Introduction to Computing PDF

Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH Instructional Material for Introduction to Computing COMP 20013 Program: Bachelor of Science in Information Technology & Diploma in Information and Communications Technology Compiled...

Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH Instructional Material for Introduction to Computing COMP 20013 Program: Bachelor of Science in Information Technology & Diploma in Information and Communications Technology Compiled by: Marie Andrea E. Zurbano Instructor I - PUP Lopez Branch  Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH Course Overview This course provides an overview of the computing industry and computing profession, including research and applications in different fields; an appreciation of computing fields such as Biology, Psychology, Sociology, Environment and Gaming; and understanding of ACM requirements; an appreciation of the history of computing; and knowledge of the key components of computer systems organization and architecture, malware, computer security, and internet. This module will help the students identify and define the components of the computer system. As well as develop awareness of the important social and ethical issues and computing technologies’ impact on such concerns. By the end of this module, the students will be able to evaluate tools and techniques for purposes of identifying best practices in computing development. Module 1. Overview of Computing Contents Overview of Computing 1. Evolution of Computing 2. Key Components of a Computer System 3. Industry in the Profession 4. Appreciation of Computing in Different Fields 5. Different Specializations Objectives To determine different elements of a computer system Identifies various events/improvements in the computing world Familiarize from different terminologies in the computer system Contrasts professions and careers in the computing field To understand computing domains, computing disciplines, and computing knowledge areas. To know the different IT career opportunities Page | 1  Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH Introduction The electronic computer is one of the most important developments of the twentieth century. Computing is any activity that uses computers to manage, process, and communicate information. It includes development of both hardware and software. Computing is a critical, integral component of modern industrial technology. Major computing disciplines include computer engineering, software engineering, computer science, information systems, and information technology. Entering into a new field like computing is a bit like going to work in a country that you have never visited before. While all countries share some fundamental features such as the need for language and propensities for culture and trade, the profound differences in these features from one country to the next can be disorienting and even debilitating for newcomers. Further, it’s difficult to even describe the features of a given country in any definitive way because they vary from place to place and they change over time. In a similar way, entering the field of computing can be disorienting and finding clear definitions of its features can be difficult. Why do we need computers? Computers Desktop (Figure 1) play many important roles in society, helping to promote communication and interaction with others as well as providing users a way to shop, play games and have access to education. Additionally, computers provide a convenient way to create and store valuable information along with media and files, making them particularly useful for businesses. In the current world, it’s almost impossible to imagine that someone can live without computers. They have become an electronic device of almost every day use for individuals of every age, and essential in almost all the business dealings that are made nowadays. Page | 2  Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH Computer Literacy Computer literacy is an understanding of the concepts, terminology and operations that relate to general computer use. It is the essential knowledge needed to function independently with a computer. This functionality includes being able to solve and avoid problems, adapt to Figure 1 Computer desktop new situations, keep information organized and communicate effectively with other computer literate people. It is important to be educated and able to understand the current trends that makes up this society. 3 Measurements to assess the level of computer literacy. Awareness - When you begin to study computers, you will be aware of their importance, versatility and pervasiveness in our society. Knowledge - You will learn what computers are and how they function. This requires knowing some technical jargon in order to understand the computer language. Interaction - The best way to understand computers is to use it directly for some simple applications like doing research via the internet, mailing and chatting electronically. Definition of Computer ▪ An electronic device designed to manipulate data in order to achieve a desired result based on the stored program or instructions. ▪ An intelligent machine that is capable of connecting and communicating and a powerful tool that can be used as basis for decision making ▪ A machine that can be programmed to accept data (input), process into useful information (output), and store it (in secondary storage device) for safekeeping or reuse. Page | 3  Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH GIGO – Garbage-in-Garbage-out  If you give correct data into the computer, the computer will also give out correct results of information but, if you give wrong data into the computer, then it will also give out wrong results of information.  