INTRODUCTION-TO-COMPUTING-WHOLE-MODULE-REVIEWER.pdf

Module 1: Introduction to the Profession First is Computer Science. Computer Science is focused entirely on efficiently programming computers using mathematical algorithms. Computer Science deals with theories in solving complex problems by the use of programming. Computer Science graduates must be able to adapt to the rapidly changing technologies as well as problems. If you want to become a computer scientist, you should be ready with some mathematics. With a four-year CS degree, students can find employment as programmers, software engineers or IT professionals. However, to become a software developer, graduates usually must teach themselves quite a bit of programming on their own. Working as a computer scientist requires you to design and build software, find solutions to computing problems, or looking for other ways on how to use computers better. Which is why robotics, artificial intelligence, as well virtual reality is now a trend. Second is Information Systems. Information systems is a unique field of study that draws upon elements of both computer science and business. To be an effective leader in technology today, you need to combine deep technical knowledge with sharp business strategy. In addition, you need to be able to communicate just as easily with developers as you do with business managers. Taking some information systems courses, or even completing a degree in this area, can prepare you for such management positions where you need both technical and business skill. Information systems courses vary greatly in their length and content. Some are part of a larger degree program at the graduate or undergraduate level. Others can be taken independently, as a way to broaden your knowledge. A program of study in information systems typically begins with some basic computer science classes, as well as business classes that cover the fundamentals of statistics, finance, marketing, and more. Once students have this foundation of knowledge, they can choose specialized topics to explore, like networks and telecommunications, computer security, or distributed applications. Information System professionals are required to know both computer technology and business processes. At the end of the day, they must be able to help an organization become superior in its performance. Third, information Technology. IT is usually confused to everything which regards to computers because we use it to describe anything related to computers. Information Technology career involves installing, organizing and maintaining computer systems as well as designing and operating networks and databases. Therefore, as a degree program Information Technology is aimed at training students to understand the computer technology needs of any organization, be it a business, government, or even hospitals and schools. IT professionals are the one that will study the organizations’ computer needs, be it in terms of hardware or software, as well as communication. It also includes studying organization’s data or information needs. IT professionals should enjoy installing computer systems, using software and maintaining networks and databases. They are also tasked to ensure the security and effectivity of the organization’s computers and data. With a four-year IT degree, graduates can find work in a number of occupations, including information security, network architecture, database administration, systems administration and computer support. As an IT professional, you need to have a deep understanding of computer networks including its strengths as well as its vulnerabilities. You must also know how to scrutinize software used by an organization, ensuring that it meets the needs of the organization. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of computer and information technology occupations is projected to grow 12 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. These occupations are projected to add about 546,200 new jobs. Demand for these workers will stem from greater emphasis on cloud computing, the collection and storage of big data, and information security. The median annual wage for computer and information technology occupations was $88,240 in May 2019, which was higher than the median annual wage for all occupations of $39,810. Although this is the case, more and more students are enrolling to programs that are not computer-related. After finishing your chosen computer-related degree, the next question will be “Where to look for a job?”. Well, the answer is simple: anywhere. Nowadays, anywhere you look, there will always be computers. If you graduate in any computer related program, you can choose to go to businesses, government offices, computer equipment manufacturing, software development, computer services and repair, sales, education, or even consultation. Every medium to big, sometimes even small organizations, be it government, business, or others, will have an IT department. You can find people who know computers and everything related to it in this department. People working in this department are those who are responsible for making sure of the smooth operation of IT infrastructure, including computer networks. There are a number of job titles available in an IT department, ranging from Training up to Management. Every job title has its own specialization. So if you want a job within the IT department, you have to focus on a specialization. Are six main areas in the IT Department. ->Management directs the planning, research, development, evaluation, and integration of technology. ->System Development and Programming analyzes, designs, develops, and implements new information technology and maintains, and improves existing systems. ->Technical services evaluates and integrates new technologies, administers the organization’s data resources, and supports the centralized computer operating system and servers. ->operations operates the centralized computer equipment and administers the network, including both data and voice communication. ->Training teaches employees how to use components of the information system or answers specific questions. -> and lastly, Security develops and enforces policies designed to safeguard data and information from unauthorized users. Although computer engineers are the majority who will land into this field, the computer equipment field can also be a place to look for a career for those who graduated in Information Technology, Computer Science or Information Systems. This field is concerned with the design, manufacture, production, and distribution of any computer-related hardware. One must have a knowledge of electronics as well as computer-aided design if he wants to take this career path. Those who love to develop software will have this field as their career. In the age of mobile computing and e-commerce, software development is now a trend because almost all medium and big businesses, even government offices, are now moving to online transactions. This trend makes the software development field in demand. There are 4 major roles to choose from if you want to go into the computer software field. You can be a Project Leader who oversees the development of a software, a Software Engineer who designs software to develop, a Computer Scientist who looks for solutions to complex software problems, or a Programmer who will eventually write, also known as code, and also test the programs. Of course there are also other key players in this field like the database analyst, system analyst, and others. Computer components and peripherals cannot live forever, they also have a life span. Computer technicians make sure that each part will work as long as they are intended to be. During the course of operation, there will always be computer parts or peripherals that will break down, computer technicians will be there to save the day so that operations in the organization will not be halted by a computer breakdown. People in the computer service and repair field must update their knowledge as soon as new technology comes out, especially in our time where almost every 3 months there is something new. People in computer sales are those who know a lot of pros and cons of any computer or device. They have great knowledge of the products they are selling. Additionally, computer sales people must have a great deal of interpersonal communication skills and they are often very persuasive. Computer sales people also need to be updated at all times, they must know what product is a hot buy, what are the features of the products they are selling, and what products will be released in the near future. For those who love to share their expertise to others, education and training is for them. Some teach in schools and in other organization where they train employees. Some computer professionals who are in education and training may do it during their free time but many are doing it full time. Just like your computer processors here in FEU. Educators and trainers teach students and employees how to use software, design and develop computer systems, write computer programs, and other computer-related activities. IT consultants are experts in IT infrastructure in any kind of organization. They can expertly give suggestions on how an organization can