During our Professional Development session with Sheryl today, we were briefed about our school visits starting tomorrow and the next four Thursdays thereafter. I´m still not sure if I am or am not looking forward to the school visits. In the end, we´re all going to have to do a presentation about the teaching of English in New Zealand compared to the one in Malaysia. I think I can do that. I´m also thinking of making a flash presentation instead of just the usual powerpoint presentation. Heck, I haven´t even been using Microsoft Office for a while now. I´ve been using OpenOffice for a while after my Office went haywire after a certain update.

In Linguist203 lecture, Mark was telling us more about sentence constructions and the type of sentences. I´m guilty of not paying much attention because I was typing up my Linguist203 assignment due next week (on the 22nd of August). I think I´m done with the assignment. I may need some proofreading and clarification on my copula constructions. That, and then I can submit the assignment before the due date.

As I´m typing this, I´m currently in my COMPSCI111 lecture. Today´s lecture continues the previous topic, The Introduction to XHTML and moves on to XHTML and CSS. I´ve done the exercises. I´m really glad I´m taking this course. I have absolutely no problem with this topic, and I´m hoping for a good grade. At the very least, I´m putting high hopes on this course to make up for the B´s and B+s I got in the last semester. I hope to get at least A for this course (though I really want an A+, but alas I don´t think I´m that good yet).

© 2008, Adlina. All rights reserved. Please link back to this page if quoted.

Mira and Atie decided to play truant for the first time today, so here I am on my own in this class. Technically, Lyn and Fareha are with me, but well… Today’s topic for Compsci 111 lecture is.. urm… Software. Looking at the first slide, I was like “Hrm… Free stuff.”

• Software – usu. include -all data we’re working with
• Data & instruction, initially separated
• known also as programs
• loaded from secondary storage into primary memory
• runs (executes) from RAM
• Software is loaded (HDD – RAM) – Read/Write CPU executes instruction (CPU)
• Read up in CPU very rapidly
• FILE FORMATS:
• all data stored in binary numbers
• organised in chunks (of related dtaa)
• method of encoding – dep. on software, = file format
• FORMATS – define the way numbers r interpreted
• EXTs – a dot followed by letters at the end of a file
• Windows OS use ext to determine file format n decide which apps to use to open a file

Why are standards needed? (standardised agreement)

• OS – open standard – published freely to the public, free to use, maintained by a non-profit orgs (xml, html, uml)
• But open x mean all good
• Proprietary standard – intellectual prop of an entity (indivisual/comp), use is usu through license
• risk for users: vendor lock-in

Proprietary Software

Software that has restrictions on using/copying

• all rights retained by owner
• owner enforces restrictions

License:

• commercial
• freeware
• sharewre
• semi free (usu non-profit org)

Freeware

• software dist free – no agreement abt dist, access to source code
• types: loss leader (given away with loss as sales promo), adware, donationware, postcardware
• abandonware: not legally recognised (IE, iTunes, Adobe Reader)

Shareware

• on the idea of ‘try b4 buying’
• trial period: purchase license/upgrade to comm ver
• nagware: reminder messages to license software
• crippleware: softwr lacks the advanced features until licensed (word processor that can’t save of print – (HAHA! Sounds like OFFICE 2007, doesn’t it??)

Open Source/Free Software

• freedom to use n study the work
• to copy n share the work with others
• change the work
• distribute changed and therefore derivative works
• copyright prevents these acts – explicit permission is required, free software license gives permission
• Richard Stallman – free software foundation (FSF), GPL (GNU General Public License) – legal doc that gives permission , Copyleft

Kinds of Software

• App software – helps user complete task
  System software – needed to run the comp
• OS – manages all the hardware resources for apps (CPU, RAM..)
• device drivers: help OS control hardwre
• diagnostic and maintenance tools – for analysis, troubleshooting n optimisation

OS

• low-level software – allow the use of system
• default interface when no app is running
• manages the system

Continued in notebook.

© 2008, Adlina. All rights reserved. Please link back to this page if quoted.