Revision notes written to the specification, with examiner tips and the required practicals. Every point here has flashcards in the Stickwise app.
OS & utility software
The operating system has five main jobs. It provides the user interface. It handles memory management, loading programs into RAM and multitasking by switching the CPU between them in fast time-slices. It handles peripheral management through drivers, which act as a translator for each piece of hardware, so any new device needs its own driver installed. It handles user management, meaning accounts and permissions, and file management, covering folders, file extensions and access rights.
Utility software handles the housekeeping tasks on a computer. Encryption locks files so they cannot be read without a key. Defragmentation regroups scattered pieces of a file back together on an HDD so the read head stops hunting for them, though it is pointless on an SSD. Compression shrinks files for storage and for sending.
Ethics, environment & law
Ethical & culturalPrivacy concerns include always-on microphones, location tracking, and personal profiles being sold to advertisers. The digital divide describes unequal access to technology. Automation raises questions about its effect on employment, and wellbeing concerns include addiction, cyberbullying and misinformation.
EnvironmentalE-waste is often shipped to poorer countries for disposal. Data centres consume large amounts of power, and manufacturing devices requires mining rare metals. These impacts are partly offset by technology enabling video calls, paperless work and smart-grid efficiency.
Data Protection Act 2018This requires personal data to be used fairly, kept accurate and secure, and not held for longer than necessary, giving people rights over their own data.
Computer Misuse Act 1990This makes unauthorised access to a computer system a crime, with tougher offences for accessing a system with intent to commit further crimes, or for altering data without permission.
Copyright, Designs & Patents Act 1988This protects software, music and film, which makes piracy and using cracked copies illegal.
Open source vs proprietaryOpen source software has its code visible, free to modify and share, as with Linux, whereas proprietary software keeps its code hidden and is bought under licence, typically with more polished support, as with Windows.
When deciding which law applies: snooping in someone else's account is covered by the Computer Misuse Act, a firm selling your details without consent is covered by the Data Protection Act, and sharing a cracked game is covered by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act.
🎯 Examiner tip: For an 8-mark impacts question, name the stakeholders involved, give each one a benefit and a harm, cite the relevant law, and close with a weighed judgement: people, pluses, minuses, law, verdict.
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