improve its IT infrastructure or what are needed and lacking. IT consultants can also look at the organization’s data needs and give his opinion regarding their system. They also know computer networking as well as setting up other computer hardware. They can also be web development experts. There are three broad disciplines in higher education that produce the majority of entry-level employees in he computer industry. Computer Information System or Information Technology, Computer Science or Software Engineering, and Computer Engineering. One who wants to pursue CIS or IT can choose from an Associate of Arts, Associate of Applied Science, Associate of Science, Bachelor of Arts, and Bachelor of Science undergraduate certificate degrees and Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy for post-graduate studies. Computer Science or software engineers and Computer Engineers can have Bachelors of Science, Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. The CIS or IT degree programs teach technical knowledge and skills and focus on how to apply these skills in the different areas of computing industry. CIS or IT focuses on the management of information through the use of different systems or software. This degree program will let you learn a number of programming languages, web development, database management, systems analysis and design, and computer networks. Students will also have to take some basic mathematics like Algebra, business accounting, and statistics. The Computer Science Degree, on the other hand, is more focused on the theories of programming and operating systems, instead of program development. They will only learn a couple of programming languages but will have subjects that are more theoretical like, systems analysis and design, data and file structures, operating system, data communications, and artificial intelligence. Students will also have to prepare for Calculus and Physics courses. Computer engineering integrates several fields of computer science and electronic engineering required to develop computer hardware and software. Computer engineers usually have training in electronic or electrical engineering, software design, and hardware-software integration instead of only software engineering or electronic engineering. Computer engineers are involved in many hardware and software aspects of computing, from the design of individual microcontrollers, microprocessors, personal computers, and supercomputers, to circuit design. Courses can differ since there are a number of specializations like Machine Learning, Embedded Systems, Computer Hardware Architecture, and others. Today, medium and large businesses posts their job vacancies online. They post it in their own website or will use job seeking sites like JobStreet, Glassdoor, and Jobfinderph. Usually, when a job seeker applies for a job, they will be told to upload a resume or fill up an online form. The old way of looking for job in printed publications is now becoming obsolete. There are four ways to stay current with computer technology, these are professional organization and personal networks, professional growth and continuing education activities, computer publications and Web sites, and lastly, certifications. Professional organizations are formed computer professionals with common interests and desire to extend their proficiency. The ACM or Association of Computing Machinery for example is a scientific and education organization dedicated to advancing knowledge and proficiency in information technology. The AITP or Association of Information Technology Professionals is a professional association of programmers, systems analysts, and information processing managers. Professional Organizations usually have regular meetings User groups on the other hand are not like those professional organizations. User groups does not require that you are a professional, as long as you have a deep interest in a particular hardware, software, or other computer-related interests, you can join a group. Examples for this are the Apple Users Groups where all members are Apple product users. There are also user groups for a particular software like Adobe Photoshop. User groups can be a big help if you have something you want to know. In any computer-related field where technology changes rapidly, it is very important that your growth also adopts to every change. 10 years ago we are using computer with single or dual core processors, now we are using 8-core processors, there is also this hyperthreading technology now. So it is important that you update yourself to all that is happening in the computer industry. You can attend workshops, seminars, conferences, and even trade shows like CES. You can also learn on your own by reading books, or attend video, computer, web, or instructor-based trainings. Online news, blogs, and other technical websites can also help you stay informed about what is happening in the computer industry. If you have time to go to bookstores, you can also get industry publications like WIRED, PC World, and PC Magazine. Certification is the process of verifying the technical knowledge of an individual who has demonstrated competence in a particular area. Computing professionals typically obtain a certification by taking and passing an examination. Passing a certification exam means you are proficient in a particular computing area. In FEU, there are certification exams given to students such as MTA or Microsoft Technology Associate Certification and Maya Certification. According to a survey conducted by AXELOS Global, 97% of decision-makers and 84% of individuals say certification has a positive impact, bringing higher efficiency and employee satisfaction. One of the big benefits of holding a certificate is transparency. Simply attending a training course does not guarantee that you actually learned anything. But a certificate for passing an exam conveys a specific message to employers, employees and peers alike. Employees can enhance their career through certifications. As professionals, their professional standing. Certifications can also be used as a means of increasing employee’s salary and bonuses. For vendors, certification is a from of industry self-regulation that sets computer professional’s competence standards and raises the level of expertise and knowledge in the IT Industry as a whole. Just like how Cisco and Adobe offers certifications for the use of their products. For employers, certification ensures quality workmanship standards and help keep their workforce up to date with respect to computers and technology. Employees with certifications are expected to give better services to their costumers, which, in effect, will be beneficial to both the employer and the costumer. ICCP or Institute for Certification of Computer Professionals set standards of raising competence level in the computer industry. Taking certifications takes considerable dedication. So before thinking about choosing a certification, you have to consider the following: first is time and money. Good certifications are accompanied by great amount of money and it takes ample time for your to prepare for it. Therefore, you have to plan your schedule. Second, see if the certification you want to take will help you boost your employment status whether you are looking for a new job, a promotion, or just a salary increase. Third, check industry job listing to get a hint of what certification is sought by employers. Fourth, reading evaluations of certifications can also help you decide whether to go for it or not. Fifth, seek advise of the people in the computer industry. Of course moral support of your relatives and closest friends can be helpful but that is only true when you have already decided what certification to take. Before coming up with a decision on what certification to take, ask someone credible enough on what he thinks about the certification you have your eyes on. Lastly, check where your certification leads you. Some certification can lead to even higher form of certification. Certification training options are available to suit every learning style. Self-study programs help professionals prepare for certifications at their own pace and supplement other training methods. Online training classes allow students to set their own pace in an interactive environment. Instructor-lead training classes are available in a variety of forms, including seminars, boot-camps, and academic-style classes. Web resources include the certification sponsor’s web site and individual web sites. The web sites of certification sponsor can contain descriptions of certifications with links to FAQ’s and links to authorized training and testing centers. Computer industry certifications are administered using computers. Most certifications are in a form of a multiple-choice question exam but some are skillbased. There are instances of certifications exams that are adaptive. In adaptive testing, responses of the examinees are analyzed. Computerized Adaptive Testing or CAT, also known as tailored testing, is administered where the next items to be given will depend on the correctness of the responses of the examiner. Applications software certifications focus on knowledge of applications software. This certifications area is sometimes called end-user