Friday, October 26, 2007
Assignment 1: Module B- Operating system reveiw
There are many different kinds of operating systems floating around out there, but theres one that stands out, it creates the most controversy, it has more ups and downs then a rollar coaster, and has one sexy interface. It’s goes by the name of Windows Vista, and it’s here to show us just what 5 years of "innovative" (Cough) research and programming can offer. Created by Microsoft, it was originally known by it’s code name "Longhorn". The upgrade was made for a number of reasons, and came with literally hundreds of reworked, updated and new features. Among the updated programs was an improved search engine (Named "Instant-Search" for it’s ability to search while typing), better peer-to-peer file sharing, (Mostly in the context of cameras, Xbox 360’s etc) and signifigantly increased internet security (Which was one of the largest flaws in Windows XP). New features include the completely redesigned graphic interface, dubbed "Aero" (Authentic, energetic, reflective, open), and Windows DVD Maker. Windows Vista allows the user to run Windows Vista only games and programs, increase the old 16GB of RAM maximum for Windows XP to a blistering fast 64GB RAM (Not that anyone could afford that much RAM, or need it, for that matter. Also, a number of hacks and custom retrofitting allowed a Windows XP to run up to 64GB of RAM), and with the upgraded OS graphics, the user is also able to pan out all of his or her current open windows, allowing them to see a small part of each page. Not particularly useful, but it does look nice. However, all of this eyecandy comes at a high price, the Windows Vista Ultimate’s Aero interface is incredibly taxing on a computers processes, and requires a minimum of 1GB of RAM to run, among other requirements. Not only that, but, excluding the ability to run Vista-only applications, any Windows XP user can download (For free) an Aero-esque look for their computer, including the semi-transparent page and the sidebar (Which holds a number of features, such as current weather and sport scores ect). It has also been criticized for it’s attempt at blocking the copying (AKA bootlegging) of digital media and it’s lack of drivers that are compatible with old peripherals. Not only that, but Apples new program "Parallel Interface" allows any Mac to run a Windows OS while simultaneously running the Mac’s OS too, this will soon be followed by a Windows-compatible version of Parallel Interface, allowing a Mac OS to be run on a normally Windows OS computer. However, there is a silver lining in this for Microsoft, Steve Jobs obsession for keeping everything about Apple exclusive to Mac’s means that the Mac OS that works with Parallel Interface will be purposfully crippled in order to keep Mac users from completely switching to standar Microsoft computers. While this OS is certainly a step up from previous versions (Windows ME coming to mind), it doesn’t really seem like a large enough jump for five years of programming, and the features that make it "unique" are available free off the internet, or, alternatively, will set you back $400 for Windows Vista Ultimate, the cheapest version of the Vista OS that is equipped with Aero. For the billions of dollars they probably invested in this, it just really doesn’t match up to Mac’s OSX Tiger, which is cheaper, more reliable, and had many of the "new" features that Vista now has years ago. By the time the new Mac OS comes out, (OSX Leapord) will probably have a decent following, however, I can honestly say the Leapord will probably trump Vista in most, if not all, areas.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Lab log #3
Question 3:
There are literally an infinite amount of arguments that could be waged over this. You have your over-bearing mothers who think that what would be better then no storage space would be no computer in the first place (And they also probably wouldn’t know which computer part is a storage device in the first place, barring it coming up and biting them in the butt). Then you have the nerds who think a terabyte is hardly enough to run solitaire on. But really, in reality, it’s not a question of how much we need, it’s a matter of if we need it in the first place (This follwing bit essentially goes against everything I love about computers, also known as shooting myself in the foot). We got on just fine without computers. Oh sure, they’ve certainly been helpful, but they don’t provide sustinence, (Unless you shop online) nor are they able to provide the pleasurable company which we require to procreate. Assuming we actually needed a computer though, there is no true answer to the stated question. Everyone has their own specific needs, one person might just have it to write reports on, another might need a couple terabytes of memory because they have a massive gaming rig, and don’t forget that companys need literally hundreds or even thousands of terabytes to play host to all of the information that they need to store. In truth, most people have more computer memory then they’ll ever use, therefore, we long ago surpassed the minimum requirement that the average consumer would need for their personal computer.
