EASTERN MICHIGANUNIVERSITY

Computer Information Systems

IS 215 End-User Computing

Assignment No. 1

This assignment is on understanding and selecting configurations for desktop computers appropriate to one’s computing needs.

The available configurations and prices are changing all the time. However, consider the following example of a desktop configuration:

Gateway DX442B Specifications (

Component
/
Specifications
Processor/Display / Intel® Pentium® Dual-Core Processor1 E2200 (2.20GHz, 800MHz FSB, 1MB L2 cache)1
Memory / 2048MB 667MHz Dual-Channel DDR2 SDRAM (2-1024MB modules)
Hard Drive / 320GB 7200rpm Serial ATA II/300 hard drive w/ 8MB cache
Monitor / 720p support with HDCP, 1440 x 900 widescreen high-definition resolution, 1000:1 contrast ratio, 5ms response time,
1-year limited warranty
Graphics / Integrated Intel® GMA 3100 Graphics with 256MB Shared Memory (Dynamic Video Memory Technology)
CD/DVD Drive / 18X DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti Drive featuring Labelflash
Communications / 56K PCI Data/Fax Modem, Integrated Intel® 10/100 Twisted Pair Ethernet
Peripherals / Gateway® 15-in-1 media card reader with copy button, premium multimedia, Gateway® 104+ Elite Keyboard,USB Optical 2-button Wheel Mouse ,2.0 USB Speakers, (1) PCI Expansion Slots, (1) PCI-E x1 Expansion Slot (available), (1) PCI-E x16 Expansion Slot, (8) USB 2.0 (2 front, 6 rear), (2) IEEE 1394 firewire (1 front, 1 rear), VGA, RJ45 connector, Audio ports, and (2) PS/2
System Software / Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Edition
Applications Software / Microsoft® Works® 9.0 & Microsoft® Office Home and Student 2007 (60-day complimentary trial)
Price / $768.98
Upgrades / Microsoft Office Pro 2007 UPG(Access, Exl, PPT, Pub, Word, Outlook w/ Biz,$329.99

There may be many details that require consideration in configuring a desktop for general or specialized requirements. In the above description, the details are placed in selected categories of hardware and software components. These categories assist us in getting the big picture first before we get involved with specific details. We may create additional categories or reduce the number of categories depending on how we wish to tackle the details.

Problem No. 1

Review the preceding typical configuration for a desktop PC.

  1. Suggest a single upgrade that you may consider most important in your case, and show the corresponding additional cost. Describe the reasons for your choice in terms of the kind of desktop use that you may consider.
  2. Having chosen an upgrade in (a), what other upgrades you may consider and why?
  3. Why does one need cache memory? What kinds of cache memory uses are implicit in the preceding configuration? You may access to familiarize yourself with cache memory uses. What is software disk caching or virtual memory, and how does it work?
Problem No. 2
  1. Visit the web site of PC vendors such as Dell, Gateway, or Micron. Copy the URL in your assignment document. Choose a high-end configuration and arrange the details on the lines of Gateway DX310S Specifications described above.
  2. Give examples of applications that will require the high-end configuration shown in your solution to Problem No. 2 (a).

Note:

Answers are to be organized separately in an MS Word document for the three parts 1a, 1b, 1c, of Problem No. 1, and two parts 2a and 2b of Problem No. 2. Submit your assignment by uploading it to your people.emich.edu web space using FileZilla ftp software. This is called publishing it on the Internet.

Let us say that your solution consists of a document in MSWord, called a1.doc, with answers to the assignment problems. Your web space URL (Internet address) is usernamewhereusername stands for the user name assigned to you at EMU. Suppose that name in your case is pat. Then the URL for your web space is

the word username with your user name.

Now upload a1.doc to your website. Your complete solution can now be seen at:

Email the URL for the assignment document uploaded to your web space. You should also submit a printed copy of your document if you would to see the comments on your work and the grade assigned to it.

Getting web space at people.emich.edu is easy. Access and read the welcome message. Click on “Activating your people.emich.edu account is easy”, enter your user name and password, and click on the login button. Click on prompt for acceptance of the policies. The workspace will be created for you.

In order to upload your work, you need to download and install FileZilla ftp software. Go back to the welcome page and click on “customized Secure Shell Suite”. Respond to the prompt for saving the setup.exe in an appropriate folder on your computer. Once the download is complete, double click on the setup.exe file name. The software will install automatically and you will see the FileZilla icon on your desktop.

Go back to the welcome page again and click on “The Getting Started page” in order to learn about creating electronic documents and publishing them on the Internet.

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