Information Technology, The Internet, and You

1
Chapter 1

• Information Technology, The Internet, and You

2
The Computer

• Computers are nearly ubiquitous. They already
  exists in

• telephones
• handhelds
• cars
• coffee pots
• ovens
• microwaves

• cameras
• id badges
• traffic lights
• doors
• calculators
• elevators

• gas pumps
• ATMs
• grocery stores
• cash registers

3
Digital Information

• Analog refers to data that is continuous or any
  value within a range (like the sound that comes
  from a horn)?
• Digital refers to data that is discrete
  (represented as a collection of zeros and ones).
  Since computers use electricity, as zero can be
  represented as a circuit or switch being off and
  a one can be represented as a circuit or switch
  being on.

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Computers vs. Devices

• The electronic circuits of the processing
  component (processor) of a computer is etched on
  a wafer of silicon called a chip.
• Special purpose or embedded computers are small
  and perform only a few very specific operation.
• General purpose computers are designed to provide
  generic and complex processing capabilities.

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Why is a computer powerful?

• Fast
• Reliable and Consistent
• Accurate
• Large storage capacity
• Communicate

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Data vs. Information

• Data a collection of raw, unorganized facts
  (text, numbers, images, audio, and video)?
• Information - Data that has been processed or
  organized in a meaningful and useful way to
  someone

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Networks

• Network a collection of computers and devices
  connected together
• Internet A worldwide collection of networks
  (networks of networks)?
• World Wide Web one of the more popular services
  available on the Internet

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Software vs. Hardware

• Hardware physical parts of the computers
• Software (a.k.a Instructions or Programs)
  electronic parts of computers the steps that
  tell the computer how to perform a particular task

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Types of Hardware

• System Unit main unit that contains the
  processing components
• Motherboard main circuit board
• Central Processing Unit (CPU) or Processor
• Main Memory or Random Access Memory (RAM) or
  Primary Storage
• Storage Devices or Secondary Storage component
  that holds data/information for future use (after
  the computer has been turned off)?

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Types of Hardware (continued)?

• Input Devices components that gather data from
  an external entity (e.g. user, another computer)
  and provide it to the computer
• Output Devices components that take data from
  the computer and present it to an external entity
  (e.g. user, another computer)?
• Communication Devices components that allow
  computers to exchange data with other computers
  (e.g. NIC or modem)?

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Types of Software

• System Software
• Operating System A set of programs responsible
  for managing the system
• Utilities Programs A set of programs that help
  with the maintenance of the system (e.g. disk
  formatting/repair, backups, managing printers,
  virus protection, etc.)?
• Application Software Everything else!

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Types of Computers

• Mobile Computers smallest
• Notebook or laptop
• Tablet works like an electronic pad of paper
• Mobile Device small enough to hold while using
  it
• Handheld small enough to fit in one hand
• Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)?
• Telephone
• Personal Computers (PCs) small
• Desktop Computers system unit, input devices,
  output devices, storage devices all can fit on a
  desktop

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Types of Computers (continued)?

• Workstations medium
• like desktops but more powerful
• Midrange Servers (minicomputers) medium
• can handle hundreds of clients or users
• Mainframes large, fast, expensive
• millions of transactions each day
• Supercomputers very large, very fast, very
  expensive
• trillions of calculations per second