ridiculous Terminology in GCSE IT

I had the same thing. The one that got me was "what is the disadvantage of a CD as media", I shouldn't use quotes because it was that long ago, I can't remember the exact wording. The answer was "you can't write data to it". When I explained that, for a couple of thousand, you could get a CD-writer and that I had seen one in action, I was spoke to as though I was insane and a trouble maker. when I then went on to ask "well, how does the data get on to the CD in the first place?" I was again, a trouble maker

Also with SD 3.5" floppies. I was repeatedly told that 720k was the limit. When I tried to explain that that was only because of the PC file system limit. An Amiga could store about 880k on the same disk, I got the same response.
 
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Again - narrow focus. By computer you are referring to an x86 workstation (for want of a better phrase). Back when they first started offering the GCSE 99% of computers didn't have a graphics card.

Nothing wrong with resistors. Take a look at your graphics card and it'll be covered in loads of the tiny blighters. Your graphics card wouldn't exist without a couple of billion humble transistors. They just happen to be engineered into a single custom chip.
 
The name for computer comes from the processor (computing) anyhow :S

This is one of the things that I hate as when I'm doing anything IT based these days I get made to look silly by people who have been hard drilled with the textbook way of doing something... but are completely lost the moment you step away from the beaten path - where I'm capable of putting my real working understanding of how these things function into play.
 
mame said:
Also with SD 3.5" floppies. I was repeatedly told that 720k was the limit. When I tried to explain that that was only because of the PC file system limit. An Amiga could store about 880k on the same disk, I got the same response.
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lol I had this one come up back in the "dark ages" because RISC OS could store 800K on them IIRC, amiga 880 or whatever and the BIOS on some PCs let you use other formats IIRC one could store 960 or 920KB.
 
Mate the real world is even worse.

I work at Comet part time.

A netbook doesn't exist, a small laptop is called a notebook - stupid!
A desktop pc (or base unit as we refer to them) is now called a CPU (lol, even my mum calls them this)
 
dLockers said:
A desktop pc (or base unit as we refer to them) is now called a CPU (lol, even my mum calls them this)
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We've got a handful of users at work who call the tower PC a hard drive. We had someone who send in an order form for a replacement hard drive. We found out what the PC was and ordered in a new 80Gb hard drive. Turns out the daft bint wanted a new PC. Didn't even cross her mind that £40 was a bit cheap. The look on her face when I turned up with an anti-static bag with a Seagate drive in it was priceless.
 
Rroff said:
lol I had this one come up back in the "dark ages" because RISC OS could store 800K on them IIRC, amiga 880 or whatever and the BIOS on some PCs let you use other formats IIRC one could store 960 or 920KB.
Click to expand...

I used to turn 720Kb floppies into 1.44mb floppies by drilling a hole in the opposite side to the write protect tab. worked every time.
 
MagicBoy said:
We've got a handful of users at work who call the tower PC a hard drive. We had someone who send in an order form for a replacement hard drive. We found out what the PC was and ordered in a new 80Gb hard drive. Turns out the daft bint wanted a new PC. Didn't even cross her mind that £40 was a bit cheap. The look on her face when I turned up with an anti-static bag with a Seagate drive in it was priceless.
Click to expand...

ROFL I would have loved to see their face :D
What did she say?
 
PhillyDee said:
I used to turn 720Kb floppies into 1.44mb floppies by drilling a hole in the opposite side to the write protect tab. worked every time.
Click to expand...

Me and a mate did that to a load of SD disks. I think about 80% of them worked has HD. We wanted them for a super wild card:o
 
mame said:
Me and a mate did that to a load of SD disks. I think about 80% of them worked has HD. We wanted them for a super wild card:o
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We used to order the disks from Virgin Media dial up (Used to get 6 at a time) purely because we discovered that just changing 1 character in the name meant it sent you another 6. We sent hundreds to my mate :D.
 
PhillyDee said:
I used to turn 720Kb floppies into 1.44mb floppies by drilling a hole in the opposite side to the write protect tab. worked every time.
Click to expand...

From my experience reliability was a bit hit and miss doing that.

You could format (proper) HD floppies for 2.88MB too IIRC - but again some discs handled it better than others.
 
<preamble>
Bint : "Where is it?"
Magic : "Here" (showing her the box with an anti-static bag in it).
Bint : "What's that?"
Magic : "It's the hard drive you ordered. Show me the faulty PC and I'll get it installed and reimaged"

Jaw hits floor.
Mortified expression.
Gets all embarrassed.

Then tries to blame it on me. We'd phoned her up and checked the PC number etc to order the correct type of drive and check the warranty status and explain etc etc.

Bint : "Oh, I wondered why you were asking about that and it did seem a bit cheap."
Magic : "You didn't think to double check?"
<long pause>
Bint : "So can you swap it for replacement hard drive"
Magic winces visibly
Bint : "I mean tower unit"
Magic : "I'll see if I can get it returned to the supplier for a credit. A new PC is about £380 at the moment"
Bint : "We don't have the money in the budget. Can't you buy one for us?"
Magic : "We're internal IT not a charity!"

:D
 
Gundog48, You are the reason why I love people who think :)

If your going to be a smartie pants and go down that road, Why dont you start questioning if the books that you are reading are actually correct; not just nonsense information passed down from generation to generation. Test everything yourself and find out and in the process you'll learn a lot more!
 
my advice is deal with it. it doesnt change until you get to uni. Thats when the good stuff starts happening.

it sucks but thats how it is.
 
LOL
I still remember my very first IT lesson @high school in 1994.
We spent an hour formatting a floppy on these knackered old acorns.
In 97 when the supermarket vouchers finally afforded the school 20 'high spec' PCs, no students were allowed to use them untill 98.
I left in 99.

Its little wonder that my interest in PCs didnt even spark until last year :D

Dude, you seem to have the point of GCSEs nailed.
They are demonstration to learn parrot fashion, if you can do this and retain the real world knowledge then youre sorted.
And in those situations where the question is inheritly wrong, then google the definition, check the answer and then question your teacher infront of the class.
I would.
And if you question it, then atleast the teacher knows that youre paying attention, right?
 
you wont learn anything hardware or real software based in school's

the teachers are much to expensive and no one does a PGCE once they have a Degree within IT as IT itslef gives a much higher wage then a school teacher gets.

Im planning on teaching but i will at a college or a Uni, My degree is in robotics..
 
jeckulz said:
LOL
I still remember my very first IT lesson @high school in 1994.
We spent an hour formatting a floppy on these knackered old acorns.
In 97 when the supermarket vouchers finally afforded the school 20 'high spec' PCs, no students were allowed to use them untill 98.
I left in 99.

Its little wonder that my interest in PCs didnt even spark until last year :D

Dude, you seem to have the point of GCSEs nailed.
They are demonstration to learn parrot fashion, if you can do this and retain the real world knowledge then youre sorted.
And in those situations where the question is inheritly wrong, then google the definition, check the answer and then question your teacher infront of the class.
I would.
And if you question it, then atleast the teacher knows that youre paying attention, right?
Click to expand...

doesnt help when its the exam board thats run by monkeys is who gves you a grade
 
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