Thursday Feb 26: fun with binary, and some notes about RAM

Greetings, fellow computer jocks!

Today we are going to look at two different items. Here is the location of the first one:

http://www.theskull.com/javascript/ascii-binary.html

This website has a useful text to binary and binary to text conversion program. As we learned a few days back when we got some notes about CPUs, computers run on binary code, which is a series of ones and zeroes ( "1" and "0")

I told you that every character on your keyboard is represented by a bytecode, which is a string of EIGHT 1s or 0s. Here's what I want you to do:

A) Find the binary codes for at least eight different characters. These characters can be letters, numbers, punctuation, whatever

B) Find out what you get for five different sets of binary codes you enter in

C) Make a post on our Google group about what you found. Label it with your name, plus the phrase "fun with binary"

Cheers,
Mr. L

Wed Feb 25: the TO DO list for CET

TOMORROW (THURSDAY) WE WILL BE UPSTAIRS IN A323!!!!

OK folks, here is where we stand:

A) Joshua, Hal, Kerry: you will be using all three of the utility programs you installed on your computers yesterday, starting with CPU-Z (either version), then Belarc Advisor, then Everest Ultimate. I want you guys to each compile a report using WordPad or NotePad. This report will have a section for each program used. Each section should have at least the following elements:
1) how is the information presented? Is it in webpage format? Is it a single screen? Is it multiple screens?
2) What information can you get for each of the following:
motherboard, CPU, RAM, hard drives, CD or DVD drive, BIOS, Operating System, installed programs
3) how easy is this program to use?
4) how would you rate it versus the other programs (compare/contrast)
Save the report in a file named after yourself plus the phrase "three utilities". I will collect them on one of my thumb drives, then email them to you.
B) John --> I have these programs on my thumb drive, so lets copy them to your computer from there, then you can install them, then you can do A) above

C) Nick --> please install speakers/sound card, test 'em to make sure they're working, then copy and install the system utilities mentioned above (I have some CDs of that stuff when you're ready) Start the same report when you are ready

D) Mike R., & Joe --> start installing Windows XP. Btw Mike, your video card was not properly seated in the AGP slot, which is why you couldn't see anything on your monitor

E) Evan--> you may need to swap out hard drives for the machine you're working on, but before you do that, let's see if you can run that computer from a CD. I have several "live CDs" for that very purpose, so let's try that first. If any CD runs the machine, then we know its a hard drive problem; if not, the problem may be the CD drive needs replacing.

F) Tyler--> please swap out the video cards; there's a bunch of them by Jesse's machine. You may also need to swap motherboards as well

G) Mike S --> please remove everything from your machine except the power, motherboard, and CD and floppy drive; plus the video card (naturally). See if you can run a "live CD". Let me know what you find. btw, let's try to keep this as simple as possible to start with: if you change too many components at once, you will have no idea where the problem lies.

H) Jesse --> You mentioned hearing some strange beeps at startup, so I have taken the liberty of printing out some standard "beep code" lists. You get to be the first in your class to use them, so come get them from me. Please refer to them while the machine starts, and try to figure out exactly which beep you are hearing. Then we can try to figure out where to go from there

Cheers,
Mr. L

Tues Feb 24: getting loud and digging in!

Greetings, felllow gearheads!



Today we will be working towards several different goals:



A) three of you - Evan, Joe and Jesse -- had serious equipment difficulties, which we are trying to resolve by having you work on equipment I have brought from my house. Please proceed, and get those machines at least up to the point where they have Windows 98 on them



B) Some of you --Tyler, Mike R., Mike S., Hal -- were working on installing Windows XP, having already installed Win98. Please do so, and let me know when you are finished



C) Those of you who have already successfully installed WinXP -- John, Kerry, Josh and Nick-- are free to begin either one of the following (you'll be doing both eventually, as will everyone else)



1) installing a sound card and speakers -- we have many of them in the back room, although as you are aware, the equipment around here is touch and go. Let's see what we can get to work, and when you do, by all means feel free to adequately test the equipment.



2) I have several installation CDs which come equipped with the first round of programs we will be installing on these computers. The programs included are as follows:

• some basic software toolset programs, the kind that let you find out some basic information about your system once you have it up and running. I have included CPU-z, which you can just store in a folder on your desktop, and both Belarc and Everest, both of which have to be installed before you can get 'em to work. All three can provide information about your system, and present it in a clear and easy to read fashion


• several free pdf readers, as many of the manuals we will no doubt be downloading for use in this class will come in this format


• winrar, which can handle any type of zip file we will likely come across


• a free game called "Zeek the geek", which will be much more fun if you have working speakers

Ok, that should about do it for today. Tomorrow we will be upstairs first to get a fresh set of notes, take a practice quiz, and do an activity or two!

Cheers,
Uncle Paulie

Friday the 13th: time to rev up the chainsaws

OK, getting serious now, we are going to do three things today:

A) take the motherboard quiz

B) finish up whatever work you were engaged in so as to see how far we can get before the vacation

C) after lunch, we will be up in A323 so that you can make a discussion post to our Google group. Please make an honest assessment of the class thus far, including any and all pressing needs that you have, any drawbacks in the program, any and all supplies we need, as well as any future projects you would like us to engage in. Take your time, and tell me exactly what you need and want. I will do my best to get both of those categories filled.

Cheers,
Mr. L

Tuesday Feb 3: we are starting our class in the room upstairs!

that's room A323..I need to show you some stuff, and the projector down in the main CET room is still non-functional. I will try to leave a note on the door.

Cheers,
Mr. L