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Computing Essentials 2023 29th Edition Timothy O'Leary download

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100% found this document useful (1 vote)
19 views51 pages

Computing Essentials 2023 29th Edition Timothy O'Leary download

The document provides information about the 'Computing Essentials 2023' textbook by Timothy O'Leary and others, detailing its contents and structure. It includes chapters on various topics related to information technology, software, and systems, along with additional resources and related ebooks available for download. The book is published by McGraw Hill LLC and covers essential computing concepts for introductory courses.

Uploaded by

fahesjiaao
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Computing Essentials
Making IT work for you
INTRODUCTORY 2023
• The O’Leary Series
Computing Concepts
• Computing Essentials 2017
• Computing Essentials 2019
• Computing Essentials 2021
• Computing Essentials 2023

Microsoft Office Applications


• Microsoft® Windows 7: A Case Approach
• Microsoft® Office 2013: A Case Approach
• Microsoft® Office Word 2013: A Case Approach Introductory Edition
• Microsoft® Office Excel 2013: A Case Approach Introductory Edition
• Microsoft® Office Access 2013: A Case Approach Introductory Edition
• Microsoft® Office PowerPoint 2013: A Case Approach Introductory Edition
Computing Essentials
Making IT work for you
INTRODUCTORY 2023

Daniel A. O’Leary
Professor
City College of San Francisco

Timothy J. O’Leary
Professor Emeritus
Arizona State University

Linda I. O’Leary
Final PDF to printer

COMPUTING ESSENTIALS

Published by McGraw Hill LLC, 1325 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019. Copyright ©2023 by
McGraw Hill LLC. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication
may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system,
without the prior written consent of McGraw Hill LLC, including, but not limited to, in any network or
other electronic storage or transmission, or broadcast for distance learning.

Some ancillaries, including electronic and print components, may not be available to customers outside
the United States.

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 LWI 27 26 25 24 23 22

ISBN 978-1-265-26321-8
MHID 1-265-26321-3

Cover Image: metamorworks/Shutterstock

All credits appearing on page or at the end of the book are considered to be an extension of the copyright page.

The Internet addresses listed in the text were accurate at the time of publication. The inclusion of a website
does not indicate an endorsement by the authors or McGraw Hill LLC, and McGraw Hill LLC does not
guarantee the accuracy of the information presented at these sites.

mheducation.com/highered

ole63213_fm_ise iv 01/05/22 05:21 PM


• Dedication
To Jackie, a friend and quiet companion of over 20 years.
You will be missed.
Brief Contents

1 Information Technology, the Internet, and You 2

2 The Internet, the Web, and Electronic Commerce 24

3 Application Software 56

4 System Software 84

5 The System Unit 108

6 Input and Output 134

7 Secondary Storage 164

8 Communications and Networks 186

9 Privacy, Security, and Ethics 214

10 Information Systems 246

11 Databases 268

12 Systems Analysis and Design 292

13 Programming and Languages 316

The Evolution of the Computer Age 347

The Computer Buyer’s Guide 358

Glossary 362

Index 383

vii
Contents

Communication 35
1 Social Networking 35
Blogs, Microblogs, Podcasts, and Wikis 36
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, Messaging 37
THE INTERNET, AND YOU 2 E-mail 38
Search Tools 40
Introduction 4 Search Engines 40
Information Systems 4 Content Evaluation 40
People 6 Electronic Commerce 41
Software 7 Security 42
System Software 7 Cloud Computing 43
Application Software 8 The Internet of Things 45
Making IT work for you: Careers in IT 45
A Look to the Future:
Free Antivirus Program 9
Home Smart Home 46
Hardware 10
Types of Computers 10
Visual Summary 47
Cell Phones 11
Key Terms 51
Personal Computer Hardware 11
Multiple Choice 52
Data 13 Matching 53
Connectivity and the Mobile Internet 14 Open-Ended 54
Careers in IT 15 Discussion 54
A Look to the Future: Using and Understanding
Information Technology 16

Visual Summary 17
Key Terms 20
3
Multiple Choice 21 APPLICATION SOFTWARE 56
Matching 22
Open-Ended 22 Introduction 58
Discussion 23 Application Software 58
App Stores 58
User Interface 58
Common Features 61
2 Mobile Apps 61
Apps 61
THE INTERNET, THE WEB, AND
General-Purpose Applications 62
ELECTRONIC COMMERCE 24 Word Processors 62
Introduction 26 Presentation Software 65
The Internet and the Web 26 Spreadsheets 66
Database Management Systems 68
Making IT work for you: Specialized Applications 69
Graphics Programs 69
Online Entertainment 28 Video Game Design Software 70
Internet Access 31 Web Authoring Programs 71
Providers 31 Other Specialized Applications 72
Browsers 31 Software Suites 72
Web Utilities 33 Office Suites 72
Filters 33 Cloud Computing 72
File Transfer Utilities 33 Specialized and Utility Suites 72
Internet Security Suites 34 Careers in IT 73

viii
Making IT work for you: Making IT work for you:
Cloud Office Suites 74 Gaming 112
A Look to the Future: The New Workplace Wearable Computers 114
Realities 76 Components 114
System Board 115
Visual Summary 77 Microprocessor 116
Key Terms 80 Microprocessor Chips 116
Multiple Choice 81 Specialty Processors 117
Matching 82 Memory 118
Open-Ended 82 RAM 118
Discussion 83 ROM 118
Flash Memory 118
Expansion Cards and Slots 119
4 Bus Lines 120
Expansion Buses 120
SYSTEM SOFTWARE 84 Ports 121
Introduction 86 Standard Ports 121
Specialized Ports 121
System Software 86
Cables 122
Operating Systems 87
Power Supply 122
Functions 87
Features 88 Electronic Data and Instructions 123
Categories 89 Numeric Representation 123
Character Encoding 124
Mobile Operating Systems 90
Careers in IT 125
Desktop Operating Systems 91
Windows 91 A Look to the Future: Brain–Computer
macOS 91 Interfaces 126
UNIX and Linux 92
Virtualization 92 Visual Summary 127
Utilities 93 Key Terms 130
Multiple Choice 131
Making IT work for you: Matching 132
Open-Ended 132
Virtual Assistant 94 Discussion 133
Operating System Utilities 96
Utility Suites 99
Careers in IT 99
A Look to the Future: Making Better Computers 6
by Making Them More Human 100
INPUT AND OUTPUT 134

Visual Summary 101 Introduction 136


Key Terms 104 What Is Input? 136
Multiple Choice 105 Keyboard Entry 136
Matching 106 Keyboards 136
Open-Ended 106 Pointing Devices 138
Discussion 107 Touch Screens 138
Mice 138
Game Controllers 138

5 Scanning Devices 139


Optical Scanners 139
THE SYSTEM UNIT 108 Card Readers 140
Bar Code Readers 140
Introduction 110 RFID Readers 141
System Unit 110 Character and Mark Recognition
Smartphones 110 Devices 141
Tablets 110 Image-Capturing Devices 141
Laptops 111 Digital Cameras 141
Desktops 111 Webcams 142

CONTENTS ix
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Audio-Input Devices 142
Making IT work for you:
Voice Recognition Systems 142
What Is Output? 143 Cloud Storage 174
Monitors 143
Mass Storage Devices 176
Features 143
Enterprise Storage System 176
Flat-Panel Monitors 144
Storage Area Network 177
E-book Readers 144
Other Monitors 145
Careers in IT 177
Printers 146 A Look to the Future:
Features 146 Next-Generation Storage 178
Inkjet Printers 147
Laser Printers 147 Visual Summary 179
3D Printers 147 Key Terms 182
Other Printers 147 Multiple Choice 182
Audio-Output Devices 148 Matching 183
Combination Input and Output Open-Ended 184
Devices 148 Discussion 184
Headsets 148
Multifunctional Devices 149
Virtual Reality Head-Mounted Displays
and Controllers 149
Drones 149 8
Making IT work for you: COMMUNICATIONS
Headphones 150
AND NETWORKS 186
Robots 152 Introduction 188
Ergonomics 152 Communications 188
Portable Computers 154 Connectivity 188
The Wireless Revolution 189
Careers in IT 154
Communication Systems 189
A Look to the Future: The Internet of Communication Channels 190
Things 155 Wireless Connections 190
Physical Connections 191
Visual Summary 156 Connection Devices 192
Key Terms 160 Modems 192
Multiple Choice 161 Connection Service 193
Matching 162
Open-Ended 162 Making IT work for you:
Discussion 163
The Mobile Office 194
Data Transmission 196
Bandwidth 196

7 Protocols 196
Networks 197
SECONDARY STORAGE 164 Terms 197
Network Types 199
Introduction 166 Local Area Networks 199
Storage 166 Home Networks 199
Solid-State Storage 167 Wireless LAN 200
Solid-State Drives 167 Personal Area Networks 200
Flash Memory Cards 168 Metropolitan Area Networks 200
USB Flash Drives 168 Wide Area Networks 201
Hard Disks 169 Network Architecture 201
Internal Hard Disks 169 Topologies 202
External Hard Disks 169 Strategies 203
Network Drives 169 Organizational Networks 203
Performance Enhancements 170 Internet Technologies 203
Optical Discs 171 Network Security 204
Cloud Storage 172 Careers in IT 205

x CONTENTS
A Look to the Future: Telepresence Lets You Be Management Levels 250
There without Actually Being There 206 Information Flow 251
Computer-Based Information
Systems 252
Visual Summary 207
Key Terms 210 Transaction Processing Systems 253
Multiple Choice 211 Management Information Systems 255
Matching 212 Decision Support Systems 256
Open-Ended 212 Executive Support Systems 257
Discussion 213 Other Information Systems 259
Expert Systems 260
Careers in IT 260

9 A Look to the Future: IBM’s Watson:


The Ultimate Information-Finding Machine 261
PRIVACY, SECURITY,
Visual Summary 262
AND ETHICS 214 Key Terms 264
Introduction 216 Multiple Choice 265
People 216 Matching 266
Privacy 216 Open-Ended 266
Big Data 217 Discussion 267
Private Networks 219
The Internet and the Web 219
Online Identity 222 11
Major Laws on Privacy 223
Security 223 DATABASES 268
Cybercrime 223 Introduction 270
Social Engineering 225
Data 270
Malicious Software 225
Data Organization 271
Malicious Hardware 225
Key Field 272
Measures to Protect Computer
Batch versus Real-Time Processing 272
Security 226
Databases 273
Ethics 231
Need for Databases 274
Cyberbullying 231
Database Management 274
Copyright and Digital Rights
Management 231 DBMS Structure 276
Hierarchical Database 276
Making IT work for you: Network Database 277
Relational Database 277
Security and Technology 232 Multidimensional Database 278
Plagiarism 234 Object-Oriented Database 279
Careers in IT 235 Types of Databases 280
Individual 280
A Look to the Future: End of Anonymity 236 Company 280
Distributed 281
Visual Summary 237 Commercial 281
Key Terms 240 Database Uses and Issues 282
Multiple Choice 241 Strategic Uses 282
Matching 242 Security 282
Open-Ended 243 Careers in IT 283
Discussion 243 A Look to the Future: The Future
of Crime Databases 284