certifications. These include Microsoft Certified Application Specialist, Microsoft Certified Desktop Technician, Adobe Certified Expert, and Adobe Certified Instructor. Operating system certifications focus on particular skills of the user, the operator, system administrator and system engineer. Examples of certifications in this area includes IBM Certified Specialist, Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist, and Novell Certified Linux Professional. Programmer or developer certifications recognize one’s programming training. It can also help broaden someone’s knowledge and skill base. This certification area includes IBM Certified Software Developer, Certified Software Development Professional, Oracle Java Certification, and Microsoft Technology Associate –Introduction to Programming Using Python. Hardware certifications recognizes general knowledge of hardware and software that controls them through set-up, maintenance, and repair. The most significant of all hardware certifications is the A+ by CompTIA followed by ACMT or Apple Certified Macintosh Technician. Networking certifications are awarded to professionals who demonstrate expertise in planning, installing, managing, and troubleshooting a network. The most prominent certifications in this area are Cisco Certified Network Associate, Cisco Certified Network Professional from Cisco, and Network+ from CompTIA to name a few. With cybercrimes rising due to the obvious demand on online transactions, computer forensics certifications are now much needed. Certificate holders of this certification area are deemed highly credible in terms of computer crime investigations. Computer forensics involves the discovery, collection, and analysis of evidence found on computers and networks. Today, it now also includes mobile devices like cellphones. Certifications in this area include Certified Computer Examiner, Certified Electronic Evidence Collection Specialist, Certified Computer Forensic Examiner, and Certified Information Forensics Investigator. Security certifications measure a candidate’s ability to identify and control security risks associated with any event or action that could cause a loss or damage to computer hardware, software, data, information or processing capability. While some certifications focus solely on network and Internet security, others include measure to secure operating systems, application programs, and information systems, as well as the physical facility and its people. Examples of this certifications area includes Certified Information Systems Security Professional, and Security Certified Network Architect to name a few. Internet certifications are demanding and require technical expertise in networking hardware and configuration before enrolment in an Internet certification-sponsored training program. These certifications include Web management, Web programming, and Web development certifications. Certified Internet Webmaster and Certified Web Professional are some examples. Supporting a large database management system requires a professional staff. The various tasks the staff performs form a core on which the database management certifications are based. Today, Oracle Certified Professional and Oracle Database Administrator are widely known certifications but they are still below IBM Certified Database Administrator – DB2 and Microsoft SQL Server Database Certifications in terms of total number of employees with database certifications. Artificial intelligence, the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings. The term is frequently applied to the project of developing systems endowed with the intellectual processes characteristic of humans, such as the ability to reason, discover meaning, generalize, or learn from past experience. Since the development of the digital computer in the 1940s, it has been demonstrated that computers can be programmed to carry out very complex tasks—as, for example, discovering proofs for mathematical theorems or playing chess—with great proficiency. Still, despite continuing advances in computer processing speed and memory capacity, there are as yet no programs that can match human flexibility over wider domains or in tasks requiring much everyday knowledge. On the other hand, some programs have attained the performance levels of human experts and professionals in performing certain specific tasks, so that artificial intelligence in this limited sense is found in applications as diverse as medical diagnosis, computer search engines, and voice or handwriting recognition. Machine learning, is a subset of artificial intelligence concerned with the implementation of computer software that can learn, through discovering data patterns, autonomously. Expert systems and data mining programs are the most common applications for improving algorithms through the use of machine learning. Among the most common approaches are the use of artificial neural networks and genetic algorithms Robotic process automation is the use of software with artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities to handle high-volume, repeatable tasks that previously required humans to perform. These tasks can include queries, calculations and maintenance of records and transactions. RPA technology consists of software robots also called bots that can mimic a human worker. RPA bots can log into applications, enter data, calculate and complete tasks and then log out. Blockchain is a system of recording information in a way that makes it difficult or impossible to change, hack, or cheat the system. A blockchain is essentially a digital ledger of transactions that is duplicated and distributed across the entire network of computer systems on the blockchain. Each block in the chain contains a number of transactions, and every time a new transaction occurs on the blockchain, a record of that transaction is added to every participant’s ledger. The decentralized database managed by multiple participants is known as Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). Blockchain is a type of DLT in which transactions are recorded with an immutable cryptographic signature called a hash. Gartner defines edge computing as “a part of a distributed computing topology in which information processing is located close to the edge – where things and people produce or consume that information.” At its basic level, edge computing brings computation and data storage closer to the devices where it’s being gathered, rather than relying on a central location that can be thousands of miles away. This is done so that data, especially real-time data, does not suffer latency issues that can affect an application’s performance. In addition, companies can save money by having the processing done locally, reducing the amount of data that needs to be processed in a centralized or cloud-based location. The terms "virtual reality" and "augmented reality" get thrown around a lot these days, thanks to the resurgence of VR headsets heralded by the Oculus Rift and the use of AR apps and games like Pokemon Go. They sound similar, and as the technologies develop, they bleed over into each other a bit. They're two very different concepts, though, with characteristics that readily distinguish them from one another. Cyber security is the practice of defending computers, servers, mobile devices, electronic systems, networks, and data from malicious attacks. It's also known as information technology security or electronic information security. The term applies in a variety of contexts, from business to mobile computing, and can be divided into a few common categories. The global cyber threat continues to evolve at a rapid pace, with a rising number of data breaches each year. A report by RiskBased Security revealed that a shocking 7.9 billion records have been exposed by data breaches in the first nine months of 2019 alone. This figure is more than double (112%) the number of records exposed in the same period in 2018 The Internet of Things, or "IoT" for short, is about extending the power of the internet beyond computers and smartphones to a whole range of other things, processes, and environments. A computer is a device capable of performing computations and making logical decisions at a speed of millions, and even billions of times faster than human beings. Computers process data under the control of sets of instructions called computer programs. The various devices (such as keyboard, screen, disks, memory, and processing units) that comprise a computer systems are referred to as hardware. The computer programs that run on a computer are called software. Computers can “think” what they are programmed to “think”. They are not "intelligent enough" (if interested, there are courses on AI, Robotics, Computer Vision, Machine Learning, etc.). They can only do what they are told to do. Simple words… A programmer writes a program + creates data. Program + data is typed, and will get stored on disk. Programmer commands the computer to "execute" on the specified data. First generation: 1946 – 1959 - Computers used vacuum tubes. Second generation: 1959 – 1965 - This generation of computers used transistors instead of vacuum tubes which were more reliable. Third generation: 1965 – 1971 - Integrated circuits were used. Fourth generation: 1971 – 1980 - The