Understanding RISC AS A TYPE OF PROCESSOR
RISC is a type of processor which simply means
R - Reduced I - instruction S - Set C – Computer
When computers process, they require a microprocessor for the task, this microprocessor also requires instructions in order to operate.
The instructions are written in a language that only the computer can understand, basically in the form of binary and assembly languages coded in schemes such as ASCII – American Standard Code for Information Interchange and EBCDIC – Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code. 
Processor Architecture
The idea was to make microprocessor changes that were more independent of coding schemes since instructions require more equipment.
The more the instructions the slow the processing speed simply because more instructions require additional circuitry and transistors which makes the whole process complicated, difficult to setup, additional power consumption, rising of heat during processing and additional circuitry means more path links (buses).
In 1974 John Cocke of IBM Research in Yorktown, New York, originated the RISC concept by proving that about 20% of the instructions in a computer did 80% of the work. The term itself (RISC) is credited to David Patterson, a teacher at the University of California in Berkeley. The concept was used in Sun Microsystems' SPARC microprocessors and led to the founding of what is now MIPS Technologies (MIPS - millions of instructions per second), part of Silicon Graphics. A number of current microchips now use the RISC concept.
The first computer to benefit from this discovery was IBM's PC/XT in 1980. Later, IBM's RISC System/6000, made use of the idea.
Discovery of RISC led to a more thoughtful architecture of microprocessors such as how well an instruction can be mapped to the clock speed of the microprocessor this led to the improvement of microprocessor manufacture and design. Advantages of RISC
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OUTPUT DEVICES
Output devices are those devices that play the following roles:
EXAMPLES OF OUTPUT DEVICES
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Computer input devices are those devices that perform the following functions with a computer:
EXAMPLES OF INPUT DEVICES
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CategoriesJoin our Whatsapp Notifications and Newsletterstouch here COURTESY OF ATIKA SCHOOL All THE TYPES AND FUNCTIONS OF MEMORY DATA REGISTERS (MDR)INSTRUCTION REGISTER
Instruction Register Instructions register (IR) is used to store the instruction currently being executed or decoded.
ACCUMULATOR
Accumulator or An accumulator is a register for short -term . intermediate storage of arithmetic and logic data in a computer’s CPU (central processing unit).
STORAGE REGISTER
Storage Register Holds a piece of data that is on its way to and from the CPU and the main memory.
ADDRESS REGISTER
The Memory Address Register (MAR) is a CPU register that either stores the memory address from which data will be fetched to the CPU or the address to which data will be sent and stored.
CategoriesJoin our Whatsapp Notifications and Newsletterstouch here COURTESY OF ATIKA SCHOOL All DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HARD COPY AND SOFT COPY OUTPUT DEVICESOutput from the computer can normally be in several forms. Give the difference between the following methods.(2Marks)
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#
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SOFTCOPY
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HARDCOPY
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1
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it is intangible
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it is tangible
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2
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it is flexible in editing
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cannot be easily edited
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3
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does not require stationery
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requires stationery
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4
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they are cheap to produce
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they are expensive to produce
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5
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easily transmissible
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difficult to distribute
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6
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requires electrical signals to use
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after printing does not require electrical signals
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7
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has no mass
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has mass
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All
1998
1998 KCSE
1999
APPLICATIONS AREAS OF ICT
Career Opportunities In ICT
COMPUTER SYSTEMS
DATABASE
DATA PROCESSING
DATA SECURITY AND CONTROLS
ELEMENTARY PROGRAMMING PRINCIPLES
FIELD
FILE
FORM 1
FORM 2
FORM 3
FORM 4
IMPACT OF I.C.T ON SOCIETY
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS
INTRODUCTION TO NETWORKING AND DATA COMMUNICATION
KCSE 2018
KCSE QUESTIONS 1998
KCSE QUESTIONS 2007
MIND BLOWING Q & A
MOCKS
Operating System
OPERATING SYSTEMS
OUTPUT DEVICES
PROGRAM DESIGN
RECORD
REVISION KITS
SPREADSHEET
SPREADSHEETS
STORAGE DEVICES
SYSTEM DESIGN
THE COMPUTER LABORATORY
WORD PROCESSORS
FREE KCSE PAST PAPERS 2018: COMPUTER STUDIES FORM 1 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
State two reasons for the increased use of laptop computers in government offices. (2 marks)
- They are small and fit in a small storage space.