In computer science, garbage in, garbage out is the concept that flawed, or nonsense input data produces nonsense output or Figure 2 Garbage-in Garbage-out "garbage". Capabilities of Computer 1. Memory/Storage Capability Computer data storage is a technology consisting of computer components and recording media that are used to retain digital data. It is a core function and fundamental component of computers. The central processing unit of a computer is what manipulating data by performing computations.  Computers can keep large amounts of data in its memory Figure 3 Memory/Storage devices  Computers can give out and recall data instantly 2. Speed Speed means the duration computer system requires in fulfilling a task or completing an activity. It is well-known that computers need very little time than humans in completing a task. Generally, humans take into account a second or minute as a unit of time.  Computers can perform millions of operations in just a second.  Computers can get needed information instantly. Page | 4  Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH 3. Reliability Reliability, also known as reliability, availability, and maintainability, is a computer hardware engineering term involving reliability engineering, high availability, and serviceability design. The phrase was originally used by International Business Machines as a term to describe the robustness of their mainframe computers. Figure 4 Reliability Computers designed with higher levels of RAS have many features that protect data integrity and help them stay available for long periods of time.  Computers can do the same work over and over again with excatly the same results with no decrease in efficiency.  Computers can process data coming from remote or distant source 4. Accuracy The degree of accuracy of computer is very high and every calculation is performed with the same accuracy. Accuracy means the level of precision with which calculations are made and tasks are performed. One may invest years of his life in detecting errors in computer Figure 5 Accuracy calculations or updating a wrong record. A large part of mistakes in Computer Based Information System (CBIS) occurs due to bad programming, erroneous data, and deviation from rules. Humans cause these mistakes. Limitations of Computer Limitations are the drawbacks of the computer system in which humans outperform them. One of the major limitations of computer systems. No matter how efficient, fast and reliable computer Page | 5  Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH systems might be but yet do not have any common sense because no full-proof algorithm has been designed to program logic into them. As computers function based on the stored program(s), they simply lack common sense. Decision-making is a complicated process involving information, knowledge, intelligence, wisdom, and ability to judge. The computer system does not have the ability to make decisions on their own because they do not possess all the essentials of decision-making. List of Limitation of Computer ▪ Computers can only do what is designed to do. ▪ Computer cannot produce data of its own; it has to be given to them first. Figure 6 Limitation of Computers ▪ Computer never corrects input data; it just accepts and processes them. ▪ Computer performance depends on how the machine is handled and taken care of. ▪ Computer cannot determine whether the data given by the users are good or bad. What is Information Technology? Information technology is a career base program that entitled to contribute in technical force. The program is embedded with different principles of technology like computing, securities, database, and multimedia. Information technology (IT) is a popular career field for network professionals who manage the underlying computing infrastructure of a business. Also, Information technology definition is - the technology involving the development, maintenance, and use of computer systems, software, and networks for the processing and distribution of data. IT refers to an entire industry and in actuality, information technology is the use of computers and software to manage information. It is the application of computer and telecommunications equipment to store, retrieve, and manipulate data, often in the context of a business or other enterprise. Page | 6  Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH I. Evolution of Computing A complete history of computing would include a multitude of diverse devices such as the ancient Chinese abacus, the Jacquard loom (1805) and Charles Babbage's ``analytical engine'' (1834). It would also include discussion of mechanical, analog and digital computing architectures. As late as the 1960s, mechanical devices, such as the Marchant calculator, still found widespread application in Figure 7 Pascal Calculator science and engineering. During the early days of electronic computing devices, there was much discussion about the relative merits of analog vs. digital computers. In fact, as late as the 1960s, analog computers were routinely used to solve systems of finite difference equations arising in oil reservoir modeling. In the end, digital computing devices proved to have the power, economics and scalability necessary to deal with large scale computations. Digital computers now dominate the computing world in all areas ranging from the hand calculator to the supercomputer and are pervasive throughout society. Therefore, this brief sketch of the development of scientific computing is limited to the area of digital, electronic computers. The evolution of digital computing is often divided into generations. Each generation is characterized by dramatic improvements over the previous generation in the technology used to build computers, the internal organization of computer systems, and programming languages. Although not usually associated with computer generations, there has been a steady improvement in algorithms, including algorithms used in computational science. The following history has been organized using these widely recognized generations as mileposts. Generations