Unit 2, Task 5, D1

Security virus protection is used to improve the performance of your computer system. They protect the computer system from getting viruses. Security virus protection is used to protect your computer system from trojan horses. You could lose control of your computer if trojan horses and viruses take over. Viruses can cause pop ups to occur when you try and access different websites. It could also cause your computer to completely shut down. If you have security virus protection, you will be informed when a virus tries to come into contact with your computer which will then allow you to take immediate action against it.

Clean up tools for removal of cookies and/or internet history and/or defragmentation is used to remove any unwanted items from your computer. If you did not have clean up tools on your computer, it would get overloaded with cookies which may stop your computer from working as your memory will be too full. After using your computer for a long period of time different files can become corrupted which can slow down your computer. You are able to clean and repair these files by using hard drive utility applications. The easiest way to boost the performance of your computer is to do a format of the hard drive and reinstall all the necessary files. Fragmentation makes the hard drive do extra work therefore slowing down the computer. Disc defragmentation is able to rearrange fragmented data to allow your discs and drives to work better. To make sure computer performance better you can remove all of the internet history. All of these clean up tools will provide a much quicker computer.

Drive formatting gets rid of all unnecessary content on your computer and restores it to the way it used to be. This will make the computer run much quicker and will allow you to have more memory. When a computer is formatted all of the data on the disc is erased and replaced with a fresh copy of the operating system. This will free up a lot of space on your hard drive. Computers run much quicker when there is more free space on the hard drive. Computer’s often experience problems due to viruses and other unnecessary programmes which can be dangerous to the computer system. To resolve these issues you should reformat the hard drive regularly.

Unit 2, Task 5, M3 and D2

2011 MacBook Pro

The MacBook has a RAM speed of 2687 MB/s. It scored 108 in the Benchmark test.

The CPU tests that were ran scored 187. The floating point operations per second were 48447244, the integer operations per second were 95730000 and the MD5 hashes calculated per second were 677596.

The graphics test scored 29 and there were 70 3D frames per second.

The hardware tests scored 16. The primary partition capacity is 223GB and the drive write speed is 40 MB/s.

The 2013 Zoostorm i7 scored 198 for the RAM speed which is 12529 MB/s. A faster RAM will make a huge difference to the overall performance of the computer. Games and other applications will load much quicker with a faster RAM. The MacBook Pro would benefit from having a faster RAM as it would make it much easier to use the computer.

The CPU tests ran on the MacBook were quite poor, scoring a reasonably low 187. Other models have scored as high as 753. The system would probably process information quite slowly. This can be solved by getting higher quality CPU tests.

There are better models than the 2011 MacBook Pro in terms of graphics cards as others have scored 33. If a higher quality graphics card is used, the pictures and graphics shown on the screen will be much clearer and of a higher definition. Therefore, making the overall performance of the computer much better.

The MacBook Pro only scored 16 in the hardware test which is very low compared to the 2013 Zoostorm i7 which scored 45. In order to improve the hardware scores, the primary partition capacity needs to be higher and the drive write speed needs to be quicker.

Unit 2, Task 6, M2

The iMac that I recommended is quite expensive. Alternatively, you could purchase a HP Pavilion Touchscreen All in One PC. This costs much less than the iMac as it is only £699.99. The operating system is Windows 8.1. This is the most recent Windows programme. The memory space is the same as the iMac as it is 1TB. The screen is a good size at 23 inches and is also touchscreen, a property that the iMac does not have. The sound quality on this computer is very good. It has high quality DTS sound+ audio that drives the 2W speakers to output audio. With two USB 3.0 ports you are able to enjoy 10x the data transfer speed of USB 2.0. There are also four USB 2.0 ports which allows you to connect to external hard drives, graphics tablets and other peripherals. This computer includes built in WiFi and Ethernet connection for direct internet.

