COMPUTER APPLICATIONS TECHNOLOGY
THEORY CONCEPTS
,COPYRIGHT
The information in this booklet must be supplemented by the text book and the concepts in the exam guidelines.
Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information published in this work is accurate, the developers take no
responsibility for any loss or damage suffered by any person as a result of the reliance upon the information contained therein.
Any omissions and errors should be reported to fotienea@gmail.com.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First edition April 2018
Coordinator, compiler, moderator, editor: Fotiene Avrakotos
Collaborators
Amelia Herbst-Smit-Victory House, Annah Swethane-Esselen Park School of Excellence, Anna-Marie Snyman-Hoërskool
Eldoraigne, Asma Moosa-Central Islamic School, Carika Kahl-Abbotts College Centurion, Carmenn Schutte-Midrand High
School, Cheryl Holder-Hope School, Christel Venter-Allen Glen High School, Claire Smuts-Randburg High School, Cobus
Matthee-Balmoral College, Daleen De Beer-Hoërskool Hercules, Edmund Amoako-Curro Academy Shoshanguve, Edwin
Tepanyeka-Hoërskool Voortrekkerhoogte, Elmarie Labuschagne-General Smuts High School, Elmarie Rossouw-Muriel Brand
School, Elme Ribeiro-Hoërskool Eldoraigne, Erin Adlam-Sutherland High School, Erline Jordaan-Destinata, Fayeez Rassack-
Drakensberg Secondary School, Gaopalelwe Rantithong -Hillview Secondary School, Gretha van der Merwe-Afrikaans Hoër
Meisies Pretoria, Hannetjie Furstenburg-Hoërskool Bastion, Jason Bosman-Sutherland High School, Jonathan Linde-
Brandcliff House, Linda Jacobs-Afrikaans Hoër Germiston, Lizelle Doble-Hoërskool Oosterlig, Marissa Pretorius-Riverside
High School, Mark van Tonder-Suiderlig High School, Marlize McKechnie-Sunward Park High School, Natalie Fisher-Bracken
High School, Noelene du Toit-Northcliff High School, Retha van Niekerk-Benoni High School, Rina Troskie-Hoërskool
Noordheuwel, Rose Krugess-Benoni High School, Sam Matiza-Radley Private School, Samantha Slatter-Sparrows Private
School, Sebe Myeni-Brakpan High School, Stanley le Fleur-Hoërskool Silverton, Tanya du Toit-Ekurhuleni South District,
Tanya Pretorius-Suncrest High School, Tapiwa Makamure-Curro Academy Shoshanguve, Telana Vorster-Hoërskool
Voortrekker, Yolandi Engelbrecht -Tuine High School
Gauteng provincial coordinator and subject advisors
II
,TABLE OF CONTENTS
SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGIES 1
CONCEPTS OF COMPUTING 1
1. Categories of users: Personal Computer User or End-user 1
2. Categories of users: Small Office Home Office – SOHO 3
3. Categories of users: Super User/Power user 4
4. Categories of users: Mobile User 5
5. Entry-level Computer 6
6. Storage 7
HARDWARE 10
7. Biometric input 10
8. Convergence 12
9. Interactive whiteboards 14
10. Memory cards 15
11. POS – Point of Sale 17
12. Resolution and image quality 19
13. Touch screens 21
14. USB and Plug and Play 23
SOFTWARE 25
15. Document management software 25
16. E-mail software 27
17. Freeware 30
18. Key logging 31
19. Key logging software 33
20. Licensing and licensing agreements including end user, site license agreements and creative
commons 35
21. OCR 36
22. Online/Web applications 38
23. Open Source Software (OSS) 40
24. Proprietary software 41
25. Reference/Educational software 42
26. Risk of using flawed software 44
27. Shareware 45
28. Versions (Updating software), Patches and Service Packs 46
29. Voice recognition also known as speech recognition 49
30. Web browsers 50
31. Web-based applications versus Installed applications 53
COMPUTER MANAGEMENT 55
32. Backup 55
33. Caching 56
34. Compatibility issues 57
35. Defragmentation, Scan disk/Check disk, Disk clean-up 59
36. Drivers 61
37. Multitasking 62
38. Scheduling 63
39. Security features such as access control, control of spyware, adware and firewall 64
40. Spooling 66
III
, 41. Utility Programs 68
ACCESSIBILITY 69
42. Accessibility for the disabled 69
43. Software for physically challenged people 71
NETWORK TECHNOLOGIES 72
1. Wireless access point coverage 72
2. Broadband and Bandwidth 74
3. Communication devices: Smart phones and other personal mobile devices 75
4. Data transmission speed 76
5. Digital Communication 77
6. Grid computing 79
7. Internet Service Provider (ISP), Internet services 80
8. Network device: Modem, router and switch 81
9. Real-Time messaging – Instant Messaging (IM) and Chat 83
10. Types of connections, e.g. ADSL, wireless technologies 85
11. Wireless vs Cables 92
INTERNET TECHNOLOGIES 94
1. Blocking websites 94
2. Blogs/Vlogs 96
3. Bluetooth 98
4. Bookmark 99
5. Browser plug-ins 101
6. CAP, bundle 102
7. Chatrooms 103
8. Cloud Computing 105
9. Downloading/uploading 106
10. File Sharing 108
11. FTP (File Transfer Protocol) 110
12. Government Internet services and information such as tax return, TV license payment and election
information 112
13. GPS (Global Positioning System) 114
14. History and Favourites 116
15. Home page settings 118
16. Podcast/Vodcast 120
17. Pop-up blocker 121
18. RSS feeds 122
19. Search engines 123
20. Social networks 125
21. Video conferencing 127
22. VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) 129
23. Wi-Fi Hotspots 131
24. Wikis 132
25. Wi-Max 133
SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS 135
IMPACT ON SOCIETY 135
1. Appropriate communication etiquette 135
2. Artificial Intelligence (AI) 136
IV