of Computer 1. The Mechanical Era (1623 – 1945) 2. First Generation Electronic Computer (1937 – 1953) Page | 7  Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH 3. Second Generation (1954 – 1962) 4. Third Generation (1963 – 1972) 5. Fourth Generation (1972 – 1984) 6. Fifth Generation (1984 – Present) Zeroth Generation – Mechanical Computers The idea of using machines to solve mathematical problems can be traced at least as far as the early 17th century. Mathematicians who designed and implemented calculators that were capable of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division included Wilhelm Schickhard, Blaise Pascal, and Gottfried Leibnitz. The first multi-purpose, i.e. Figure 8 Charles Babbage and his Analytical Engine programmable, computing device was probably Charles Babbage's Difference Engine, which was begun in 1823 but never completed. A more ambitious machine was the Analytical Engine. Babbage was truly a man ahead of his time: many historians think the major reason he was unable to complete these projects was the fact that the technology of the day was not reliable enough. In spite of never building a complete working machine, Babbage and his colleagues, most notably Ada, Countess of Lovelace, recognized several important programming techniques, including conditional branches, iterative loops and index variables. A machine inspired by Babbage's design was arguably the first to be used in computational science. George Scheutz read of the difference engine in 1833, and along with his son Edvard Scheutz began work on a smaller version. By 1853 they had constructed a machine that could process 15-digit numbers and calculate fourth-order differences. Their machine won a gold medal at the Exhibition of Paris in Page | 8  Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH 1855, and later they sold it to the Dudley Observatory in Albany, New York, which used it to calculate the orbit of Mars. One of the first commercial uses of mechanical computers was by the US Census Bureau, which used punch-card equipment designed by Herman Hollerith to tabulate data for the 1890 census.  It started with the invention of “Pascaline” on 1642  Pascaline was the first mechanical device (add/subtract)  The first person to build a working calculating machine was the French scientist Blaise Pascal  1830, Charles Babbage invented Difference Engine to compute tables for naval navigations.  Later on, Babbage designed the first digital computer called Analytical Engine 1834  Analytical Engine embodied 4 key features of our modern computer today: 1. the store/storage (memory) 2.the mill (computation unit) 3. the input section (punch card readers) 4. the output section (punched and printed output) this invention earns him the title of father of computer.  Since Analytical Engine was programmable in a simple assembly language, it needed software. To produce a software, Babbage hired a young woman named Ada Augusta Lovelace  Ada Lovelace was the first computer programmer The First Generation – Vacuum Tube Three machines have been promoted at various times as the first electronic computers. These machines used electronic switches, in the form of vacuum tubes, instead of electromechanical relays. In principle the electronic switches would be more reliable, since they would have no moving parts that would wear out, but the technology was still new at that time and the tubes were comparable to relays in reliability. Electronic components had one major benefit, however: they could ``open'' and ``close'' about 1,000 times faster than mechanical switches. Page | 9  Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH The earliest attempt to build an electronic computer was by J. V. Atanasoff, a professor of physics and mathematics at Iowa State, in 1937. Atanasoff set out to build a machine that would help his graduate students solve systems of partial differential equations. By 1941 he and graduate student Clifford Berry had succeeded in building a machine that could solve 29 simultaneous equations with 29 unknowns. However, the machine was not programmable, and was more of an electronic calculator. Figure 10 ENIAC Figure 9. UNIVAC A second early electronic machine was Colossus, designed by Alan Turing for the British military in 1943. This machine played an important role in breaking codes used by the German army in World War II. Turing's main contribution to the field of computer science was the idea of the Turing machine, a mathematical formalism widely used in the study of computable functions. The first general purpose programmable electronic computer was the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC), built by J. Presper Eckert and John V. Mauchly at the University of Pennsylvania. Work began in 1943, funded by the Army Ordnance Department, which needed a way to compute ballistics during World War II. The machine wasn't completed until 1945, but then it was used extensively for calculations during the design of the hydrogen bomb. By the time it was decommissioned in 1955 it had been used for research on the design of wind tunnels, random number generators, and weather prediction. Eckert, Mauchly, and John von Page | 10  Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH Neumann, a consultant to the ENIAC project, began work on a new machine before ENIAC was finished. ▪ The first generation of computers begun with the introduction of the first commercially viable electronic computer. ▪ John Mauchly and his graduate student J. Presper Eckert build an electronic computer which is called ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) that was Figure 11 Vacuum Tubes used in World War 2 to calculate trajectory for new guns. ▪ Later, Eckert and Mauchly soon began working on UNIVAC (UNIVersal Automatic Computer) it was designed and patterned after ENIAC. ▪ UNIVAC is the first commercial computer produced in the United States. ▪ John Von Neuman, one of the people involved