IGNOU BCA 1st sem Solved Assignment -What is the model of development of Open source software? Explain the Open Source licensing policy.

What is the model of development of Open source software? Explain the Open Source licensing policy.

Ans

model of development of Open source software

In the traditional model of development, which he called the cathedral model, development takes place in a centralized way. Roles are clearly defined. Roles include people dedicated to designing (the architects), people responsible for managing the project, and people responsible for implementation. Traditional software engineering follows the cathedral model. Fred P. Brooks in his book The Mythical Man-Month advocates this model. He goes further to say that in order to preserve the architectural integrity of a system, the system design should be done by as few architects as possible.[citation needed]

The bazaar model, however, is different. In this model, roles are not clearly defined. Gregorio Robles[18] suggests that software developed using the bazaar model should exhibit the following patterns:

Users should be treated as co-developers

The users are treated like co-developers and so they should have access to the source code of the software. Furthermore users are encouraged to submit additions to the software, code fixes for the software, bug reports, documentation etc. Having more co-developers increases the rate at which the software evolves. Linus's law states, "Given enough eyeballs all bugs are shallow." This means that if many users view the source code, they will eventually find all bugs and suggest how to fix them. Note that some users have advanced programming skills, and furthermore, each user's machine provides an additional testing environment. This new testing environment offers that ability to find and fix a new bug.

Early releases

The first version of the software should be released as early as possible so as to increase one's chances of finding co-developers early.

Frequent integration

Code changes should be integrated (merged into a shared code base) as often as possible so as to avoid the overhead of fixing a large number of bugs at the end of the project life cycle. Some open source projects have nightly builds where integration is done automatically on a daily basis.

Several versions

There should be at least two versions of the software. There should be a buggier version with more features and a more stable version with fewer features. The buggy version (also called the development version) is for users who want the immediate use of the latest features, and are willing to accept the risk of using code that is not yet thoroughly tested. The users can then act as co-developers, reporting bugs and providing bug fixes.

High modularization

The general structure of the software should be modular allowing for parallel development on independent components.

Dynamic decision making structure

There is a need for a decision making structure, whether formal or informal, that makes strategic decisions depending on changing user requirements and other factors. Cf. Extreme programming.

Open Source licensing policy.

A license defines the rights and obligations that a licensor grants to a licensee. Open source licenses grant licensees the right to copy, modify and redistribute source code (or content). These licenses may also impose obligations (e.g., modifications to the code that are distributed must be made available in source code form, an author attribution must be placed in a program/ documentation using that open source).

Authors initially derive a right to grant a license to their work based on the legal theory that upon creation of a work the author owns the copyright in that work. What the author/licensor is granting when they grant a license to copy, modify and redistribute their work is the right to use the author’s copyrights. The author still retains ownership of those copyrights, the licensee simply is allowed to use those rights, as granted in the license, so long as they maintain the obligations of the license. The author does have the option to sell/assign, versus license, their exclusive right to the copyrights to their work; whereupon the new owner/assignee controls the copyrights. The ownership of the copyright (the "rights") is separate and distinct from the ownership of the work (the "thing") – a person can own a copy of a piece of code (or a copy of a book) without the rights to copy, modify or redistribute copies of it

When an author contributes code to an open source project (e.g., Apache.org) they do so under an explicit license (e.g., the Apache Contributor License Agreement) or an implicit license (e.g., the open source license under which the project is already licensing code). Some open source projects do not take contributed code under a license, but actually require (joint) assignment of the author’s copyright in order to accept code contributions into the project (e.g., OpenOffice.org and its Joint Copyright Assignment agreementPlacing code (or content) in the public domain is a way of waiving an author’s (or owner’s) copyrights in that work. No license is granted, and none is needed, to copy, modify or redistribute a work in the public domain

IGNOU BCA 1st sem Solved Assignment -What are the uses of Arrays in programming? Explain with the help of an example. Also explain how functions and subroutines are different to each other.

What are the uses of Arrays in programming? Explain with the help of an example. Also explain how functions and subroutines are different to each other.

Ans

Array in most programming langauges like C ,C++, Java etc is a static , homogeneous and lineardata structure.