Question 4:
When you send a company your personal information, it should remain confidential. The less eyes that see it, the better. Now, some people may just not care, but most of the human populace would probably get the creeps if they found out that any random person could be looking at their personal files. Some have secrets to hide, others may be worried about their personal information being used against them, mabye others are just simply shy (In a sense). However, if theres one thing that’s worse then letting others see your personal documents, it’s selling them to the highest bidder. While this may not seem as bad, taking into account that less people will look at them, learning that people are profiting off your secrets would be nerve-racking enough, never mind worrying about who’s hands they’re in. There is no reason why a company shoul give away it’s clients peronsal files, for free or not.
I could let you see my personal files, but then I would have to kill you.
There are literally an infinite amount of arguments that could be waged over this. You have your over-bearing mothers who think that what would be better then no storage space would be no computer in the first place (And they also probably wouldn’t know which computer part is a storage device in the first place, barring it coming up and biting them in the butt). Then you have the nerds who think a terabyte is hardly enough to run solitaire on. But really, in reality, it’s not a question of how much we need, it’s a matter of if we need it in the first place (This follwing bit essentially goes against everything I love about computers, also known as shooting myself in the foot). We got on just fine without computers. Oh sure, they’ve certainly been helpful, but they don’t provide sustinence, (Unless you shop online) nor are they able to provide the pleasurable company which we require to procreate. Assuming we actually needed a computer though, there is no true answer to the stated question. Everyone has their own specific needs, one person might just have it to write reports on, another might need a couple terabytes of memory because they have a massive gaming rig, and don’t forget that companys need literally hundreds or even thousands of terabytes to play host to all of the information that they need to store. In truth, most people have more computer memory then they’ll ever use, therefore, we long ago surpassed the minimum requirement that the average consumer would need for their personal computer.
Question 4:
When you send a company your personal information, it should remain confidential. The less eyes that see it, the better. Now, some people may just not care, but most of the human populace would probably get the creeps if they found out that any random person could be looking at their personal files. Some have secrets to hide, others may be worried about their personal information being used against them, mabye others are just simply shy (In a sense). However, if theres one thing that’s worse then letting others see your personal documents, it’s selling them to the highest bidder. While this may not seem as bad, taking into account that less people will look at them, learning that people are profiting off your secrets would be nerve-racking enough, never mind worrying about who’s hands they’re in. There is no reason why a company shoul give away it’s clients peronsal files, for free or not.
I could let you see my personal files, but then I would have to kill you.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Computer components
Price
Resolution
Display Quality
S-Video (Separate Video)
$15
480i and 576i
When used in conjunction with a component cable, is capable of 576p, 760p, 1080i, and 1080p.
Just S-Video- Good
With DVI component- High (It isn’t designed to handle high-def video(s))
DVI (Digital Visual Interface)
$50
576p, 760p, 1080p, 1080i
Very high, currently only topped by HDMI.
RGB (Red, Green, Blue) (Analog)
A.K.A. RGBA (Red, Green, Blue, Alpha)
$25
1080p
Fairly high
Pros
Cons
S-video
Flexible, able to have multiple resolutions. Capable of "Hot Swapping". (Able to be dis/re- connected while device is on)
Requires separate cable for sound. Resolutions other then standard 480i and 576i are inferior to a component that is designed for the higher resolutions.
DVI
High quality image. Can be used in part with HDMI. Since only one cable is needed to produce RGB colours, the information is transferred faster, this makes the image significantly
Expensive. Tech-savvy friends may drool on your high-def screen in wonder. HDMI component has a higher resolution then HDMI
RGB
If it is a SCART RGB display, the image is better then a standard S-Video image. Still used almost universally for computer monitors. (SCART is used for computer monitors) With SCART being used, it can handle both S-Video and RGB components.
Many different world wide standards mean that it lacks universal usage. SCART is rare outside of Europe. In order to maintain colour consistency during a movie etc. it must be routinely calibrated, this increases the likely hood of it being damaged by reducing its gamut. SCART is incapable of running both S-Video and RGB at the same time. Even with SCART it is incapable of producing images of other components (Excluding S-video) such as YpbPr. "Hot-swapping" runs the risk of damaging the device.
Resolution
Display Quality
S-Video (Separate Video)
$15
480i and 576i
When used in conjunction with a component cable, is capable of 576p, 760p, 1080i, and 1080p.