10 Visual Summary 285


Key Terms 288
INFORMATION SYSTEMS 246 Multiple Choice 289
Matching 290
Introduction 248 Open-Ended 290
Organizational Information Flow 248 Discussion 291
Functions 248

CONTENTS xi
Input Data 320
12 Processing Requirements 321
Program Specifications Document 321
SYSTEMS ANALYSIS Step 2: Program Design 322
AND DESIGN 292 Top-Down Program Design 322
Pseudocode 323
Introduction 294 Flowcharts 323
Systems Analysis and Design 294 Logic Structures 325
Phase 1: Preliminary Investigation 296 Step 3: Program Code 326
Defining the Problem 296 The Good Program 326
Suggesting Alternative Systems 297 Coding 326
Preparing a Short Report 297 Step 4: Program Test 328
Phase 2: Systems Analysis 298 Syntax Errors 328
Gathering Data 298 Logic Errors 328
Analyzing the Data 298 Testing Process 328
Documenting Systems Analysis 300 Step 5: Program Documentation 330
Phase 3: Systems Design 300 Step 6: Program Maintenance 331
Designing Alternative Systems 300 Operations 331
Selecting the Best System 301 Changing Needs 331
Writing the Systems Design Report 301 CASE and OOP 332
Phase 4: Systems Development 302 CASE Tools 332
Acquiring Software 302 Object-Oriented Software
Acquiring Hardware 302 ­Development 333
Testing the New System 303 Generations of Programming
Phase 5: Systems Implementation 303 Languages 334
Types of Conversion 303 Machine Languages: The First
Training 304 Generation 334
Phase 6: Systems Maintenance 304 Assembly Languages: The Second
Prototyping and Rapid Applications Generation 334
Development 305 High-Level Procedural Languages:
Prototyping 305 The Third Generation 334
Rapid Applications Development 305 Task-Oriented Languages: The Fourth
Careers in IT 306 Generation 335
A Look to the Future: The Challenge of Problem and Constraint Languages:
Keeping Pace 307 The Fifth Generation 336
Careers in IT 337
A Look to the Future:
Visual Summary 308
Your Own Programmable Robot 338
Key Terms 312
Multiple Choice 313
Matching 314 Visual Summary 339
Open-Ended 314 Key Terms 343
Discussion 315 Multiple Choice 344
Matching 345
Open-Ended 345
Discussion 346
13
PROGRAMMING
The Evolution of the Computer
AND LANGUAGES 316
Age 347
Introduction 318
Programs and Programming 318 The Computer Buyer’s Guide 358
What Is a Program? 318
What Is Programming? 318
Step 1: Program Specification 320 Glossary 362
Program Objectives 320
Desired Output 320 Index 383

xii CONTENTS
New to Computing Essentials 2023
To increase student motivation and engagement, a focus on smartphones has been added by increasing content and
­providing marginal tips offering practical advice for efficient smartphone use. While the coverage of other topics has not
been reduced, this change offers a gateway to demonstrate the relevance of all types of computers to their lives.
­Additionally, every chapter’s Making IT Work for You, Privacy, Ethics, and Community features have been carefully
revaluated, enhanced, and/or replaced. Also, every chapter’s Look to the Future has been revised to show that the
expected breakthroughs of tomorrow are rooted in today’s advances. More specific new coverage includes the following:
Chapter 2: Added coverage of Web 5.0
Expanded coverage of Web 4.0
Reorganized coverage of Web 1.0 to 3.0 to emphasize relationships between web generations
Expanded coverage of netiquette
Expanded coverage of social networks, including TikTok and Instagram
Expanded coverage of podcasts
Added coverage of cryptocurrencies and blockchain
Chapter 3: Added coverage of features, including grammar checkers
Expanded coverage of app stores
Expanded coverage of mobile apps
Reorganized topics to emphasize growing significance of mobile platforms
Expanded coverage of specialized apps to emphasize mobile apps
Added coverage of shopping sites and fake reviews
Added gaming coverage to include free-to-play
Chapter 4: Expanded coverage of virtual assistants
Added coverage of operating system accessibility features
Added coverage of Windows 11
Added coverage of macOS 12 Monterey
Chapter 5: Added coverage of mobile microprocessors
Added coverage of Thunderbolt 3
Expanded coverage of USB
Added coverage of UTF-8 and UTF-16
Chapter 6: Added coverage of assistive devices for people with disabilities
Expanded coverage of virtual keyboards
Expanded coverage of voice recognition systems
Chapter 7: Expanded coverage of SSDs (solid-state drives)
Expanded coverage of USB flash drives
Expanded coverage of cloud drives
Chapter 8: Expanded coverage of satellite communications
Expanded coverage of 5G networks
Chapter 9: Added coverage of social media and role of advertising
Added coverage of limitation of privacy mode browsing
Expanded coverage of ransomeware
Expanded coverage of data backups
Added coverage of data leaks
Expanded coverage of two-factor authentication

xiii
Preface

T
he 20th century brought us the dawn of the digital information
age and unprecedented changes in information technology. In
fact, the rate of change is clearly increasing. As we begin the
21st century, computer literacy is undoubtedly becoming a prerequisite
in whatever career you choose.

The goal of Computing Essentials is to provide you with the basis for
understanding the concepts necessary for success. Computing Essentials
also endeavors to instill an appreciation for the effect of information
technology on people, privacy, ethics, and our environment and to give
you a basis for building the necessary skill set to succeed in the
21st century.

Times are changing, technology is changing, and this text is changing


too. As students of today, you are different from those of yesterday. You
put much effort toward the things that interest you and the things that
are relevant to you. Your efforts directed at learning application pro-
grams and exploring the web seem, at times, limitless. On the other
hand, it is sometimes difficult to engage in other equally important
­topics such as personal privacy and technological advances.

At the beginning of each chapter, we carefully lay out why and how the
chapter’s content is relevant to your life today and critical to your future.
Within each chapter, we present practical tips related to key concepts
through the demonstration of interesting applications that are relevant
to your lives. Topics presented focus first on outputs rather than pro-
cesses. Then, we discuss the concepts and processes.

Motivation and relevance are the keys. This text has several features
specifically designed to engage and demonstrate the relevance of tech-
nology in your lives. These elements are combined with a thorough
­coverage of the concepts and sound pedagogical devices.

xiv
Visual Learning
VISUAL CHAPTER OPENERS
First Pages First Pages

chapter 2 The Internet, the Web,


and Electronic Commerce
Each chapter begins with a Why
Why should I read this chapter?
Should I Read This Chapter?
The Internet has changed the world, and our world has changed how
we use the Inernet. Originally, the Internet was only available to
academics and scientists in universities and federal buildings. Today
­feature that presents a visually
engaging and concise presenta-
the Internet connects everything, from cell phones to refrigerators.
This chapter covers the things you need to know to be prepared
for this ever-changing digital world, including
• Impact—how Internet technology is changing your world.
NicoElNino/Shutterstock • Hardware—how to connect your life to the Internet, including
Wi-Fi, cell phones, and tablets.
• Applications—how to get ahead using social networking,
streaming technology, and cloud computing.
tion of the chapter’s relevance to
Learning Objectives
the reader’s current and future
After you have read this chapter, you should be able to:
1 Explain the origins of the Internet and the web.
life in the digital world. Then a list
2 Explain how to access the web using providers and browsers.
3 Compare different web utilities, including filters, file transfer utilities, and Internet security suites.
4 Compare different Internet communications, including social networking , blogs, microblogs, podcasts,
wikis, text messaging , instant messaging , and e-mail.
of chapter learning objectives is
5 Describe search tools, including search engines.
6 Describe how to evaluate the accuracy of information presented on the web.
7 Identify electronic commerce, including B2C, C2C, B2B, and security issues.
presented providing a brief intro-
duction to what will be ­covered in
8 Describe cloud computing , including the three-way interaction of clients, Internet, and service providers.
9 Discuss the Internet of Things (IoT) and the continuing development of the Internet to allow everyday
objects to send and receive data.

the ­chapter.
Elnur/Shutterstock

25

oLe36781_ch02_024-055.indd 25 10/28/21 08:06 PM

oLe36781_ch02_024-055.indd 24 10/28/21 08:06 PM

VISUAL SUMMARIES
First Pages First Pages

To efficiently and effectively use computers, you need to be aware of the most commonly used input and output devices.
These devices are translators for information into and out of the system unit. Input devices translate words, sounds, and

Visual summaries appear at the end VISUAL SUMMARY actions into symbols the system unit can process. Output devices translate symbols from the system unit into words,
Input and Output images, and sounds that people can understand.

SCANNING DEVICES IMAGE CAPTURING DEVICES

of every chapter and summarize KEYBOARDS POINTING DEVICES

major concepts covered


throughout the chapter. Like the
chapter openers, these summaries Bloomicon/Shutterstock
Jochen Tack/Alamy Stock Photo

Scanning devices move across text and images to convert


Stefano Garau/Shutterstock

Image capturing devices create or capture original images.


AZHANA BINTI ZAINUDDIN/Shutterstock them into a form that the system unit can process. These devices include digital cameras and webcams.

use graphics to reinforce key Input is any data or instructions that are used by a com-
puter. Input devices translate words, numbers, sounds,
Pointing devices provide an intuitive interface with the
system unit by accepting physical movements or gestures
Optical Scanners
An optical scanner (scanner) converts documents into
machine-readable form. The four basic types are flatbed,
digital cameras
Digital cameras record images digitally and store them on
a memory card or in the camera’s memory. Most digital
images, and gestures that people understand into a form and converting them into machine-readable input.

concepts in an engaging and


that the system unit can process. These include keyboards document, portable, and 3D. cameras record video too. Today, many digital cameras are
and pointing, scanning, image capturing, and audio-input touch Screens embedded in other devices, such as cell phones and tab-
devices. card readers lets.
Touch screens allow users to select actions by touching the
Keyboards convert numbers, letters, and special char- screen with a finger or penlike device. A stylus is a penlike Card readers interpret encoded information located on a
acters that people understand into electrical signals. These variety of cards. The most common is the magnetic card Webcams

meaningful way.
device that uses pressure to draw images on a screen.
signals are sent to, and processed by, the system unit. Handwriting recognition software translates handwritten reader that reads information from a thin magnetic strip Webcams are specialized digital video cameras that cap-
notes into a form that the system unit can process. on the back of a card. Chip cards contain microchips to ture images and send them to a computer for broadcast
Keyboards Multitouch screens accept multiple-finger commands. encrypt data and improve security. over the Internet. Webcams are built into many cell
There are three basic categories of keyboards: virtual, lap- phones and tablets, while others are attached to the com-
top, and traditional. Bar code readers puter monitor.
Mouse
• Virtual keyboard, primarily used with cell phones and Bar code readers or scanners (either handheld wand read-
A mouse controls a pointer that is displayed on the moni-
tablets. Does not have a physical keyboard. Keys dis- ers or platform scanners) read bar codes on products.
tor. The mouse pointer usually appears in the shape of an
There are a variety of different codes, including the UPC
played on screen and selected by touching a key’s arrow. Some mice have a wheel button that rotates to
and MaxiCode.
AUDIO-INPUT DEVICES
image. scroll through information on the monitor. A cordless or
• Laptop keyboards, used on laptop computers. Smaller wireless mouse uses radio waves or infrared light waves. Audio-input devices convert sounds into a form that can
rFId readers be processed by the system unit. By far the most widely
than traditional keyboard with fewer keys. Includes all A touch pad operates by touching or tapping a surface. It
RFID readers read RFID (radio-frequency identification) used audio-input device is the microphone.
the keys found on virtual keyboard plus extra keys, is widely used instead of a mouse with laptops and some
tags. These tags are widely used for tracking lost pets, pro-
such as function and navigation keys. types of mobile devices.
duction, and inventory and for recording prices and prod- Voice recognition Systems
• Traditional keyboards, used on desktop and larger uct descriptions.
computers. Standard keyboard has 101 keys. Toggle Game controllers Voice recognition systems use a microphone, a sound
keys turn features on and off. Combination keys Game controllers provide input to computer games. card, and special software. Siri, Cortana, and Google
character and Mark recognition devices
perform actions when combinations of keys are held Widely used controllers include gaming mice, joysticks, Assistant are digital assistants that use voice recognition.
Character and mark recognition devices are scanners that
down. gamepads, and motion-sensing devices. Specialized portable voice recorders are widely used by
are able to recognize special characters and marks. Three
doctors, lawyers, and others to record dictation. Some sys-
types are magnetic-ink character recognition (MICR),
tems are able to translate dictation from one language to
optical-character recognition (OCR), and optical-mark
another, such as from English to Japanese.
recognition (OMR).