A data structure itself is a mathematical and logical model to organise data.It clearly specifies the domain of the data that can be stored in the structure and the collection of valid operations (functions) that can be performed on that data. Array is a linear structure in the sense that the data is organised sequentially(one after another in a contineous chunck of memory).

It is a homogeneous data structure i.e. it contains elements which are of the same data type.Thedata type of array can be inbuilt like int , float ,char, double and even user defined that is created using a structure or a class.

The main use of an array is to oragnise homogeneous data together as a group to perform operations on data in a collective manner since traversal and retrieval becomes easy.Whenever a homogeneous list(One Dimendional or Multi-Dimensional)has to be implemented we make use of array.The advantage of array lies in the fact that it uses indexed represenattion enabling us to access any member element directly.

The example of practical use of array in progarmming will be creation of index lists,

pointer arrays,matrix operations(transpose,addition ,subtraction,multiplication,inverse etc.).

Subroutines and Functions

When a program is more than a few hundred lines long, it gets hard to follow. Fortran codes that solve real engineering problems often have tens of thousands of lines. The only way to handle such big codes is to use a modular approach and split the program into many separate smaller units called subprograms.

A subprogram is a (small) piece of code that solves a well-defined sub-problem. In a large program, one often has to solve the same sub-problems with many different data. Instead of replicating code, these tasks should be solved by subprograms. The same subprogram can be invoked many times with different input data.

Fortran has two different types of subprograms, called functions and subroutines.

Functions

Fortran functions are quite similar to mathematical functions: They both take a set of input arguments (parameters) and return a value of some type. In the preceding discussion we talked about user defined subprograms. Fortran also has some built-in functions.

A simple example illustrates how to use a function:

X = cos(45.24)

Here cos is the cosine function. There are many built-in functions in Fortran. Some of the most common are:

abs absolute value

sqrt square root

sin sine

cos cosine

atan arctangent

exp exponential (natural)

log logarithm (natural)

In general, a function always has a type. Most of the built-in functions mentioned above, however, are generic. So in the example above, pi and x could be either of type real or double precision. The compiler would check the types and use the correct version of cos (real or double precision). Unfortunately, Fortran is not really a polymorph language so in general you have to be careful to match the types of your variables and your functions!

Main differences between FUNCTIONS and SUBROTINES

A SUBROUTINE has no value associated with its name. All outputs are defined in terms of arguments; there may be any number of outputs.

A SUBROUTINE is not called into action simply by writing its name, since no value is associated with the name. Instead, we write a CALL statement to bring it into operation; this specifies the arguments and results in storing all the output values.

Since the output of a SUBROUTINE may b any combination of the various types of values, there is no type associated with the name and likewise no convention attached to the first letter of the name.

IGNOU BCA 1st sem Solved Assignment -Explain the features of Object Oriented programming languages. How is object oriented programming different than that of procedural programming

Explain the features of Object Oriented programming languages. How is object oriented programming different than that of procedural programming

Ans

Some key features of the Object Oriented programming are:

·         Emphasis on data rather than procedure

·         Programs are divided into entities known as objects

·         Data Structures are designed such that they characterize objects

·         Functions that operate on data of an object are tied together in data structures

·         Data is hidden and cannot be accessed by external functions

·         Objects communicate with each other through functions

·         New data and functions can be easily added whenever necessary

·         Follows bottom up design in program design 

The key feature is abstraction: you concentrate in identifying the 'objects' that act in your business model, and the relations among objects.

Each object maintains its internal state exposing the 'methods' (actions) that you can call to change the state of the object.

The object itself can relate to other objects just calling the methods the provide the actions needed.

So you can implement a 'car' without the need to understand its internals: you can just 'ask' the car to start (e.g. car->start ()).

Another key feature is inheritance: you can abstract common features and behaviours into more generic objects, from which more detailed objects derive their characteristics.

For example, you can define the concept of 'vehicle' with some common methods (start, stop, ...), and derive from it the car, the bike, the truck, etc.

There is more to say, but this is a top level view of the approach to OO programming.