in the ENIAC build his own version of EDVAC, the IAS machine. ▪ He came to realize that the program could be represented in digital form in the computer’s memory along with the data. ▪ Von Neuman Machine had five basic parts: the memory, the arithmetic logic unit, the control unit, the input and output equipment ▪ First generation computers used vacuum tubes as switching device and magnetic drum for memory. These computers were often huge, occupying an entire hall. ▪ Because first generation of computers used vacuum tubes, they consumed a lot of electricity and produced excessive heat. ▪ The operation cost of these computers was too expensive; They were less reliable than later generation computers; They used machine level language for programming. Page | 11  Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH Second Generation Computer – Transistors The second generation saw several important developments at all levels of computer system design, from the technology used to build the basic circuits to the programming languages used to write scientific applications. Electronic switches in this era were based on discrete diode and transistor technology with a switching time of approximately 0.3 microseconds. The first machines to be built with this technology include TRADIC at Bell Laboratories in 1954 and TX-0 at MIT's Lincoln Laboratory. Memory technology was based on magnetic cores which could be accessed in random order, as opposed to mercury delay lines, in which data was stored as an acoustic wave that passed sequentially through the medium and could be accessed only when the data moved by the I/O interface. The transistors were used as the internal components of the second- generation computer. Transistors were much smaller, faster, and reliable than vacuum tubes. They consumed less electrical energy and needed no warm-up time. The transistors were invented at Bell Labs in 1948 by John Bardeen, Walter Brattain and William Shockley for which they were awarded the 1956 Nobel Prize in Physics. Within ten years, transistors revolutionized computers and by the late 1950’s, vacuum tube Figure 12 Transistor computers were obsolete. Third Generation Computer: Integrated Circuits Page | 12  Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH The third generation brought huge gains in computational power. Innovations in this era include the use of integrated circuits, or ICs (semiconductor devices with several transistors built into one physical component), semiconductor memories starting to be used instead of magnetic cores, microprogramming as a technique for efficiently designing complex processors, the coming of age of pipe-lining and other forms of parallel processing, and the introduction of operating systems and time-sharing. ▪ In 1965, integrated circuits began to replace transistors as the internal components used to construct the computer. Even the entire circuit board of transistors can be replaced completely with one chip (Integrated Circuit). This chip can Figure 13 Integrated Circuits be much smaller than one transistor. Integrated circuits are made of silicon chip. A silicon is semiconductor crystalline substance that can be conduct electronic current. ▪ Silicon Integrated Circuit by Robert Noyce in 1958 allowed dozens of transistors to be put on a single chip. This packaging made it possible to build computers that were smaller, faster and cheaper than their transistorized predecessors. The Fourth Generation Computer: The Age of Microprocessor ▪ The fourth generation is just an extension of the third-generation technology. This next technological development is to put more power and capabilities in one chip called microprocessor. ▪ Microprocessor is considered as the brain of the computer. It is where almost all computations and operations of the computer circuitry are being done and coordinated. Figure 14 Microprocessor (Intel) Page | 13  Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH ▪ The application of microprocessor technology is not limited to computer alone. It can be used and applied for digital watches, pocket, calculators, copy machines, television sets, cars, audio and video applications. Fifth Generation Computer: Information Super Highway Scientific computing in this period was still dominated by vector processing. Most manufacturers of vector processors introduced parallel models, but there were very few (two to eight) processors in this parallel machine. In the area of computer networking, both wide area network (WAN) and local area network (LAN) technology developed at a rapid pace, stimulating a transition from the traditional mainframe computing environment toward a distributed computing environment in which each user has their own workstation for relatively simple tasks (editing and compiling programs, reading mail) but sharing large, expensive resources such as file servers and supercomputers. ▪ The Japanese coined the term fifth generation computer to describe their plan to build a powerful computer by mid-1990's. Later the term evolved to encompass computer intelligence: artificial intelligence, natural language, and expert system. Figure 15 Simple illustration of Information Super Highway ▪ However, the fifth generation's focus is more on connectivity. This is to permit computer users to connect their computer to other computers. Like the way that happened with the internet. Page | 14  Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH Classification of Modern Computer Computers differ based on their data processing abilities. They are classified according to purpose, data handling and functionality. Computers can be classified, or typed, in many ways. Some common classifications of computer are the following:  Purpose  Type of Data  Capacity Classification according to: Purpose General-purpose computer – designed to handle a variety of applications such as payroll, accounts, receivables, inventory control etc.Most computers in use today are