2. Get your brains logged on! In your books write today’s title “Fundamentals of Computer Systems”. Write down your own definition of what is a computer system. What do you think are the key components of a computer system?
3. Get your brains logged on! At its very basic, a computer system nothing more than an input, a processor and an output. A system will usually have some storage capability, e.g. a hard drive. More often now a system will have a way of communicating with other devices, e.g. wifi, bluetooth, network adapter.
4. By the end of this lesson: All of you will be able to define a computer system and describe the importance of computer systems in today’s world. Most of you will be able to explain the need for reliability and adherence to professional standards, use and maintenance of computers systems. A few of you will understand the ethical, environmental and legal impacts of computer systems.
5. Importance of Computer Systems Computers are all around us and I’m not just talking about your desktop or laptop computer. Your “smartphone”, your games console, your ipad, even your Sky+ or freeview recorder is a computer system of sorts. Computer systems are integral parts of our lives. Working in pairs, list down in your books all the computer systems you or your parents use regularly.
7. System Reliability Go to: http://tinyurl.com/supermarketchaos Read through the web article and answer the following questions in your books: What caused the chaos? What impact did this have on the customers? What impact did this have on the supermarkets affected? How could the supermarkets have prevented or minimised the chaos?
8. Standards Without standards to adhere to we risk developing systems that are not compatible with each other. Would you be happy if your Nokia mobile could only call other Nokia mobiles? Standards also improve the quality of the computer system and its maintenance by ensuring that best practice is followed and people don’t cut corners.
Since we rely so much on technology there are huge problems when it goes wrong! If a supermarket checkout system goes down this could result in lost sales of thousands of pounds.However, if an automated system, like those onboard aircraft fails then it could end in disaster!
