computer science

PC Conectado

PC Conectado is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand PC Conectado rather than just read about it. In short: PC Conectado, or Computador para Todos, is a tax-free computer initiative launched by the Brazilian government, since 2003. PCs available through the project are relatively low-end, but therefore are cheap enough to satisfy most of the population, at R$ 1200 (or about US$ 500).

Key takeaways

PC Conectado belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect PC Conectado to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of PC Conectado from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

PC Conectado, or Computador para Todos, is a tax-free computer initiative launched by the Brazilian government, since 2003. PCs available through the project are relatively low-end, but therefore are cheap enough to satisfy most of the population, at R$ 1200 (or about US$ 500). Most PCs available have:

128 or 256 MB RAM A low end processor, usually a Celeron processor. 40 or 80 GB hard disk Linux, usually Insigne Linux, a Fedora based distribution fully compatible with software repositories. In the initial phases of the project, Microsoft offered the Brazilian government the use of its Windows XP Starter Edition, a cut down version of their popular OS for developing countries. The offer was rejected due to the severe limitations of the Starter Edition. Since then, the project has used only free and open source software for general work, like Inkscape, OpenOffice, GIMP and Amarok. The Brazilian government's decision to reject Microsoft's proprietary and limited (i.e. cut-down) version of MS Windows XP in favor of a full featured and free Linux operating system was widely reported in the US media and IT periodicals. This decision could be interpreted as a severe, humiliating and embarrassing rejection for Microsoft. The president of the Brazilian agency in charge of the governments technology initiatives, Sérgio Amadeu, unequivocally stated that he was against spending Brazilian tax-payers money on furthering Microsoft's monopoly:

We're not going to spend taxpayers' money on a program so that Microsoft can further consolidate its monopoly. It's the government's responsibility to ensure that there is competition, and that means giving alternative software platforms a chance to prosper. An option providing cheap dial-up access to the Internet may be available soon, costing R$7 (about US$2.50). Also, a project to offer a popular broadband internet access (512 kbit/s), charging a monthly fee between 15 and 35 reais (between 8.5 and 20 US dollars).

Availability PC Conectado can be acquired in many major Brazilian department stores. Many Brazilian stores have an independent Linux vendor on site from whom a user can choose the hardware configuration and distro.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with PC Conectado

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what PC Conectado claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to PC Conectado before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about PC Conectado ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of PC Conectado

In research: PC Conectado appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses PC Conectado in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: PC Conectado is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Brazil government stubs, Computing stubs, Digital divide, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for PC Conectado outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study PC Conectado in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what PC Conectado means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain PC Conectado out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is PC Conectado in simple terms?

Why does PC Conectado matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study PC Conectado?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on PC Conectado.