- They are light weight hence can be carried to areas where their services are required.
- The monitor, system unit, keyboard units are attached together hence making its use to be convenient.
- Rechargeable / backup battery.
- Any of these or correct answer had 1 mark each.
- Any of the two correct answers regardless of the arrangement scored 2 marks.
Computer network technicians prefer to use command-line based operating system when configuring networks. State three reasons for the preference. (3 marks)
- They do not take up a lot of memory hence boot faster than the GUI OS.
- They have direct access or most hardware devices.
- They are cheaper to acquire as some can be downloaded free of charge.
- They can run on lower —bit hardware systems such as 32-bit computers.
- Any of these or correct answer had 1 mark each.
- Any of the three correct answers regardless of the arrangement scored 3 marks.
State three measures that should be put in place in a computer laboratory to safeguard users’ health. (3 marks)
- All power cables must be insulated and hidden from users.
- The furniture used must be of standard computer furniture.
- The room should be lit with adequate lighting.
- The room must be ventilated.
- Computer monitor should be fitted with antiglare to filter excess light rays emanating from the monitor.
- Avoid slippery floors/cemented floors.
- Controlling dust.
- Any of these or correct answer had 1 mark each.
- Any of the three correct answers regardless of the arrangement scored 3 marks.
State three ways in which barcode readers may be used in schools. (3 marks)
- To take inventory of items in the school.
- To keep track of employee login log out.
- Used to transact business in the library.
- Used to keep track of movement of goods.
- Any of these or correct answer had 1 mark each.
- Any of the three correct answers regardless of the arrangement scored 3 marks.
State three advantage of flat panel monitors over cathode ray tube monitors as used in computers. (3 marks)
- They are compact and light weight;
- They consume less power;
- They do not suffer from geometrical distortions;
- They do not cause eye fatigue.
- They support many advanced technologies;
- They can be made in almost any size and shape;
- They support higher resolution.
- Low heat radiation.
- Any of these or correct answer had 1 mark each.
- Any of the three correct answers regardless of the arrangement scored 3 marks.
State three possible reasons for the extinction of daisy wheel printers in the market. (3 marks)
- They supported one font size and font face;
- They were monochrome printers;
- They produced noise while printing;
- They were very slow;
- Did not print graphics.
- Had poor print quality.
- Any of these or correct answer had 1 mark each.
- Any of the three correct answers regardless of the arrangement scored 3 marks.
State three ways in which an operating system secures a computer system. (3 mark)
- Access controls: Authentication of users in order to access files;
- Performing regular patches of updates;
- Creating secure accounts with required privileges;
- Scrutinizing all incoming and outgoing packets of data through a firewall;
- Encryption of data, during the transmission stage;
- Password / biometric analysis;
- Log files to detect any breach.
- Any of these or correct answer had 1 mark each.
- Any of the three correct answers regardless of the arrangement scored 3 marks.
A law firm prefers to use hard copy output over soft copy output when handling documents for legal matters. State two reasons for this preference. (2 marks)
- They are acceptable as exhibit in cases of litigation.
- Can be used without a computer.
- They are difficult to change without leaving any trace.
- They can be used without power.
- They can be used without the experience of computer usage.
- Any of these or correct answer had 1 mark each.
- Any of the two correct answers regardless of the arrangement scored 2 marks.
Distinguish between real-time operating system and distributed operating system. (3 marks)
- Real-time OS reads information from input devices and must respond within a short duration of time to ensure correct performance.
- Distributed OS distributes computation among several physical processors which do not share memory or clock.
- Three marks for clear differences between real-time and distributed OS
Analysis of form 1 questions in kcse 2018 computer studies paper 1
Weight of form 1 marks vs total marks in KCSE 2018 computer studies paper 1
- 25 marks were carried from form 1 representing 25% of all paper 1 marks
How marks were distributed across all form 1 topics
- Introduction to Computers - 5 marks
- The Computer System - 11 marks
- The Operating System - 9 marks
Advice to Users
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS: MIND BLOWING QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
- What is a computer?
- Define the terms:
- data
- information
- Differentiate between data and information.
- Explain why a phrase such as '1980' is data and not classified as information.
- Draw a well labelled diagram to illustrate information processing cycle.
- State the three functions of a computer.
- What is the major purpose of a computer?
- State advantages and disadvantages of computers.
- State six computer features that makes them smarter than humans.
- State five similarities between computers and humans.
- State five differences between humans and computers.
