FCT10010 Information Technology Lecture 1 PDF

FCT10010 Information Technology Lecture 1 Introduction to Information Technology Lecture 1: Outline What is Information Technology? Types of Computers – 5 types Understand Your Computers – 3 concepts 2 Introduction to IT Information Techn...

FCT10010 Information Technology Lecture 1 Introduction to Information Technology Lecture 1: Outline What is Information Technology? Types of Computers – 5 types Understand Your Computers – 3 concepts 2 Introduction to IT Information Technology (IT)  Any technology that helps to produce, manipulate, store, communication, and/or distribute information. 3 Introduction to IT IT consists of two (2) components:  Computer – programmable multiuse machine that convert raw data into information.  Communication – consists of electromagnetic devices and systems for communicating over long distances. 4 Types of Computers Five (5) types of computers: 1. Supercomputers 2. Mainframes 3. Workstations 4. Microcomputers 5. Microcontrollers 5 Types of Computers – Supercomputers Are the fastest, most powerful computer but most expensive. Priced from $1 million to over $1 billion. High-capacity machines with thousands of processors. Used for research tasks such as:  forecasting weather,  designing aircraft,  modelling molecules,  simulating explosion of nuclear bombs, etc. 6  Types of Computers – Supercomputers China’s Sunway TaihuLight (released in June 2016) as of November 2017, is ranked in the TOP500 list (the TOP500 project ranks and details the 500 most powerful computer systems in the world) as the fastest supercomputer in the world. (Source: https://www.top500.org/lists/2017/06/) 7 Types of Computers – Mainframes Are large, expensive, powerful computer. Priced from $5,000 to $5 million. Used in many large organizations (e.g. bank, airlines, universities) for their business activities such as:  store millions of consumers’ data.  process millions of transactions. Act as servers in a network environment.  Servers and other mainframes can access data and information from a mainframe. 8 Types of Computers – Mainframes Terminal Mainframes from IBM 9 Types of Computers – Mainframes People can access programs on the mainframe using terminals or personal computers.  Terminal is used to access a mainframe. It consists of a display screen and a keyboard. A terminal can input and output data but cannot by itself process data. 10 Types of Computers – Workstations Are expensive, powerful personal computers. Used for complex scientific, mathematical, and engineering calculations and for computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM). Used for tasks such as:  designing airplane,  movie special effects such as Avatar and The Avengers. 11 Types of Computers – Workstations Workstations 12 Types of Computers – Microcomputers Also called as personal computers (PCs). Microcomputers are four (4) types of microcomputers:  Desktop PCs, Tower PCs, All-in-One PCs  Notebooks (Laptops)  Tablets  Handheld computers (e.g. smartphones) Used for everyday and office tasks:  Word processing  Entertainment (e.g. play music, movies)  Web browsing 13 Types of Computers – Microcomputers Tower PC Desktop PC 14 Types of Computers – Microcomputers The All-in-One PC has gone from being the only game in town (from the Apple). As of today, the All-in-One PC is slowly replacing the Tower PC. 15  Types of Computers – Microcontrollers Also called as embedded computers. Is a special-purpose computer that functions as a component in a larger product. Such as: Car equipped with wireless  Consumer electronics: Mobile phones, digital communications cameras, MP3 players capabilities, called telematics  Home automation devices: Security monitoring  Automobiles: Antilock Brakes, Airbag controller 16 Understand Your Computers – Concept 1 Data – The raw facts and figures that are processed into information.  Example: The votes for different candidates being elected to student council office. Information – Data that has been summarized or changed so that it becomes more meaningful/useful.  Example: The total votes for each candidate, which are used to decide who won. 17 Understand Your Computers Concept 1:  The purpose of a computer is to process data into information. Concept 2:  Computers consist of hardware and software. Concept 3:  All computers follow the same five (5) basic operations. 18 Understand Your Computers – Concept 2 Hardware – All the machinery and equipment in a computer system (e.g. keyboard and printer). Software – All the instructions that tell the computer how to perform a task (e.g. MS Windows 10 and MS Office 2016). 19 Concept 2 – Software System Software  Helps the computer perform essential operating tasks and enable application software to run.  Example: Microsoft (MS) Windows 10 20 Concept 2 – Software Application Software  Enables you to perform essential tasks, solve specific problems, and entertain yourself.  Most application software is specific to the system software you use.  Example: MS Office 2016 (e.g. MS Word 2016, MS Excel 2016, MS PowerPoint 2016) 21 Understand Your Computers – Concept 3 All computers follow the same five (5) basic operations: 1. Input 2. Processing 3. Storage 4. Output 5. Communication 22 Concept 3 – Input Input – Anything that is input (“put in”) to a computer system. Input hardware – Devices that allow people to put data (e.g. letters, numbers, symbols, colours, etc) into the computer in a form that the computer can use.  Examples: Keyboard, mouse 23 Concept 3 – Processing Processing – The manipulation a computer does to transform data into information. The processing is done by the central processing unit (CPU) – is a chip device consisting of electronic circuitry that executes instructions to process data. 24  Concept 3 – Storage Primary Storage or memory  Is the internal computer circuitry that temporarily holds data waiting to be processed. RAM Example: RAM Secondary Storage or storage  Refers to the devices and media that store data or information permanently. Examples: Hard disk, optical disc, pendrive Hard disk 25 Concept 3 – Output Output – Anything that is output from (“put out of”) the computer system—the results of processing, usually information. Output hardware – Devices which transform information processed by the computer into a form that humans can understand. Examples: Monitor, printer, sound card, speaker 26 Concept 3 – Communication Modem – A device that sends and receives data over telephone lines, or wireless via a network, to and from computers. 27 Summary: The 5 Basic Operations Input: What goes “into” the computer system (e.g. keyboard). Processing: The manipulation of a computer does to transform data into information (e.g. processor). Storage: Store data or information temporary or permanently.  Primary storage (or memory), is temporary storage (e.g. RAM).  Secondary storage is permanent storage (e.g. Hard disk). Output: What comes “out” (e.g. monitor). Communication: Sending and receiving data (e.g. modem). 28  29 (Source: Williams & Sawyer 2010) (Source: Williams & Sawyer 2010) 30