ICT

• Types of Computer Systems

  • Desktop Computers
  • Mobile Computers
  • Laptops
  • Smartphones
  • Tablets
  • Phablets
• Desktop Computers


  • Separate monitor, keyboard, mouse, and processor unit
  • Not very portable
• Uses of Desktop Computers

  • Office and business work
  • Educational use
  • General entertainment
  • Gaming device
• Advantages of Desktop Computers


  • Easier and less costly to upgrade and expand
  • Spare parts are standardized, which makes them cheaper
  • Better specifications for a given price
  • No critical power consumption because they plug into a wall socket
  • Less likely to be damaged or stolen due to fixed positions
  • More stable internet access due to wired connections
• Disadvantages of Desktop Computers


  • Not particularly portable because they are made up of separate components
  • More complicated because all the components need to be hooked up by wiring, which also clutters up the desk space
  • Files must be copied to another portable storage device to take work elsewhere
• Laptops


  • Monitor, keyboard, pointing device and processor are all together in one unit
  • Extremely portable, lightweight, low power consumption and heat output
• Uses of Laptops


  • Office and business work
  • Educational use
  • Gaming device
  • General entertainment
• Advantages of Laptops


  • Portability: all components are in a single unit, so they can be taken anywhere
  • No trailing wires and desk clutter
  • Take up much less room on a desk, so they can be easily used in public spaces
  • Portability allows them to take full advantage of Wi-Fi features
• Disadvantages of Laptops


  • Portability makes it easier for them to be stolen
  • Limited battery life means the user needs to carry a charger at all times
  • Keyboards and pointing devices may be awkward to use
  • Not easy to upgrade, like adding more RAM
• Smartphones


  • Allow normal phone calls, but also have an operating system allowing them to run computer applications
  • Communicate with the internet using Wi-Fi or 3G/4G/5G mobile phone networks
• Uses of Smartphones


  • Send/receive emails
  • Use a number of apps
  • Use a camera feature (to take photos or videos)
  • Use an MP3/4 player (for music and videos)
• Advantages of Smartphones


  • Very small in size and lightweight, makes them portable
  • Connecting to the internet while on the move
  • Can be used almost anywhere due to Wi-Fi and mobile phone networks
  • Have apps which can tell instant location
  • Reasonable battery life
• Disadvantages of Smartphones


  • Small screens and keyboards make pages difficult to read
  • More difficult and slower when typing things in
  • Web browsing and photography can quickly drain the battery
  • Memory size in most phones is not very large when compared to laptops and desktops
  • Not all website features are compatible with smartphone operating systems
  • Much easier to lose a smartphone or for it to be stolen compared to laptops or desktops
  • Data transfer rate using mobile phone networks can be slower than with Wi-Fi
• Tablets


  • Work similarly to a smartphone, but are somewhat bigger in size
• Uses of Tablets


  • Send/receive emails
  • Use a number of apps
  • Use a camera feature (to take photos or videos)
  • Use an MP3/4 player (for music and videos)
• Advantages of Tablets compared to Laptops

  • Very fast to switch on
  • Fully portable and lightweight
  • Touch screen technology makes them simple to use
  • Not much heat, they use solid-state technology
  • Longer battery life
  • Remain connected to the internet in standby mode
• Disadvantages of Tablets compared to Laptops

  • Tend to be rather expensive
  • Often have limited memory/storage
  • Typing on a touch screen can be slow and error-prone
  • Support fewer file formats
• Phablets


  • Hybrid between a tablet and a smartphone, with much larger screens than a smartphone but smaller than a tablet
• Uses of Phablets


  • Entertainment (streaming of music, videos, and television programs)
  • Gaming (including group games)
  • As a camera or video camera
  • Internet use (online sales, social networks, using QR codes, and so on)
  • Sending/receiving emails
  • Global positioning system (use of maps to navigate to a location)
  • Calendar functions
  • Telephone banking (sending and receiving money using banking apps)
  • Voice over Internet Protocol: telephone network using the internet, which also allows video calling
  • Instant access to social networks
  • Instant messaging
  • Office and business management
  • Education use
  • Remotely control devices
• Laptops are the most expandable, while smartphones are the most portable. Tablets and phablets fall somewhere in between, offering a balance of portability and expandability.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)


  A machine or application which carries out a task that requires some degree of intelligence, such as using language, recognizing faces, operating machinery, and analyzing data to predict outcomes
• Everyday uses of AI include autonomous (driverless) vehicles, driverless trains, and airplane autopilots.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)


  A machine or application which carries out a task that requires some degree of intelligence
• Everyday uses of AI

  • Autonomous (driverless) vehicle
  • Robotic research to help amputees and people with disabilities
  • Robots to help carry out dangerous or unpleasant tasks
• Negative impacts of AI

  • Unemployment
  • Dependency on technology
  • De-skilling
• Extended reality


  Real and virtual combined environments
• Augmented reality (AR)


  A merger between the virtual and physical (real) world; it lays objects onto pre-existing objects
• Virtual reality (VR)


  Enables an entirely new world to be created, unlike AR, which has no link to the actual surroundings of the user
• Input device


  Any hardware device that allows a user to enter data or instructions into a computer directly
• An input device can send data to another device, but it cannot receive data from another device
• Input devices are necessary for a computer to receive commands from its users and data to process
• Input devices


  • Keyboards
  • Numeric keypads
  • Mouse
  • Touchpad
  • Tracker ball
  • Remote Control
  • Joysticks
  • Driving wheel
  • Touch screen
  • Scanners
  • Digital Cameras
  • Microphones
  • Sensors
  • Light pens
• Keyboards


  • Fast entry of new text into a document
  • Well-known method
  • Easy to use for most people
  • Easier to do verification checks as data is entered
• Numeric keypads


  • Faster than standard keyboards when entering numeric data
  • Small devices, very easy to carry around
• Mouse


  • Faster method for choosing an option than a keyboard
  • Very quick way of navigating through applications and the internet
  • Does not need a large desk area when compared to a keyboard
• Touchpad


  • Faster than a keyboard for choosing options
  • Used to navigate applications and the internet
  • Integrated into the laptop computer, no need for a separate mouse
• Tracker ball


  • Does not need the same fine control as a mouse
  • Easier to use than a mouse if the operator has problems with their wrist
  • More accurately position the pointer on the screen
  • More robust than a mouse
  • Needs less desk space than a mouse or keyboard
• Remote Control


  • Can be operated from any reasonable distance
  • Can control and measure from safe distances in hazardous environments
• Joysticks


  • Easier than keyboards for screen navigation
  • More realistic control in some applications than using a mouse
• Driving wheel


  • More realistic experience than both mouse and joystick
  • Easier than a keyboard or joystick to control steering movements