Just S-Video- Good
With DVI component- High (It isn’t designed to handle high-def video(s))
DVI (Digital Visual Interface)
$50
576p, 760p, 1080p, 1080i
Very high, currently only topped by HDMI.
RGB (Red, Green, Blue) (Analog)
A.K.A. RGBA (Red, Green, Blue, Alpha)
$25
1080p
Fairly high
Pros
Cons
S-video
Flexible, able to have multiple resolutions. Capable of "Hot Swapping". (Able to be dis/re- connected while device is on)
Requires separate cable for sound. Resolutions other then standard 480i and 576i are inferior to a component that is designed for the higher resolutions.
DVI
High quality image. Can be used in part with HDMI. Since only one cable is needed to produce RGB colours, the information is transferred faster, this makes the image significantly
Expensive. Tech-savvy friends may drool on your high-def screen in wonder. HDMI component has a higher resolution then HDMI
RGB
If it is a SCART RGB display, the image is better then a standard S-Video image. Still used almost universally for computer monitors. (SCART is used for computer monitors) With SCART being used, it can handle both S-Video and RGB components.
Many different world wide standards mean that it lacks universal usage. SCART is rare outside of Europe. In order to maintain colour consistency during a movie etc. it must be routinely calibrated, this increases the likely hood of it being damaged by reducing its gamut. SCART is incapable of running both S-Video and RGB at the same time. Even with SCART it is incapable of producing images of other components (Excluding S-video) such as YpbPr. "Hot-swapping" runs the risk of damaging the device.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Computer Questions
Describe electricity.
Scientist’s definition: Electricity is only used to describe the process in which protons and neutrons produce a charge. I.E. Current/Quantity/Coulombs of electricity.
2. Standard definition: Electricity is the electromagnetic field that is given off by such things as generator and batteries.
3. School definition: The flow of charged electrons through a wire/circuit.
4. Other definition: Electricity refers to the imbalance of the number of protons and electrons.
What is a conductor? What is an insulator?
Conductors are materials that contain moving/movable positive and negative charges of energy. When the electrical potential difference is forced upon different parts of a conductor, the electrical charges inside of the conductors are forced to move. This creates an electrical difference, and an electric current between the two points appears according to Ohm’s law. In layman’s terms, A conductor is a material that actively conducts heat and electricity among other energies. They can also be used to transmit heat and/or electricity.
An insulator is a material that disallows an electrical current from running through it. The most common insulators are made of glass or rubber.
Describe voltage and how it works.
Voltage is a measure of the electrical potential. It can be kept track of by using a voltmeter that is running parallel to the main circuit. Voltage works by "pushing" a current through a circuit, the more voltage, the stronger the current.
What are the two internal voltages most commonly used by PC components?
Define current.
Current is the flow of electricity through a conductor, and is measured in Amperes (A).
What is the 1-10-100 rule?
The 1-10-100 rule is an example of how prevention of an accident is much easier then fixing the problem after it has occurred. For example, a company could spend one dollar to prevent an accident, or it could spend ten to rectify it after it occurs. And if the company didn’t fix the problem before they gave a customer the item with the problem, the cost would be 100 times more then if they had just prevented it in the first place.
How do you calculate the amount current running through a circuit?
Current (I)=Power (Watts) / Voltage (Volts)
I=P/V
Explain the differences between AC and DC.
The difference between the two is how the electricity flows. DC current works by placing an object that creates a magnetic field (I.E. magnet) beside a strip of wire. This forces the electrons to flow in one direction, since they’re negative charges are repelled by the negative end of the magnet and attracted by the polar opposite, also known as the positive end. This created an electric current, and a Directional Current (DC) was made, DC current was originally discovered by Thomas Edison. Nicholas Tesla invented AC (Alternating Current) current. The main difference between the two is that AC travels farther with less power loss and the power output can be manipulated. This is accomplished by spinning the magnet instead of leaving motionless.
Describe the human body's resistance capability.
The human body’s resistance capabilities vary wildly depending on the conditions of when an electrical shock is endured. For example, assuming the skin is clean and free of residue its conductivity is drastically reduced, so much so that a human can survive 20,000 volts of electricity. In tests in which scientists sprinkled water on a hand to simulate sweat, the body was susceptible to a much smaller amount of power, roughly 240V.