birth of microprocessors. What Career Opportunities Are Available in the Computer Industry? Career opportunities in the computer industry fall into several areas. In most medium and large businesses and government offices, staff in an IT department is responsible for keeping all computer operations and networks running smoothly. They also determine when and if the organization requires new hardware or software. Workers in the computer equipment field manufacture and distribute computers and computer-related hardware. Employees in the computer software field develop, manufacture, and support a wide range of software. People in the computer service and repair field provide preventive maintenance, component installation, and repair services to customers. Computer salespeople determine a buyer’s needs and match these needs to the correct hardware and software. Computer educators and corporate trainers teach students and employees how to use software, design and develop systems, write programs, and perform other computer-related activities. An IT consultant is a professional who draws upon his or her expertise in a specialized area of computers and provides computer services to clients. What Are the Functions of Jobs in an IT Department? Jobs in an IT department fall into six main areas. Management directs the planning, research, development, evaluation, and integration of technology. System development and programming analyzes, designs, develops, and implements new information technology and maintains and improves existing systems. Technical services evaluates and integrates new technologies, administers the organization’s data resources, and supports the centralized computer operating system and servers. Operations operates the centralized computer equipment and administers the network, including both data and voice communications. Training teaches employees how to use components of the information system or answers specific questions. Security develops and enforces policies designed to safeguard data and information from unauthorized users. How Are the Various College Computer-Related Courses of Study Different? Three broad disciplines in higher education produce the majority of entry level employees in the computer industry. Computer information systems (CIS), or information technology (IT), programs teach technical knowledge and skills and focus on how to apply these skills. Computer science (CS) programs stress the theoretical side of programming and operating systems. Computer engineering (CE) programs teach students how to design and develop the electronic components found in computers and peripheral devices. How Can People Stay Current with Changing Technology? Four primary ways to stay current with computer technology are professional organizations and personal networks, professional growth and continuing education activities, computer publications and Web sites, and certification. Professional organizations are formed by computer professionals with common interests and a desire to extend their proficiency. The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) is a scientific and educational organization dedicated to advancing knowledge and proficiency of information technology. The Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP) is a professional association of programmers, systems analysts, and information processing managers. Maintaining a personal network of job-related contacts can help when seeking change in employment. Professional growth and continuing education include events such as workshops, seminars, conferences, conventions, and trade shows. The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is one of the larger technology trade shows, bringing together thousands of vendors and more than 110,000 attendees. Computer industry publications also help to keep people informed about the latest developments in the computer industry. Another source for information is Web sites that discuss or share opinions, analysis, reviews, or news about technology. Certification is a process of verifying the technical knowledge of an individual who has demonstrated competence in a particular area. Computing professionals typically obtain a certification by taking and passing an examination. What Are the Benefits of Certification for Employers, Employees, and Vendors? For employers, certification ensures quality workmanship standards and can help keep their workforce up to date with respect to computers and technology. For employees, certification can enhance careers, provide better standing as industry professionals, and increase salaries. For vendors, certification is a form of industry self-regulation that sets computer professionals’ competence standards and raises the level of expertise and knowledge in the IT industry as a whole. How Can People Prepare for Certification? Certification training options are available to suit every learning style. Self Study programs help professionals prepare for certification at their own pace and supplement other training methods. Online training classes, which are available on the Internet and on many company intranets, allow students to set their own pace in an interactive environment. Instructor-led training classes are available in a variety of forms, including seminars, boot camps, and academic-style classes. Web resources include the certification sponsor’s Web site and individual Web sites. The certification sponsor’s Web site can contain descriptions of certifications with FAQs and links to authorized training and testing centers. Detailed course objectives, training guides, sample test questions, chat rooms, and discussion groups often are included. Individuals also set up Web sites to offer their own views and tips on the testing process. What Are the General Areas of IT Certification? Certifications usually are classified based on the computer industry area to which they most closely relate: application software, operating systems, programmer/developer, hardware, networking, digital forensics, security, the Internet, and database systems. 9. What Are Some Specific IT Certifications in Each Certification Area? Application software certifications, sometimes called end-user certifications, include Microsoft Certified Application Specialist (MCAS), Microsoft Certified Application Professional (MCAP), Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST), Adobe Certified Associate, Adobe Certified Expert (ACE), Adobe Certified Instructor (ACI), and IBM Certified Professional for Lotus Software. Operating system certifications include IBM Certified Specialist, Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP), Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS), Novell Certified Linux Professional (CLP), Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE), Red Hat Certified Technician (RHCT ), and Sun Certified System Administrator (SCSA). Programmer/developer certifications include Certified Software Development Professional (CSDP ), IBM Certified Solution Developer, Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD), Sun Certified Enterprise Architect (SCEA), Sun Certified Java Developer (SCJD), Sun Certified Java Programmer (SCJP), and Sun Certified Mobile Application Developer (SCMAD). Hardware certifications include A+, Dell Certified Systems Expert, and IBM eServer Certified Specialist. Networking certifications include Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP ), Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE), Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA), Network+, Novell Certified Administrator (CNA), Novell Certified Engineer (NCE), and Sun Certified Network Administrator (SCNA). Digital forensics certifications include Certified Computer Examiner (CCE ), Certified Computer Forensics Examiner (CCFE), Certified Electronic Evidence Collection Specialist (CEECS ), and Certified Information Forensics Investigator (CIFI ). Security certifications include Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP ), Security Certified Network Architect (SCNA), Security Certified Network Professional (SCNP ), Security Certified Network Specialist (SCNS), and Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP ). Internet certifications include Certified Internet Webmaster (CIW ) and Certified Web Professional (CWP ). Database certifications include IBM Certified Solutions Expert – DB2, IBM Certified Solutions Expert – Informix, Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP), Oracle Certified Professional (OCP ), and Sybase Certified Professional. Module 2: Introduction to Computer Computers are everywhere: at work, at school, and at home. People use all types and sizes of computers for a variety of reasons and in a range of places. While some computers sit on top of a desk or on the floor, mobile computers and mobile devices are small enough to carry. Mobile devices, such as many cell phones, often are classified as computers. Through computers, society has instant access to information from around the globe. Local and national news, weather reports, sports scores, airline schedules, telephone directories, maps and directions, job listings, credit reports, and countless forms of educational material always are accessible. From the computer, you can make a telephone call, meet new friends, share