156 chApter 6 Input And Output 157

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xv
Unique Content
MAKING IT WORK FOR YOU
First Pages

Making IT work for you Special-interest topics are presented in the Making
IT Work for You section found within nearly
CLOUD STORAGE
Do you find that you take a lot of photos and videos on your phone, and your storage space is running low?
every chapter. These topics include Online Enter-
Are you working on a group project and finding it difficult to keep everyone updated with the most recent
version of documents and files? Are you looking for a safe, secure location to store backups and important
files? If so, cloud storage may be the solution you are looking for. Here are some things to consider when
tainment, Gaming, Virtual Assistants, and the
choosing a cloud storage option.

• What will you store?


Mobile Office.
The types of files that you store can have a big
impact on determining the best cloud storage
service for you. The following suggests the best
file service for you based on the types of files you
typically store.
• If you primarily store photos, then consider the
cloud services of Flickr and Adobe Creative
Cloud. They feature online tools to edit, share,
and search photos.
• If you primarily store music, then consider the
cloud services of Google Play Music and iTunes
Match. They feature online tools to listen to
music and create customizable playlists.
• If you primarily store documents, then consider
the cloud services Adobe Document Cloud and
Microsoft’s One Drive. They feature online tools Cloud storage service Flickr is designed to store and dis-
to view and edit documents. play digital photos.
OlegDoroshin/Shutterstock
• If you primarily need storage to back up your
system programs, consider the cloud services
of Backblaze and iDrive. They have apps that
back up your devices’ data, making backups
seamless and easy.
Also, what you store will impact how much
storage you need. If you are only looking to store
documents and text files, you will not need much
storage space; however, videos and photo albums
can take up a lot more storage. Different services
offer different pricing plans and have special offers
depending on what types of files you store—the
best cloud storage plan for you will tailor itself to
your storage needs.

• What tools will you use?


If your storage needs are mostly sharing and
working on documents, your best cloud storage
choice may be determined by the software you Apple’s iCloud works with the iWorks office suite.
NetPhotos3/Alamy Stock Photo

174

ole36781_ch07_164-185.indd 174 11/15/21 03:30 PM


PRIVACY, ETHICS, AND COMMUNITY First Pages

Nearly every chapter has a Community box located


in the margin adjacent to the coverage of related
technologies. Topics include how accessibility tools community
Many electronics contain toxic

make technology available to everyone or how our


materials, such as lead,
mercury, and chromium. If not
disposed of properly, these
materials can leak into our
actions on social media impact our communities. water supply, get released into
our air, or leach into our soil.
First, consider donating them to
various charitable organizations
that work with local schools
and low-income families. First Pages
Otherwise, recycling electronics
allows us to get rid of old
devices and keep our Figure 5-11 chip mounted onto a chip carrier
community safe. Many ktsdesign/Shutterstock
computer retailers near you

Nearly every chapter has a Privacy box located in accept used devices and

privacy
components for recycling, even
if they are broken. Alternatively,
Generally, the
performance
Although
system board found on a desktop is larger than that found on a
enhancements
laptop, and much larger than one found on a tablet, cell phone, or wearable computer.
Four ways these
to improve
systemthe performance
boards vary in size, of hard disks
speed, are disk
power, andcaching,
versatility,hybrid
theydrives,
never-
redundant arrays oftheinexpensive disks,of and file compression/decompression.
the margin adjacent to the coverage of related tech- visit the website of your local
Diminishing
government secondary
prices
to find the storage
have recycling
electronics an unexpected
center
theless all perform
theDisk caching
personal computer.
same function communicating
forms a function similar to cache memory discussed in Chapter 5. While cache mem-
between the components of
improves hard-disk performance by anticipating data needs. It per-

impact
neareston privacy. The ory improves processing by acting as a temporary high-speed holding area between
nologies. Topics include protecting personal infor-
you.
availability of cheap digital memory and the CPU, disk caching improves processing by acting as a temporary
storage has resulted in a concept check
high-speed holding area between a secondary storage device and memory. Disk cach-
permanent digital record of our
ing requires a combination of hardware and software. During idle processing time,
mation when using a free Wi-Fi network or when lives available for all to see on
the Internet. Once an image,
frequentlyWhat is the system board, and what does it do?
disk cache.
Define
used data is automatically identified and read from the hard disk into the
When needed,sockets,
and describe the data is then
slots, accessed
and bus lines. directly from memory. The trans-
video, or message is released

disposing of an outdated computer. on the Internet, it is very fer rate from memory is much faster than from the hard disk. As a result, overall sys-
What are chips? How are chips attached to the system board?
difficult to remove. Some argue tem performance is often increased by as much as 30 percent.
that we all have a “right to be Hybrid drives are storage drives that contain both solid-state storage and hard disks
forgotten” and that major in an attempt to gain the speed and power benefits of SSDs while still having First
thePages
low
Internet companies like
Instagram and Google should
Microprocessor
cost and large capacity of hard drives. Typically, these systems use SSD to store the
operating system and applications and hard disks to store videos, music, and
help people permanently documents.
remove records of In most personal computer systems, the central processing unit (CPU) or processor is
Redundant arrays of inexpensive disks (RAID) improve performance by expanding
embarrassing or unpleasant contained on a single chip called the microprocessor. The microprocessor is the
external storage, improving access speed, and providing reliable storage. Several inex-
moments. Others say that the
•“brains”
pensive
of the computer
Data hard-disk
transmission drives
system. It has
specifications.
are connected
two basic
These
to one
components:
areanother.
rules and the control
procedures
These that unit
connections
and the
coordinate
can be by a
ethics
Internet is a record of our past arithmetic-logic
the sending
network or within
unit.
and receiving devices
specialized RAID by precisely
devices. (See defining
Figure how7-8.) the
Themessage
connected will hard-
be
Nearly every chapter has an Ethics box located in
and we can’t choose to only
hold on to the positive things. • sent
diskControlacross
drives arethe
unit: Thecommunication
related control unit tells
or grouped channel.
the restand
together, of the
thecomputer
computersystemsystemhow to carry
interacts with
As eavesdropping
What do you think?tools become the out
RAID a program’s
system asinstructions.
• Communication though it This
channel. wereItisdirects
a the
single the movement
connectingof
large-capacity
actual orelectronic
hard-disk signals
drive.
transmission The between
result is
medium
more sophisticated, there is memory,
expanded
that carrieswhich
storage temporarily
the capability,
message. Thisholds
fast access
medium data, instructions,
speed,
can and
be highand
a physical processed
reliability.
wire For information,
or cable, these
or itreasons,
can be
the margin adjacent to the coverage of related tech- concern that law enforcement
and government agencies will
RAIDandisthe
wireless. arithmetic-logic
often
and compression
File
used by Internet
input and output and file
unit.servers
devices.
It also and directs these
large control signals between the CPU
organizations.
decompression increase storage capacity by reducing the
monitor everyone’s Internet For example, if you wanted to send an e-mail to a friend, you could create and send
amount of space required
• Arithmetic-logic unit:cellto store data and programs.
arithmetic-logic File compression is not performs
limited to
The the sendingunit, usually
Your called theisALU,
nologies. Topics include altering images to promote and cell phone activity. In the
private sector, companies are
the message using your
hard-disk
two types
located
drives
systems.
insideofyour
It is
operations:
as well. File
cell phone.
compression
phone,
frequently
arithmetic used
It functions
also
to
and logical.
helps to
device.
compress
as the connection
modem
files on operations
Arithmetic DVDs, CDs,
on a microchip
device, that would
speed up transmission of and
areand
the flash
modify
files division.
from one
increasingly using network andfundamental math
format the message operations: addition,
so that it could travelsubtraction, multiplication,
efficiently across communication channels,
computer
Logical system to another.
operations consist Sending
of and receiving
comparisons such ascompressed
whether onefiles
itemacross
is the to
equal Inter-
a particular message and how the technology we
tools and software to monitor such as cell phone towers. The specifics describing how the message is modified, refor-
net(=),
is a common activity.
the activity of their employees.
matted,less andthan
sent(<),
would or greater than (>)
be described the data
in the other.transmission specifications. After your
Many websites also track File compression programs scan files for ways to reduce the amount of required
message traveled across the channel, a connection device, such as a modem connected
your activity, and government storage. One way chipsis to search for repeating patterns. The repeating patterns are
use affects labor practices around the world. officials have often requested
these records during the
microprocessor
to a desktop computer,
the receiving
Microprocessors are an
would reformat it so that it could be displayed on your friend’s
replaced with a token, leaving enough tokens so that the original can be rebuilt or
computer, device.
important (Note:part This
of
decompressed. These programs often shrink files to a quarter
example
any presents
computing the and
device basic communication
of theirare tailored
original to the
size.
course of an investigation. system
needs ofelements
the and involved
device it serves. in sending
There aree-mail.
two It does
major not and isofnot
categories intended to demon-
microprocessors devel-
Windows Mac operating systems provide compression and decompression util-
strate
oped Forall themobile
today: specificandsteps and equipment
desktop. Mobile involved in
processors an e-mail delivery system.)
Some believe that it is unethical ities. more advanced compression schemes, youarecanused
use in cell phones
specialized and tablets
utilities such
for government and businesses
as WinZip. For a summary of performance enhancement techniques, see Figure 7-9.
to engage in such monitoring
and tracking. Do you agree?
116 chApTer 5 concept check
Define computer communications and connectivity.

xvi
technique description
What is the wireless revolution?
Disk caching Uses cache and anticipates data needs
Describe the four elements of every communication system.
ole36781_ch05_108-133.indd 116 Hybrid drives Uses both SSD and hard disks
11/15/21 04:38 PM

RAID Linked, inexpensive hard-disk drives


Communication ChannelsReduces file size
File compression

Communication channels File decompression


are an essential elementExpands compressed
of every files
communication system.
These channels actually carry the data from one computer to another. There are two
Figure 7-8 rAId storage device
Unique End-of-Chapter
Discussion Materials First Pages

MAKING IT WORK FOR YOU


OPEN-ENDED
Making IT Work for You discussion questions are carefully On a separate sheet of paper, respond to each question or statement.