List 5 safety precautions you can take to avoid an electric shock.
Keep your skin dry and clean, the less residue on it, the higher your resistance will be.
Avoid using any electrical device near or in water.
Wear anti-shock gloves when handling potentially dangerous electrical devices or materials.
Try not to rub your feet on material such as carpet etc.
Turn off a device before unplugging it.
List 5 ways to prevent static build-up.
Make sure the area doesn’t get too dry, if it does, it becomes much easier for a static charge to build up.
You can buy anti-static bags etc. However, they are expensive.
Use dryer balls when drying your laundry, they absorb and dissipate the electric charge.
Avoid shuffling your feet, especially on carpet.
Don’t touch an electrode.
List 5 ways to prevent static discharge.
Rap your knuckles on a surface before touching it, it will release the static charge, but it won’t hurt as much as if it had left through your more sensitive fingers.
Wear leather shoes; in order to ground yourself.
Carry a coin and use it to test for a static charge.
Wear a metal thimble, it works best if it is contact with your skin.
If you regularly shock yourself, you can go one step further and wear a wristband with a wire that is attached to an electrical ground. With this on, the body is incapable of building up a charge.
Describe at least two components found in an ESD-prevention kit.
There are 2 wrist straps, 1 ground cord, 1 static-dissipating mat, 3 bauer bags, and three type II pouches.
What is the job of the PC power supply (besides delivering power)?
It also has a power surge protector to help prevent damage to the computer’s internal parts in the case of a power surge.
What are specific power supply requirements for: a motherboard, memory, CPU, hard drive, CD-ROM drive, and floppy drive? For which component of the PC does the Power_Good (or Power_OK) signal indicate? And why is it an essential part of the diagnostic start-up test?
Outline the differences between a Molex, Berg, and ATA power connector. What are they used for?
Molex: A term for "Pin and Socket" interconnection, it’s most usually used as a disk drive connector. First produced by Molex products company, it’s two-piece design eventually became an early computer industry standard. Originally used for home appliances, other companies and industries began integrating it into their machines. This included vehicles, mini computers, and even vending machines. This connector worked by using cylindrical spring metal pins that were made to fit into similarly shaped sockets. They typically had 2,3,4,5,6,9,12, or 15 circuits. A .062 pin is capable of carrying a maximum of 5 Amperes of current, while a .093 pin is able to carry 8.5 Amps.
Berg: The Berg connector is a type of electrical connector that is utilized in certain types of computer hardware. Manufactured by the "Berg Electronic Corporation" that’s based in St. Louis. There are many different kinds of berg connectors, the most familiar ones being the 4-pin berg, which is used to connect the floppy disc to the power supply. The next one is the 2-pin berg, which is used to connect the front panel lights, turbo switch, and the reset button to the computer’s mother board. Finally, there’s other 2-pin Berg, which is used as a jumper for a motherboard’s configuration.
ATA: Made mostly for the transfer of critical information between a computer and storage device, it features smaller wires that increase the wind flow, faster information transfer, the ability to hot swap, and improved
reliability
What are the two internal voltages most commonly used by PC components.
The average wattage used by personal computer components are 200W to 500W.
What is the relationship between electrical power and energy?
Electric power is measured at the rate which an electric current is sent through an electric circuit. This electricity is then used (Transformed) to produce varying forms of energy, including heat, light, and sound energy.
What are resistance and impedance and how are they different?
Resistance is a way of mesuring how much a given material will oppose and electrical current running through it, while impedance details a mesure of electrical opposition to a alternating current (AC). Impedance essentially expands on the theory of electrical resistance for an AC current, while resistence cover both AC and DC.
What are specific power supply requirements for: a motherboard, memory, CPU, hard drive, CD-ROM drive, and floppy drive?
A motherboard needs about 15-30 W of power, a mid-range CPU requires about 60 Watts, a RAM stick needs 7W for every 128 MB, an IDE hard drive needs 20 Watts, a CD-ROM needs about 15 watts, and a floppy drive needs 10 watts.
Scientist’s definition: Electricity is only used to describe the process in which protons and neutrons produce a charge. I.E. Current/Quantity/Coulombs of electricity.
