Lone Star College-Kingwood Library

PC Operating Systems

Assignment Guide | ITSC 1405 | Professor Priscilla Milam


The best library assignments are ones that use a variety of resources including books, newspaper and journal articles, internet sites, and even videos or audiocassettes. We encourage you to use all of these sources for this paper. Books should provide some of the best information for a historic topic. You may apply for a library card and request materials online. We hope you will take full advantage of the many resources our libraries offer.

Please contact Lone Star College-Kingwood Librarians or Dr. Milam with any questions you may have during your research.
 

BOOKS JOURNALS INTERNET SUPPORT ASSIGNMENT


 

Librarian talk . . . Getting Started!

As you begin, narrow your topic to a size that you can manage.  Consider keywords that will help you find the information you need. Use these keywords for locating information in the library catalog, electronic databases, and on the Internet.

Sample Keywords:
Operating systems; Windows XP; LINUX; Windows Operating systems; Graphical User Interface

ASSIGNMENT

Your research paper should be type written and the content (not including the cover page and the Works Cited page) no less than two (2) pages and no more than five (5) pages. Your cover page should indicate your topic, your name, course number and date submitted. Please email the paper using WebCT email. Grading will be based on content and depth of your review. Please follow correct grammar rules and ensure correct spelling.

Topic: Compare and Contrast The LINUX operating System with that of Windows XP.

Your report should cover the following information from the perspective that your reader is a novice to both operating systems.
 

  1. What do all general purpose operating systems have in common?
  2. How do each of the systems handle user authentication?
  3. Compare and Contrast how I/O processes are handled.
  4. Give brief definitions of the following terms: BIOS, kernel, devise drivers, real-time systems, multi-user systems and multitasking
  5. Finally, what are your general thoughts on the two systems?

Include a "Works Cited" page. Use MLA format  for your footnotes and your "Works Cited" page. There are numerous articles and information resources available from the library here on campus, publications and the Internet itself.

A page is defined as:

BOOKS

 

Librarian Talk . . . Books!

Apply online for a library card. Use your card to:
1) Place a Hold on a book, have it sent to the library closest to you 
2) Access journal and newspaper databases from home, and 
3) Access Online Book Database (NetLibrary).

The catalog is online.

Online books (database paid for by our libraries) are available through NetLibrary. 
Use your library card to log in.  "Create a Free Account" to save favorite book titles or notes.

Reference Books can give you an overview of the topic as you get started.  Books on the specific operating system will offer details.  Be sure the book is at least as current as the operating system!

REF QA76.575 .E5368 | Encyclopedia of New Media.  Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2003.
REF QA76.15 .E53 | Encyclopedia of Computers and Computer History.  Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn, 2001.

JOURNALS AND NEWSPAPER ARTICLES (ONLINE ACCESS)

Librarian Talk . . . Finding Journal and Newspaper Articles!  

Electronic databases are purchased by the libraries for your research use. To find articles in newspapers and journals, letters, reference books, illustrations, photographs and more, use your updated library card to login to the following databases. If you find an interesting article that is not full-text, please give the correct bibliographic information to our Reference Librarians and they will see that you get the article. They will need full bibliographic information - and your name and address. Send your phone number as well, so they can contact you if they need to. There is some overlap of articles in the following databases. However, we encourage you to use more than one. All are excellent sources for this topic. 
HINT: For a full list of article databases, go to the Subject Guide to Databases and use your library card to access these full-text databases from home.

DATABASES

Business and Company Resource Center
Full text articles can be found by searching for a particular company, an industry or search by keyword for articles.
 
Business Source Complete
Full text articles from business journals
ProQuest 
Full-text articles from a variety of journals and popular magazines.

INTERNET SITES

Librarian Talk . . . the Internet!

The Internet will be a wonderful source of original documents. Browse the sites we have suggest below. Remember, you do want to find reputable sites. Look at: 

  1. Accuracy - The information should be researched and show proof that it has been.
  2. Source - Who wrote the information? Look at the domain.  .edu .gov. org .net are valid research sources.
  3. Authority - What are the author's credentials?  (Don't quote from another college freshman's paper.)
  4. Coverage - Does the page have the information you need for your research?
  5. Objectivity - If a work is biased, use it - just make sure your professor knows YOU know. And offer both sides of issues, where applicable.

UNACCEPTABLE SOURCE EXAMPLE:
http://www.nt-vs-unix.org/- This site argues for one operating system over the other. But there is nothing we can see that tells you author, dates, publisher or any of the other needed information.  As it stands, it cannot be used in an academic research paper.

SUGGESTED WEB SITES

Linux Online - History of Linux development, news, and a user group.

Linux vs. Windows - A comparive article

Graphical User Interface - Illustrates the various systems with pictures

Windows XP - Information from Microsoft.

WhatIs - IT specific encyclopedia.

Google - Or do your own search. Try keywords: Linux windows xp comparison

GETTING HELP FOR YOUR ASSIGNMENT

Citing Sources Using the Library MLA Style Guide | Lone Star College-Kingwood library guide. Examples of both paper and electronic citations.

Misuse of Sources | Extract from WRITING WITH SOURCES: A Guide for Harvard Students, by Gordon Harvey, Expository Writing Program, Copyright 1995, The President and Fellows of Harvard University Chapter Three: Misuse of Sources: 3.1 Plagiarism and 3.2 Other Ways of Misusing Sources

Learning Center |   Check our hours for in-house tutoring.

Prepared by Sue Goodwin 8/02, updated 7/06 BB

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