Year 12, Unit 30, Task 2, P2

File types are needed to display the images in locations and for brochures and leaflets I would recommend using bitmap and vector because of the images and text. My reasoning behind this is because the bitmap will help the text (as text can be enlarged many times without it becoming distorted) while the vector will allow the image to be enhanced without it becoming pixelated. 

Putting an image on the side of a van, I would recommend you use vector graphic as the image needs to be enhanced and enlarged due to the size and scale of the van however it still has to be effective. This will not be achievable unless you use vector to prevent it becoming pixelated. 

Finally, for a website I recommend you use bitmap as that’s the type of file types used for websites when creating graphics. This is because all browsers recognise them, whereas only a few recognise vectors.

Bitmap and vectors can both be saved as different kind off files, for example bitmap can be saved under Jpegs and vector graphics can be saved as a PDF’s.  

Year 12, Unit 30, Task 1, P1 and M1

There are many materials needed to create graphic images and in this blog post I will be discussing the ones needed to create an image digitally and also its limitations. 

Firstly I would recommend to use the computer IMac when creating graphics as they specify in that sort of area and are easier to use and navagate. IMac computers hold a suitable amount of storage that is needed when creating graphics on your computer and are also straight forward on how to use and can be effective to anyone when using them. However a limitation for a computer such as IMac is that they need upgrading every now and then because technology evolves quickly and to get the to effectiveness you need to be fully upgraded.

You will also need a keyboard and I would recommend the apple wireless keyboard. This is because it is easy to handle and easy to manage when creating graphics; it is specifically made for apple computers as well. The price of the product is suitable for the specific brand and because of what it is used for. The layout of the keyboard and the way it works with the IMac would also be a good when creating graphics and through this it will make design a lot more effective and easier.

Like the keyboard, the the mouse I would recommend the apple mouse as with the keyboard and IMac all being apple products they are effective when they all work together. The mouse is fast with movement and is accurate when its used and this would benefit with graphic designs because of the effort and ability that needs to be used in order to create them.

The hardware that I would recommend would be the Fuji x-m1 digital camera (if pictures are needed for the graphics design) because of the quality and accuracy of the camera. This camera is reliable because it is made for a high standard outcome. I would also use a Trust slim line wide screen tablet because they are designed to create graphics which means that the quality will be appropriate and to the set standards. This would be more appropriate to use when wanting to free hand a graphic design first instead of making it from a computer software system first. However its limitations are just like the computer cameras and tablets and they need updating also. 

The output products i would recommend would be an Hp laser jet pro printer because of the quality it would bring and the different sizes in which it can print. The printer would be effective when used because it’s the purpose of the printer, it is used for top quality printing, and is used for graphics because of its results. Also I would use the Graphtec vinyl cutter because its top range and is most popular when it comes to graphic design. It is used to cut out large letters or shapes from a certain material, and is used because the material and size is different and it wouldn't be able to be done by a normal printer. A limitation for printers is the size of paper in which they can print; they all have their limits to what sized paper that can be used. 

When creating graphics I would recommend Photoshop because of the tools that can be used to create different sorts of images, and it can also combine many different things in a effective way. Also using bitmap on graphics would be effective because it would reduce the pixels on the images, especially when wanting to create a bigger image without the image being pixelated. I would also use vector software because of what it does to images. Vector software uses curves and lines on the images to ensure that the image is not pixelated this is useful because it makes the images more effective and better in quality. One of the best vector software is Adobe Illustrator, it’s easy to use and its specifically made for creating images on your computer. The software isn't expensive either. However the limitations of software especially photo shop is that some popular programmes like this aren't compatible with already existing computers, and it also needs a lot of power for it to run, which also come as a limitation.

Finally when creating graphics there will be a lot of material to save onto your computer which will take up a lot of space. Therefore a hard drive will be useful to use so you can save more things, and not have to make space onto your computer.  Origin storage hard drive would be a suitable product as it holds a lot of memory which means you can use more things and not have to worry about running out of space

Year 12, Unit 2, Task 5, D1

Security Virus Protection/firewalls
Viruses tend to come from the internet and when your computer has a virus it will attach itself to a specific program and every time that program is used then the virus will multiply within the computer. The virus will then get bigger and attach itself onto other programs within the computer which will cause the programmes in the computer to run much slower than before and may also cause some of the tools in the program to be faulty. Therefore having anti-virus protection on you computer such as Norton, will make sure that if there is a virus within the computer then it is dealt with, if not then the applications in your computer will lose quality and start to be faulty which isn't a good thing, especially if the program is important and needed on a daily basis.

Having firewall on your computer will enhance the performance of the system and how it works. If the computer is hacked or the connection of the computer has been interfered with then the computer will be slow and the connection won’t be as high of quality. If you didn't have a firewall can also therefore put risk to the information that you have on your computer, such as personal details about yourself including bank details. Overall having firewall is important for your computers performance and for many security reasons.

Clean up Tools

If you have too many cookies that have been downloaded from websites on your computer, then this can cause the computer to run slower, which is also applicable for internet history. Having too much internet history can cause your computer to be slower as it is adding to the usage of the computer itself, and when the computer is slower the productivity of it is lower.  