opinions or life stories, book flights, shop, fill prescriptions, file taxes, take a course, receive alerts, and automate your home. Computer literacy, also known as digital literacy, involves having a current knowledge and understanding of computers and their uses. A computer is an electronic device, operating under the control of instructions stored in its own memory, that can accept data, process the data according to specified rules, produce results, and store the results for future use. It is a machine that can be instructed to carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations automatically via computer programming. Modern computers have the ability to follow generalized sets of operations, called programs. These programs enable computers to perform an extremely wide range of tasks. Computers process data into information. Data is a collection of unprocessed items, which can include text, numbers, images, audio, and video. Information conveys meaning and is useful to people. Many daily activities either involve the use of or depend on information from a computer. As shown in figure, for example, computers process several data items to print information in the form of a cash register receipt. Industry experts typically classify computers in seven categories: personal computers or usually called desktop, mobile computers and mobile devices, game consoles, servers, mainframes, supercomputers, and embedded computers. A computer’s size, speed, processing power, and price determine the category it best fits. Due to rapidly changing technology, however, the distinction among categories is not always clearcut. This trend of computers and devices with technologies that overlap, called convergence, leads to computer manufacturers continually releasing newer models that include similar functionality and features. For example, newer cell phones often include media player, camera, and Web browsing capabilities. As devices converge, users need fewer devices for the functionality that they require. When consumers replace outdated computers and devices, they should dispose of them properly. A personal computer is a computer that can perform all of its input, processing, output, and storage activities by itself. A personal computer contains a processor, memory, and one or more input, output, and storage devices. Personal computers also often contain a communications device. Two popular architectures of personal computers are the PC and the Apple. The term, PC-compatible, refers to any personal computer based on the original IBM personal computer design. Companies such as Dell, HP, Asus, Acer, and Toshiba sell PC-compatible computers. PC and PC-compatible computers usually use a Windows operating system. Apple computers usually use a Macintosh operating system. Two types of personal computers are desktop computers and notebook computers. A mobile computer is a personal computer you can carry from place to place. Similarly, a mobile device is a computing device small enough to hold in your hand. The most popular type of mobile computer is the notebook computer. The following sections discuss the notebook computer and widely used mobile devices. Mobile computers can be notebook computers, Tablet PCs; while mobile devices can be smartphones, PDAs, ebook readers, handheld computers, portable media players, and digital cameras. ->A notebook computer, also called a laptop computer, is a portable, personal computer often designed to fit on your lap. Notebook computers are thin and lightweight, yet they can be as powerful as the average desktop computer. A netbook, which is a type of notebook computer, is smaller, lighter, and often not as powerful as a traditional notebook computer. Most netbooks cost less than traditional notebook computers, usually only a few hundred dollars. An ultra-thin is another type of notebook computer that is lightweight and usually less than one-inch thick. Some notebook computers have touch screens, allowing you to interact with the device by touching the screen, usually with the tip of a finger. ->Resembling a letter-sized slate, the Tablet PC is a special type of notebook computer that allows you to write or draw on the screen using a digital pen. With a digital pen, users write or draw by pressing the pen on the screen, and issue instructions to the Tablet PC by tapping on the screen. For users who prefer typing instead of handwriting, some Tablet PC designs have an attached keyboard; others allow you to connect a separate keyboard to the device. Most Tablet PCs have touch screens. Tablet PCs also support voice input so that users can enter text and issue instructions by speaking into the computer. ->Offering the convenience of one-handed operation, a smartphone is an Internet Enabled phone that usually also provides personal information management functions such as a calendar, an appointment book, an address book, a calculator, and a notepad. In addition to basic phone capabilities, a smart phone allows you to send and receive e-mail messages and access the Web — usually for an additional fee. Some smart phones communicate wirelessly with other devices or computers. Many also function as a portable media player and include built-in digital cameras so that you can share photos or videos with others as soon as you capture the image. ->A PDA (personal digital assistant) provides personal information management functions such as a calendar, an appointment book, an address book, a calculator, and a notepad. Most PDAs also offer a variety of other application software such as word processing, spreadsheet, personal finance, and games. A common input device for a PDA is a stylus. Some PDAs have a built-in miniature keyboard or an on-screen keyboard. Some PDAs also support voice input, have built-in cameras, and can function as a portable media player. ->An e-reader, also called an e-book reader or e-book device, is a mobile electronic device that is designed primarily for the purpose of reading digital e-books and periodicals. Any device that can display text on a screen may act as an e-reader; however, specialized e-reader devices may optimize portability, readability, and battery life for this purpose. Their main advantages over printed books are portability, since an e-reader is capable of holding thousands of books while weighing less than one book, and the convenience provided due to add-on features. ->A handheld computer, sometimes referred to as an Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC), is a computer small enough to fit in one hand. Many handheld computers communicate wirelessly with other devices or computers and also include a digital pen or stylus for input. Some handheld computers have miniature or specialized keyboards. Many handheld computers are industry-specific and serve the needs of mobile employees, such as meter readers and parcel delivery people, whose jobs require them to move from place to place. ->A portable media player is a mobile device on which you can store, organize, and play digital media. For example, you can listen to music; watch videos, movies, and television shows; and view photos on the device’s screen. With most, you download the digital media from a computer to the portable media player or to media that you insert in the device. ->A digital camera is a device that allows users to take pictures and store the photographed images digitally, instead of on traditional film. While many digital cameras look like a traditional camera, some are built into smart phones and other mobile devices. Often users prefer to download images from the digital camera to the computer. Or, you can remove the storage media such as a memory card from the digital camera and insert it in a card reader in or attached to the computer. A game console is a mobile computing device designed for single-player or multiplayer video games. Standard game consoles use a handheld controller as an input device; a television screen as an output device; and hard disks, optical discs, and/or memory cards for storage. Weighing on average between two and nine pounds, the compact size of game consoles makes them easy to use at home, in the car, in a hotel, or any location that has an electrical outlet. Three popular models are Microsoft’s Xbox 360, Nintendo’s Wii, and Sony’s PlayStation. A handheld game console is small enough to fit in one hand, making it more portable than the standard game console. With the handheld game console, the controls, screen, and speakers are built into the device. Because of their reduced size, the screens are small — three to four inches. Some models use cartridges to store games; others use a memory card or a miniature optical disc. Many handheld game consoles can communicate wirelessly with other similar consoles for multiplayer gaming. Two popular models are Nintendo DS Lite and Sony’s PlayStation Portable (PSP). A server controls access to the hardware, software, and other resources on a network and provides a centralized storage area for programs, data, and information. Servers can support from two to several thousand connected computers at the same time. In many cases, one server accesses data, information, and programs on another server. In other cases, people use personal computers or terminals to access data, information, and programs on a