Inside a Computer Laboratory - Lab Report Example

Inside a Computer Laboratory Introduction Computers have become omnipresent in every facet of human livelihood. Equipment that has computing power and a display unit is almost weightless and free that almost every object more sophisticated than a crowbar has at least some computing power and display unit to show and search its manufacturer’s operator manual and obtain upgrades. Most tools can offer in the very least some useful real-time feedback if not operate as autonomous units. Computers have the role of data processing to give some output or solution. In this ubiquitous aspect of computer technology, they have different uses and the use criteria varies with the individual situation. Some offer specialized functions such as transaction processing, discrete mathematics, statistical data analysis while others simply offer an internet connection. Additionally, computers can used for gaming and entertainment and developing software. Purchasing a laboratory or business PC can be sometimes a frightening experience and sometimes very confusing. When making the purchase, it is probable that you will have a general idea of what you may want in the PC and how you would like to make the configurations work for you. Computer systems as you may be aware consist of both software and hardware. The hardware components are tangible components of the system: main memory, CPU, peripherals such as monitor, video display etc. Software part is the set of instructions that define what the actions of the computer hardware (Alagar and Peryasammy 2011). Typically a computer requires both the system software In the process of purchasing it is important to that you ask yourself some questions regarding the computer specification. First, you need to list down how the computer is going to be used. Secondly the software that will be used can follow and here you determine whether any specialized functions are going to be used. In the case of a computer laboratory it is somehow straight forward since the functions that students can perform in the laboratory are listed. As such the definition of the required machine is well within the expected constraints. The computer laboratory needs computer workstations for use by the students. The department of ICT has bought the required machines are they settled on the described specifications here in. The ICT department decided to purchase Desktop PCs with the following specifications: Central processing unit AMD, Hard Drive Storage - 80 Gigabytes Random Access Memory - 4GB SDRAM Hard Disk Speed: (5400 RPM) Visual display unit -Graphics Card . Motherboard Monitor – Liquid crystal display. Operating System - Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit Desktop Case Optical Drive: DVD Reader and Writer Justifying the above selection. Central Processing unit (CPU) - AMD A highly effective processor assists the computer to function optimally. The CPU is the center or brain of the computer and it executes and controls the highest percentage of the work done by the PC. CPUs are majorly of two types; Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Intel processors and the procurement manager in the ICT department made the choice from the options. CPUs are commonly defined by their processing speed and power- gigahertz (GHz) or in megahertz (MHz) - and this directly refers to the number of commands and operations they can execute per second (Shiva 2007). The higher the processing speed value, the faster and more efficient the PC will perform and it follows that it will be more expensive. The most recent dual core CPUs have two processors embedded on a single chip and they operate more efficiently at lower speeds, for example, AMD’s Athlon X2 CPU and Intel’s Pentium family. Most recently more scalable and powerful processors that use a 64 Bit internal architecture, compared to the previous 32 Bit internal architecture models, have been deployed in the market. Computers built with a Dual-core CPU can perform comparatively faster than those using Mono-core processors, specifically when multitasking. It is therefore advisable to make the choice of computers with a Dual-core CPU (Shiva 2007). The Chart below lists the processors in terms of type and use. PROCESSOR TYPES IDEAL OPERATION Beginners choice AMD Sempron Intel Celeron D Office Applications Internet Browsing Basic graphics programs Home computing Medium Range Intel Pentium 4 AMD Opteron AMD Athlon (32 Bit) Educational Software Office applications Office applications Internet Browsing General multimedia applications Most optimal- High end AMD 64 x2 Xeon Intensive multimedia apps application Internet browsing.Office application Memory It is common knowledge that computers have memory, what is not common is that almost all electronic items that we use also have some form of memory. Some of the electronic equipment that use memory are; Mobile phones, Personal Digital Assistants, Vehicle radios, TVs, VCRs, etc. Besides being a form of electronic and data storage, memory is often referred to when identifying temporary and fast forms of data storage. It helps the Central Processing Unit in executing by avoiding the scenario that the CPU has to access the hard drives every now and then for every piece of data it needs. Information kept in the memory can be accessed more fast by the computer processor and hence speed. Internal Memory There are two types of internal memory Random access memory and Read only memory. Random access memory stores temporary, volatile, information that is used by the computer for data processing. Read only memory stores in permanent information that is used by the computer to power up and store its configuration settings. Every computer has a way to conduct the memory check and a formula to do memory management. Random Access Memory (RAM) The amount