Procedural vs Object Oriented Programming

Procedural programming creates a step by step program that guides the application through a sequence of instructions. Each instruction is executed in order. Procedural programming also focuses on the idea that all algorithms are executed with functions and data that the programmer has access to and is able to change. Object-Oriented programming is much more similar to the way the real world works; it is analogous to the human brain. Each program is made up of many entities called objects. Objects become the fundamental units and have behavior, or a specific purpose, associated with them. Objects cannot directly access another object’s data. Instead, a message must be sent requesting the data, just like people must ask one another for information; we cannot see inside each other’s heads. Benefits of Object-Oriented programming include: 

·         ability to simulate real-world event much more effectively

·         code is reusable thus less code may have to be written

·         data becomes active

·         better able to create GUI (graphical user interface) applications

·         programmers are able to reach their goals faster

·         Programmers are able to produce faster, more accurate and better-written applications (in the case of a veteran programmer, by a factor of as much as 20 times compared with a procedural program).

lass=M, � r a � �4 tyle='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; color:windowtext'>features of the MICR

The MICR driver provides additional security to the end user if they require it. The printer's firmware has MICR security and related MICR features. The driver has MICR related security feature selections. The following are the main features of the driver:

• The driver is a variant of the standard PCL driver. It has all the features of the standard PCL driver, plus the MICR features.

• The driver installation is independent from the standard PCL driver, and will not interfere with the installation of the standard PCL driver.

• During installation, the printer will show: "TallyGenicom 9035 MICR (PCL)"

• At print time, the driver will query the printer to see if a MICR Toner Cartridge is installed:

• If no MICR Toner Cartridge is installed, the printer will print without MICR resource usage (MICR tab does not appear).

• If the MICR Toner Cartridge is installed, the dialog box will prompt the user for a password (MICR tab will appear). A valid password allows the user to print with access to MICR resources.

• The driver will then query the printer to see if a valid password has been entered.

• If the password is invalid, it will ask the user again for valid password. If it is still invalid, the user can only print in standard mode.

• Use of the MICR driver requires the use of the MICR fonts resident in the printer.

• The driver is compatible with Windows XP and Windows 2000

features of the Net book

Processor

The processor is the main brain of your netbook and performs all the calculations your netbook makes every second. The ones used in netbooks are usually designed specifically for mobile devices, aiming to give you more computing power while using less battery power. 

Many netbooks use Intel's Atom chips or AMD's C-Series but whatever the exact version you'll normally find a dual-core processor designed for use in netbooks. Though they are perfectly capable of powering your netbook you won't find more powerful quad-core processors here.

Memory (Ram)

Ram (random access memory) is your laptop's short-term memory. It's used to store information while you're using the laptop (the hard drive is used for long-term file storage). Consequently, the amount of Ram your laptop has determines how many different tasks it can accomplish simultaneously.

Netbooks come with less Ram than you'll find on even a cheap laptop. Aim for 2GB if you can, though some models only come with 1GB. 

Battery life

You're likely to have bought a netbook to be able to use it on the move so battery life is important. Netbook batteries are lasting longer, and you can expect the best of them to last around six to eight hours. Using the netbook's wireless connection will drain the battery more quickly than day-to-day office tasks. 

If battery life is particularly important to you, check whether the netbook manufacturer offers a long-life battery for your chosen model.

Keyboard

Unsurprisingly, a netbook’s keyboard is even smaller than the ones that come with a laptop. And, of course, the smaller the netbook, the smaller the keyboard. 

Because of the limited amount of space available on a netbook, you’re likely to find that the keys on a netbook’s keyboard are closer together. Some netbook manufacturers make very good use of the limited space available, though, fitting the keyboard across the entire surface of the netbook’s chassis. Some keys may also have moved in order to fit everything into the netbook, while others may have been reduced in size – the cursor keys and the right-shift key tend are more likely than others to have received this treatment on a netbook.

As the keyboard is built into the body of the netbook, you’ll find that it’s not as comfortable to use as desktop keyboards. It’s a good idea to try out a netbook’s keyboard before you buy, to ensure you get one you're comfortable with.

