CIOS 110 Lesson 2

In my Internet research on Operating Systems, I came across a rather interesting site, osdata.com. Sadly, it has not been updated much of late, but it contained links to many OSs I had not heard of before, such as Chios. I recalled hearing of other systems such as Fortran. Most of these OSs seemed to be historical, not current systems.

I next turned to wikipedia.com, which is full of information, but one must remember to visit the site with a sense of skepticism, as it can be written and edited by anyone. I focused on personal computers, and found the usual suspects: Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and BSD. I'm very familiar with both Windows and Mac OS X, so I chose to read a little more about Linux and BSD.

At this point, Linux still makes me uneasy. I'm just learning about operating systems, so I get nervous when I think that I can completely rewrite the code of a system to suit myself. However, a more technically inclined person would probably enjoy the chance to dabble in the code, and you certainly can't beat the price. I had never heard of BSD before, but I had heard of Unix. It's a good reminder that there are many options available for OSs, but I also think that the big companies became the big companies for a reason. At this point, I'll stick with Windows and Mac OS X, but I'll be sure to keep tabs on how the newer programs are doing over the years.

CIOS 110 Lesson 2

The Registry is a place where the computer stores all of the information about the computer, including hardware, drivers, etc. It is set up in a tree structure. Most reconfiguring of Windows involves editing the Registry files. In Windows XP, there are two Registry editors: REGEDIT.EXE (the original editor) and REGEDT32.EXE (a new editor added with Windows NT). Although the newer editor, REGEDT32, is more powerful, its search function is not as capable. Therefore, a general rule of thumb is to search with REGEDIT and edit with REGEDT32. To access either of these editors, select Start > Run and type either "regedit" or "regedt32" in the dialogue box.

CIOS 110 Lesson 2

One of the most important things that the four new interns should understand is that Windows allows for multiple users on a single machine. Rather than sharing the same configuration, each intern can configure his login to his desired settings.
After logging in, an intern will see his desktop, which is the main interface with the computer. The interns should familiarize themselves with the icons on the desktop (and add or delete them as they see fit to set up their optimal desktops). One very important icon is the "My Computer" icon, which will give them access to all the files and drives on the system. If the interns are unable to find a file using "My Computer," they should use Windows XP's "Explore" function.
Generally, when an intern saves work, it will automatically be saved to the "My Documents" folder. Any items they delete will go to the Recycle Bin. These files do not delete immediately, giving the interns a chance to save any documents they have accidentally deleted.
At the bottom of the screen, interns will see the Taskbar, which shows all programs currently running, the system tray (which shows time, connections and more) and the Start Menu. To open programs not on the desktop, the interns should use the "Start" in the left corner of the taskbar. This menu will show a list of all the programs and program folders on the computer.
Finally, the interns should familiarize themselves with the myriad of functions of the Control Panel. They will use this feature to add or remove programs, install new peripheral devices, adjust displays, create or modify network connections and much more.

CIOS 256 Lesson 2

I had problems with Lesson 2, specifically with validating the XHTML using the W3 validator. No matter what browser I used, it would crash out when I tried to validate the code. It didn't matter if I was uploading a file or pasting the code directly into the box. It didn't matter if I was using Netscape or Firefox. Crash city. Since the instructor was not available via IM, I decided the best way to find out if my XHTLM code was valid would be to find and use another validator. I used the one at Bermi, which worked just fine.

Is the problem that the W3 validator is old? The copyright at the bottom of the page is 1994-2006, and it seems odd that the site would not be updated at all during 2007.

CIOS 256 Lesson 1: Introduction

And so another CIOS class starts. This is the exact reason why I decided against using my personal blog. I just don't think my mother on the East Coast is interested in reading my assignments.

I am taking CIOS for two reasons:

1. It fulfills a requirement for the CIOS associate's degree
2. I've been dabbling with Web design for a while (writing the HTML for my personal blog and using Dreamweaver to create Web sites for my dance troupe), but I realize it is something that can help advance my career as an editor and page designer.
   

I've put links in the right-hand column to my personal blog and to the Web site I created for my latest dance troupe, Cold Fusion Tribal Dance. I'm tired of being self-taught in these things, and I look forward to the chance to actually learn some things from an instructor!