server. A terminal is a device with a monitor, keyboard, and memory. A mainframe is a large, expensive, powerful computer that can handle hundreds or thousands of connected users simultaneously. Mainframes store tremendous amounts of data, instructions, and information. Most major corporations use mainframes for business activities. With mainframes, enterprises are able to bill millions of customers, prepare payroll for thousands of employees, and manage thousands of items in inventory. One study reported that mainframes process more than 83 percent of transactions around the world. Mainframes also can act as servers in a network environment. Servers and other mainframes can access data and information from a mainframe. People also can access programs on the mainframe using terminals or personal computers. A supercomputer is the fastest, most powerful computer — and also the most expensive. The fastest supercomputers are capable of processing more than one quadrillion instructions in a single second. With weights that exceed 100 tons, these computers can store more than 20,000 times the data and information of an average desktop computer. Applications requiring complex, sophisticated mathematical calculations use supercomputers. Large-scale simulations and applications in medicine, aerospace, automotive design, online banking, weather forecasting, nuclear energy research, and petroleum exploration use a supercomputer. An embedded computer is a special-purpose computer that functions as a component in a larger product. Embedded computers are everywhere — at home, in your car, and at work. Applications of embedded computers include: Consumer Electronics such as mobile and digital telephones, digital televisions, cameras, video recorders, DVD players and recorders, and answering machines Home Automation Devices such as thermostats, sprinkling systems, security monitoring systems, appliances, lights Automobiles: antilock brakes, engine control modules, airbag controller, and cruise control and, Process Controllers and Robotics such as remote monitoring systems, power monitors, machine controllers, medical devices Computer Devices and Office Machines: keyboards, printers, fax and copy machines Because embedded computers are components in larger products, they usually are small and have limited hardware. These computers perform various functions, depending on the requirements of the product in which they reside. Embedded computers in printers, for example, monitor the amount of paper in the tray, check the ink or toner level, signal if a paper jam has occurred, and so on. Adaptive cruise control, advanced airbag systems, tire pressure monitoring systems, drive-by-wire systems, and telematics are some of the features in a car that uses embedded computers. The abacus is the most ancient calculating device known. It has endured over time and is still in use in some countries. An abacus consists of a wooden frame, rods, and beads. Each rod represents a different place value—ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, and so on. Each bead represents a number, usually 1 or 5, and can be moved along the rods. Addition and subtraction can easily be performed by moving beads along the wires of the abacus. A slide rule, also known as a slide ruler or a slipstick, is an extremely complex ruler that functions as an analog computer. By sliding various components of the ruler to align with each other, a slide rule can compute products, roots, logarithms, and the result of trigonometric functions. In the mid-1600s, the linear slide rule was invented by Reverend William. Until the invention of the pocket calculator in the 1960s, the slide rule was used by virtually every scientist and mathematician in the world. Invented by Joseph Marie Jacquard, the Jacquard Loom is an attachment for powered fabric looms. It uses a chain of punch cards to instruct the loom on how to make intricate textiles. For example, a loom could have hundreds of cards with holes in them that correspond to hooks that can be raised or lowered to make a textile brocade. The Jacquard Loom is important to the history of computers because it is the first machine to use interchangeable punch cards to instruct a machine to perform automated tasks. Having a machine that could perform various tasks is similar to today's computer programs that can be programmed to perform different tasks. The Jacquard Loom was also an inspiration to Charles Babbage planning to use perforated cards in his analytical engine. Herman Hollerith also used the idea of punch cards to not only store information but be used to input information into a computing device and is what help create the company IBM. The analytical engine is a machine, first proposed by Charles Babbage in 1837, that is considered to be the concept for the first general mechanical computer. The design featured an ALU (arithmetic logic unit) and permitted basic programmatic flow control. It was programmed using punch cards inspired by the Jacquard Loom. It also featured integrated memory. For these reasons, historians consider it to be the first design concept of a general-purpose computer. Unfortunately, because of a lack of funding, the Analytical Engine was never built while Babbage was alive. Charles Babbage was considered to be the father of computing after his concept of the Analytical Engine. The transition from mechanical computing devices to electronic computers was only made possible due to the invention or discovery of electricity, transistor, microchip, and data storage. Because of these advancements, we are now enjoying our computers as we know them. Fast, reliable, powerful. Alternatively referred to as an electron tube or valve and first vacuum tube was developed by John Ambrose Fleming in 1904. The vacuum tube is a glass tube that has its gas or air removed, creating a vacuum. Vacuum tubes contain electrodes for controlling electron flow and were used in early computers as a switch or an amplifier. The picture in the slide shows a collection of different vacuum tubes used with different devices. The first computer systems used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for memory, and were often enormous, taking up entire rooms. These computers were very expensive to operate and in addition to using a great deal of electricity, the first computers generated a lot of heat, which was often the cause of malfunctions. First generation computers relied on machine language, the lowest-level programming language understood by computers, to perform operations, and they could only solve one problem at a time. It would take operators days or even weeks to set-up a new problem. Input was based on punched cards and paper tape, and output was displayed on printouts. Short for Universal Automatic Computer, the UNIVAC, a trademark of the Unisys corporation, is a series of electrical computers containing thousands of vacuum tubes. It utilized punch cards and switches for inputting data and punch cards for outputting and storing data. The UNIVAC I was developed by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly and released in 1951 and 1952. what you see in the picture in the slide is just its control panel. UNIVAC had 5,400 vacuum tubes, could tabulate 4,000 items a minute, used alphanumeric characters, checked its own work and was a then-tiny 14 ft. long, 7.5 ft. wide and 8 ft. high. Wanting to continue to work with computers, Hopper moved into private industry in 1949, first with the Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation, then with Remington Rand, where she oversaw programming for the UNIVAC or the Universal Automatic Computer. In 1952, her team created the first compiler for computer languages (a compiler renders worded instructions into code that can be read by computers). This compiler was a precursor for the Common Business Oriented Language, or COBOL, a widely adapted language that would be used around the world. Though she did not invent COBOL, Hopper encouraged its adaptation. As a research fellow at Harvard, she worked with the Mark II and Mark III computers. She was at Harvard when a moth was found to have shorted out the Mark II, and is sometimes given credit for the invention of the term "computer bug"—though she didn't actually author the term, she did help popularize it. The world would see transistors replace vacuum tubes in the second generation of computers. The transistor was invented at Bell Labs in 1947 but did not see widespread use in computers until the late 1950s. The transistor was far superior to the vacuum tube, allowing computers to become smaller, faster, cheaper, more energy-efficient and more reliable than their firstgeneration predecessors. Though the transistor still generated a great deal of heat that subjected the computer to damage, it was a vast improvement over the vacuum tube. Second-generation computers still relied on punched cards for input and printouts for output. Second-generation computers moved from cryptic binary machine language to symbolic, or assembly, languages, which allowed programmers to specify instructions in words. High-level programming languages were also being developed at this time, such as early versions of COBOL and FORTRAN. These were also the first computers that stored their instructions in their memory, which