CSC170 Midterm STUDY GUIDE

Hardware / Software

· Be able to understand a computer specification (RAM, hard disk, microprocessor, ports, operating system, application systems, ethernet port (NIC)) 

· Know whether something is hardware or software or input or output 

· Know whether software is application or operating system 

· Meaning of resolution of a monitor and how to compare it

· Sizes - Kilo, Mega, Giga, Tera : as in Which is faster 56 K bps or 9 M bps? (Answer : 9 M = approx. 9000 K so 9 M is fastest)

RAM vs Hard Disk:

· RAM goes away when you turn off the system 

· More RAM will  increase system speed and not space 

· More hard drive will increase system space and not speed 

· Hard drive is larger than RAM

· What RAM does while you work on your computer (hold a copy of whatever you are using - both the program and data)

· Know the difference between hard disk storage, off line storage (flash drive, memory stick, CD, DVD) and random access memory 

Qualities of a microprocessor: 

· seldom replace it due to its cost and tight coupling to the motherboard so choose it wisely, 

· 2 companies make chips right now (AMD & Intel), and the company making the processor is not the same as the company making the computer

· Many models with features such as speed (measured in hertz), # of processors, memory on the processor, processor type.

Printer technologies:

· Ink Jet - squirts ink from little ink cartridges at the page; can be slower than laser; can be expensive per page; inexpensive for color; not great for over 100 pages a day

· Laser - like a photocopier using big toner cartridge; color much more expensive; tends to print quickly; often less expensive per page; heavy duty cycle

· Note that cost information reflects market conditions which will change in the future.

· Malware: How to remove pop-ups at the source (adware remover) 

· How to protect against virus and spyware (anti-virus with updates; spybot; backups) 

· Malware types:

• Virus - A program that replicates itself on your computer
• Spyware - A program that collects information and sends it back to another computer.
• Adware - a program that displays advertisements on your pc
• Trojan - A program that appears to just be a useful program, but also performs malicious activity the user knows nothing about. 
• Phishing - anything that tricks users into thinking they are dealing with legitimate sites
• Bot - an intelligent agent that can run a task automatically 

Excel

• All format cell options
• Copy cells
• mathematical formulas
• Sum function (∑)
• Cell Borders
• Print layouts (column headings, fitting to one page, landscape/portrait, header/footer)
• Know there are multiple sheets in a workbook
• Set titles for window (freeze panes)
• Set titles for printing (page setup)
• Fit to width in order to squeeze onto printing one page wide
• Sort
• If statement
• Know how Excel adjusts cell references when it copies (i.e. moving a cell with =A1/B3 over 2 and down 4 would be = C5/D7
• Absolute Reference (Be able to tell why it is used; Be able to tell how you would use $ to stop excel from changing addresses when you copy. So, I might ask how you can change the address in a cell with =A1/B3 so that when it moves over 2 and down 4 it stays as =A1/B3;
• Average, Min and Max functions
• Loan payment functions
• Concatenating text
• Merge cells
• Pivot tables – you will not need to be able to create a pivot table but should know it is used to get totals by groups very quickly.
• Use the Excel chart to make charts with labels for series, x-axis and y-axis
• Chart making guidelines:
1. Bar and Column Charts should start at 0, while line graphs should have a range that focuses on important data
2. Excel default formatting can be misleading
3. Limit pie slices
4. Pie must represent parts of a whole
5. Label Axes and chart and series
6. Consider color blindness
7. Sort graph data
8. 3D effects distort proportions
9. Avoid line graphs when there is no time or trend element

Access – You will not need to create a database, but need to know the theory

• How a database holds multiple lists that are related together
• Difference between a table and a query – the table is like a spreadsheet and the query is a view of one or more table, with filtered rows, hidden columns and calculated fields.

Word:

• What is the purpose of Word?
• How to work with tables and their borders in Word (the table menu and the format borders menu) : Tables have borders you can control, either as no border or different borders on each side.
• How to set page numbers and header and footer, including section breaks in Word
• How to unlink sections and why you would do that in Word section breaks are hard strong separators inside your document that let you have different headers and footers. To get different headers and footers, you need a section break and then need to unlink the sections.
• How to create a table of contents in Word : Table of contents is a 2 part task - first mark the style of some text to be a heading format and then insert a table of contents - which will automatically grab the text formatted as headings.
• Put text beside a picture by formatting the picture as tight layout.
• Restart your page numbering wherever you want by using format page number.
• What it means to crop a picture - just keep part of it.
• Be able to use some tool to modify pictures, their coloring, or adding text.
• Download and use pictures
• Significance of extensions: .jpg and .gif: -->programs know the file is graphic