CIOS 110 Lesson 1

In studying the common operating systems, you have considered the availability of software that runs on each OS and the general reasons one may be chosen over the others. Put yourself in the position of an information technology professional in a new company that will open its doors on day one with 50 employees who will need computers on their desks connected to a corporate network and will need to work with standard business applications. What are some other practical considerations that you can think of that must come into play when making this decision? Your answer does not need to specify a particular OS.

My first consideration would be the type of software that the company needs to support. If the company required a lot of graphics and editing work, my experience indicates that a Macintosh system would be the best choice. However, if limited graphic editing was needed, a Windows-based system would be my first choice. I think it's highly likely that most new employees will already be familiar with Windows-based systems based on their dominance in the PC market, so less employee training will be needed. It's also likely that the company can lease computers, giving us the option of upgrading in a few years when the leases are up. Because all of the computers are interconnected and, presumably, connected to the Internet as well, I would look at the security configurations of the different systems. Finally, I would make sure that the IT professional has time to set up and test all of the computers before the company opens its doors to make sure that each computer can properly connect to each other, to peripheral devices such as printers and to the Internet.

CIOS 110 Lesson 1

I must admit to being a bit uneasy about the course after working on this first assignment. Students were directed to www.webopedia.com and instructed to use the "By Keyword" search box to find information on processors. Now, maybe my painfully slow dial-up connection is failing to load the page properly (we'll find out when the DSL gets hooked up this week), but there is only one search box, and no way to set it to a "Keyword" option. Furthermore, the sheer number of ads on the page would make it difficult for anyone just learning their way around computers (and isn't that ostensibly the point of this course?) to determine what is fact and what is a sales pitch.

With those concerns voiced, let's focus on the processor. I'll be frank that I often bandy about terms which I am not able to actually define. I found that this article explained a lot of those things. For instance, it's simple math to me that the higher numbers for bandwidth and speed mean a faster (and theoretically better) computer. After reading the article, though, I understood what each number rperesents and why they are important for the speed of the computer. Two new terms for me were RISC (a processor that recognizes a limited number of instructions. The limited number of instructions means the computer can operate at a higher speed. I'd liken it to using a basic calculator for simple addition versus using a scientific calculator. Do you really need all those bells and whistles if you're just adding?) and CISC (a processor which supports a much higher number of instructions. The article indicated a high end of 200 instructions.).

CIOS 110 Lesson 1

I enrolled in CIOS 110 mainly because it is a prerequisite for earning an Associate's Degree in CIOS. It might seem like a step backward to go from a Bachelor's of Science, which I earned in 2002, to an Associate's, but I think the two degrees are quite closely related. My B.S. (ah, the irony of that degree!) is in journalism. Although I started the degree intending to become an editor, there were no editing specializations available at any of the schools within 80 miles of my home. Instead, I chose the school with the best program within that 80-mile radius, since that was as far as I was willing to drive for daily classes.

SCSU gave me a great education, and the program heads were kind enough to allow me to create independent study courses. I think I was the first student they'd ever met who wanted to edit. I can't help it - spotting errors is second nature to me. I even found one on the first page of my textbook for CIOS 110. While I'm happy with my degree, I've found there's a world of difference between book learning and real world learning. Nearly every newspaper, magazine or book I've edited has been done on a different software program, and I've had to teach myself to use them all. My Photoshop skills? All self-taught. Adobe Illustrator? They didn't offer classes in that, either. When I realized that I could earn a degree in CIOS and could tailor it with the Desktop Publishing, Web and Graphic Design program, it only made sense to enroll. As a UAF employee I get free classes, but I hadn't been using them for any purpose. Swimming and yoga are fun, but they certainly won't help me advance my career. And while I may know most of the programs in my field, I've got nothing on my resume to show that I've actually been trained to use any of them.

CIOS 110 is a requirement for this program, but I'm hoping I can again solidify the computer troubleshooting skills I've taught myself over the years. It never hurts to back up personal experience with education.

Too many blogs....

On second thought, having all of my CIOS assignments for multiple classes on my personal blog is just going to get messy, so I'm switching to a CIOS blog. Assignments will be labeled with CIOS xxx in the subject line.