Ports and sockets

Netbooks come with USB ports so that you can add peripheral devices. Pay attention to where these ports are placed on the side of the netbook. If you have a bulky USB device (such as a chunky USB key), make sure there’s sufficient room between the sockets, so that plugging your device into the netbook doesn’t obscure the adjacent port. 

The range of other connections you'll find tend to be fairly basic compared to a laptop but look out for USB 3.0 ports, rather than the slower USB 2.0 standards and HDMI outputs for hooking your netbook up to a larger screen, which you'll find on some netbooks. 

Storage space

The HDD (hard disk drive) provides long-term memory for data storage – measured in gigabytes (GB). We recommend getting a minimum of 160GB hard disk space, as storing video or high high-resolution photos, music and software uses up lots of space. If in doubt, go for more hard drive space if you can afford it - many netbooks offer 250GB. 

If you need extra storage space, an external hard drive may be the answer or you could consider using online or cloud storage options. 

Display

Unsurprisingly the screen size has a direct impact on the size of the netbook itself. The most common size is 10.1-inches. If you find reflections a pain and are planning to use your netbook out and about, or in a bright setting, look out for a matte screen. This option is more common on netbooks than laptops.

Touchpad

Like laptops netbooks come with a touchpad or trackpad rather than a mouse. Typically, one or two clickable buttons beneath or beside the touchpad act like mouse buttons.

A touchpad is more fiddly to use than a mouse, and netbooks’ touchpads are particularly small, but it’s possible to attach a mouse instead if you prefer. You’ll need a USB port available for this, though.

Graphics

Netbooks are built for everyday tasks rather than power-hungry ones, so they’re unsuitable for serious gaming so don’t expect to find top-notch graphics in your netbook. Netbooks come with integrated graphics which operate using a chunk of the netbook’s memory (Ram), and are fine if you’re just planning to do basic, everyday tasks

IGNOU BCA 1st sem Solved Assignment -Explain the concept of client-server architecture. How is it different than File sharing Architecture? Explain different types of client-server architectures.

Explain the concept of client-server architecture. How is it different than File sharing Architecture?  Explain different types of client-server architectures.

Ans

Client-server is a computing architecture which separates a client from a server, and is almost always implemented over a computer network. Each client or server connected to a network can also be referred to as a node. The most basic type of client-server architecture employs only two types of nodes: clients and servers. This type of architecture is sometimes referred to as two-tier. It allows devices to share files and resources.

Each instance of the client software can send data requests to one or more connected servers. In turn, the servers can accept these requests, process them, and return the requested information to the client. Although this concept can be applied for a variety of reasons to many different kinds of applications, the architecture remains fundamentally the same.

These days, clients are most often web browsers, although that has not always been the case. Servers typically include web servers, database servers and mail servers. Online gaming is usually client-server too. In the specific case of MMORPG, the servers are typically operated by the company selling the game; for other games one of the players will act as the host by setting his game in server mode.

Comparison :

file sharing architecture (is not client /server architecture) the original pc network were based on file sharing architecture where tbe server downloads files from the shared location to desktop.work if shared usage is low.update conntent is low.data to be transferred is low . as the result of limitation of file sharing architecture ,the client server architecture emerged. it introduce darabase server to replace the file server. using DBMS data base managment system. user required can directly answerd .the client server architecture reduce ndtwork traffic and improve multi-user updating.

Client Server Architecture Types

Client/server architecture This approach introduced replacement of file server by database server. User queries could be answered directly by using a relational database management system. The client/server architecture significantly decreased network traffic by providing a query response rather than total file transfer. It allows multi-user updating through a GUI front end to a shared database. Remote Procedure Calls (RPCs) or standard query language (SQL) statements are typically used to communicate between the client and server.

The following are the examples of client/server architectures.

1) Two tier architectures In two tier client/server architectures, the user interface is placed at user's desktop environment and the database management system services are usually in a server that is a more powerful machine that provides services to the many clients. Information processing is split between the user system interface environment and the database management server environment. The database management server supports for stored procedures and triggers. Software vendors provide tools to simplify development of applications for the two tier client/server architecture.