1. Compare primary storage and secondary storage, and discuss the most important

integrated with the chapter’s Making IT Work for You top- characteristics of secondary storage.
2. Discuss solid-state storage, including solid-state drives, flash memory, and USB drives.
3. Discuss hard disks, including density, platters, tracks, sectors, cylinders, internal,
ics. The questions facilitate in-class discussion or written external, and performance enhancements.
4. Discuss optical discs, including pits, lands, CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray, and hi-def.

assignments focusing on applying specific technologies into


5. Discuss cloud computing and cloud storage.
6. Describe mass storage devices, including enterprise storage systems, file servers,
network attached storage, RAID systems, organizational cloud storage, and storage area

a student’s day-to-day life. They are designed to expand a


network systems.

student’s awareness of technology applications. DISCUSSION


Respond to each of the following questions.

1 Making IT Work for You: CLOUD STORAGE

PRIVACY
Have you ever found yourself e-mailing files back and forth between two of your computers or with others
as a way to transport them? Review the Making IT Work for You: Cloud Storage on pages 174 and 175. Then
respond to the following: (a) Have you ever used Dropbox or a similar service? If so, what service have you
used, and what do you typically use it for? If you have not used Dropbox or a similar service, describe how
and why you might use one. (b) If you do not have a Dropbox account, set up a free one and create a Drop-
box folder. Use Dropbox to either (1) access a file from another computer or (2) share a file with one of your
classmates. Describe your experience. (c) Try a few of Dropbox’s features, and describe your experience
with these features. (d) Do you see yourself using Dropbox on an everyday basis? Why or why not?

Privacy discussion questions are carefully integrated with


2 Privacy: RIGHT TO BE FORGOTTEN
the chapter’s marginal Privacy box. The questions facilitate As a generation grows up with social media, a surplus of youthful indiscretions is now stored on the Inter-
net for all to see. Review the privacy box on page 139 and respond to the following: (a) Is there a photo or

in-class discussion or written assignments focusing on video of you on the Internet that you would prefer not be publicly available? Have you said or done things
that, if recorded and posted on social media, could have a negative impact on a job interview? (b) Do you
have the right to decide what photos of you are posted on the Internet by others? Why or why not? (c) Does

critical privacy issues. They are designed to develop a someone else have the right to tell you what to do with the photos you take, even if they are in the photo?
Why or why not? (d) Should Facebook remove photos, videos, or messages if someone is embarrassed by
them? Should Facebook have the right to remove your photos, videos, or messages if someone is embar-

student’s ability to think critically and communicate


rassed by the content? Justify your answer.

effectively.
184 chApter 7

First Pages

ETHICS
ole36781_ch07_164-185.indd 184 11/15/21 03:30 PM

DISCUSSION
Respond to each of the following questions.
Ethics discussion questions are carefully integrated with
1 Making IT Work for You the chapter’s marginal Ethics boxes. The questions facili-
Making it a habit of keeping current with technology applications can be a key to your success. Numerous
full-page spreads identified as Making IT Work for You are presented in the following chapters. These
sections address some of today’s most interesting and useful applications. They include online entertain- tate in-class discussion or written assignments focusing on
ment in Chapter 2, online office suites in Chapter 3, and cloud storage in Chapter 7. Select one that you
find the most interesting and then respond to the following: (a) Why did you select this application? (b)
Have you used this application? If so, when and how? If not, do you plan to in the near future? (c) Go to the ethical issues relating to technology. They are designed to
chapter containing your selected application, and locate the application’s Making IT Work for You cover-
age. Review and briefly describe its contents. (d) Did you find the coverage useful? Why or why not?
develop a student’s ability to think critically and communi-
2 Privacy
Privacy is one of the most critical issues facing society today. Numerous Privacy boxes appear in the margins cate effectively.
of the upcoming chapters presenting a variety of privacy issues. These issues include apps that constantly
track your movements without your knowledge or consent in Chapter 3; public Wi-Fi connections that record
all of your personal communications in Chapter 8; and protection of personal privacy while using social
media in Chapter 9. Select one that you find the most interesting, and then respond to the following: (a) Why
did you select this issue? (b) Do you have knowledge of or experience with the issue? If so, describe your
knowledge or experience. If not, do you consider the issue to be important for protecting your privacy? (c)
Go to the chapter containing your selected issue, locate the Privacy box, read it, and describe its contents.
(d) Did you find the coverage thought-provoking? Why or why not?

3 Ethics
Computer ethics are guidelines for the morally acceptable use of computers in our society. Numerous Ethics
COMMUNITY
boxes appear in the margins of the upcoming chapters presenting a variety of ethical issues. These issues
include image editing in Chapter 3, unauthorized use of webcams in Chapter 6, and unauthorized monitoring
or eavesdropping of Internet activity in Chapter 8. Select one issue that you find the most interesting and
then respond to the following: (a) Why did you select this issue? (b) Do you have knowledge of or experience

Community discussion questions are carefully integrated


with the issue? If so, describe your knowledge or experience. If not, do you consider the issue critical for
individuals or organizations? (c) Go to the chapter containing your selected issue, locate the Ethics box, read
it, and describe its contents. (d) Did you find the coverage thought-provoking? Why or why not?

4 Community with the chapter’s marginal Community boxes. The ques-


tions facilitate in-class discussion or written assignments
Almost everyone belongs to several communities—some in person and some digital. Numerous Commu-
nity boxes appear in the margins of the upcoming chapters. These boxes present a variety of community
topics, including etiquette on the Internet in Chapter 2, Accessibility for people with disabilities in

focusing on the impact of technology on communities.


Chapter 4, and the role of communities in bringing Internet access to the developing world in Chapter 8.
Select one that you find the most interesting and then respond to the following: (a) Why did you select
this topic? (b) Go to the chapter containing your selected topic, locate the Community box, read it, and

They are designed to develop a student’s ability to think


describe its contents. (c) Did you find the coverage thought-provoking? Why or why not?

Design Elements: Concept Check icons: Dizzle52/Getty Images;


Making IT Work for You: cifotart/Shutterstock

critically and communicate effectively.


chApTer 1 23

oLe36781_ch01_002-023.indd 23 10/28/21 02:15 PM

xvii
Reinforcing Key Concepts
First Pages
CONCEPT CHECKS

Located at points throughout each


­chapter, the Concept Check cues you to
concept check
What are the parts of an information system?
note which topics have been covered
What is a program?
and to self-test your understanding of What is the difference between data and information?
the material presented.
First Pages

People

Community KEY TERMS


People are surely the most important part of any information system. Our lives are touched
every day by computers and information systems. Many times the contact is direct and
KEY TERMS obvious, such as when we
Every major technology has create documents using a
address (32) MMS (multimedia messaging service) (38)
Advanced Research Project Agency mobile browser (32) affected communities—but none word processing program
Network (ARPANET) (26)
attachment (39)
news feed (36)
online (27) in the unique ways that or whenThroughout
we connect to thethe text, the most important terms are
bitcoin (44) pages (35) computers have. We have Internet. (See Figure 1-2.)
Other times, the contactin
presented is bold and are defined within the text.
BitTorrent (34) podcast (35)
blog (36) PHP (32) changed how we interact with
browser (31) profiles (35)
our communities, both in the not as obvious.
business-to-business (B2B) (42)
business-to-consumer (B2C) (42)
cable (31)
protocol (32)
search engine (40)
search service (40)
tools we use to communicate, You will
Throughout this also
book find a list of key terms at the end of
such as social media posts, and you will find a variety of
each chapter and in the glossary at the end of
cascading style sheets (CSS) (31) secure file transfer protocol (SFTP) (34)
client-based e-mail system (39) share settings (36)
in the ways we communicate, in
cloud computing (45) signature (39) features designed to help
consumer-to-consumer (C2C) (42) SMS (short messaging service) (37) emojiis and podcasts. But
cryptocurrency (44)
deep fake (41)
social networking (35)
spam (40) technology has had a deeper the book.
you become an efficient
desktop browser (32) spam blocker (40) impact on our communities than
and effective end user.
digital currency (43)
domain name (32)
spam filter (40)
spider (40) just the way we interact. It has These features include
downloading (32)
digital subscriber line (DSL) (31)
subject (39)
texting (37) forever changed how we find Making IT Work for You,
e-commerce (41) text messaging (37) and identify our communities. Tips, Privacy, Commu-
e-learning (41) top-level domain (TLD) (32)
electronic commerce (41) tweet (37) Every day, people meet, discuss, nity, Ethics, and Careers figure 1-2 people and computers
electronic mail (38) Twitter (37)
e-mail (38) uniform resource locator (URL) (32)
and bond with others they have in IT. fizkes/Shutterstock
e-mail client (39) uploading (33) never met in person. The entire First Pages
Facebook (36)
fake news (41)
virus (40)
web (26) world feels a little smaller, with • Making IT Work for You. Throughout this book you will find Making IT Work for
file transfer protocol (FTP) (34)
filter (33)
Web 1.0 (26)
Web 2.0 (26)
our communities extending You features that present numerous interesting and practical IT applications. For
friend (35) Web 3.0 (26) around the globe. just a few of the Making IT Work for You topics, see Figure 1-3.
groups (38) Web 4.0 (27)
header (39) Web 5.0 (27) • Tips. We all can benefit from a few tips or suggestions. Throughout this book you
hyperlink (32) web auction (42)
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) (32) web-based e-mail system (39) will find numerous tips to make your computing safer, more efficient, and more
Instagram (37) web-based file transfer services (33)
instant messaging (IM) (38) webmail (39) effective. These tips range from the basics of keeping your computer system
Internet (26)
Internet of Things (IoT) (46)
webmail client (39)
web developer (45)
MULTIPLE CHOICE
Internet security suite (34) web page (32)
Internet service provider (ISP) (31) web suffix (32) Circle the correct answer.
JavaScript (32) web utility (33) Application description
link (32) wiki (37) 1. When the Internet launched, it was a network called:
LinkedIn (36) Wikipedia (37)
location (32) wireless modem (31) Free Antivirus Program Protect your computer by installingc.and
a. DSL using a free antivirus
ARPANET
message (39) World Wide Web (26) program.b.See page 9.
LAN d. CSS
microblog (36) WWW (26)
2. This Internet activity is associated with sending and receiving e-mails.
Cloud Office Suites Create and collaborate with othersc.online
a. shopping to make better
e-learning
ChApTEr 2 51
documents and presentations. Seed.page
b. communicating xx.
online entertainment
3. The physical network that is the world’s largest network is called:
Gaming Delve intoa. the worldWide
the World of video
Web games
c. and find the best video game
ARPANET
hardwareb.for theyou. See page xx. d. SFTP
Internet
4. This generation of the web that brought about social media.
oLe36781_ch02_024-055.indd 51 10/28/21 08:06 PM
Cloud Storage Move your
a. files online to synch files
Web 1.0 c. between
Web 3.0 devices or free up

CHAPTER REVIEW The Mobile Office


space onb.your
5.
Webdigital
2.0 devices. See d.
page
Webxx.
4.0
An example of a micro-blogging site is:
Get worka.done on the road; whether
Facebook c. a business trip or your daily
Twitter
commute,b.these
TikToktools will help you d. make the most of your time.
Microsoft
See page xx.most common way to access the Internet is through a(n) __________.
6. The
a. cell phone c. SFTP

Following the Visual Summary, the chapter review includes figure 1-3 making IT Work for You applications
b. ISP c. TikTok
7. Transmission of electronic messages over the Internet.

material designed to review and reinforce chapter content. It a. Web 3.0


b. B2B
c. hyperlink
d. e-mail

6 the
includes a key terms list that reiterates terms
chApTer 1 presented in
8. Two popular instant messaging services are WhatsApp and Facebook __________.
a. Social c. Messenger
b. Meet d. ISP
the chapter, multiple-choice questions to help test your 9. A business-oriented social networking site.
a. TikTok c. LinkedIn
understanding of information presented in the chapter, 10.
b. Instagram d. Facebook
Electronic commerce involving individuals selling to individuals.

matching exercises to test your recall of terminology pre- oLe36781_ch01_002-023.indd 6


a. B2C
b. C2C
c. B2B
d. I2I 10/28/21 02:15 PM

sented in the chapter, and open-ended questions or state-


ments to help review your understanding of the key concepts
presented in the chapter.