2. Standard definition: Electricity is the electromagnetic field that is given off by such things as generator and batteries.
3. School definition: The flow of charged electrons through a wire/circuit.
4. Other definition: Electricity refers to the imbalance of the number of protons and electrons.
What is a conductor? What is an insulator?
Conductors are materials that contain moving/movable positive and negative charges of energy. When the electrical potential difference is forced upon different parts of a conductor, the electrical charges inside of the conductors are forced to move. This creates an electrical difference, and an electric current between the two points appears according to Ohm’s law. In layman’s terms, A conductor is a material that actively conducts heat and electricity among other energies. They can also be used to transmit heat and/or electricity.
An insulator is a material that disallows an electrical current from running through it. The most common insulators are made of glass or rubber.
Describe voltage and how it works.
Voltage is a measure of the electrical potential. It can be kept track of by using a voltmeter that is running parallel to the main circuit. Voltage works by "pushing" a current through a circuit, the more voltage, the stronger the current.
What are the two internal voltages most commonly used by PC components?
Define current.
Current is the flow of electricity through a conductor, and is measured in Amperes (A).
What is the 1-10-100 rule?
The 1-10-100 rule is an example of how prevention of an accident is much easier then fixing the problem after it has occurred. For example, a company could spend one dollar to prevent an accident, or it could spend ten to rectify it after it occurs. And if the company didn’t fix the problem before they gave a customer the item with the problem, the cost would be 100 times more then if they had just prevented it in the first place.
How do you calculate the amount current running through a circuit?
Current (I)=Power (Watts) / Voltage (Volts)
I=P/V
Explain the differences between AC and DC.
The difference between the two is how the electricity flows. DC current works by placing an object that creates a magnetic field (I.E. magnet) beside a strip of wire. This forces the electrons to flow in one direction, since they’re negative charges are repelled by the negative end of the magnet and attracted by the polar opposite, also known as the positive end. This created an electric current, and a Directional Current (DC) was made, DC current was originally discovered by Thomas Edison. Nicholas Tesla invented AC (Alternating Current) current. The main difference between the two is that AC travels farther with less power loss and the power output can be manipulated. This is accomplished by spinning the magnet instead of leaving motionless.
Describe the human body's resistance capability.
The human body’s resistance capabilities vary wildly depending on the conditions of when an electrical shock is endured. For example, assuming the skin is clean and free of residue its conductivity is drastically reduced, so much so that a human can survive 20,000 volts of electricity. In tests in which scientists sprinkled water on a hand to simulate sweat, the body was susceptible to a much smaller amount of power, roughly 240V.
List 5 safety precautions you can take to avoid an electric shock.
Keep your skin dry and clean, the less residue on it, the higher your resistance will be.
Avoid using any electrical device near or in water.
Wear anti-shock gloves when handling potentially dangerous electrical devices or materials.
Try not to rub your feet on material such as carpet etc.
Turn off a device before unplugging it.
List 5 ways to prevent static build-up.
Make sure the area doesn’t get too dry, if it does, it becomes much easier for a static charge to build up.
You can buy anti-static bags etc. However, they are expensive.
Use dryer balls when drying your laundry, they absorb and dissipate the electric charge.
Avoid shuffling your feet, especially on carpet.
Don’t touch an electrode.
List 5 ways to prevent static discharge.
Rap your knuckles on a surface before touching it, it will release the static charge, but it won’t hurt as much as if it had left through your more sensitive fingers.
Wear leather shoes; in order to ground yourself.
Carry a coin and use it to test for a static charge.
Wear a metal thimble, it works best if it is contact with your skin.
If you regularly shock yourself, you can go one step further and wear a wristband with a wire that is attached to an electrical ground. With this on, the body is incapable of building up a charge.
Describe at least two components found in an ESD-prevention kit.
There are 2 wrist straps, 1 ground cord, 1 static-dissipating mat, 3 bauer bags, and three type II pouches.
What is the job of the PC power supply (besides delivering power)?
It also has a power surge protector to help prevent damage to the computer’s internal parts in the case of a power surge.
What are specific power supply requirements for: a motherboard, memory, CPU, hard drive, CD-ROM drive, and floppy drive? For which component of the PC does the Power_Good (or Power_OK) signal indicate? And why is it an essential part of the diagnostic start-up test?
