Week 4 Discussion Questions

Discussion 1

Computers can make you experience stress as they have a variety of problems some of

which we can easily troubleshoot and rectify while others may require assistance from an expert

particularly hardware failures. Most of the problems we experience are common errors and

failures that other people have also seen. One common problem I experienced sometimes back

was the blue screen of death (BSOD) when I was still using Windows 8.1. The problem used to

occur during the installation of the display driver. Since in Windows 8.1, it is quite hard to find

the option for starting up with last known good configuration I had to boot into safe mode, and

then I performed a system restore through using the command rstrui in the command dialog

box. Then I proceeded with the instructions as required. Finally, after the whole process, I

restarted the system, and all was fine as the driver had rolled back.

Discussion 2

The internet is a global network that links up people across the universe. This, therefore,

implies that it is a network of networks involved in bringing people together through the

interconnection of various networks referred to as Autonomous Systems ("Internet

Interconnections ENISA," n.d.). Network is crucial as it assists in connecting the computers

of one place to the computers of another place.

There are parallels that may exist between the local network and the internet in the form

of the following:

Both of them are important in connecting multiple computers.

The Internet covers a larger area than local network although they have a similar

purpose.
Transferring data and information in both networks is possible.
 The internet is very much important when it comes to sharing resources. Basically,

resources such as a computer program, a web page or a pdf document can be shared through the

internet through using a computer.

Sharing the resources mentioned above over the internet involves using various hardware

such as network interface card (NIC), modems, and routers. Using this hardware to access the

internet enables the sharing of resources such as software or even hardware such as printer or

modem. For example, an organization that uses many computers can have them connected to one

printer using network ("BBC Bitesize - GCSE Computer Science - Network hardware - Revision

1", n.d.).

Discussion 3

DVDs and CDs are often viewed as optical storage media. Optical storage media is only

meant for one function which is the read only purpose that is achieved through the laser beam

within the drive. Optical media are magnificent in terms of data density and have increased

stability compared to magnetic media. Also, they have a greater lifespan than magnetic media.

After about 5 years, storage of data however, has been noted to be shifting gradually from the use

of optical media drives to the use of pen drives, micro storage chips, and blu ray drives (Smith,

2013). Lately, and in addition to the current storage techniques people have shifted to cloud

storage which has proved to be very much effective in storing data. One thing with the cloud

storage is that you do not need to walk with your storage drive everywhere you go. All you need

is internet, and you will be able to get your files from anywhere in the universe.
 References

BBC Bitesize - GCSE Computer Science - Network hardware - Revision 1. Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved

17 December 2016, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/guides/zh4whyc/revision/1

Internet Interconnections ENISA. Enisa.europa.eu. Retrieved 17 December 2016, from

https://www.enisa.europa.eu/topics/critical-information-infrastructures-and-

services/internet-infrastructure/inter-x

Smith, M. (2013). Discs are dying! How to live without a CD or DVD drive in your

laptop. Digital Trends. Retrieved 17 December 2016, from

http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/discs-are-dying-how-to-live-without-a-laptop-

optical-drive/