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The document defines information technology and describes its various components including computer technology, communications technology, and how they are used. It also discusses the history and development of computers and communications technology.

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14 views

Part 1

The document defines information technology and describes its various components including computer technology, communications technology, and how they are used. It also discusses the history and development of computers and communications technology.

Uploaded by

suho16715
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 39

1

Chapter
DEFINITION: Information Technology (IT)
describes any technology that helps to produce,
manipulate, store, communicate, and/or
disseminate information.

• Part 1: Computer Technology

• Part 2: Communications Technology


COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY: A computer is a programmable,
multiuse machine that accepts data—raw facts and figures —and
processes, or manipulates, it into information we can use, such as
summaries, totals, or reports.

- Its purpose is to speed up problem solving and increase


productivity.
COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY :
Communications technology , also called telecommunications
technology , consists of electromagnetic devices and systems for
communicating over long distances.

The principal examples are telephone, radio, broadcast


television.

In more recent times, there has been the addition of communication


among computers—which is what happens when people “go
online” on the internet.
- Online: means using a computer or some other
information device, connected through a network, to
access information and services from another computer
or information device.

- A network is a communications system connecting


two or more computers; the internet is the largest
such network.
• Information technology is essential on college
campuses.
• IT is used in teaching, labs, and in course
management.
• Many college classes are either taught online or
have a class website.

DEFINITION: Distance learning is online


education
• Problem: Computers in the classroom can be
used or misused.
• What should they be used for?
• Following the lecture
• Working along with the instructor
• Performing instructor-assigned Internet searches
• Completing assignments for this class
• What is misuse?
• Text messaging or emailing friends
• Surfing the Internet for entertainment
• Doing assignments for other classes
• DEFINITION: Virtual means something that is
created, simulated, or carried on by means of a
computer or a computer network.
• Virtual money
• Cash-value cards
• “Electronic wallets” (e.g., PayPal)
• Online bill paying
• E-Commerce:
• Cash-value cards: (such as subway fare cards)
• Online bill paying : it has been possible to pay bills online, such
as those from phone and utility companies, with special software and
online connections to your bank.

• A digital wallet allows an individual to make electronic


commerce transactions. This can include purchasing items on-line
with a computer or using a smartphone to purchase something at a
store.

• E-commerce The buying and selling of products and services by


businesses and consumers through an electronic medium, without
using any paper documents.
• Videogames
• Photo sharing
• Downloading
• Music
• Movies

Downloading: transferring data from a


remote computer to one’s own
computer
• Hotels: use computer reservations
systems.
• Law Enforcement: Officers use computers
• On patrol
• To check stolen cars
• To check criminal records
• Office careers: Budget, payroll, letter-writing,
email
• Fashion: Sales/inventory control systems,
ordering, personnel
• Job-hunting:
• Use word processor to create résumés
• Post résumés online
• Online job searches