of RAM needed by a computer to run without delays and hanging varies with the functional and task requirements it handles. For the specified computers in the lab, they need about 4GB of Random Access memory.RAM is also termed as system or main memory. It is measured in Megabytes or Gigabytes which is more a more common measure in this day. The main memory has a significant impact on the reliability and performance of the computer system. Following the CPU, it is most likely the next single and most important component that influences the overall system performance. It is therefore recommended to have a memory capacity that is enough and in the case of the laboratory requirement, 4 Gigabytes RAM, is a good option (Sollish 2005). Read Only Memory The computer loads the settings from the (ROM) and does the (POST) power on self test to ensure that all main components are properly functioning. The memory controller is also part of the test and checks all memory addresses using an efficient and quick read/ write system command to ensure that there are no parity errors in the memory chips or cards. External Storage Hard Drives The hard drive or as often called- the hard drive- is the component that holds the programs, operating system and other system and user files. Hard drives can be evaluated in two ways; access speed in rotations per minute and storage capacity in gigabytes. Fig 1. Hard drive (external storage) They store all the information that the computer needs when in operation, and the larger they are in terms of capacity, the more files they can store. A hard drive storage capacity 80GB is recommended for the laboratory computers. This will confidently store the needed video and audio files for tutorials plus other space consuming programs can be installed in the computers. Hard Disk Performance The performance of the hard drive could be measured in various ways; seek time, head switch time, access time, data transfer rate and spindle speed. The hard drive spin is one thing to consider for on a hard disk. It is also termed as the spin speed and is measured in revolutions per minute (RPM). Workstation Desktops may work with slower hard drive- spin speed of 5400 RPM- since they need less processing power produce make less noise when in operation. A spin rate of 5400 RPM on a hard drive is likely to perform comparatively well for 95% of entray level computer users. In the computer laboratory, the estimate speed of 5400 RPM will suffice since a student will not need the power to edit large and complex audio and video which may, recommendable, that they use a 7500 RPM spin rate. This has the effect of decreasing the battery life and with a significant increase noise levels (Sambridge 1979). Fig. 2 computer memory hierarchy. Motherboard: It is indirectly or directly connected to every component in a computer. Its Front Side Bus capacity speed is a crucial indicator of a PC's speed and processing capability. The bi-directional bus , is the data interface, that carries all component electronic signals between the CPU and the components - Main Memory, Hard Disk, etc. Many computer models, for instance, the Dell Optilex 780, have a improved and faster Front side Buses, hence more processing speed. IN modern computer technology the fastest FSBs are available at speeds above 1 GHz and this particular model is equipped with this. Input/ Output Elements A basic computer connects to the external world around it in several different ways; ports, networking and input/output devices. Despite the power of the components in the computer, the user needs a way to interact with them. To/From the user Visual display unit is the primary device used to display information from the computer to the user. It outputs the processed information to the screen in a way that the user understands. It also performs the hybrid function of input since the user checks what they feed to the computer on the monitor before committing the changes. The mouse is primarily an input device and it helps in navigating the computer. Support Elements Graphics Card A computer’s graphics card takes the larger chunk of the visual display processing work away relieving the main processor. A better and more advanced graphics card unit(GPU) allows more details , resolution , and quality output to be displayed on screen. It can also achieve higher frame rates by having faster processing capability (Shiva 2007). Graphics Card solutions come into main basic varieties: dedicated and integrated. Integrated graphics card solutions usually share the installed system/ main memory with the main processor. They are also much cheaper to manufacture as compared to the option of dedicated GPU cards. A dedicated graphics card unit has its own video processing RAM-storage preinstalled, which is faster than main memory. The video card has its own dedicated memory storage and it leaves the operating system free to use all the rest installed standard main memory for other tasks. At this juncture, a card with DVI support is recommended for the operation. Monitor- Visual Display Unit The computer laboratory has procured the very comfortable Liquid crystal display type model Dell ™ Professional Flat Panel LCD Monitors. The model choice has been preferred since it has the below explained features that support an excellent viewer and user experience. Superb Viewing Area: 43 cm (17") viewable image size (VIS) and 1280x1024 maximum resolution, plus full-screen support for lower resolutions. Adjustable for Ergonomic Comfort: Tilt, swivel, raise or lower the P170S to fit virtually any viewing situation, including landscape or portrait formats- dependent upon graphics-card support (Howden and Noman 2005). The monitor model adheres to the high environmental standards set by ENERGY STAR® 5.0 in conjunction with EPEAT Gold standards. It comes with reduced-halogen