CS10001: Computer Literacy – Homework Assignment #2 (D. Reed) 1

CS10001: Computer Literacy Homework Assignment #2

Name: ______________________________

Due Date: October 13, 2008

Part 1: Evaluating System Components (5 points) Some of the important hardware components of our computer systems are the CPU, hard disk, and RAM. To find out more about these components on your personal computer, perform the following steps to evaluate your system. You will need this information later in Part 2 when you research the cost of replacing these parts. Evaluating the CPU and Hard Disk:

1. Select Start My Computer. 2. At the upper left are System Tasks. Select the “View system information” option. 3. From the General tab, you should see details about the CPU’s manufacturer, part number and speed.

Record that information in the space provided:

CPU manufacturer: _____________________ CPU part number: ______________________ CPU speed: ___________________________

4. From the Hardware tab, select the Device Manager. 5. At the Device Manager box, click on the “+” sign next to the Disk drives icon to expand the view. 6. You should see details about the hard disk’s part number. Record that information in the space

provided: Hard disk part number: _____________________

7. Before closing the Device Manager box, expand the Processors icon by clicking on the plus sign. Do you notice any information that may already be familiar to you?

Evaluating RAM:

1. Visit the Memory-up Web site at http://www.memory-up.com/ and select the second method provided to begin an auto check of your system. 2. At the next window, read about the company’s Privacy and Safety statements by linking on to “Tell Me More”. Close that window when you are finished. 3. Select the “Click to Download” option and follow the steps provided to run the system scan. 4. An analysis of your system should appear in a new browser window. Record the information about your system’s RAM in the space below:

Total slots: __________________________________ Installed: ___________________________________ Memory module used: _________________________

5. Use the scroll bar and center the analysis information in the browser window. Use Prnt Scrn and copy the screen shot. Paste the screen print in a new Word document and save the file naming it analysis.doc (for Office 2007 users, save the file with the extension of .doc, not .docx). Print this document and submit it with this assignment. 6. Close all software applications and browser windows.

CS10001: Computer Literacy – Homework Assignment #2 (D. Reed) 2

Part 2: Researching the Cost of Replacement Parts (5 points) Visit http://www.pricewatch.com and search for CPU and hard disk replacements. Use the part numbers obtained from your evaluation to conduct the search. Look at the results of the search. Select the option to Read More under a few listings. Compare the same component among different vendors. Choose a vendor that best fits your needs and answer the following questions:

1. What is the cost of a CPU replacement for your system? _______________________________

2. What is the name of the vendor for this replacement CPU? _____________________________

3. List other pertinent information about this replacement provided by the vendor:

a. Other part numbers

b. Bus speed

c. Process speed

d. Number of cores

e. Cache levels and sizes

4. What is the cost of a hard disk replacement for your system? ____________________________

5. What is the name of the vendor for this replacement hard disk? __________________________

6. List other pertinent information about this replacement provided by the vendor:

a. Manufacturer

b. Capacity

c. Condition

d. Interface

e. Spindle speed

f. Buffer size

g. Seek time

h. Latency

Visit http://www.pricewatch.com and search for RAM. Under the Technology heading, select the RAM hyperlink located under the Memory sub-heading. At the next window, enter the name of your system (Inspiron 6400 for example) in the search box and select the “System Memory” radio button to begin your research. Look at the results of the search. Select the option to Read More under a few listings. Be sure that the name of your computer is displayed under the product you choose. Compare the same component among different vendors. Answer the following questions about your research:

1. What is the cost of a replacement RAM module for your system? ____________________________

2. What is the name of the vendor for this replacement RAM? ________________________________

CS10001: Computer Literacy – Homework Assignment #2 (D. Reed) 3

Part 2: Researching the Cost of Replacement Parts (5 points) – cont’d.

3. List other pertinent information about this replacement provided by the vendor:

a. Manufacturer

b. Module size

c. Module speed

d. Type

Part 3: Critical Thinking Question – Recycling Computers (15 points) Mercury in screens and switches, cadmium in batteries and circuit boards, and the four to eight pounds of lead in CRT monitors are all toxic. Discarded machines are beginning to create an e-waste crisis. Visit the following Web sites to learn more about the magnitude of this problem or to learn more about how old computers may be used differently rather than just thrown away. http://household-tips.thefuntimesguide.com/2004/11/oldcomputeruses.php http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/04/how_to_recycle_1.php http://green.starnewsonline.com/default.asp?item=607687 http://timetorecycle.org/lgcomputers.php Possible questions to consider while you are researching this topic could be the following: 1. Who do you think should assume the cost of recycling computers? 2. Should the consumer be charged a recycling disposal fee whenever a new computer is purchased? 3. Should the government or the computer manufacturers absorb the cost of recycling electronics? 4. What do you plan to do with unwanted or old computers that you own? Create a PowerPoint presentation and address the results of your research. The presentation must be at least ten (10) slides in length. This includes a title slide and a slide for references used. Post the presentation to your server account and place it in the CS10001 folder. Be sure that the presentation is saved in the proper format (.ppt, not .pptx) and ensure that it is viewable via a Web browser. Submit the URL of this presentation in the space below: Presentation URL: ________________________________________________________________________