PEARSON EDEXCEL INTERNATIONAL AS LEVEL
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
User Interface
the part of a device that a person uses to interact with the device
Purpose: Make interaction easy and intuitive
A user interface could be as simple as a small
number of buttons, or it could be as complex as a
range of icons and other means of communicating
with the device, for example a text entry interface.
This depend on the device.
Types of UI
Key Principles of Good UI
•Graphical User Interface (GUI) → Buttons, icons, windows
•Clarity: Simple and understandable
•Command-Line Interface (CLI) → Text commands •Consistency: Same style across app/screens
•Touch Interface → Mobile screens, gestures •Feedback: User knows system response
•Efficiency: Tasks completed quickly
•Voice Interface → Voice commands, smart assistants
•Accessibility: Usable by everyone
A user interface could be as simple as a small number of buttons, or it could be as complex
as a range of icons and other means of communicating with the device, for example a text
entry interface. This depend on the device.
Connectivity
Our modern world is a very connected place and a central part of this is the
number of devices that are connected.
For this reason the connectivity of a device is essential.
Devices are normally connected either by a wired or wireless connection.
For wire connection, devices need to have a port for the cable. The port will be
for a specific type of cable only. The types of cables that can be connected to
devices include:
Universal Serial Bus (USB) cables
High-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) cables
Video graphics array (VGA) cables
Connectivity (Continuous)
For Wireless connection, require that the device has a wireless network interface
card (WNIC) or Bluetooth chip built into it.
Another types of wireless connection is near field communication (NFC). This is
a secure method of wireless encryption that can be used to allow two devices to
communicate when they are in very close proximity to each other.
In smartphones, the WNIC is an integrated chip (not a removable card) on
the motherboard. It typically combines:
•Wi-Fi/Bluetooth Chip
•Cellular Modem (for 4G/5G connectivity)
Different Types of USB Cables
Different types of cables have different speeds for the transmission of data. Slow
cables can bottleneck device performance.
For example, a person might use their computer to watch high-definition
movies. they could choose to use a VGA cable or an HDMI cable to connect the
monitor to the computer. AN HDMI cable transmits data faster than a VGA cable.
Different Types of USB Cables
There are now different versions of USB cables available, for example USB 2,
USB 3, and USB C. USB 3 was developed to transmit data faster than USB2.
USB-C is the most recent version of USB cables. It was developed to try and
create a standard version for all USB connections. The aim was to make all
Usb connection cables universal for all devices, allowing them to all use the
same connection that would provide the correct power and speed of
transmission for each device.
Different Types of USB Cables
All standard USB cables have the same Type-A end.
One side of the cable has a wide, flat rectangular connector (Type-A).
This end plugs into computers, chargers, or power adapters.
Most phone charging cables, mouse cables, and keyboards use Type-A on one
end.
Newer USB-C cables may not have Type-A (some have USB-C on both ends).
Type-A is slowly being replaced by smaller, reversible USB-C connectors.
Type-A is the classic USB port found on older devices, while USB-C is
the modern standard.
Mouse, keyboard, to transfer small
document
• External HDD/SSD, High speed flash drive
• 4K video transfer, gaming accessories
•High-speed external SSDs
•4K/8K video transfer
•Gaming peripherals
Apple Lighting Connection and USB_C
Most modern mobile phones use a USB-C connection, apart from Apple iPhones, which use a USB-
C connection, apart from Apple iPhones, which use Apple’s lighting connection. This is because they
can charge the device and have a fast speed for data transmission.