52 ChApTEr 2

xviii
oLe36781_ch02_024-055.indd 52 10/28/21 08:06 PM
The Future of Information Technology
CAREERS IN IT
First Pages

devices like tablets, cell phones, and wearable devices have led many experts
to predict that wireless applications are just the beginning of the wireless
revolution, a revolution that will dramatically affect the way we communicate
and use computer technology.
• The Internet of Things (IoT) is the continuing development of the Internet that
allows everyday objects embedded with electronic devices to send and receive data
over the Internet. It promises to connect all types of devices, from computers to
cell phones, to watches, to any number of everyday devices.
Wireless communication, cloud computing, and IoT are driving the mobile Inter-
net. They promise to continue to dramatically affect the entire computer industry and
how you and I will interact with computers and other devices. Each will be discussed
in detail in the following chapters. For just a few of these mobile devices, see
Figure 1-17.
Some of the fastest-growing career opportunities are in
concept check
information technology. Each chapter highlights one of the
Define data. List four common types of files.

Define connectivity and networks.


most promising careers in IT by presenting job titles,
What is cloud computing? Wireless revolution? IoT?

responsibilities, educational requirements, and ­salary


Careers in IT ranges. Among the careers covered are webmaster, soft-
“ now that you know the basic outline and As mentioned previously, each of the following chapters highlights a
important features of this book, we would like
to talk about some of the most exciting and
specific career in information technology. Each provides specific job
descriptions, salary ranges, advancement opportunities, and more. For ware engineer, and database administrator. You will learn
well-paid careers in information technology.
” a partial list of these careers, see Figure 1-18.

career

Web developer
description

Develops and maintains websites and web


how the material you are studying relates directly to a
resources. See page 44.

Software engineer Analyzes users’ needs and creates


application software. See page 71. potential career path.
Computer support specialist Provides technical support to customers
and other users. See page 97.
Moyo Studio/Getty Images Computer technician Repairs and installs computer components
and systems. See page 123.

Technical writer Prepares instruction manuals, technical


reports, and other scientific or technical
First Pages
documents. See page 152.

Network administrator Creates and maintains computer networks.


See page 203.

A LOOK TO THE FUTURE


figure 1-18 careers in information technology

InfOrmATIOn TechnOLOgY, The InTerneT, And YOu 15


using and understanding Information need to know about hardware. For those considering the
purchase of a computer, an appendix—The Computer Buyer’s
Technology
Guide—is provided at the end of this book. This guide
The purpose of this book is to help you use and understand provides a very concise comparison of desktops, laptops,
information technology. We want to help you become profi- tablets, and cell phones.

A LOOK TO THE FUTURE


oLe36781_ch01_002-023.indd 15 10/28/21 02:15 PM cient and to provide you with a foundation of knowledge so
that you can understand how technology is being used today privacy, Security, and ethics
and anticipate how technology will be used in the future. What about people? Experts agree that we as a society
This will enable you to benefit from six important information must be careful about the potential of technology to nega-
technology developments. tively affect our lives. Spe-
cifically, we need to be
The Internet and the Web aware of how technology
The Internet and the web are can affect our personal pri-
considered to be the two vacy and our environment.
most important technologies Also, we need to understand
for the 21st century. Under- the role and the importance
standing how to efficiently of organizational and per-
and effectively use the Inter- sonal ethics. These critical
net to browse, communicate, issues are integrated in
and locate information is an every chapter of this book as

Each chapter concludes with a brief discussion of a essential skill. These issues
are presented in Chapter 2,
The Internet, the Web, and
Electronic Commerce.
well as extensively covered
in Chapter 9.

Organizations

recent technological advancement related to the


wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock Almost all organizations rely
powerful Software on the quality and flexibility of
The software that is now available can do an extraordinary their information systems to stay competitive. As a member or
number of tasks and help you in an endless number of ways. employee of an organization, you will undoubtedly be involved
You can create professional-looking documents, analyze mas- in these information systems. In order to use, develop, modify,

chapter material, reinforcing the importance of stay- sive amounts of data, create dynamic multimedia web pages,
and much more. Today’s employers are expecting the people
they hire to be able to effectively and efficiently use a variety
of different types of software. General-purpose, specialized,
and maintain these systems, you need to understand the basic
concepts of information systems and know how to safely, effi-
ciently, and effectively use computers. These concepts are
covered throughout this book.

ing informed.
and mobile applications are presented in Chapter 3. System
software is presented in Chapter 4. changing Times
Are the times changing any faster now than they ever have?
powerful hardware Almost everyone thinks so. Whatever the answer, it is clear
Personal computers are now much more powerful than they we live in a fast-paced age. The Evolution of the Computer
used to be. Cell phones, tablets, and communication tech- Age section presented at the end of this book tracks the
nologies such as wireless networks are dramatically chang- major developments since computers were first introduced.
ing the ways to connect to other computers, networks, and After reading this book, you will be in a very favorable posi-
the Internet. However, despite the rapid change of specific tion compared with many other people in industry today. You
equipment, their essential features remain unchanged. To will learn not only the basics of hardware, software, connectiv-
become an efficient and effective end user, you should focus ity, the Internet, and the web, but also the most current tech-
on these features. Chapters 5 through 8 explain what you nology. You will be able to use these tools to your advantage.

16

oLe36781_ch01_002-023.indd 16 10/28/21 02:15 PM

Found in Connect for Computing Essentials 2023,


Using IT at MoviesOnline—A Case Study of a fictitious
organization provides an up-close look at what you
might expect to find on the job in the real world. You
will follow Alice, a recent college graduate hired as a
marketing analyst, as she navigates her way through
accounting, marketing, production, human resources,
and research, gathering and processing data to help
manage and accelerate the growth of the three-year-
old company.
John A Rizzo/Pixtal/SuperStock

xix
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great epoch of cheapness of the last quarter of a century, without
more particularly noticing the revival, for so it may be called, of the
art of woodcutting. In the 'Penny Magazine' of 1836, the editor says
that no expense or labour has been spared to attain every
improvement of which the art of woodcutting is susceptible—that the
engravings of 305 numbers have cost 12,000l. (about 40l. a number)
—that many difficulties have been overcome in adapting the
character of the engravings to the rapid movements of the printing-
machine—and that the art, in connexion with the cheapest form of
printing, has been carried further than at one time was thought to
be possible. This was written in 1836. Let any one look at a common
book with woodcuts, printed thirty years ago, and he will understand
what difficulties had to be overcome before 'The Penny Magazine'
could present successful copies of works of art. This 'Penny
Magazine,' which some even now affect to sneer at, produced a
revolution in popular art throughout the world. It created similar
works, to which it supplied stereotype casts, in Germany, France,
Holland, Livonia (in Russian and German), Bohemia (in Sclavonic),
Italy, Ionian Islands (in Modern Greek), Sweden, Norway, Spanish
America, the Brazils, the United States. It raised up imitators on
every side, and directed the union of art and letters into new
channels. It was the forerunner of 'Punch,' and of 'The Illustrated
London News.' A great art-critic of 1836 proclaimed, with oracular
solemnity, "As there is no royal road to mathematics, so we say,
once for all, there is no Penny Magazine road to the Fine Arts—the
cultivation of the Fine Arts must be carried on by a comparatively
small and gifted few, under the patronage of men of wealth and
leisure." Many eminent designers—amongst whom are the honoured
names of Harvey, Cruikshank, Doyle, Leech, Tenniel, Anelay, Gilbert
—have gone the "Penny Magazine road," and found it quite as sure a
highway to distinction, and far more pleasant, than the old by-way of
patronage, so weary to the gifted few. It is wonderful how long and
how tenaciously, both in literature and art, men clung to that idol
Patronage. They are gone—the Chesterfields who kept Johnson
seven years waiting in outward rooms,—and the Mansfields who
grudged Wilkie thirty guineas for 'The Village Politicians:'—
"Peor and Baälim
Forsake their temples dim."

[30] Miss Martineau's 'History of the Peace,' vol. i. p. 580.


[31] 'Address of the Committee,' June 1, 1843.

CHAPTER V.
London Catalogue, 1816-1851—Annual Catalogues, 1828-1853—Classes of Books,
1816-1861—Periodicals, 1831, 1853—Aggregate amount of Book-trade—
Collections and Libraries—International Copyright—Readers in the United States
—Irish National School-books.
'The London Catalogue of Books published in Great Britain, 1816 to
1851,' furnishes, in its alphabetical list, with "sizes, prices, and
publishers' names," that insight into the character and extent of the
literature of a generation which we cannot derive from any other
source. We have already given some of the calculations of past
periods. Let us endeavour to trace what the commerce of books has
been in our own time.
Every book in this 'London Catalogue' occupies a single line. There
are 72 lines in a page; there are 626 pages. It follows that the
Catalogue contains the titles of 45,072 books. In these 36 years,
then, there was an average annual publication of 1252 books. This
number is more than double the average of the period from 1800 to
1827. There is also published, by the proprietor of 'The London
Catalogue,' an Annual Catalogue of New Books. From two of these
catalogues we derive the following comparative results for the
beginning and the end of a quarter of a century:—
1828. New publications 842
1853. " 2530
1828. Total number of volumes 1105
1853. " 2934
Total cost of one set of the
1828. £668 10 0
new publications
1853. " £1058 17 9
Average price of each new
1828. 0 16 0
work
1853. " 0 8 4½
Average price per volume
1828. 0 12 1
of the new publications
1853. " 0 7 2½