2) Three tier architectures The three tier architecture is introduced to overcome the drawbacks of the two tier architecture. In the three tier architecture, a middleware is used between the user system interface client environment and the database management server environment. These middleware are implemented in a variety of ways such as transaction processing monitors, message servers or application servers. The middleware perform the function of queuing, application execution and database staging. In addition the middleware adds scheduling and prioritization for work in progress. The three tier client/server architecture is used to improve performance for large number of users and also improves flexibility when compared to the two tier approach. The drawback of three tier architectures is that the development environment is more difficult to use than the development of two tier applications.

i) Three tier with message server. In this architecture, messages are processed and prioritized asynchronously. Messages have headers that include priority information, address and identification number. The message server links to the relational DBMS and other data sources. Messaging systems are alternative for wireless infrastructures.

ii) Three tier with an application server This architecture allows the main body of an application to run on a shared host rather than in the user system interface client environment. The application server shares business logic, computations and a data retrieval engine. In this architecture applications are more scalable and installation costs are less on a single server than maintaining each on a desktop client.

Uses Client/server architectures are used in industry as well as in military. They provide a versatile architecture that allows insertion of new technology more readily than earlier software designs.

 Multi-tiered architecture

Some designs are more sophisticated and consist of three different kinds of nodes: clients, application servers which process data for the clients and database servers which store data for the application servers. This configuration is called three-tier architecture, and is the most commonly used type of client-server architecture. Designs that contain more than two tiers are referred to as multi-tiered or n-tiered

4-tier Architecture

In a 4-tier architecture, all of the data storage and retrieval processes are logically and usually physically located on a single tier. A 4-tier architecture allows an unlimited number of programs to run simultaneously, send information to one another, use different protocols to communicate, and interact concurrently. This allows for a much more powerful application, providing many different services to many different clients. In this application we will have following 4-Tiers

1. Business Object [BO]

2. Business Access Layer [BAL]

3. Data Access Layer [DAL]

4. UI (4-Tier) folder [UI]

IGNOU BCA 1st sem Solved Assignment -List the configuration of a latest Laptop machine. Describe each component of the configuration.

List the configuration of a latest Laptop machine. Describe each component of the configuration.

Ans
Operating system: Genuine Windows 7 Home Basic Home Basic

Early 2010, a Wild Rose Toshiba Satellite L538 from the appearance of the appearance really to bring a little heat this winter. Now that the latest offer 717.85 USD of the whole, as the core of an equipped i3 all-around notebook, L538 is indeed worthy of the students and some friends to pursue cost-effective user careful consideration.

Toshiba predecessor compared to the wild Rose L538's design is not much change or break. Toshiba notebook with color has always been well received, and wild Rose significant but modest beautiful visual effects, do a little bright spots.

Toshiba Satellite L538 i3 330M with the latest processors, coupled with 2GB DDR3 memory, 320GB hard drive and ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5145 graphics card, so this is still the Toshiba looks certain to enhance the access. I believe the picture quality and video of friends interested, the price of 717.85 USD is indeed a good gospel.

Processor:  Intel Core i3 330M (2.13GHz 3MB 3 cache)

Chipset:       Intel PM45

Standard memory:  2GB DDR3 (maximum support to 4GB)

Hard disk capacity: 320G (5400 rpm)

CD-ROM: DVD burner

Display Chip: ATI Mobility Radeon HD5145 graphics card, 512MB memory

Display: 14-inch (1366 × 768)

Network Connections / Wireless: 100M Ethernet, 802.11b / g wireless LAN)

Extension Interface: 2 × USB2.0, 1 × eSATA, HDMI, VGA, headphone output, microphone input, RJ45 network line Interface, 1 × ExpressCard

Battery:  6-cell lithium ion battery

Weight (kg): 2.16 kg

IGNOU BCA 1st sem Solved Assignment -List the features of the following:Scanner LCD Monitors MICR Net book

List the features of the following:Scanner LCD Monitors  MICR  Net book

Ans

features of the Scanner

1. The type of feeder - Flatbed General Purpose Single page scanner, or automatic document feeder that is used for scanning manuals and books and works faster then normal flatbed scanners.