General-Purpose computers — those built for a great variety of processing jobs. Simply by using a general-purpose computer and different software, various tasks can be accomplished, including writing and editing (word processing), manipulating facts in a data base, tracking manufacturing inventory, making scientific calculations, or even controlling organization’s security system, electricity consumption, and building temperature. General purpose computers are designed to perform a wide variety of functions and operations. Although their versatility means a sacrifice in speed and efficiency of performance, they have the advantage of low-cost operation. Page | 15  Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH Special-purpose computer – designed to solve specific types of problems. Usually tailored to the needs of a single customer. o As the name states, a Special-Purpose Computer are designed to be task specific and most of the times their job is to solve one particular problem. They are also known as dedicated computers, because they are dedicated to perform a single task over and over again. While a special purpose computer may have many of the same features found in a general-purpose computer, its applicability to a particular problem is a function of its design rather than to a stored program. Classification according to: Type of Data Analog computer Digital Computer Hybrid Computer Page | 16  Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH Analog computer – the convert data into Digital Computer – all arithmetic Hybrid Computer – voltage and compute by measuring the computations depend ultimately on combines the best feature changes in voltage counting. It is capable of reading of analog and digital An analog computer or analogue numbers in degrees of accuracy far computer. Hybrid computer is a type of computer that greater than those reached by the computers combine the uses the continuously changeable analog computer measuring capabilities of aspects of physical phenomena such Digital computer, any of a class of the analog and the logical as electrical, mechanical, or hydraulic devices capable of solving problems and control capabilities of quantities to model the problem being by processing information in digital computer. solved. In contrast, digital computers discrete form. It operates on data, A hybrid computer is a type represent varying quantities including magnitudes, letters, and of computer that offers the symbolically and by discrete values of symbols, that are expressed in functionalities of both a both time and amplitude. binary code—that is, using only the digital and an analog two digits 0 and 1. computer. It is designed to Their primary advantage is their prompt include a working analog response in the handling of data Also capable of storing data as long unit that is powerful for generated by an ongoing physical as needed, performing logical calculations, yet has a process. The obvious draw back is the operations, editing input data, and readily available digital accuracy factor. Such type of data printing out the results of its memory. includes temperature, pressure, speed processing at high speed. weight, voltage, depth etc. Table 1: Classification according to: Type of Data Classification according to: Capacity Capacity Description Supercomputer primarily used for scientific research that involves with the manipulation of highly complex mathematical data and equations. Used by Physicists to study and Page | 17  Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH analyze the results of explosions of nuclear weapons, Meteorologist to analyze and study the information. Scientist and Engineers use this to sort through, analyze and interpret mountains of seismic data gathered during oil-seeking explorations. It is an extremely fast computer, which can execute hundreds of millions of instructions per second. Large computers that could occupy on entire room. Mainframe computers are expensive and very powerful and it has many processors working at the same time, performing several tasks. It easily and quickly does big volume of data Mainframe processing for big business, enterprise, government offices, and scientific computers research. It is a multi-user computer system, capable of supporting hundreds of users simultaneously. Software technology is different from minicomputer. It is a single user computer system having a moderately powerful microprocessor. It is termed as a computer that is equipped microprocessor as its CPU. Computers a bit smaller and less expensive compared mainframe computers. These are used in small and medium businesses. These computers are next to mainframe computers, in terms of speed and storage capacity. Minicomputer When minicomputers first appeared on the market, their lower price fell within the range of man small business, greatly expanding the potential computer market. It is a multi-user computer system, capable of supporting hundreds of users simultaneously. are small in size and affordable in price compared to mainframe and minicomputer. Microcomputer These are small-sized computer into which a microprocessor is built. These computers are electronic parts with base integrated circuits. Types of Microcomputer Page | 18  Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH Personal Computer is for a single or personal use by a certain individual. Most of the computers that we see and read about today are under this category. Laptop Computers is the most popular microcomputer because of its small size but also as powerful as desktop. It is generally for a personal use because it can be carried around anywhere and anytime. Palm-top Computer is the smallest among the portable microcomputers. It is as small as calculators or as big as your palm. It is operated by rechargeable batteries but it is less powerful than a desktop and laptop. Table 2: Classification according to: Capacity II. Key Components of Computer System 6 Elements of Computer and Communications System 1. People - is the most important part of, and beneficiaries of a computer and communication system. People as complicating factors: a. Faulty assessment of information needs b. Human emotions affect performance c. Human perceptions may be too slow 2. Procedure - are description of how things are done. These are steps for accomplishing a result. Some procedures may be expressed in manuals or documentations. Page | 19  Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH Manuals are called documentations which contain instructions, rules or guidelines to follow when using hardware or software 3. Data and Information Data are considered the raw material processed by the computer. It consists of facts and figures that are processed into information Information is summarized data or otherwise manipulated data that is useful for decision-making. 