Such calculations are not arrived at without the labour of many


hours; but the labour is not ill-bestowed by us, for they afford better
data for opinion than loose talk about the number, quality, and price
of books. Hence we learn, that, in 1853, there were three times as
many books published as in 1828; that the comparative increase in
the number of volumes was not so great, showing that of the new
books more single volumes were published; that the total cost of
one set of the new publications had increased by more than one-half
of the former cost; that the average price of each new work had
been reduced nearly one-half; and that the average price per volume
had fallen about 5s. below the price of 1828. A further analysis of
this Annual List shows that, of the 2530 books published in 1853,
only 287 were published at a guinea and upwards; and that of these
only 206 were books of general information; while 28 were law-
books, and 53 of the well-accustomed dear class of guinea-and-a-
half novels. Decidedly the Quarto Dynasty had died out.
As a supplement to the 'London Catalogue, 1816-1851,' there is
published a 'Classified Index.' Through this we are enabled to
estimate in round numbers the sort of books which the people were
buying, or reading, or neglecting, in these 36 years.[32] We find that
they were invited to purchase in the following proportion of classes:

Works on divinity 10,300
History and geography 4,900
Fiction 3,500
Foreign languages and school-books 4,000
Drama and poetry 3,400
Juvenile books 2,900
Medical 2,500
Biography 1,850
Law 1,850
Science.— Zoology 550
" Botany 700
" Chemistry 170
" Geology 280
" Mathematics 350
" Astronomy 150
" Natural philosophy 300 2,450
Arts,&c.— Antiquities 350
" Architecture 500
" Fine arts 450
" Games and sports 300
" Illustrated works 500
" Music 220
" Genealogy and heraldry 140 2,460
Industry.— Mechanics, &c. 500
" Agriculture 250
" Trade and commerce 600
" Political economy, statistics 700
" Military 300 2,350
Moral
Philology, &c. 350
Sciences.—
" Education 300
" Moral philosophy 300
" Morals 450
" Domestic economy 200 1,400
Miscellaneous (so classed) 1,400
45,260

But the Catalogues of New Books fall very short of affording a


complete view of the state of popular literature at any given period.
We must apply to other sources of information.
The publication of 'The Penny Magazine,' and of 'Chambers'
Journal,' in 1832, was concurrent with a general increase in the
demand for periodical works. At the end of 1831 there were issued
177 monthly publications, a single copy of which cost 17l. 12s. 6d.
At the end of 1833 there were 236 monthly periodicals, a single copy
of which cost 23l. 3s. 6d. At the end of 1853 there were 362 of the
same monthly class, a single copy of which cost 14l. 17s. 6d. In
1831 the average price of the monthly periodicals was 2s.; in 1833,
1s. 11½d.; and in 1853, 9½d. Can there be any doubt of the
adaptation of periodical literature, during these years, to the
wondrous extension of readers?
It appears from 'The London Catalogue of Periodicals,' published
by Messrs. Longman and Co., from which we derive the calculations
we have now made, that there are 56 weekly periodicals. There
were 21 in 1833. But this list, which is adapted for what is known as
'The Trade,' is far from including all the cheap sheets that are issued
weekly from the London press. There is a very large class of such
publications that are very rarely found in the shops of regular
booksellers, either in town or country. Many of these periodicals
have the taint upon them of the names of their publishers; and
some of them a few years ago were infamous. We do not find in the
'London Catalogue of Periodicals' the names of several works, and of
one especially, which present the most remarkable example in our
times of the extent to which cheap literature is offered to the people
in marts which are comparatively unknown to the upper and middle
classes. The facilities of communication have sent an unparalleled
quantity of weekly sheets through the land, at a rate of cheapness
which defies all competition of literary quality against weight of
paper and crowding of print. In every shop of every back-street of
London and the larger towns, where a tradesman in tobacco or
lollipops or lucifer-matches formerly grew thin upon his small
amount of daily halfpence, there now rush in the schoolboy, the
apprentice, the milliner, the factory-girl, the clerk, and the small
shopkeeper, for their 'London Journal,' 'Family Herald,' 'Reynolds'
Miscellany,' and 'Cassell's Paper.' We have ascertained, from sources
upon which we can rely, that of these four sheets a million copies
are sold weekly. Of the contents of these, and other cheap works,
we shall have presently to speak.
When we look back at the various periods of English publication,
and consider how amazingly the aggregate number of books
published in any one period has increased, we must also regard the
size and price of the works published to form any adequate notion of
the progress of cheap literature. With a general reduction of price
during the last twenty years—with the substitution of duodecimos
for quartos—and with single volumes beyond all former precedent—
there is little doubt that the annual returns of the publishing trade, in
all its departments (we include newspapers), are double what they
were in 1833. They were estimated then at 2,500,000l. We should
not be wide of the mark in considering them at present to have
reached to 5,000,000l. As the silk-trade is now to be estimated, not
by the number of ladies of fashion who wear brocade on court-days,
but of the millions who buy a silk dress for ordinary use; so is the
book-trade to be estimated, not by the number of the learned who
once bought folios, and of the rich who rejoiced in exclusive quartos,
but of the many to whom a small volume of a living author has
become a necessity for instruction or for amusement, and who
desire to read our established literature in editions well printed and
carefully edited, though essentially cheap. This number of readers is
constantly increasing, and as constantly pressing for a reduction of
price upon modern books of high reputation. Mr. Macaulay's 'Essays'
were originally published at 1l. 16s.; they then appeared in one large
volume at 1l. 1s. Messrs. Longman now advertise a "People's
Edition," in 7 monthly parts at 1s., and in numbers at 1½d. They do
so, they say, "on the recommendation of correspondents who have
expressed their desire to possess them, but who have found the
existing editions beyond their means."
In turning over the leaves of the London Catalogue from 1816 to
1851, we rejoice to see how much has been done in this direction,
whatever may be the greater amount yet to be done. Of the Poets—
Byron, Campbell, Crabbe, Coleridge, Moore, Scott, Southey,
Wordsworth, are obtainable at the most reasonable prices, in
collected editions. The elder Poets may be had in the Aldine Series,
and in new collections, now in course of publication. The most
popular of the recent Novelists—Scott, Dickens, D'Israeli, Lytton,
Thackeray—are in volumes whose cheapness introduces them to
many a fireside where the original editions would find no place.
Wilkinson's 'Egypt,' Alison's 'History of Europe,' the works of
Chalmers, and many extensive theological books, have been
reproduced at cheap rates. The various 'Libraries' which have been
published and are still publishing—Bohn's Antiquarian, Classics,
Classical, Ecclesiastical, Illustrated, Scientific, and Standard; the
Library of Entertaining Knowledge; the Family Library; the Edinburgh
Cabinet Library; Lardner's Cyclopædia; Family Classical Library;
Knight's Weekly Volumes; Jardine's Naturalist's Library; Murray's
Home and Colonial Library; Sacred Classics; Christian Family Library;
Smith's Standard Library; Tegg's Standard Library; National
Illustrated Library; Reading for the Rail; Traveller's Library; Standard
Novels; Chambers' Miscellany of Facts; Papers for the People;
Instructive Library; Weale's Rudimentary Series: these, the more
important of the various Collections that can be called cheap,
comprise no fewer than 1400 volumes. It would require an
enumeration which is the province of the future bibliographer, to
show how many separate books, in every department of knowledge,
have been issued during the last twenty years, with a distinct
reference to the means of the greatest number of readers. But the
process here, as in other cases, has necessarily been gradual. The
general cheapening of books must be gradual to be safe. The
soundings of the perilous sea of publishing must be constantly
taken. There is no chart for this navigation which exhibits all the
sunken rocks and quicksands.
In addition to the Collections just enumerated, we have the new
Libraries, whether known as Cheap Series, Parlour Library, Pocket
Library, Railway Library, or Readable Books. These are, for the most
part, devoted to novels, old and new, and to American reprints. In
this form 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' rushed into a circulation which no book
—with the exception of the Bible and Prayer-Book, and perhaps
some Spelling-Book—ever before attained. Here Sir Edward Bulwer
Lytton is to reach a popularity which no novelist ever before
reached; and to be paid "the extravagant sum of 20,000l. for the
exclusive sale of his works for the next ten years," as we are assured
in 'The Times.' We hear of enormous profits made, and fortunes
realised, by these books. They meet the eye on every railway stall
and in every stationer's window, glittering in green and crimson. But
we also sometimes hear of large stocks of unsaleable ventures, and
of consequent evil-fortune, in spite of one or two profitable
undertakings. We have great confidence in the largest sale of the
cheapest edition of an attractive book by an author of reputation;
but we have no confidence in the large individual sale of a great
number of such distinct books, each jostling the other in the race for
popularity. We believe that the sale of many such works has been
much exaggerated. We hear that the margin of profit, as commercial
men say, is very narrow, and leaves little surplus to cover risk. Of
one thing we are clear. Whatever sum may be paid for a great name,
the natural sale of books of this class can afford very little for the
payment of copyright in ordinary cases. The paper, machine-work,
and binding, we are informed, of one of the shilling volumes will
cost, for an impression of 10,000, about 220l., and the trade
expenses and advertising will raise that cost to 250l. This is 6d. per
copy. They are sold wholesale at 8s. for 13 copies, which leaves a
surplus of about 60l. But the setting up the types and the
stereotyping will cost about 40l. There is 20l. then left for the
publisher upon 10,000l. If he sells 20,000l. there is 80l. Where is the
fund for the payment of authorship? Is it to be assumed that a sale
of 40,000 or 50,000 copies may at present be attained for such
works under ordinary conditions? If not, is the cheapest supply of
reading for these kingdoms to be kept up by piracies from America
or republications of expired copyrights? We doubt if this trade
generally is in a healthy position: at any rate, we fear that we must
scarcely look to this class of books for making "Cheap Literature"
what it might be made by judicious management—an instrument of
great public good. Piracy from American authors has been, within
these few years, chiefly confined to the shilling Railway Volumes;
and it had a great success while all the elements that combine to
produce an anti-slavery enthusiasm were in operation. But it has lost
the charm of novelty, and the fashion of American novels is now
somewhat stale. In the mean while the United States never relax in
their course. In Mr. Carey's 'Letters on International Copyright,'
published at Philadelphia in 1853, we have some details of the
advantage of the fraudulent cheapness to the American public. He
says, Mr. Dickens sells 'Bleak House' in England for 21s. (5 dollars);
comparing the book with copyright books in America, of which the
sale is large, he would expect 3 dollars under the international
system. The number of 'Bleak House' supplied to American readers
in newspapers and magazines, as well as in the book form, is not
less than 250,000, at half a dollar, giving for the whole 125,000
dollars. Mr. Dickens would charge 750,000 dollars:—
Dollars.
Difference to the American public upon
625,000.
'Bleak House'

Reckoning in the same way, the following differences are


estimated:—
Dollars.
Upon Sir E. Bulwer
166,000 copies 350,000
Lytton's last work,
Upon Mr. Macaulay's
125,000 " 400,000
History
Upon Sir A. Alison's
25,000 " 500,000
History
Upon Jane Eyre 80,000 " 75,000
Total difference on five
1,950,000
books