moved from a magnetic drum to magnetic core technology. The first computers of this generation were developed for the atomic energy industry. Developed by John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley at the Bell Laboratories on December 23, 1947. The transistor (short for "transfer resistance") is made up of semi-conductors. It is a component used to control the amount of current or voltage or used for amplification/modulation or switching of an electronic signal. The transistor is the primary building block of all microchips, including the CPU of the computer. It is what creates the binary 0's and 1's your computer uses to communicate and deal with Boolean logic. The development of the integrated circuit was the hallmark of the third generation of computers. Transistors were miniaturized and placed on silicon chips, called semiconductors, which drastically increased the speed and efficiency of computers. Instead of punched cards and printouts, users interacted with third generation computers through keyboards and monitors and interfaced with an operating system, which allowed the device to run many different applications at one time with a central program that monitored the memory. Computers for the first time became accessible to a mass audience because they were smaller and cheaper than their predecessors. An integrated circuit (IC) is a small electronic device made out of a semiconductor material. The first integrated circuit was developed in the 1950s by Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments. The microprocessor brought the fourth generation of computers, as thousands of integrated circuits were built onto a single silicon chip. What in the first generation filled an entire room could now fit in the palm of the hand. The Intel 4004 chip, developed in 1971, located all the components of the computer—from the central processing unit and memory to input and output controls—on a single chip. In 1981 IBM introduced its first computer for the home user, and in 1984 Apple introduced the Macintosh. Microprocessors also moved out of the realm of desktop computers and into many areas of life as more and more everyday products began to use microprocessors. As these small computers became more powerful, they could be linked together to form networks, which eventually led to the development of the Internet. Fourth generation computers also saw the development of GUIs or Graphical User Interfaces, the mouse and handheld devices. The IBM 5100 is recognized as the first portable computer and was first released in September 1975. The computer weighed 55 pounds and had a five inch CRT display, tape drive, 1.9 MHz PALM processor, and 64 KB of RAM. The picture is an ad of the IBM 5100 taken from a November 1975 issue of Scientific American. The Altair or Altair 8800 computer from MITS was developed by Henry Edward Roberts and introduced on December 19, 1974. It was later published on the front cover of Popular Electronics in 1975 making it almost instantly a huge success. The Altair 8800 included an Intel 8080 processor, "1024 word" memory boards with 256 bytes of memory (expandable to 64 K). It was available as a kit for $439 or assembled for $621 and had several additional add-ons such as a memory board and interface boards. Fifth generation computing devices, based on artificial intelligence, are still in development, though there are some applications, such as voice recognition, that are being used today. The use of parallel processing and superconductors is helping to make artificial intelligence a reality. Quantum computation and molecular and nanotechnology will radically change the face of computers in years to come. The goal of fifth-generation computing is to develop devices that respond to natural language input and are capable of learning and self-organization. Benefits from using computers are possible because computers have the advantages of speed, reliability, consistency, storage, and communications. Let’s look at these advantages one by one. ->Speed: When data, instructions, and information flow along electronic circuits in a computer, they travel at incredibly fast speeds. Many computers process billions or trillions of operations in a single second. Processing involves computing, sorting, organizing, displaying images, recording audio, playing music, and showing a movie or video. ->Reliability: The electronic components in modern computers are dependable and reliable because they rarely break or fail. ->Consistency: Given the same input and processes, a computer will produce the same results — consistently. A computing phrase — known as garbage in, garbage out — points out that the accuracy of a computer’s output depends on the accuracy of the input. For example, if you do not use the flash on a digital camera when indoors, the resulting pictures that are displayed on the computer screen may be unusable because they are too dark. ->Storage: A computer can transfer data quickly from storage to memory, process it, and then store it again for future use. Many computers store enormous amounts of data and make this data available for processing anytime it is needed. ->Communications: Most computers today can communicate with other computers, often wirelessly. Computers with this capability can share any of the four information processing cycle operations — input, process, output, and storage — with another computer or a user. Of course, there will always be another side of the coin. Some disadvantages of computers relate to health risks, the violation of privacy, public safety, the impact on the labor force, and the impact on the environment. Let’s also look at these disadvantages one by one. ->Health Risks: Prolonged or improper computer use can lead to injuries or disorders of the hands, wrists, elbows, eyes, neck, and back. Computer users can protect themselves from these health risks through proper workplace design, good posture while at the computer, and appropriately spaced work breaks. Two behavioral health risks are computer addiction and technology overload. Computer addiction occurs when someone becomes obsessed with using a computer. Individuals suffering from technology overload feel distressed when deprived of computers and mobile devices. Once recognized, both computer addiction and technology overload are treatable disorders. ->Violation of Privacy: Nearly every life event is stored in a computer somewhere... in medical records, credit reports, tax records, etc. In many instances, where personal and confidential records were not protected properly, individuals have found their privacy violated and identities stolen. ->Public Safety: Adults, teens, and children around the world are using computers to share publicly their photos, videos, journals, music, and other personal information. Some of these unsuspecting, innocent computer users have fallen victim to crimes committed by dangerous strangers. Protect yourself and your dependents from these criminals by being cautious in e-mail messages and on Web sites. For example, do not share information that would allow others to identify or locate you and do not disclose identification numbers, passwords, or other personal security details. ->Impact on Labor Force: Although computers have improved productivity in many ways and created an entire industry with hundreds of thousands of new jobs, the skills of millions of employees have been replaced by computers. Thus, it is crucial that workers keep their education up-to-date. A separate impact on the labor force is that some com panies are outsourcing jobs to foreign countries instead of keeping their homeland labor force employed. ->Impact on Environment: Computer manufacturing processes and computer waste are depleting natural resources and polluting the environment. When computers are discarded in landfills, they can release toxic materials and potentially dangerous levels of lead, mercury, and flame retardants. Green computing involves reducing the electricity consumed and environmental waste generated when using a computer. Strategies that support green computing include recycling, regulating manufacturing processes, extending the life of computers, and immediately donating or properly disposing of replaced computers. When you purchase a new computer, some retailers offer to dispose of your old computer properly An information system combines hardware, software, data, people, and procedures to produce timely and useful information. People in an information technology (IT) department develop procedures for processing data. Following these procedures, people use hardware and software to enter the data into a computer. Software processes the data and directs the computer hardware to store changes on storage media and produce information in a desired form. To be valuable, information must be accurate, organized, timely, accessible, useful, and cost effective to produce. Together, these elements (hardware, software, data, people, and procedures) comprise an information system. A computer contains many electric, electronic, and mechanical components known as hardware. These components include input devices, output devices, a system unit, storage devices, and communications devices. ->An input device is any hardware component that allows you to enter data and instructions