4. Hardware - is consist of all machinery and equipment in a computer system It is categorized according to the computer operations it performs Categories of Computer hardware a. Input hardware b. Processing and Memory Hardware c. Secondary Storage Hardware d. Output Hardware Hardware components will be further discussed in the later chapters 5. Software - programs consists of step-by-step instructions that tell the computer how to perform a task. Two major types of Software: a. Application Software - enables you to perform specific tasks – solve problems, perform work, or entertain yourself. b. System software - helps the computer perform essential operating tasks and enables the application software to run Software components will be further discussed in the later chapters Page | 20  Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH 6. Communication - Electronic transfer of data from one place to another. Of all six elements in a computer-and-communications system, communication is probably the most active frontier at this point. III. Industry in the Profession Computer Hardware Engineers Hardware engineers design, develop and test the physical components of computers, such as circuits, hard drives, keyboards and routers. They can also oversee the production of their creations. The minimum education for the profession is a bachelor’s degree in computer or electrical engineering, both of which require a strong background in math and science. Software Developers Software developers plan and create computer programs. They specialize in operating systems, which are needed so that the computer hardware can run, or in applications, which perform tasks such as word processing or creating art. They must have a minimum bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering or mathematics. Some have advanced degrees for management or research positions. Programmers Computer programmers write the code that makes software run. They typically receive specifications for their work from software developers and must be fluent in one or more computer languages. Most receive their education through bachelor’s degrees in programming, though training is also available from two-year associate’s degrees or programming certificates. Systems Administrators Systems administrators ensure that computer systems operate correctly and with minimal downtime in organizations. They plan, install, manage and support both hardware and software as well as networks such as intranets, local area networks and wide area networks. They need a bachelor’s degree in information or computer science, though some also have Page | 21  Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH degrees in computer or electrical engineering. A few employers accept associate’s degrees or certificates with relevant work experience. IV. Different Application of Computer in various fields In today’s fast paced world, computer technology is the backbone of any business, irrespective of your line of operation. The latest computer technology Setup for storage, transfer, retrieval or transmission of information, for data storage, networking or productivity, you can take your business to greater heights with the assistance of information technology. Fields Description In school, Teachers use Computer Aided Instruction (CAI) to better help the students in learning. Computers are used in Computer Aided Learning (CAL), distance learning, online classes Computer in and online examinations. Computers Education are used in teaching and research. The students can solve so many problems through computer. Students can get different information related to their Figure 16 Computer in Education subjects on computer. They are used to do lengthy and complicated mathematical calculations. Page | 22  Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH In Library, computers are used by the students so books in the library will be easily and quickly located using On-line Public Access Catalogue (OPAC). In Hospital, doctors now use computers to help them easily diagnose the problems in patient’s body and to find out the illness. Surgeons are also using computers in surgical operations which make it faster and less painful for the patients this is called laser operation. Medical Transcription is a new medical recording method used now in medicine. Computer in Doctor uses computer to dictate to the Medicine transcriber his diagnosis about the patient’s illness. All the information Figure 17 MRI scan dictated are automatically documented in the patient’s health record. Computers are used in hospital management system, patient history, CT Scan, X-ray, ECG, other medical tests, monitoring and diagnosis purpose. Page | 23  Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH In Bank, bank tellers use computers for fast and easy financial transactions; With the aid of Automated Teller Machine (ATM) you can easily deposit or withdraw money anytime. In Departments Store, Cashiers in the shopping malls use computers to encode the prices of the product and the sales for the day. Computers