This is a difference of 409,500l. sterling. Mr. Carey deduces from


these figures this logical consequence: "Under the system of
international copyright, one of two things must be done: either the
people must be taxed in the whole of this amount for the benefit of
the various persons, abroad and at home, who are now to be
invested with the monopoly power, or they must largely diminish
their purchases of literary food." He would not have a healthy
cheapness, produced in both countries by an open commerce and a
fair competition. He would not have a cheapness produced by the
publishers of both countries reckoning upon an extended market,
and a consequent division of the first expenses of a book. He would
have a piratical cheapness—the cheapness of the smuggler and the
illicit distiller—"for the general interests of the American people."
This ingenious gentleman has a ready defence. There is no copyright
in the facts of a book. Copyright is given for the clothing in which
the body is produced to the world. Mr. Macaulay has contributed
nothing to positive knowledge. Mr. Dickens has gone into a large
garden, and made a bouquet of the flowers, although he paid no
wages to the man who raised them. He who makes a book uses the
common property of mankind, and all he furnishes is the
workmanship. Mankind has, therefore, a right to say to the authors,
whenever they seek an extension of their privileges, "Be content, my
friends; do not risk the loss of a part of what you have, in the effort
to obtain more." Mr. Carey is further obliging enough to tell us that
in England authors, with a few brilliant exceptions, are condemned
to almost hopeless poverty, which he attributes to our system of
centralization. Why do not the wealthy people of England give a
shilling a head towards paying for the copyright of books, instead of
bringing the poverty of authors before the world, and demanding
from other countries an extension of the monopoly they have at
home? The people of England, through centralization, have become
so poor and wretched that there is no demand for books, and no
power to compensate the people who make them. Authors there are
badly paid and insolently treated. Science is in no request in
England, and hence the diminution of supply. In contrast with the
limited sale of English books at home is the great extent of sale
here. Argal, let the authors starve at home; why should we, the
great American people, tax ourselves for their aid? We give them
fame, and that is enough. Let not our writers, adds this candid and
modest gentleman, desire to barter our great market for literature
for one in which Hood was permitted to starve, and Tennyson and
others submit to the degradation of receiving public charity in the
shape of pensions. The wretched English authors may come and live
amongst us, and participate in our advantages. American authorship
is Belgrave Square; let it not make a treaty with the Grub Street of
England, to have a dinner from our well-furnished tables. We think
Mr. Carey, "Author of Principles of Political Economy," has done
service by this astounding effrontery. If he reflected the mind of the
Government or the people, we should be hopeless of any attempt to
unite England and America in the protection of a common literature
founded upon a common language. But Mr. Carey does not reflect
this mind. He does not even speak for the great body of American
authors or publishers. He speaks for the proprietors of the
newspapers, which, all over the Union, are filled, week by week, by
the piracy of modern English Literature, and especially of English
fiction. To keep up this robbery, writers and orators will alike
prostitute themselves to defend, unblushingly, what they know to be
a disgrace.
But in one point Mr. Carey is right. He shows us, upon
representations which we cannot doubt, that the works of popular
authors, citizens of the United States, and so protected as copyright,
are sold in much larger numbers than similar works in our own
country, however cheap. How is this? The American people are much
more universally readers than the English people. They are better
educated. They have a Government that considers it a duty to
educate the young without distinction, and to afford the adult every
means of intellectual improvement. The American Government has
created a reading nation. Our Government has created a people that
rush to low casinos in the towns, and to sottish beer-shops in the
country. The American Government accords all honour to them who
have laboured in the enlightenment of the masses. Our Government
wholly passes over every such claim to recognition. It is of little
consequence, in the end, what Cabinets or Parliaments do for the
advance of education, or the encouragement of men of letters. But it
is somewhat unwise, to say the least of it, to provoke, by neglect
and by injury, comparison with a nation that cultivates the same
language under different institutions, and that can proclaim, in its
energetic youth, that it has raised up an intelligent people out of the
great mental inheritance to which our rulers have been faithless.
By injury? it will be said. The British Government may ignore
letters, undervalue writers, barter away its patronage upon
ignorance and incapacity—but assuredly it cannot attempt to inflict
direct injury upon literature and learning? And yet it does all this.
The sale of school-books in the United States has reached an almost
fabulous extent. Families have been raised to affluence by the
enormous circulation of a Spelling-book or a Dictionary. A successful
Grammar is a fortune. He who can produce sensible and amusing
Reading-Lessons is better paid than a Secretary of State. Does the
Government bestow any gratuities upon such services? Certainly not.
But it does not discourage and annihilate them. It does not, as our
Government does, interfere with competition by attempting to
regulate prices. It does not do the silly thing which M. Louis Blanc
wished to do in France for "the organization of literary labour." It has
established no manufactory of school-books, produced cheaply, by
the tax-payers helping the production. It has no Board of
Commissioners, as we have, "to supply the National Schools in
Ireland, and the public generally, with works in harmony with an
improved system of education, cheap in price and superior in
execution."[33] We ask, what possible right has the State to produce
such books, and sell them in the open literary markets of this
country, to the injury of all who produce similar books by the fair
workings of capital and labour? School-books were formerly too
dear; but as schools multiplied, cheaper books than the old standard
works came into the market, and many took root and flourished.
Much of this property has been destroyed by the Government
operation; which is not confined to 'Reading Lessons,' but embraces
'Biographical Sketches of Poets'—'Selections from the
Poets'—'Epitome of Geographical Knowledge'—'Grammar,'
'Arithmetic,' 'Geometry,' 'Mensuration,' 'Agriculture,' 'Maps.' The
compilers of these books and maps are salaried state-servants; the
books are printed at the lowest contract; the usual trade allowances
are withheld; profit does not enter into price. A book of 17½ sheets
demy, or 420 pages, bound in cloth, is sold for sevenpence, as we
learn from the Commissioners' Catalogue. This is exactly the cost
price for the paper, machine-work, and binding, in the very cheapest
market. There is nothing for trade-management, and not one
fraction for copyright. Commercial competition is impossible. We say,
this is a fraudulent cheapness. All cheapness in books is fraudulent
which sets aside a payment for literary labour. This is the cheapness
of piracies, whether here or in the United States. It is a cheapness
that, if carried out, as it might be by a Government, would degrade
literature to the lowest condition, annihilating all invention and
improvement. Once concede the principle that the State has a right
to produce educational books, except for the supply of schools paid
by the State—and even then the policy is very doubtful—and there is
no individual literary enterprise that may not be paralyzed and
destroyed by this new agency. In England, the only commercial
undertaking of the State is that of the Post Office. It is conducted
with a profit; it is conducted with a precision and cheapness which
really leave few things to be amended. There are especial reasons
why the conveyance of letters through the whole civilized world
should be the work of the State. No company, no individual, could
grapple with such a gigantic task. But is there any other branch of
commercial enterprise which the State could undertake with the
slightest benefit—without most serious injury? If the end sought is to
employ labour to a profit, individual enterprise will accomplish that
end far better than the State. If the object is to employ labour that
shall be unprofitable, who is to supply the deficiency in the funds
that have called into activity the profitable labour? There would
indeed be the equality of employments, but it would be the equality
of universal poverty. The skilled and the unskilled would be reduced
to the same level. There would be no prizes in the social wheel;—the
blanks would be something worse than the mere absence of
superfluities.
[32] The 'Classified Index' contains only about 40,000 references; while the
number of books in the 'Catalogue' is 45,000. The book referred to in the
Index is only once mentioned, in whatever form it has appeared. To equalize
the number, we have added 10 per cent. to each division of the Index, in our
calculation.
[33] These are the words of an official puff, in 16 pages, called 'An Analysis
of the Irish National School-books.' A more impudent document was never
put forth by the Curlls of a past or present age. The manufacturers of the
Irish Reading Lessons pirated a copyright belonging to the writer of this
volume (occupying 47 pages, in 10 of their Lessons), 'The Mineral Kingdom,'
which was written by Mr. Leonard Horner. Their 'Analysis' says, that these
"most interesting facts and reasonings relating to Organised Remains are
extracted from the writings of Buckland and other celebrated Geologists."

CHAPTER VI.
Cheap Fiction—Penny Periodicals.
The Railway Libraries—by which generic term we mean single
volumes, printed in small type on indifferent paper, and sold mostly
at a shilling—are almost wholly devoted to novels, English or
American. Whatever be the quality of the fiction so published, we
may ask, without any general depreciation of such works, if the
popularity of this class of reading has not a tendency to indispose for
other reading, however attractive be the mode in which information,
historical, critical, or scientific, be presented; and is it not a
necessary consequence that books of another character than novels
should be compelled to address themselves to a smaller class of
readers, and must, therefore, of necessity be dearer? If this be true
of the railway books, it is equally true of the weekly sheets. The
demand for fiction amongst the largest class of readers has forced
upon every weekly periodical the necessity for introducing fiction in
some form or other. The writers of eminence cannot put forth their
powers in this direction without charging a higher price for their
numbers than those in which inferior writers are employed at low
salaries. The higher price necessarily induces a smaller sale. The
dealers in cheap periodicals say, "you have no chance for a sale
unless you give as much paper as the others give for a penny!" In
this respect, some of the more extensively circulated of these sheets
would appear to defy all reasonable competition. They are sold for
50s. per thousand; their paper and machine-work cost, at the very
least, 45s. Out of this 5s. per thousand they have to pay their
publishing expenses, their writers, their woodcuts, their composition,
their stereotype casts. It is a neck-and-neck race for a very doubtful
"plate;" and what may appear a slight addition to the weight of the
"riders," in the shape of another halfpenny a pound upon their
paper, would "distance" the greater number of them. When the
popular estimate of a publication is that of the square inches which
it contains of print, it requires no critical judgment to be assured that
the amount of genius or knowledge engaged in its production is not
very great. Hence, for the most part, a deluge of stories, that, to
mention the least evil of them, abound with false representations of
manners, drivelling sentimentalities, and impossible incidents. And
yet they are devoured with an earnestness that is almost
incomprehensible. The moralist may say—

"England, the time is come when thou shouldst wean


Thy heart from this emasculating food."

