Parts of an Operating System

Application Execution

When I was doing the AS 91073 Assessment the operating system’s application execution allowed me to open and use Adobe InDesign. The OS read that the file was an executable file as it had a .exe extension, and so ran the file. Without this, it would not have been possible for me to do my assessment.

File Management

File management helps me with my schoolwork as it allows me to organise my files and folders into subject and year groups. This allows me to easily keep track of what I am working on and what I have finished with, as I can group them in different folders accordingly.

Input/Output Devices

To use a mouse, keyboard and other external devices, the operating system needs to be able to manage input devices. This part of the operating system allows the computer to recognize and use things such as those mentioned above. I use these functions every time I am on a computer, as otherwise I would not be able to interact with the computer.

There are also output devices. These are things such as speakers and the computer screen, and the OS has to be able to manage these for the user to be able to use the computer. For example, if the operating system did not manage the desktop, I would not be able to see what I was typing, or for that matter have any idea what I was doing at all as I could not see any noticeable effect I was having on the computer.

GUI

The graphic user interface allows the user to easily interact with the computer. Before there was a GUI, users had to access their computer through the command line, with a system called DOS. The graphical user interface allows me to personalize things such as the desktop by applying a new background, which I do whenever I feel the one I am currently using is too old.

Operating Systems

An operating system is software in the computer that allows the applications to talk to the hardware. It provides us with things such as:

• GUI (Graphical User Interface)
• File Management
• Application Execution
• Input/Output Devices

Some examples of operating systems are:

• Windows 7
• OS X
• Linux

File Manipulation

File management is organizing files so it is easier for the user to understand and find things at a later date. The OS provides a graphical user interface for users to interact with programs easier.

Communication Purpose

Communication purpose is what the person who made the document is trying to achieve and how they are doing this. For example, in the architectural design leaflet, the communication purpose was to sell their steel framing product. A good way to evaluate how they achieved their communication purpose is by looking at CRAP.

C - Contrast
R - Repetition
A - Alignment
P - Proximity

Contrast is looking at the colour scheme of a document and how the different colours contrast with each other to achieve an effect in the document. In the Clickmedia document, the title scheme of a red background and white text is contrasted with the white background and black text of the paragraphs. This highlights the importance of the titles compared with the text contained within the body paragraphs.

Repetition is when something is repeated for an effect within the document. The red titles are repeated with the same colour scheme and text throughout the document to tie the individual sections of the document together through usage of the same colour scheme repeatedly.

Alignment describes how visual elements of the document are aligned. This is shown by the same 10mm spacing on the left-hand side of each body paragraph. This repetition of spacing links the body paragraphs together and shows that they have the same sort of information within each section.

Proximity is how close together things in the document are spaced. It could be that two images have been placed side by side to show that they are both aiming for the same effect, or that they have been separated to suggest they do not have the same message. In the Clickmedia document, the images on the front cover have been placed directly beside each other to show that they are about the same product.

Copyright

Copyright protects images and work from being copied and reused by other people. The standard length for copyright is the lifetime of the author/artist and 50 years after they die. Copyright comes into effect immediately; there is no need for registration.

If copyright did not exist, anyone would be able to use and edit any image they found on the web. This would mean that any photo you put on Facebook could be downloaded and edited by anyone who wanted to.

To find an image on Google with no copyright restrictions, you can start a search, and then go to the advanced search. Scroll to the bottom, and then select usage rights. From here you will want to select the parameters that are applicable to your search. Then all you need to do is click search, and your advanced options will be applied.

Features of InDesign

The main distinguishing feature of InDesign, and by extension most Adobe programs, is the ability to use layers. You can create multiple layers, and apply different elements of your document to different layers. This means that while you are working on one layer, you can hide the other layers, allowing for easier selection and editing. Layers are organized from top to bottom, with the top layers being shown above the ones lower down. InDesign also allows for more varied text editing, through the use of pathing. This is where you can draw a shape, and use the text on a path tool so that you are able to type on the outline of a shape. This also works on lines.

When using images in InDesign, the  type you use should depend on the purpose of your document. For example, if creating a document for the web, you would use RGB colour, as this produces a sharper and clearer image while on the internet. However, if you were creating a document to print, then it would be better to use CMYK colour, as this creates a better image with truer colours when printing. When naming images, you should never leave them with the default name of "Untitled1". This shows that you have been lazy with creating your document, and it does not let you know anything about the use of the image in your document. The same image could be named "DragonBanner 1435x225.psd", and from this file name you can immediately tell that the image is a banner, it has the dimensions of 1435x225px, and the file type is psd. Once you decide on a certain way to name your image files, you should keep them all similar, so you can easily tell the difference between each one and look in the same place for the information about the images.

When creating a colour in InDesign, you should create a new swatch. This is part of a colour palette that can be accessed from the toolbar on the right hand side of the screen.This allows you to create a new colour using RGB or CMYK colour types that is easily accessible and reusable for your document. Instead of leaving your swatch with it's default name, it would be better for future reference to name the colour relevant to what it is used for in your document. For example, if you came back to a document after a few months, and your found colours with names like "C:42 M:0 Y:0 K: 120", you would have no idea where and how they were used. If, however, you had renamed the colour to "Title Background", you would instantly know how you used that colour and where you could find it.

When you decide how to design a document, you need to look at the purpose of said document.Your document should have some distinguishing characteristics, such as a big headline banner or an image that is reused for an effect throughout the document. You should not just select a feature at random, though, you should look at several examples and decide which one suits the purpose of your document best. For example, a poster about cars would not be very effective if the distinguishing characteristic was a big headline banner with text instead of a picture of a car reused in the document.

Microsoft Word vs Adobe InDesign

Microsoft Word and Adobe InDesign are both text editing programs. I am going to examine which of the two has more flexibility of use, and which is easier to access.

The main distinguishing feature of InDesign, and by extension most Adobe progams, is the ability to use layers. You can create multiple layers, and apply different elements of your document to different layers. This means that while you are working on one layer, you can hide the other layers, allowing for easier selection and editing. Layers are organized from top to bottom, with the top layers being shown above the ones lower down. InDesign also allows for more varied text editing, through the use of pathing. This is where you can draw a shape, and use the text on a path tool so that you are able to type on the outline of a shape. This also works on lines.

Microsoft Word is a basic text editing program, with the ability to easily access, type and edit text. There is not much variation in the amount of text editing available, with the extent of editing being text wrapping around images and removing backgrounds of images while in Word. The main selling point of Word over InDesign is the ease of use that comes with using Word. You can copy and paste a chunk of text and have it edited so it is legible all in the space of a few minutes.

So, while Adobe InDesign is a far better program for creating a finished, professional looking document, if you just need to edit some text on the fly, Microsoft Word is for you. Having access to so much text editing is very useful for any purpose and since these  two programs are approximately the same price, it may pay to either invest in both, or investigate in depth into which programs suits your own needs more.

Liam Spronken