are also used to check the credit cards of the customers. In Big Companies, Teleconferencing is a very effective communication tool using a computer. With teleconferencing Computers in businessmen can have meeting with Business their clients or business partners who are in a very far place through a computer monitor or a big screen. Businesses use computers for keeping Figure 18 Business Forum using payroll records, printing pay-checks, computer technology billing customers, preparing tax returns. Computers are used in marketing and stock exchange. Computers are also used to maintain employees’ information and inventories. Nowadays many businesses use websites to sell their products and contact their customers. With today’s increases competition life and global market environment. Page | 24  Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH In Game and Movie Animation, cartoon animators use computer to create excellent animation games, cartoons and animated films is because computers are capable of producing realistic visual and sound effects that excite the children and Computer in movie watchers. In Music Recording, Media and people in the music industry use Entertainment computers to produce better quality sound of music. Computers are playing important role for the entertainment of human beings. People can watch TV programs, Figure 19. Computer in Multimedia shows, movies, on internet. People can play games online, listening music and many more entertainment is available on internet. In Sending and Receiving Mails, Email or Electronic mail is the fastest Computer in communication tool using computer Communications where you can send and receive mail or messages in just a minute. Figure 20. Simple illutration of communication using computer Engineers and architect use computer program called Computer-Aided Computer in Design (CAD) to easily draw and Engineering create their plans and designs. They use computer to create design for house plans, buildings, machine, and other mechanical parts. Page | 25  Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH Computers are used to perform several industrial tasks. They are used Figure 21. Computer in Engineering to design products, control manufacturing processes, control inventory, manage projects, and so on. Computers are used to control and manage different manufacturing systems. Table 3: Different Application of Computer in various fields Page | 26  Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH Module 1: ACTIVITIES/ASSESSMENT Activity 1.1 – Define or describe the following lay terminologies in IT lingo: 1. Analog ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ 2. Digital ________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ 3. Microcomputer ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ 4. Supercomputer ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ 5. ENIAC ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ 6. UNIVAC ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ 7. Minicomptuer ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ 8. Mainframe ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ 9. Microprocessor ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ 10. CPU ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Page | 27  Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH Module 1: ACTIVITIES/ASSESSMENT Activity 1.2 Provide the answer to the following: 1. Enumerate five (5) important people and their contributions in the IT world. ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ 2. Give five (5) example of Applications of Computer in fields that are not discussed above. ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ 3. Enumerate five (5) IT Professions that are not disccused above and what are their roles and job description. What IT profession do you want to take on in the future and why? ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ Page | 28  Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH Module 1: ACTIVITIES/ASSESSMENT Activity 1.3 Answer the following questions: 1. Differentiate hardware from software. 2. Enumerate five input devices and their uses. 3. Enumerate five output devices and their uses. 4. Differentiate RAM and ROM. 5. Give five examples of Application Software that are not mentioned above. 6. Differentiate system software and application software. 7. Differentiate input hardware and output hardware. 8. Who is the father of computer? What did he do to get the title the ‘father of computer’? 9. What are the other inventions and development of computer technology and IT infrastructure in the fifth generation of computer? 10. What do you think would be the future of computer systems? If there would be a sixth generation, what do you think would be innovations and advancements of the technology in the future? Page | 29  Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOPEZ QUEZON, BRANCH References 1. https://en.wikipedia.org 2. Introduction to Computing; Chapter 1 3. www.pixuffle.net/the-importance-of-computers-in-our-daily-lives/ 4. https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pcmag.com%2Fencyclop edia%2Fterm%2Fgigo&psig=AOvVaw02PwZnN3fzgwELKJArAAA9&ust=159321887547 0000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAMQjB1qFwoTCICfnPeinuoCFQAAAAAdAAAAA BAD 5. https://in.pinterest.com/pin/737605245209208815/ 6. www.toppr.com/guides/application-of-computers-in-accounting/capabilities-and- limitations-of-computer-systems/.mhtml 7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliability 8. https://web.itu.edu.tr/~gerzeli/History.htm 9. https://byte-notes.com/types-computers-purpose/ 10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analog_computer 11. https://www.britannica.com/technology/digital-computer 12. https://www.techopedia.com/definition/7633 13. https://www.tutorialspoint.com/classification-of-computers 14. http://www.tipsandarticles.com/uses-of-computers-in-various-fields/ Page | 30