Defragmentation is all about the files and the sizes of them, as files can be quite big, defragmentation helps this. Having this will also affect the speed of your computer as if the sizes of files are too large then space will fill up quickly and reduce the productivity.

Drive Formatting

Drive formatting is important as it sorts through the hard disk that is used for the computer and makes sure that the hardware can be readable to the computer. If you didn't have drive formatting in your computer then the hardware would not be able to read the hard disk as drive formatting gives it a logical structure and therefore affect the computer as it wouldn't work.

Year 12, Unit 2, Task 4, M1

	Windows XP	Mac OS
Machine and peripheral management	The peripheral management within a Windows XP (key board and mouse) are bought separately and you can change the setting on them depending on the speed that you would like them to work.	However, with the peripheral management for Macs, changing the setting on them wouldn’t be necessary as the hardware is made especially for the Mac. Also, it has to be the hardware from apple to get the best kind of result.
Security	Windows has the basic setting for security including user name accounts and passwords which ensure there isn’t any unauthorised access into the computer and the data inside.	The security on the Mac OS differs from that of the Windows. Mac devices heck downloads before they are downloaded to see if they are safe. Also, they block the ports that are a potential security risk to the computer.
File management	File management doesn’t run on all Windows programmes. The file management within a Windows computer is simple and sorts files depending on the size. It can also be customised to satisfy the user.	File management within Mac computers is also simple and easy to manage. Mac uses something called ‘finder’ which Windows computers do not have. With this, you can see all of the files on the hard drive (it is similar to internet explorer).
Device drivers	Windows has ‘device manager’ which lets the user of the control the device driver. The device drivers in windows were made to be easy and the quality worth it. Within windows, if all device drivers are updated then it will be able to work it and hand it better than if it wasn’t updated to full.	Mac has different device drivers within the computer. It can be controlled by their own programme including through Bluetooth and other plug in devices such as printers or scanners.
Ability to customise	Both Windows and Mac have many customisation tools within their systems. Both have a ‘control panel’ of which they can change different features on the computer such as icon sizes, colours etc. Windows also has ‘accessibility wizard’ which enables you to customise the computer for suit your hearing and vision.	Mac also has a wide range of customisation tools available. The Mac has different download tools that can make your Mac customised such as ‘mirage’ and ‘candy bar’. There are also programmes which enable you to customise other things in the computer such as the way things install on your computer.
Support for connectivity of portable media	Windows computers support different portable media which can be connected to the computer including USB, CD, Bluetooth and WIFI.	Mac computers are almost the same as Windows computers as they both are able to support mostly all portable media at the same quality.
Security	Windows XP has an anti-virus system within the program which protects the computer from viruses that occur from downloads etc. Compared to the Mac, Windows has a wider range of security.	The problems to do with security and Mac are usually viruses. There viruses are usually in the applications rather than the OS itself, however, the Mac does have security in other ways such as privacy within the computer; usernames and passwords.
Stability and reliability	The stability and reliability relies on the applications downloaded from the system/how they work. Windows has a lot of different type of applications and in fact more than the Mac which can cause more stability problems compared to the Mac.	The Mac is more stable than the Windows due to the way the hardware has been made for the computer; it is compact with each parts of the computer itself. The mac also has a clean code which makes it run faster with fewer crashes occurring in the system.
Ease of management	The format for the way in which Windows is managed is quite simple. However, comparing the Windows and Mac systems on the ease of management is difficult as it all depends on who is using it and what they are used to.	Macs ease of management is similar to Windows however it has a different layout, yet they are both fairly easy to use as they do share similar features.
Associated utilities	Windows has a wider ranges of utilities compared to the Mac (this doesn’t make it better!). The qualities of Windows utilities aren’t as high as Mac however they are still good.	For Mac, associated utilities have been created. This includes programmes such as path finder and also the dimmer on the Mac itself.

There are many ways in which both of these systems differ from the control panel, system tools, internet and system preferences etc. 

These are the control panels on a Mac OS and a Windows XP computer. They are both different from each other and this is evident from the screenshots above showing that the layout of the each are different. Also, on the Mac OS' control panel it is actually called 'System Preferences' and unlike the Windows XP, it has groups split up to fit the right group, For example, in personal is the desktop and account whereas in the internet and network is stuff relating to the internet. This is not the same with the control panel of a Windows XP computer

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The systems tools for a Mac OS and Windows XP computer also differ. Mac OS computers do not have a system tools button unlike the Windows XP. Instead, with a Mac OS you normally just look through the documents to find the file you want or at the bottom of the computer is icons identifying the internet etc. The difference with the Windows XP computer is you have to press the 'Start' button or more commonly now the Windows logo button on the bottom left hand corner. This will then direct you to lots of different system tools including the internet, e-mail, Microsoft office etc. This on the other hand, with the Mac OS, is all placed on the home screen of the computer.

The internet on the two different computers are different. On the Mac OS you normally have Safari or Firefox where as on the Windows XP you either have Internet Explorer or Google Chrome. This is because these specific internet fits the computers needs. Safari or Firefox often comes with the Mac OS computer therefore there is no need to download Internet Explorer or Google Chrome to match the Windows XP computer. This is the same with the Windows XP. 

Year 12, Unit 2, Task 3, P3

Year 12, Unit 2, Task 2, P2