construction it takes 26% less basic power use than the preceding model (Null and Labur 2006). Optical Device Here is the choice of optical drives: Combo Drives ( Read DVDs, Read and Write CDs) Super Drive (It can Read and Write CDs and DVDs) CD-ROM Drive Blu-Ray Drives (Can do all above as well as use new Blu-Ray Disks) The computer lab PCs should have a Super drive installed as a component. This enables the students to read and write CDs and DVDs as may be required during their assignments. Desktop Case A well designed desktop case can make it easier and can simplify maintenance tasks such as upgrading, servicing and components replace in a workplace. A good desktop case it one that can provide tool-less interior access; easy-to-slide-out trays for hard drives mounting, readily and well accessible memory card slots and USB ports, and color-labeled patch cables for internal and external device components. Minitower and tower designs are the most common cases that use ATX form factor. The ATX specification sets where the power and data connectors on the motherboard should be place to align with the opening in the case and it also covers details such as the power-supply cords and connectors. Slim profile systems and other smaller computers may use the Micro-ATX form factor, which follows the typical ATX specification but additionally includes fewer bus expansion slots. The Mini-ITX form factor is smaller still and the motherboards often appear in small workstations, where they give quiet and low-power consumption which makes these making these systems a great option for an entertainment home-theater PCs (Wolfgang 2010). A tower system or minitower desktop case has more flexibility in configuration, whether the students want to specify come up with optional components for the empty slots or leave space for future expansion. Therefore it is advisable that the computers have a minitower or tower system for the desktop case for more easy use by students and other laboratory users. Strategy to use when analyzing a computer’s suitability Making a list or inventory of the ordinary tasks that are planned for in using your PC is the first task on the beginning point. This list is intended to help you establish the usefulness of the computer to assisting you perform your taks. A typical list might include sending and receiving e-mail writing and printing papers surfing the internet creating graphs charts for coursework making computer drawings or art create and publish Website pages The above are common tasks that you and others may want to do the important tasks are those that you would like to do with most of the time. Second, consider the sort of applications software that are needed to perform the outlined everyday tasks. From the inventory of tasks, you can now determine, easily, what sort of software addition may be needed. In some instances, a PC purchase will come "preinstalled" with specific software programs; in others, you will have to buy the software as separate units. However, it is better to make quick decisions about the software applications first, before considering about the hardware. What Hardware Requirements are Needed for Your Software Once you have written down the specific applications you want, you now need to compare products from different vendors. The goal here is to find out which products and services meet your needs. There is also the issue that, each software application has as set of recommended system requirements. In other words, software development companies advise you on both the recommended and minimum specifications that a PC system should have to meet if you intend to use their product. Always ensure that your system meets in the very least the minimum requirements for using software that you need. If it does not meet the requirements it may not work optimally and sometimes at all. Standard recommended are normally higher, but meeting them means you can expect the software applications better with fewer troubles. For instance, an integrated software package from Microsoft, Microsoft Office (includes Microsoft Excel, Word, Access, Powerpoint, Outlook, Publisher, PhotoDraw and Frontpage) require a minimum of 128MB of RAM when in use with Windows 2000,Windows 7 or Windows Vista operating systems(Perricon 1984). Additionally, programs alone take up over 500 MB of hard disk space. A top up of 100 MB of disk space is needed as a reserve. This is used for temporary files when the program is running. Further recommendation is a CD or DVD drive for application installation and a video display unit with a minimum Super VGA resolution. The Implication of this is that you would need a machine with a minimum of approximately 256 MB of RAM, a CD-ROM drive, a hard drive with at least 1 GB and an SVGA video monitor. Considering your work habits is important. If you intend to use several applications on a single task or set of related tasks, you may want to have enough disk space and memory to support them all at the same time. You need to "measure" your system's requirements and match with the most demanding software application that you plan to use. You will have to increase the specifications accordingly if you plan to use several programs simultaneously. Conclusion The ubiquity nature of computer use in modern society has resulted to variations in the options available for us to use. Every manufacturer has several models of the same machine and as such it is important to be aware of the specification – computing power- of the PC you intend to use. In my research I have gained knowledge and I can attest that I am savvy in computer technology and use. References Alagar, V & Peryasammy, K 2011, Specification of software systems, Springer, London. Appleman, D & Ishida, S 2007, How computer programming works, Apress, New York. 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