- Describe the four major parts of a computer.
- Why is a computer described as:
- electronic device;
- processing device
- programmable
- Why is a computer chassis also referred to as the system Unit?
- State the importance of a monitor in computer operations and why it is referred to as the video display unit (VDU).
- What is a computer program?
- What are peripheral devices?
- List any six peripheral devices.
- Differentiate between the CPU and the System Unit.
- List six components housed inside the computer chassis.
- Using a well illustrated diagram, explain how a computer operates.
- Why do we study computer studies?
- State the difference between a desktop system unit and a tower system unit.
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- Other than a desktop and a laptop, state any other six devices that can be described as a computer.
- What features/characteristics made you classify those devices (above) as computers.
- Other than a desktop and a laptop, state any other six devices that can be described as a computer.
- Write the following acronyms in full and describe what they are:
- VDU
- ICT
- PC
- CPU
- µP
JUNE 2019, FORM 1 COMPUTER STUDIES MIND BLOWING QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. Write the following acronyms in full
- OBR -
Optical Barcode Reader - OCR -
Optical Character Recognition - OMR -
Optical Mark Recognition - MICR -
Magnetic Ink Character Recognition - MRI -
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
2. State advantages of the keyboard over a mouse
- Keyboard can input text data, a mouse cannot.
- A keyboard can operate a computer without a mouse but a mouse cannot fully operate the computer without a keyboard.
- A keyboard can work on a multiple operating system such as command line interface, while a mouse only works on graphical user interface and menu driven interface.
- A keyboard has more operating and input features as compared to a mouse these features include function keys, special PC operation keys, data movement and editing keys and alphanumeric and numeric keypad keys. These features almost does everything to accomplish a task with a computer. While a mouse can only input instructions/commands.
3. Which input devices is recommended for use by blind people.
- Braille keyboard
- Voice input
- Smart gloves (turning sign language to text)
4. Distinguish between magnetic and optical scanners
5. State two advantages of using a light pen over other input devices
- With a light pen, digital signatures are possible.
- It is easier to make drawings with light pen than other input devices.
6. State 3 factors to consider when purchasing/selecting input devices.
- What the device is intended for
what are you intending to use this device for? - Bulkiness of the device / portability / stationery
this is how big or small the machine is and if it can be carried from one place to another for use or not - Amount of work to be handled
bulky work needs faster machines - Type of input data
it can be text, voice, instruction, sign language etc. - Initial Cost
the cost of buying the input device - Maintenance cost
this is the cost at which the buyer incur after the machine malfunction - Warranty / documentation
agreement between the buyer and seller on terms of after sale service and prove of purchase - User-friendliness
the interaction with users should be easy and friendly - User ability / disability
there are users with disability such as blind,crippled or dumb - Quality of input device
e.g. water proof, coating materials that can guarantee durability, power consumption etc. - The speed at which the input device captures data
this is the frequency at which it captures over a given duration of time. Input devices such as scanners are faster than keyboard and more accurate. - Hardware / software compatibility
ability for its software to work with other available software packages - Upgradability
capability of being improved in functionality by the addition or replacement of components or software. - Interface / connectivity
The type of interface used for connectivity should be available for your computer hardware. In most cases, USB and HDMI interface is used. - Versatility
This is the ability of a machine to adapt to other functions other than input data. The functions may include printing and photocopying.
Categories
All
1998
1998 KCSE
1999
APPLICATIONS AREAS OF ICT
Career Opportunities In ICT
CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTERS
COMPUTER SYSTEMS
DATABASE
DATA PROCESSING
DATA SECURITY AND CONTROLS
ELEMENTARY PROGRAMMING PRINCIPLES
FIELD
FILE
FORM 1
FORM 2
FORM 3
FORM 4
IMPACT OF I.C.T ON SOCIETY
INPUT DEVICES
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS
INTRODUCTION TO NETWORKING AND DATA COMMUNICATION
KCSE 2018
KCSE QUESTIONS 1998
KCSE QUESTIONS 2007
MIND BLOWING Q & A
MOCKS
Operating System
OPERATING SYSTEMS
OUTPUT DEVICES
PROCESSING DEVICES
PROCESSORS
PROGRAM DESIGN
RECORD
REGISTERS
REVISION KITS
SPREADSHEET
SPREADSHEETS
STORAGE DEVICES
SYSTEM DESIGN
THE COMPUTER LABORATORY
WORD PROCESSORS
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