I would recommend the iMac as even though it is more expensive, it is a much higher quality. Also, you get excellent value for money. In the long run, the iMac will work out as being cheaper because it does not require as much maintenance. The iMac has better graphics than the HP Pavilion which will give a better experience. The iMac loads much faster and is a lot safer.

Unit 2, Task 6, P4

System:

Computer/Monitor - I would recommend an iMac as a good computer as it already it has everything built into the monitor. The screen on an iMac can be anywhere between 21.5 inches and 27 inches. The screen is specially designed in order to reduce reflection. The iMac is installed with the latest Intel Core processors. iMac graphics are very powerful. Whatever graphics you choose, they will be HD with more speed and responses. The iMac comes with up to 1TB of memory space on the hard drive however you can opt to upgrade to 3TB of memory. The iMac costs £1599.

Keyboard - The Apple Wireless Keyboard is a very good choice as it can be used anywhere within 30 feet of your computer because it has built in bluetooth. It takes up 24% less space on your desktop than a normal keyboard. The battery life is very impressive and the keyboard knows to power down automatically when you are not using it. The keyboard costs £59.

Mouse - The Apple Magic Mouse is an excellent choice to accompany the computer and keyboard. It’s smooth, seamless top shell acts as one button or two. As it is wireless, there is a greater surface area to scroll which gives you better control when using your computer. The mouse works wirelessly through Bluetooth. Combined with the wireless keyboard, it gives an uncluttered, easy to work desktop space. You are able to use the mouse for up to 33 feet away. It costs £59.

Input:

Camera - The Canon PowerShot SX510 12MP Bridge Camera is a very good camera. It comes equipped with a 30x optical zoom which allows you to get sharp, crisp imagery and extended film footage. It also comes with WiFi which allows you to easily share your photos. It also has HDMI connectivity. The camera currently costs £119.99.

Scanner - I would recommend the Epson V550 Perfection Photo Scanner. You are able to easily scan a range of negative and positive film. The scanner uses Digital ICE Technology and Epson Easy Photo Fix software in order to transform your old photos into high quality. With fast, energy efficient Epson ReadyScan LED technology, you are able to start scanning your photos almost instantly. The scanner costs £199.99.

Graphics Tablet - I would recommend the Wacom New Intuos Pen and Touch tablet. With this tablet you are able to experience a more expressive and intuitive way of working. This will give you great flexibility with your creativity as you can draw and watch your designs appear on the screen. It currently costs £79.99.

Output

Printer - The Epson Expression Premium XP-620 All-In-One Printer is ideal if you need flexible printing. It allows you to print high quality text and photos, as well as being able to copy and scan. As the printer has WiFi it allows you to print easily from wherever you are. The printer comes equipped with two front loading paper trays and a LCD screen. It costs £99.99.

Vinyl Cutters - I would recommend the LIYU Vinyl Cutter as it is compatible with Mac OS. The cutter comes with FTDI chipset which allows plug in and play like features after installing the drivers for Mac and Windows. Many other cutters do not come with this function. The cutter costs £242.

Projector - The Acer P1173 3D Home Cinema Projector is a good choice. The resolution of the projector is 800 x 600. The projector is very simple to connect to your computer. It is perfect for displaying content from your hard drive. The 3.5mm audio connection means that you can enjoy sound from the projector too. You can also use your projector in HD as it comes with a HDMI port. The projector costs £239.99.

Software

Vector - ADOBE Illustrator Creative Cloud gives you a more efficient way to experiment, create and collaborate with easy file sharing. You are able to easily share your work with other people through built in integration with Behance ProSite. Your applications live on the desktop. For 12 months it costs £199.99.

Bitmap - ADOBE Photoshop Elements allows you to transform your favourite moments into video clips. You are able to make quick edits, add effects or totally transform your videos. It provides you with all the tools and guides you through the process. It costs £59.99.

Desktop Publishing - Microsoft Office for Mac Home and Business is a great choice as it is compatible with Mac software. You are able to create different documents such as powerpoints, word documents and more. It costs £179.97.