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THE FOLLOWING IC3 GS4: COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS EXAM OBJECTIVES ARE COVERED IN THIS CHAPTER:

✓ What Is An OS And What Does It Do?

■ Explain the differences between software applications and operating systems and demonstrate their uses.

■ Common OS features, explain each of their uses:

■ Power On/Power Off

■ Log on/log off/switch user

■ Lock/Unlock

■ Differences between common OSs

■ Explain how hardware can influence the Operating System and software and vice versa.

■ Software updates, security fixes, bugs, adaptation to new hardware. Demonstrate how to update software, using manual and automatic settings.

✓ Manage Computer Files and Folders

■ Directory and folder hierarchy and structure

■ Menu, Toolbar, and Window Navigation

■ Expand and Collapse

■ Folder views

■ File/Folder management

■ Keyboard shortcuts

■ Copy

■ Paste

■ Delete

■ Move

■ Rename

■ Create shortcuts

■ Search

■ Identify file extensions and their associations such as .docx, xlsx,pdf,mp3, etc.

✓ Manage Computer Configuration, Control Panel, OS, and Drivers

■ Basic Desktop Customization

■ Visual options

■ Languages

■ Date and Time

■ Accessibility options

■ Describe the various states of operation available in a typical consumer-level OS. Include Shutdown, hibernation, standby, fully awake, etc.

■ User accounts and rights

■ Group policy (specifically mobile)

■ Read/Write

■ Administrative vs. standard user rights

■ File and Directory Permissions

Modern computers and devices like smartphones and tablets consist of numerous components, even though some devices are really small. First, there are plenty of specialized hardware components like video cards or sound cards, each of which has its own role to play. Then there are the operating system (e.g., Windows) and the programs (e.g., Microsoft Office) that make the device useful to users. Without them, any piece of hardware, no matter how powerful, cannot be used. That's why, in this chapter, we will start by discussing the role each component plays in a modern computer and the basics of how they work together. Then we will focus on the operating system, what it does, how it works, and how to personalize it.

Operating Systems and Their Roles When Using Computers and Devices

We will start by defining hardware, software, and operating systems so that you have a good understanding on what they are and what their role is. As you will see, the relationship between them is quite delicate and very important. Any computer or device cannot function and cannot be used productively without these three elements working well together. That's why we will start by discussing them and by explaining all the key concepts that are involved.

What Is Hardware?

Any computer or device is composed, at a physical level, of hardware. For example, a computer almost always has a monitor, a mouse and keyboard, a hard disk or flash memory, a graphics card, a sound card, some memory, a motherboard, a network card, a case, and a power supply.

If you look inside a smartphone and a tablet, you will find similar components. The most important difference is their size, since they need to fit into a person's hand. Also, the display is touch sensitive, and mobile devices have a battery built in.

Each hardware component is specialized to perform a set of specific tasks. For example, the sound card is in charge of providing sound to the user, the graphics card takes care of processing the image and sending it to display, the network card is in charge of connecting to the network and the Internet, and so on.

What Is Software?

Software is a set of machine-readable instructions that direct a computer or device to perform specific operations. Software is not physical like hardware is. It is ephemeral, in the sense that it is anything that can be stored electronically on the hardware of a computer or device.

There are many types of software, the most important being these two:

System Software This software is designed to directly operate the hardware of a computer or device. Such software provides all the basic functions that allow users and other software to control the device's hardware. The most common types of system software are the operating system, drivers (which control a specific hardware component), and system utilities (which assist users in the maintenance of their computers).

Application Software This is specialized software the users can employ to perform certain tasks. For example, Microsoft PowerPoint lets users create presentations. Antivirus software like Norton Antivirus or Kaspersky Antivirus keeps your computer safe from threats and so on. This type of software is also referred to as applications, programs, or apps (when working with mobile devices). In order to function, application software needs to run on top of both the system software and hardware. Applications are either provided by the operating system (for example, Paint is an application offered by Windows) or installed by users on top of the operating system.