2. Software compatibility - One key feature of a scanner is the type of software it requires to operate and whether or not that it is compatible with your particular computer. It is important to identify if the specific drivers needed to make the scanner work with your computer are included with the scanner itself. Without them, the scanner will be all but useless to you.

3. Resolution/Color Depth - the color depth of a particular scanner is important which means the quality of scanned images, measured usually in DPI (dots per inch) the more high dpi number a scanner holds, a more perfect image quality you get.

4. Size of scanned image - traditional flatbed scanners can handle up to legal size paper which is 8.5 x 14″. If one needs to scan images larger than may need to upgrade to a large format flatbed scanner or even a larger sheet-fed scanner.

5. Warranty/Service - As is often the case with electronic equipment, problems can and do occur. This makes one of the key features of any scanner the warranty or service plan that it includes.

6. Price - While it may not be obvious to some, price can often be one of the most important features of any scanner.

• The driver is a variant of the standard PCL driver. It has all the features of the standard PCL driver, plus the MICR features.

• The driver installation is independent from the standard PCL driver, and will not interfere with the installation of the standard PCL driver.

• During installation, the printer will show: "TallyGenicom 9035 MICR (PCL)"

• At print time, the driver will query the printer to see if a MICR Toner Cartridge is installed:

• If no MICR Toner Cartridge is installed, the printer will print without MICR resource usage (MICR tab does not appear).

• If the MICR Toner Cartridge is installed, the dialog box will prompt the user for a password (MICR tab will appear). A valid password allows the user to print with access to MICR resources.

• The driver will then query the printer to see if a valid password has been entered.

• If the password is invalid, it will ask the user again for valid password. If it is still invalid, the user can only print in standard mode.

• Use of the MICR driver requires the use of the MICR fonts resident in the printer.

• The driver is compatible with Windows XP and Windows 2000

features of the LCD Monitors

Top 10 features of LCD monitors

The liquid crystal display (LCD) technology has been used in several electronic products over the years. Now this technology has invaded the field of computer and LCD monitors are fast replacing cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors. There are more reasons for LCDs to be more endearing than CRTs than just the "LCDs are cool and CRTs are history" factor. Some of the major reasons are:

•           Cost effective

•           Energy efficient

•           Space economy

•           Reduced radiation

•           Lighter weight

•           Less eyestrain

•           Improved image quality/contrast

•           Better screen privacy

•           Long life

•           Easy options and features

features of the MICR

The MICR driver provides additional security to the end user if they require it. The printer's firmware has MICR security and related MICR features. The driver has MICR related security feature selections. The following are the main features of the driver:

features of the Net book

Processor

The processor is the main brain of your netbook and performs all the calculations your netbook makes every second. The ones used in netbooks are usually designed specifically for mobile devices, aiming to give you more computing power while using less battery power. 

Many netbooks use Intel's Atom chips or AMD's C-Series but whatever the exact version you'll normally find a dual-core processor designed for use in netbooks. Though they are perfectly capable of powering your netbook you won't find more powerful quad-core processors here.

Memory (Ram)

Ram (random access memory) is your laptop's short-term memory. It's used to store information while you're using the laptop (the hard drive is used for long-term file storage). Consequently, the amount of Ram your laptop has determines how many different tasks it can accomplish simultaneously.

Netbooks come with less Ram than you'll find on even a cheap laptop. Aim for 2GB if you can, though some models only come with 1GB. 

Battery life

You're likely to have bought a netbook to be able to use it on the move so battery life is important. Netbook batteries are lasting longer, and you can expect the best of them to last around six to eight hours. Using the netbook's wireless connection will drain the battery more quickly than day-to-day office tasks. 

If battery life is particularly important to you, check whether the netbook manufacturer offers a long-life battery for your chosen model.

Keyboard

Unsurprisingly, a netbook’s keyboard is even smaller than the ones that come with a laptop. And, of course, the smaller the netbook, the smaller the keyboard. 

Because of the limited amount of space available on a netbook, you’re likely to find that the keys on a netbook’s keyboard are closer together. Some netbook manufacturers make very good use of the limited space available, though, fitting the keyboard across the entire surface of the netbook’s chassis. Some keys may also have moved in order to fit everything into the netbook, while others may have been reduced in size – the cursor keys and the right-shift key tend are more likely than others to have received this treatment on a netbook.

