Frequently asked questions....3

9. Why does internet slow down?

Ans. There are more factors for internet slowdown than you can imagine. When any one of the computers goof in the long chain, it slows down. Mostly because too many slow users use the media at the same time. Internet is basically a process of exchange of packets of bytes between your browser and the server(source computer) in between the two ends many agencies and computers are involved to selectively route the information packets. Problems, even temporary, faced by them cause slowdown of traffic. The source server capacity is limited in most cases. ISP(internet service provider) wants to make more money by distributing their bandwidth to more subscribers. Bandwidth is the capacity to handle more number of packets or bytes. The subscriber contributes to slowdown by improper use of the browser. The subscriber often clicks on many links in short intervals of time. Before the packets can be handled by the browser properly, he clicks on refresh or reload button causing jamming in the network and unnecessary load on server computer. The browsers have to compromise with available resources in the computer like available RAM, slow graphics, improper scripts and so on. The web masters do not understand the subscriber's problems fully. He leaves a lot of empty spaces in long web pages, uses unnecessary animation and multimedia, improper compression methods etc.

10. What is meant by compression or decompression?

Ans. When we send text from one computer and receive in another, we have to simply send a code byte for each alphabet called ascii code byte. We have to also send other details like font type, size, color etc. The process is straight forward, thus standardised in all computers. When we deal with picture or sound
details, there is no unique process to be followed. Thus there are various image file extensions and sound file types. Now text, image or sound files take up memory space and download time. Compression is a process of reducing file size without compromising contents. Compressed text, image and sound files are decompressed at receiver's end for our use as image or text or sound. Obvious gain is less storage area, less download time and easy portability. There are many popular compression techniques which can effect reduction in file size by high degree. But decompression can not bring back the original file contents in high fidelty in all cases.

11. How do sound, music, voice become a computer file?

Ans. Sound recorder is an application program which can store your voice or sounds like a tape recorder and play it when you like. Activate the sound recorder application by start-program-accessories-entertainment my mouse. Click on file, click on new. Click on red record button, make sounds, click on black stop button. Click on file, then on save as. Store your sound file with a file name. Later open the file and click on play to listen from your sound speakers. The sound card with mic and speakers digitise the sound to computer bytes and produce sound from computer bytes. All voice recordings are made with uncompressed .wav or .au extensions. You can send your voice as email extension, compress to store as a zip file. Only problem with sound files is that they take huge disc space when saved after hifidelty digitisation.

12. Why a right button on mouse is required?

Ans. Left button on mouse is reserved for start of an operation directly. The right button is used for editing purpose like rename, delete, cut, copy, paste and all associated editing functions. With right button, one can find many impotant details about a file by properties function. Thus mouse right button takes over the
top task bar actions for a file without having to move away.

Frequently asked questions with answers

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