

Basic Computing.
Students Handbook
Uganda Christian University.
September 2011.
Page: 3-11

Lecture notes.
By Mr. Oliver Tembo.

BASIC COMPUTINGPage 1