Discussion Question: Can anyone think of a career that does not


require computer skills at all?
The Telephone Grows Up
• 1973: First cellphone call
• Mobile phone use estimated to rise to 3.9
billion users by 2013
• Today’s cellphones:
• Can connect to Internet & web for all sorts of
activities
• Can send and receive text messages
• Can take and send pictures, download music &
video
• Can obtain news and TV programs
• Introduced in 1981
• Reached 10 million users in about one year
• Has been the fastest-growing technology
• 1998 surpassed hand-delivered mail
• In business, at least, email requires writing
skills
• Cyberspace
• Term coined by William Gibson in Neuromancer
(1984)
• Described a futuristic computer network people
“plugged” into directly with their brains
• Now the term cyberspace encompasses:
• The Internet & the World Wide Web in particular
• The wired and wireless communications world in general
• Thus, cyberspace includes chat rooms, blogs, ATMs,
conference calls, texting, etc.
• Two most important aspects: Internet
and web
• Internet
• The worldwide computer network that links
thousands of smaller networks
• Links educational, commercial,
nonprofit, and military entities,
plus individuals
• Originally developed to share
only text and numeric data;
through the web now also
supports multimedia
• World Wide Web
• The multimedia part
of the Internet
• An interconnected system of servers that support
specially formatted documents in multimedia
form
• Includes text, still images, moving images, sound
• Responsible for the growth and popularity of
the Internet
• Priced from $1 million to over
$1 billion
• High-capacity machines with thousands
of processors
• Multi-user systems
• Used for U.S. Census, weather forecasting,
designing aircraft, scientific projects, etc.
• Japan’s K Computer is the largest supercomputer
• Priced from $5,000 to $5 million
• Water-cooled or air-cooled
• Used by banks, airlines, colleges, and the like for
millions of transactions
• Introduced in early 1980s
• Expensive, powerful personal computers
• Required for scientific, mathematical,
engineering, computer-aided design (CAD),
computer-aided manufacturing (CAM)
• Used for designing cars, drugs, movie special
effects
• Personal computers that cost $500 to $5,000
• Used either stand-alone or in a network
• Types include: desktop, tower, notebooks
(laptops), netbooks, tablets, mobile internet
devices (MIDs), personal digital assistants
(PDAs), e-readers
• Also called embedded computers
• Tiny, specialized microprocessors inside
appliances & automobiles
• They are in microwaves, programmable ovens,
blood-pressure monitors, air bag sensors,
vibration sensors, MP3 players, digital cameras,
keyboards, car systems, etc.
• The word server describes the way a
computer—whether mainframe, workstation,
or PC—is used.
• A central computer connected (wired or
wirelessly) to other computers on a
client/server network
• Purpose: Hold data and programs for clients to
access and to supply services for clients
• Clients are other computers, such as PCs or
workstations, on which users run applications
• 1. Purpose of a computer
• Turn data into information
• Data: the raw facts and figures
• Information: data that has been summarized and
manipulated for use in decision making
• 2. Hardware vs. software
• Hardware = the machinery and equipment in the
computer
• Software (programs) = the electronic instructions
that tell the computer how to perform a task

(continued)
• 3. The basic operations
• Input: What goes in to the computer system
• Processing: The manipulation a computer does to
transform data into information
• Storage:
• Primary storage, or memory, is temporary storage.
• Secondary storage is permanent storage: media such
as DVDs and CDs
• Output: What comes out
• Numbers or pictures on the screen, printouts, sounds
• Communications: Sending and receiving data
• What would you need?
• Keyboard & mouse (input)
• Inside the system cabinet
(processing & memory)
• Case and power supply
• Processor chip – the Central Processor Unit (CPU)
• Memory chips – Random Access Memory (RAM)
• Motherboard – the system board
• Memory chips plug in
• Processor chip plugs in
• Motherboard attaches to system cabinet
• Power supply is connected to system cabinet
• Power supply wire is connected to motherboard
• Storage Hardware: Hard Drive, CD/DVD Drive,
Flash
• Storage capacity is represented in bytes
• 1 byte = 1 character of data
• 1 kilobyte = 1,024 bytes
• 1 megabyte = 1,024 kilobytes
• 1 gigabyte = 1,024 megabytes
• 1 terabyte = 1,024 gigabytes
• 1 petabyte = 1,024 terabytes
• Permanently installed: hard drives, CD/DVD
drives, slot connectors for USB and flash memory
• Removable media: CDs/DVDs, USB and
flash memory
• Output hardware
• Video
• Sound cards
• Speakers
• Monitor
• Printer

• Communications hardware
• Modem
• System Software—performs essential operating
tasks
• Most important part: operating system (OS)
• Some operating system options
• Windows
• Unix
• Linux
• Mac OS
• Application Software—enables user to perform
tasks
• Install after the OS
• Compatibility: application depends on OS, for
example,
• Linux applications won’t work on Windows
• Windows applications won’t work on Linux
• 3 directions of computer development
• Miniaturization
• Speed
• Affordability
• 3 directions of communications development
• Connectivity
• Interactivity
• Multimedia

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