Unit 1: Page 9: User Interface

Question 1

Describe User Interface.

Answer 1

A core part of any operating system. It allows the user to interact with the computer system and is the part of the software that has a huge impact in terms of usability.

Question 2

List Three User Interfaces

Answer 2

• Command Line Interface (CLI)
• Graphical User Interface (GUI)
• Menu-Based Interface

Question 3

Describe Command Line Interface.

Answer 3

The user interacts with the computer by typing in commands in response to prompts displayed on the screen.

Question 4

Give Two advantages of Command Line Interface.

Answer 4

• Experienced users find it quicker to complete tasks.
• Requires far less memory and processing power than GUIs to run.

Question 5

Give two limitations of Command Line Interface.

Answer 5

• Requires knowledge of the specific commands for performing functions.
• Learning so many commands can be intimidating for inexperienced users.

Question 6

Describe Graphical User Interface.

Answer 6

Users interact with the device by controlling a pointer or touch screen to select icons and menus displayed on screen. GUIs are widely used on devices from PCs to Smartphones.

Question 7

Describe three advantages Graphical User Interface.

Answer 7

• This simple, intuitive method of interacting is easy for beginners to use.
• It doesn’t require users to learn any commands to perform tasks.
• There are usually options to adapt the interface according to an individual user’s needs, for example, by using screen magnifiers or changing the colours or font sizes.

Question 8

Describe Two Limitations Graphical User Interface.

Answer 8

• It is often resource intensive, requiring a lot of processor power and memory.
• Experienced users may find it frustrating to complete tasks they could perform in a CLI with one command.

Question 9

Describe Menu-Based Interface.

Answer 9

Users interact using a simple menu that presents options to choose from. An example is an ATM screen

Question 10

Give Three Advantages of Menu-Based Interface.

Answer 10

• The limited number of options make it easier to use.
• It is often possible to figure out how to perform tasks without any instructions.
• They can include options to adapt the interface for an individual user’s needs, for example by providing speech output or a choice of larger font size

Question 11

Give One Limitation of Menu-Based Interface.

Answer 11

• Performing tasks can be slow and frustrating where many levels of options must be tranversed.