Outline the differences between a Molex, Berg, and ATA power connector. What are they used for?
Molex: A term for "Pin and Socket" interconnection, it’s most usually used as a disk drive connector. First produced by Molex products company, it’s two-piece design eventually became an early computer industry standard. Originally used for home appliances, other companies and industries began integrating it into their machines. This included vehicles, mini computers, and even vending machines. This connector worked by using cylindrical spring metal pins that were made to fit into similarly shaped sockets. They typically had 2,3,4,5,6,9,12, or 15 circuits. A .062 pin is capable of carrying a maximum of 5 Amperes of current, while a .093 pin is able to carry 8.5 Amps.
Berg: The Berg connector is a type of electrical connector that is utilized in certain types of computer hardware. Manufactured by the "Berg Electronic Corporation" that’s based in St. Louis. There are many different kinds of berg connectors, the most familiar ones being the 4-pin berg, which is used to connect the floppy disc to the power supply. The next one is the 2-pin berg, which is used to connect the front panel lights, turbo switch, and the reset button to the computer’s mother board. Finally, there’s other 2-pin Berg, which is used as a jumper for a motherboard’s configuration.
ATA: Made mostly for the transfer of critical information between a computer and storage device, it features smaller wires that increase the wind flow, faster information transfer, the ability to hot swap, and improved
reliability
What are the two internal voltages most commonly used by PC components.
The average wattage used by personal computer components are 200W to 500W.
What is the relationship between electrical power and energy?
Electric power is measured at the rate which an electric current is sent through an electric circuit. This electricity is then used (Transformed) to produce varying forms of energy, including heat, light, and sound energy.
What are resistance and impedance and how are they different?
Resistance is a way of mesuring how much a given material will oppose and electrical current running through it, while impedance details a mesure of electrical opposition to a alternating current (AC). Impedance essentially expands on the theory of electrical resistance for an AC current, while resistence cover both AC and DC.
What are specific power supply requirements for: a motherboard, memory, CPU, hard drive, CD-ROM drive, and floppy drive?
A motherboard needs about 15-30 W of power, a mid-range CPU requires about 60 Watts, a RAM stick needs 7W for every 128 MB, an IDE hard drive needs 20 Watts, a CD-ROM needs about 15 watts, and a floppy drive needs 10 watts.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
The Tech Talks
First off, let me say that talking to an uninitiated person who needs tech help is like trying to describe snow to a Hawaiian who has had no previous experience to it. You can describe it as thoroughly as you want, but there is no true way to convey that feeling of it fluttering down onto your finger, feeling the cold seep into your finger and that numb pain that you feel in your tows when wet snow seeps through your boots. Some people take it to the extremes, spending thousands of dollars on their computers, constantly modifying, updating, upgrading, and personalizing their computers into their dream machine. Their faces pale from lack of sunlight, and they begin to speak in l337, k1nd@ lik3 7h1$. Put them in the same room as a normal person and tell them to have a conversation, and they probably wouldn’t understand what the other was saying. However, that’s taking it to the edge, even trained professionals usually don’t reach that kind of technophile state. There are methods to get the message across, probably the best way would be to show the person what each part is, and explain it’s function etc. in detail. It may take awhile to get the message across, but eventually the person would begin to comprehend what you’re saying. 221
A personal translator could also work, although I don’t think that once has been made for tech talk yet. It’s always important to be able to converse with your equals, if they want to know what’s wrong with their computer, you can explain it to them. However, if they don’t know what you’re talking about, then to them it’s all just a bunch of jargon. It’s important to know what the other person is saying, if your don’t know what’s wrong, and don’t know the technology, a computer repairman could take you, and your wallet, for a ride. It happens all the time with car repair, and a computer is no different, at least when it comes down to a basic understanding of a computers inner workings.
A personal translator could also work, although I don’t think that once has been made for tech talk yet. It’s always important to be able to converse with your equals, if they want to know what’s wrong with their computer, you can explain it to them. However, if they don’t know what you’re talking about, then to them it’s all just a bunch of jargon. It’s important to know what the other person is saying, if your don’t know what’s wrong, and don’t know the technology, a computer repairman could take you, and your wallet, for a ride. It happens all the time with car repair, and a computer is no different, at least when it comes down to a basic understanding of a computers inner workings.