As the keyboard is built into the body of the netbook, you’ll find that it’s not as comfortable to use as desktop keyboards. It’s a good idea to try out a netbook’s keyboard before you buy, to ensure you get one you're comfortable with.

Ports and sockets

Netbooks come with USB ports so that you can add peripheral devices. Pay attention to where these ports are placed on the side of the netbook. If you have a bulky USB device (such as a chunky USB key), make sure there’s sufficient room between the sockets, so that plugging your device into the netbook doesn’t obscure the adjacent port. 

The range of other connections you'll find tend to be fairly basic compared to a laptop but look out for USB 3.0 ports, rather than the slower USB 2.0 standards and HDMI outputs for hooking your netbook up to a larger screen, which you'll find on some netbooks. 

Storage space

The HDD (hard disk drive) provides long-term memory for data storage – measured in gigabytes (GB). We recommend getting a minimum of 160GB hard disk space, as storing video or high high-resolution photos, music and software uses up lots of space. If in doubt, go for more hard drive space if you can afford it - many netbooks offer 250GB. 

If you need extra storage space, an external hard drive may be the answer or you could consider using online or cloud storage options. 

Display

Unsurprisingly the screen size has a direct impact on the size of the netbook itself. The most common size is 10.1-inches. If you find reflections a pain and are planning to use your netbook out and about, or in a bright setting, look out for a matte screen. This option is more common on netbooks than laptops.

Touchpad

Like laptops netbooks come with a touchpad or trackpad rather than a mouse. Typically, one or two clickable buttons beneath or beside the touchpad act like mouse buttons.

A touchpad is more fiddly to use than a mouse, and netbooks’ touchpads are particularly small, but it’s possible to attach a mouse instead if you prefer. You’ll need a USB port available for this, though.

Graphics

Netbooks are built for everyday tasks rather than power-hungry ones, so they’re unsuitable for serious gaming so don’t expect to find top-notch graphics in your netbook. Netbooks come with integrated graphics which operate using a chunk of the netbook’s memory (Ram), and are fine if you’re just planning to do basic, everyday tasks

IGNOU BCA 1st sem Solved Assignment -Differentiate between the following: (i) Random Access vs. Serial Access (ii) Parallel port vs. Serial port

Differentiate between the following:

(i)     Random Access vs. Serial Access

(ii)   Parallel port vs. Serial port

Ans

The main difference between random access and serial access, IN GENERAL, is that with random access you have roughly equal time to any given address. This is true of RAM, of SSDs,etc. With a hard disk, you almost get that—within the swing of the head. So reading data serially off a hard disk is faster than randomly.

With a tape drive, you have to actually seek to where the data is—that’s what’s going on on the old-school mainframes when you see tapes spinning fast, then slowly. Reading contiguous data is significantly faster than reading random data.

Comparing random versus sequential operations is one way of assessing application efficiency in terms of disk use. Accessing data sequentially is much faster than accessing it randomly because of the way in which the disk hardware works. The seek operation, which occurs when the disk head positions itself at the right disk cylinder to access data requested, takes more time than any other part of the I/O process. Because reading randomly involves a higher number of seek operations than does sequential reading, random reads deliver a lower rate of throughput. The same is true for random writing.

You might find it useful to examine your workload to determine whether it accesses data randomly or sequentially. If you find disk access is predominantly random, you might want to pay particular attention to the activities being done and monitor for the emergence of a bottleneck.

differences between Serial port and Parallel port

Subject	Serial Port	Parallel Port
Pins	9 pins	25 pins
Type of port	Male port	Female Port
Color	usually Purple in color	Usually Green in color
Data Transfer Rate	Slower than Parallel Port	Faster than Serial Port
Moving Bits	Serial move bits inline, one at a time.	Parallel moves bits next to each other
Usage of Wire	Serial ports are only used 2 wires for transmitting and receiving data	Parallel Port used 8 or more wire for transmitting and receiving data.
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