NOVEMBER 11, 2023
FUNDAMENTALS OF COMPUTERS ASSIGNMENT 1
LAURA CHEPKOECH LANGAT
MICROSOFT ACCOUNT
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN ELECTRICAL AND
TELECOMMUNICATION ENGINEERING.
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Table of Contents
1. QUESTION
Notepad:
i) ............................................................................................................................................ 2
WordPad:
ii) .......................................................................................................................................... 2
MS
iii) Word (Microsoft Word): ......................................................................................................... 2
MS
iv) Publisher (Microsoft Publisher) ............................................................................................. 3
2. QUESTION
Microsoft
1) Word: ................................................................................................................................ 3
Microsoft
2) Excel: ................................................................................................................................ 3
Microsoft
3) PowerPoint: ...................................................................................................................... 4
Microsoft
4) Outlook: ............................................................................................................................ 4
Microsoft
5) Access: .............................................................................................................................. 4
Microsoft
6) OneNote ............................................................................................................................ 4
3. QUESTION
Processor
i) (CPU) Performance: ........................................................................................................ 4
Memory
ii) (RAM) Size and Speed: ....................................................................................................... 4
Storage
iii) Type and Speed:............................................................................................................... 5
Graphics
iv) Processing Unit (GPU): ................................................................................................ 5
Motherboard:
v) .................................................................................................................................... 5
4. QUESTION
i) Explanation of Memory
ii) Characteristics of Each Memory
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1. QUESTION 1
i) Notepad:
Main Features:
Simple and lightweight text editor.
Basic formatting options.
Limited features compared to more advanced word
. processors
Capabilities:
Suitable for quick note-taking and basic text editing.
Does not support advanced formatting or multimedia.
Areas of Application:
Quick text editing.
Writing simple scripts or. code
ii) WordPad:
Main Features:
More features than Notepad, but less advanced than full word processors.
Basic formatting tools (bold, italic, underline).
Supports images and some formatting options.
Capabilities:
Suitable for creating simple documents with basic formatting.
Limited functionality compared to more robust word
. processors
Areas of Application:
Creating basic letters, documents, and notes.
Light text formatting needs.
iii) MS Word (Microsoft Word):
Main Features
:
Comprehensive word processing software with advanced features.
Rich formatting options, styles, and templates.
Support for tables, images, charts, and advanced document layout.
Capabilities
:
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Ideal for creating professional documents, reports, and papers.
Collaboration features and integration with other Microsoft Office applications.
Areas of Application
:
Business documents, academic papers, reports, and more.
iv) MS Publisher (Microsoft Publisher)
Main Features
:
Desktop publishing software for creating publications.
Templates for brochures, newsletters, flyers, and more.
Advanced page layout and design. features
Capabilities
:
Designing and publishing marketing materials.
Creating visually appealing documents with precise layout
. control
Areas of Application
:
Brochures, newsletters, posters, and other promotional
. materials
Each
of these software options serves different purposes and caters to various levels of
complexity in text document preparation.
2. QUESTION 2
Here are six applications from the Microsoft Office suite, together with their categories,
application areas, and equivalent alternative software from different vendors:
1) Microsoft Word:
- Category: Word Processing
- Application Area(s)
: Document creation, editing, and formatting
.
- Alternative Software
: LibreOffice Writer, Google Docs
2) Microsoft Excel:
- Category
: Spreadsheet
- Application Area(s)
: Data analysis, calculation, and visualization.
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- Alternative Software
: Google Sheets, Apache OpenOffice Calc
3) Microsoft PowerPoint:
- Category: Presentation
- Application Area(s)
: Creating slideshows and presentations
.
- Alternative Software
: LibreOffice Impress, Google Slides
4) Microsoft Outlook:
- Category: Email and Calendar
- Application Area(s)
: Email management, scheduling, and communication
.
- Alternative Software
: Mozilla Thunderbird, eM Client
5) Microsoft Access:
- Category: Database Management
- Application Area(s)
: Creating and managing databases
.
- Alternative Software
: MySQL, FileMaker
6) Microsoft OneNote
- Category: Note-taking and Organization
- Application Area(s)
: Note-taking, information organization, and collaboration.
- Alternative Software
: Evernote, Notion
3. QUESTION 3.
i) Processor (CPU) Performance:
Clock Speed: Compare the clock speeds of the CPUs. A higher clock speed generally
indicates faster processing.
Number of Cores and Threads: More cores and threads can enhance multitasking and
parallel processing capabilities.
ii) Memory (RAM) Size and Speed:
Capacity: Compare the amount of RAM. Higher RAM capacity allows for better
multitasking and handling of large datasets.
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Speed (MHz): Faster RAM speeds can improve data transfer rates between the RAM and
the CPU.
iii) Storage Type and Speed:
Type of Storage (HDD, SSD): Solid State Drives (SSDs) are faster than Hard Disk Drives
(HDDs).
Read and Write Speeds: Higher read and write speeds contribute to faster data access.
iv) Graphics Processing Unit (GPU):
Dedicated GPU vs. Integrated GPU: A dedicated graphics card is essential for gaming
and graphic-intensive tasks.
GPU Memory: Consider the amount of video memory (VRAM) on the GPU.
v) Motherboard:
Expansion Slots: Check the availability and type of expansion slots for future upgrades.
Chipset Quality: Higher-quality chipsets can enhance overall system performance.
4. QUESTION 4
i) Explanation of Memory Hierarchy:
The memory hierarchy is organized into different levels, each serving a specific purpose,
to balance the trade-offs between speed, cost, and capacity. This hierarchy is designed to
optimize the overall performance of a computer system. The primary goals are to provide
fast access to frequently used data, manage the cost-effectiveness of memory storage, and
accommodate the varying speeds of different memory types. The rationale behind this
hierarchy is to exploit the principles of spatial and temporal locality:
Spatial Locality: Refers to the tendency of a computer to access memory locations that
are close to or near the location it has just accessed.
Temporal Locality: Refers to the tendency of a computer to access the same memory
locations repeatedly over a short period.
ii) Characteristics of Each Memory Level:
Level 0: CPU Registers:
Size: Very small, typically measured in kilobytes.
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Cost per Byte: Expensive due to being directly integrated into the CPU.
Access Speed: Extremely fast, measured in nanoseconds.
Level 1: Cache Memory:
Size: Small, ranging from tens of kilobytes to a few megabytes.
Cost per Byte: Expensive compared to main memory.
Access Speed: Very fast, measured in a few nanoseconds.
Level 2: Main Memory (RAM):
Size: Larger than cache memory, typically in gigabytes.
Cost per Byte: Less expensive than cache memory.
Access Speed:Faster than secondaryand tertiarymemory,measured
in tens of
nanoseconds.
Level 3: Magnetic Disks (Hard Disks):
Size: Much larger than main memory, often in terabytes.
Cost per Byte: Relatively inexpensive compared to RAM.
Access Speed: Slower than RAM, measured in milliseconds.
Level 4: Optical/Magnetic Disks or Magnetic Tapes (Tertiary Memory):
Size: Extremely large, ranging from hundreds of gigabytes to petabytes.
Cost per Byte: Less expensive than hard disks but slower.
Access Speed: The slowest in the hierarchy, measured in seconds.
Each
level of the memory hierarchy serves a specific purpose: registers and cache
provide ultra-fast access to small amounts of data, RAM provides fast access to
Larger amounts of data, and secondary and tertiary memory provide cost-effective
storage for large volumes of data, albeit with slower access times.
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