USB (Universal serial port): The USB has become the standard way to interface devices to a computer. Desingned to allow exterior peripherials to be attached using a standarized interface socket, this greatly improved the "plug-and-play" philosophy. By using "Hot-swapping", it allowed a multitude of devices to be connected and disconnected without the need of the computer being restarted. It also has the ability to give power to low-consumption devices without the requirement of an external power supply and also allows some devices to be used without requiring an individual device driver to be installed. However, it is not designed for exceedingly complex machines, and as stated previously, it can only provide power to small and power-efficent devices.
SCSI (Small computer system interface): A set standard for physically connecting and sending data between computers and exterior/peripheral devices, th SCSI defines everything from commands, to protocols, electrical and optical interfaces. It’s most common utilization is for tape and hard drives, however, it can also connect to a number of other peripherals, an example being a scanner, printer, or an optical drive enabled device (I.E. CD, DVD drives). It contains the definitions of cammands that specify certain peripheral drive types. The presence of a "unknown" one of these types suggestions, at least in theory, that it could be interfaced with any SCSI enabled device, however, the SCSI’s standard is mainly addresed toward commercial needs. They’re also not very popular in the buisness sense, SATA drives are more then adaqute and are much cheaper. Today SCSI is mainly used for high-powered work stations and servers.
Firewire: An Apple Incoroporated interface, it’s also known as the IEEE 1394 interface. It also goes by the name i.Link, which is what Sony has decided to dub it. It is now a personal computer serial bus interface industry standard. It offers high-speed communications capabilities, as well as isochronous real-time data service. It has now asserted itself into many of the applications that Parallel SCSI once reigned, thanks to it’s lower implementation prices and a less complex, more adaptable cabling system. Apple originally used it for their hugely popular iPod’s, but was replaced by USB connection in part to it’s space constraints and for the USB’s more universal compatibility.
Parallel interface: A type of plug-in that is normally found on a standard personal computer, it’s used in order to interface with a number of different external devices or peripherals. It also goes by the name "Centronics port" or "Printer port". It is defined by the IEEE 1284 standard, which is a bi-directional variation of the port. I most cases, the advent of the USB interface has made the parallel port obsolete, while other peripherals use the more complex Ethernet connection in place of the parallel port. Since 2006, a large number of personal computers now lack a parallel port, mostly as a cost-cutting measure. However, it is still used by laptops when they are operated at a docking station.
SCSI (Small computer system interface): A set standard for physically connecting and sending data between computers and exterior/peripheral devices, th SCSI defines everything from commands, to protocols, electrical and optical interfaces. It’s most common utilization is for tape and hard drives, however, it can also connect to a number of other peripherals, an example being a scanner, printer, or an optical drive enabled device (I.E. CD, DVD drives). It contains the definitions of cammands that specify certain peripheral drive types. The presence of a "unknown" one of these types suggestions, at least in theory, that it could be interfaced with any SCSI enabled device, however, the SCSI’s standard is mainly addresed toward commercial needs. They’re also not very popular in the buisness sense, SATA drives are more then adaqute and are much cheaper. Today SCSI is mainly used for high-powered work stations and servers.
Firewire: An Apple Incoroporated interface, it’s also known as the IEEE 1394 interface. It also goes by the name i.Link, which is what Sony has decided to dub it. It is now a personal computer serial bus interface industry standard. It offers high-speed communications capabilities, as well as isochronous real-time data service. It has now asserted itself into many of the applications that Parallel SCSI once reigned, thanks to it’s lower implementation prices and a less complex, more adaptable cabling system. Apple originally used it for their hugely popular iPod’s, but was replaced by USB connection in part to it’s space constraints and for the USB’s more universal compatibility.
Parallel interface: A type of plug-in that is normally found on a standard personal computer, it’s used in order to interface with a number of different external devices or peripherals. It also goes by the name "Centronics port" or "Printer port". It is defined by the IEEE 1284 standard, which is a bi-directional variation of the port. I most cases, the advent of the USB interface has made the parallel port obsolete, while other peripherals use the more complex Ethernet connection in place of the parallel port. Since 2006, a large number of personal computers now lack a parallel port, mostly as a cost-cutting measure. However, it is still used by laptops when they are operated at a docking station.
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