How is the weaning to be set about for this babyhood of the popular
intellect?
The insuperable obstacle to a successful competition with the
existing class of penny periodicals is their pre-eminence in external
cheapness. They were all founded upon the principle of attraction by
low price alone. They employed the meanest "slaves of the lamp" in
their production. Sheets came out double the size of any other
penny sheet, badly printed on the thinnest paper, but nevertheless
they were the largest sheets; their roots were thus planted in the
popular earth. Some who bought them turned away from their filth
and their folly; others welcomed these qualities. Gradually the sense
of the better class of artisans operated, whilst they continued their
offences, to reduce their number of customers. They changed their
style; they became decent, but they remained stupid. The weeds
were kept down, though not rooted out, in that garden: a few gaudy
flowers were planted; fruit there was little. They have maintained
their hold, by their external cheapness, against any attempt to
produce a higher literature, with better paper and print. They have
beaten almost every competitor who has sought to address the
same class of buyers with something higher, intrinsically as cheap,
but not so cheap to the eye. The unequal war is still being waged.
In June, 1846, the last number of 'The Penny Magazine' was
published. Mr. Knight, who had been its editor from the
commencement, in 1832, thus writes in his concluding 'Address to
the Reader,' after stating that there then were published 14 three-
halfpenny and penny miscellanies, and 37 weekly sheets, forming
separate books:—"It is from this competition that the 'Penny
Magazine' now withdraws itself. Its editor most earnestly wishes
success to those who are keeping on their course with honesty and
ability.... He rejoices that there are many in the field, and some who
have come at the eleventh hour, who deserve the wages of zealous
and faithful labourers. But there are others who are carrying out the
principle of cheap weekly sheets to the disgrace of the system, and
who appear to have got some considerable hold upon the less
informed of the working people, and especially upon the young.
There are manufactories in London whence hundreds of reams of
vile paper and printing issue weekly; where large bodies of children
are employed to arrange types, at the wages of shirt-makers, from
copy furnished by the most ignorant, at the wages of scavengers. In
truth, such writers, if they deserve the name of writers, are
scavengers. All the garbage that belongs to the history of crime and
misery is raked together, to diffuse a moral miasma through the
land, in the shape of the most vulgar and brutal fiction." This is a
curious and instructive record. 'The Penny Magazine,' popular as it
once was, to the extent of a sale of 200,000, could not contend with
a cheapness that was wholly regardless of quality; and it could not
hold its place amidst this dangerous excitement. The editor had his
hands fettered by the necessity of keeping up the purely instructive
character of that journal. Without a large supply of fiction it
necessarily ceased to be popular. A French writer, who laments over
the "immondices" of the literature of Paris in 1840, calls for
romances "appropriés par une imagination souple et brillante au
goût des classes laborieuses;" and he suggests the principle upon
which such works should be founded, viz. "L'étude des mœurs
populaires, entreprise par un esprit pénétrant, et dirigée vers un but
philosophique."[34] The "immondices" have for the most part
vanished from our English penny literature. The host of penny
Newgate novels, whether known as 'The Convict,' 'The Feast of
Blood,' 'The Murder at the Old Jewry,' 'Claude Duval,' 'The
Hangman's Daughter,' and so forth, may continue to be sold; but, as
far as we can trace, there are no novelties in this once popular
literature of the gallows. Abominations, called 'Mysteries' and
'Castles,' still lurk in dark corners; but the bulk of single Penny
Novels, and the novels which "drag their slow length along" in penny
journals, are marvellously changed. The most prudish regard to
decency presides over every sentence and syllable. William the
Conqueror has lost the brief ignoble title by which the old Saxons
designated their oppressor, through a special interdict of the
proprietor of one of these papers; and a lady of doubtful character
must be mentioned by no more rugged name than that of a belle
amie, which may be understood or not. But the "études des mœurs
populaires," and the "but philosophique," have not yet entered into
the minds of the conductors of these elaborate works. Their scenes
are invariably laid in the lord's palace or the right honourable's
mansion; marriages are made at St. George's, Hanover Square, and
the diamonds are bought at Storr and Mortimer's. If a young lady,
who has the slight misfortune to be connected by the filial tie with a
convicted felon, has a quarrel with her juvenile lover, she
immediately rushes to the arms of an ancient baronet, who conducts
her the next morning to the altar of his parish church. Boileau said
of Mademoiselle Scudery, that she would never let her heroine get
out of a house till she had taken an inventory of all the furniture. So,
for the bewilderment of those who read these weekly novels by the
one glimmering candle upon the deal table, their sick ladies recline
in easy chairs, "astral" lamps diffuse their rich glow upon crimson
curtains, and aromatic perfumes fill the air from pastiles burning in
miniature castles of gilded porcelain. The style of these productions
is magnificent: with golden zones on the summits of the mountains,
and roseate tints edging the canopy of heaven; plants drooping with
voluptuous languor, and shining insects skimming the air, as if borne
on the wings of ardent passion. In all this we are speaking au pied
de la lettre. Johnson described three sorts of unnatural style—the
bombastic, the affected, and the weak. Most of these performances
unite the three qualities, and are equally satisfactory to the "love of
imbecility," which Johnson thought was to be found in many. We
have only seen one penny journal which places its incidents, and
somewhat adapts its language, in consonance with the habits of the
classes which these works seek to interest. In 'The Leisure Hour,'
issued by the Religious Tract Society, we have an Australian story,
with 'Sydney by Gaslight.' We are now amongst convicts, and hear
drunken shouts come out from miserable huts. The success of this
publication is considerable. Perhaps those who really understand
such matters may say of the writer of these laudable attempts to
imitate the homely style, something akin to what the great Pierce
Egan said of a fashionable novelist twenty years ago—"Ah! he's very
clever, but uncommon superficial in slang." Nevertheless, it is
satisfactory to find that a mean has been sought, in the quarter
where we might least have expected it, between the representations
of humble and even of low life which are corrupting, and those
pretended pictures of society which exhibit no life at all. In the
number of 'The Leisure Hour' for February 16, 1854, there is a clever
woodcut of a night auction at Sydney, which is as suggestive of a
congregation of real vulgar sellers and bidders, with the necessary
accompaniments of gin and tobacco, as might be connected with
any of the exciting scenes of 'Life in London' at any period. The
pictures of the penny sheets which the masses now greedily buy are
quite genteel. This is something to reflect upon. Some of the
members of the Tract Society may think that "Chaos is come again."
We do not. This sort of subject will be attractive to the better portion
of male readers amongst the artisans, and especially amongst the
very large number who belong to "temperance societies;" but for the
girls, who devour the novels of the other penny journals, certainly
not. Those who have been watching the workings of the penny
literature are unanimous in their conviction that very few men read
these mawkish and unnatural fictions. The readers for the most part
belong, in point of cultivation, to the same class of females, who,
half a century ago, gave up their whole leisure—if they did not
neglect every domestic duty—for the ghosts and the elopements of
'The Minerva Press.' The intelligence of the readers is the same,
however widened the attraction.
But, with all their bad taste, there is partial merit and manifest
utility in some portions of the best of these penny journals. 'The
Family Herald' has constantly a serious article of great good sense
and shrewdness. This paper, and one or two others, have pages of
"Answers to Correspondents," which, for the most part, contain
useful information and judicious advice. Real young ladies often pour
their doubts into the ear of this "Family" oracle, about love, and
courtship, and marriage; and, as far as we can judge, receive very
safe counsel. In the whole range of these things we can detect
nothing that bears a parallel with what used to be called "the
blasphemous and seditious press." Neither, although these papers do
not wholly abstain from comment upon what is passing in the world,
can they be called newspapers. We see, however, that the new
trump of war is calling up again one or two of the old class of
unstamped violators of the law. In quiet times they cannot flourish.
They may be difficult to suppress,
'Now all the youth of England are on fire.'
[34] Frégier, 'Les Classes Dangereuses.'

CHAPTER VII.
Degrees of Readers—General Improvement—Newspaper Press—Newspaper Press
National—Agricultural Readers—General desire for Amusement—Supply of real
Knowledge.
Our readers can scarcely have failed to make for themselves the
deduction which naturally arises out of this survey of the progress of
popular literature—that there always have been, still are, and always
will be, various classes of readers and purchasers; and that the
invariable progress of knowledge and intelligence—from the learned
to the rich, from the rich to the middle classes, from the middle
classes to the multitude—has produced as invariably a corresponding
change in the number of books published, their quality, and their
price. As the rich began to gather knowledge, books ceased to be
wholly adapted to the learned or professional student; as the
burgesses began to employ their leisure in reading, books ceased to
be dependent upon courtly influence; as the multitude acquired the
rudiments of instruction, books became less conventional, and
began to adapt themselves to all classes. But it cannot, without a
judicial blindness, be assumed that we are arrived at that state in
which there are no degrees of intellectual advancement. It is said, to
use the language of the most popular journal of our day, that the
masses "do not yet feel the assurance that, if they go in thousands
to the counters of the great publishing houses, as they congregate
around the more plebeian shops, they will get the exact article they
want, or what they consider value for their money." Here is the
point. The masses, who are yet more imperfectly educated than
some of their own class, and most of the class above them, would
not consider, as they have never yet considered, solid and instructive
reading "value for their money." Unquestionably "books to please the
million must not only be good but attractive." The chief popular
labour of the last quarter of a century has been to convert the
ponderous ores of learning into the fine gold of knowledge. The
multitude have been reached in many directions; and the influences
of "good but attractive" books have penetrated where the books
themselves have not yet had a direct influence. But the multitude
stand precisely in the same relation to works of instruction, even the
most attractive, as they do to Mechanics' Institutes and Athenæums.
In Manchester and its dependencies, in 1851, there were 3447
members of these Institutions, and 1793 pupils in classes.[35] But the
great mass of the youth of both sexes in Manchester were
frequenting the Casinos. Here they neither drank, nor danced, nor
gambled: they listened to recitations and comic songs at a penny an
hour. They wanted mere amusement, and they found it. It is the
same with the great bulk of the readers of cheap books. "It is most
worthy of note," says the writer just mentioned, whose anxiety for
cheap literature we honour and appreciate, "that, when there has
been no doubt of the substantial value of the commodity issued from
the Row or Albemarle Street, the sale of the books has been by no
means equivocal." Certainly not. Macaulay and Layard have found
large numbers of purchasers, and will find them, in their cheap form.
But are these purchasers what are called, in the same breath, "the
multitude"—"the needy"? Not at all. Even the most successful of the
periodical works above a penny—'Chambers' Journal,' 'Household
Words,'—reach only the advanced guard of this class. Mr. Dickens
collected around him at Birmingham such an audience as never
before waited upon an author. He read his beautiful, humanizing
'Christmas Carol' to two thousand working-men. They felt every
point—they laughed, or they grew serious, with understanding. But
are we to suppose that the whole mass of the mechanical classes—
men, women, and children—throughout the kingdom, would rush by
millions to buy 'The Christmas Carol' at a penny or two—at a price
that would compensate in fame what was wanting in profit? Its
sterling merit—its nature, its simplicity, its purity, its quiet humour—
require a far higher amount of taste and cultivation to appreciate
than the immaturity of mind to which the coarseness and imbecility
of the penny journals are acceptable. An author of less popular
acceptation published a poem at a farthing, but we never heard that
he employed a steam-press in its production. The multitude have
their own weekly literature, and we have seen what it is. Are the
novels of the author of 'Pelham' to be speedily found in every
cottage of the farm-labourer, and in every garret of the Lancashire
cotton-spinner? The time may come, but it is not as yet. If a
despotic government, in the desire to disseminate knowledge, were
to follow the example which our free Government has set with
regard to the 'School-books published by authority of the
Commissioners of National Education in Ireland,' they might produce
sound popular literature as cheap again as the most adventurous of
publishers. But if they left competition free to what they considered
unsound knowledge—if they permitted the lowest-priced Fiction,
however bad or indifferent, to circulate without their unequal
competition—we believe the free-traders would beat the monopolists
in point of numbers; and it would be found an easier task, even with
every commercial disadvantage of price, to "tickle and excite the
palate" than "strengthen the constitution."
Do such considerations as these make us hopeless of the steady
progress of a sound as well as cheap popular literature? Decidedly
no. There is improvement all around us. The halfpenny ballad of
Seven Dials is not yet extinct; but let the collectors look sharply
about them, for that relic of the chap-books, with the woodcuts that
have served every generation, will soon be gone. In its place has
come the decent penny book of a hundred songs. The shades of
Scott, and Moore, and Campbell will not quarrel with this new
popularity. There are "flash" songs; but they are not for the penny
buyers. Thackeray has described the dens in which these
abominations are current. The whole aspect of the humbler press
has changed within these few years. Unquestionably the people
have changed. Visit, if you can, the interior of that marvellous
human machine, the General Post-Office, on a Friday evening, from
half-past five to six o'clock. Look with awe upon the tons of
newspapers that are crowding in to be distributed through the
habitable globe. Think silently how potent a power is this for good or
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