Help the student

Look at this diagram. This is the summary of the lecture on computers written by a slow student. The teacher was speaking too fast and the student couldn’t follow him. Help the student: listen to the text and complete the diagram.

Test “Computer Parts”

Look at the outline of a computer which you can see in the picture. What are the parts called? Choose one from each group underneath the picture.

1.		stamper	2.		case	3.		mowse	4.		writer
		sprinter			carton			mouse			letterboard
		printer			container			moues			keyboard
5.		mowse pad	6.		minotaur	7.		hard disk	8.		modem
		mouse mat			scream			floppy disk			modern
		mice base			monitor			fixed disk			internetter

Read and Guess

It is a large metal box. It contains a power supply, a system board, a processor and other devices. There is a “power” button on it. What is it?

Read and Guess

It is an input device. Its working elements are letter keys, punctuation keys, shift keys, tab and the spacebar. It also has many specialized keys. What is it?

Read and Guess

This device works by sliding it on a flat surface. It does not work if you hold it in the air. As you glide it, you can see the arrow on your screen. What is it?

Read and Guess

It displays text characters and graphics. It allows you to see the results of the work going on inside your system unit. What is it?

Read and Guess

It is inside the computer case. It stores digitally encoded data. It can be divided into several logical partitions with the names C, D, E and so on. What is it?

Read and Guess

This device helps us to listen to the music, to watch films or to install programs and games. We insert compact-discs in it. What is it?

Operating Systems

When computers were first introduced in 1940’s and 50’s, every program had to contain an additional set of instructions. They told the computer how to use hardware devices such as the printer, how to store information on a disc, as well as how to perform several other tasks not related to the program itself. Those programs were very complex and time-consuming. So, programmers developed one program to control the computer’s hardware, which other programs could use when they needed it. With that, the first operating system was born.

Today, operating systems control and manage the use of hardware devices such as the printer or mouse. They also provide disk management by letting you store information in files. The operating system also lets you run programs such as the basic word processor. Lastly, the operating system provides several of its own commands that help you to use the computer.

DOS is the most commonly used PC operating system. DOS is an abbreviation for “disk operating system”. DOS was developed by a company named Microsoft. MS-DOS is an abbreviation for “Microsoft DOS”. In 1981 IBM licensed DOS from Microsoft for use on the PC and called it PC-DOS. From the user’s perspective, PC-DOS and MS-DOS are the same, as they provide the same capabilities and commands.

OS/2 is a PC operating system created by IBM. The name stands for “operating system for the second-generation computers”. OS/2 is DOS compatible and provides a graphical user interface that lets you run programs with a click of a mouse. OS/2 performs best when you are using a powerful system. Many IBM-based PCs are shipped with OS/2 preinstalled.

UNIX is a multi-user operating system that allows multiple users to access the system. It was developed by Bell Labs. Traditionally, UNIX was run on larger mini-computers and users accessed the systems with the help of terminals and not PC's. UNIX allowed each user to simultaneously run the programs they desired. Unlike OS/2, UNIX is not DOS compatible. Most users would not purchase UNIX for their own use.

Windows XP is an operating system developed by Microsoft for use on general-purpose computer systems. The letters XP stand for “eXPerience”. Windows XP is known for its improved stability and efficiency over previous versions of Microsoft Windows. It presents a much redesigned graphical user interface. It is also the first version of Windows to use product activation to combat software piracy. Windows XP is the most popular user-oriented operating system with a friendly interface and multitasking capabilities.