into a computer. Five widely used input devices are the keyboard, mouse, microphone, scanner, and Web cam. ->An output device is any hardware component that conveys information to one or more people. Three commonly used output devices are a printer, a monitor, and speakers. ->The system unit is a case that contains the electronic components of the computer that are used to process data. The circuitry of the system unit usually is part of or is connected to a circuit board called the motherboard. ->Storage holds data, instructions, and information for future use. For example, computers can store hundreds or millions of customer names and addresses. Storage holds these items permanently. A computer keeps data, instructions, and information on storage media. Examples of storage media are USB flash drives, hard disks, optical discs, and memory cards. A storage device records (writes) and/or retrieves (reads) items to and from storage media. ->A communications device is a hardware component that enables a computer to send (transmit) and receive data, instructions, and information to and from one or more computers or mobile devices. A widely used communications device is a modem. The image in the slide basically shows the common hardware elements of the computer system. We will be dealing with them in the next module. Software, also called a program, consists of a series of related instructions, organized for a common purpose, that tells the computer what tasks to perform and how to perform them. You interact with a program through its user interface. The user interface controls how you enter data and instructions and how information is displayed on the screen. Software today often has a graphical user interface. With a graphical user interface (GUI pronounced gooey), you interact with the software using text, graphics, and visual images such as icons. An icon is a miniature image that represents a program, an instruction, or some other object. You can use the mouse to select icons that perform operations such as starting a program. The two categories of software are system software and application software. We will be talking about them in Module 5. When purchasing software from a retailer, you typically receive a box that includes an optical disc(s) that contains the program. If you acquire software from a Web site on the Internet, you may be able to download the program. Installing is the process of setting up software to work with the computer, printer, and other hardware. When you buy a computer, it usually has some software pre installed on its hard disk. This enables you to use the computer the first time you turn it on. Once installed, you can run the program. When you instruct the computer to run an installed program, the computer loads it, which means the program is copied from storage to memory. Once in memory, the computer can carry out, or execute, the instructions in the program so that you can use the program. A programmer, sometimes called a computer programmer or developer, is someone who develops software or writes the instructions that direct the computer to process data into information. When writing instructions, a programmer must be sure the program works properly so that the computer generates the desired results. Complex programs can require thousands to millions of instructions. Programmers use a programming language or program development tool to create computer programs. Popular programming languages include C++, Java, JavaScript, Visual C#, and Visual Basic, and the newer ones like Python. Data is a collection of unprocessed items, which can include text, numbers, images, audio, and video. Information conveys meaning and is useful to people. Many daily activities either involve the use of or depend on information from a computer. Computers process data into information. Computers carry out processes using instructions, which are the steps that tell the computer how to perform a particular task. A collection of related instructions organized for a common purpose is referred to as software. A computer often holds data, information, and instructions in storage for future use. Some people refer to the series of input, process, output, and storage activities as the information processing cycle. You may be surprised to learn that people are part of the computing process. Some computers, such as the computer chip that controls an automobile engine, function without human intervention. But even these computer were designed by people and occasionally require maintenance by people. Most computer require people, who are called users (or sometimes end users.) Most companies with mid-sized and large computers have an IT (information technology) department. Staff in the IT department should be skilled and up-to-date on the latest technology. IT staff also should train users so that they understand how to use the computer properly. Today’s users also work closely with IT staff in the development of computer applications that relate to their areas of work. All the IT applications should have readily available documented procedures that address operating the computer and using its programs. This procedures acts like a guideline for information systems. They dictate what should be done with data and how to do it. Data can be anything that is stored in the storage devices or the computer. It can be any character of a text, alphabetic or numeric, an image, audio, or video. Data are stored as binary numbers inside the storage devices. The central processing unit is responsible for processing data. The computers process data, they produce something meaningful for the users. This product of data processing is called information. Information, nowadays, is considered as a very valuable asset in any organization. To summarize it, data is a meaningless piece of information. It is not processed so it does not mean anything yet. After processing, data will become information which is more meaningful for the users. Every day, people around the world rely on different types of computers for a variety of applications. There are five categories of computer users: -> Home user ->Small office/home office (SOHO) user ->Mobile user ->Power user ->Enterprise user In an increasing number of homes, the computer no longer is a convenience. Instead, it is a basic necessity. Each family member, or home user, spends time on the computer for different reasons that include personal financial management, Web access, communications, and entertainment. Computers assist small business and home office users in managing their resources effectively. A small office/home office (SOHO) includes any company with fewer than 50 employees, as well as the self-employed who work from home. Small offices include local law practices, accounting firms, travel agencies, and florists. Today, businesses and schools are expanding to serve people across the country and around the world. Thus, increasingly more employees and students are mobile users, who work on a computer or mobile device while away from a main office, home office, or school. Examples of mobile users are sales representatives, real estate agents, insur ance agents, meter readers, package delivery people, journalists, consultants, and students. Another category of user, called a power user, requires the capabilities of a workstation or other type of powerful computer. Examples of power users include engineers, scientists, architects, desktop publishers, and graphic artists. Power users often work with multimedia, combining text, graphics, audio, and video into one application. These users need computers with extremely fast processors because of the nature of their work. An enterprise has hundreds or thousands of employees or customers that work in or do business with offices across a region, the country, or the world. Each employee or customer who uses a computer in the enterprise is an enterprise user. The computer has changed society today as much as the industrial revolution changed society in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. People interact directly with computers in fields such as education, finance, government, health care, science, publishing, travel, and manufacturing. In addition, they can reap the benefits from breakthroughs and advances in these fields. Education is the process of acquiring knowledge. In the traditional model, people learn from other people such as parents, teachers, and employers. Many forms of printed material such as books and manuals are used as learning tools. Today, educators also are turning to computers to assist with education. To promote education by computer, many vendors offer substantial student discounts on software. Many people and companies use computers to help manage their finances. Some use finance software to balance checkbooks, pay bills, track personal income and expenses, manage investments, and evaluate financial plans. This software usually includes a variety of online services. For example, computer users can track investments and do online banking. With online banking, users access account balances, pay bills, and copy monthly transactions from the bank’s computer right into their personal computers. A government provides society with direction by making and administering policies. To provide citizens with up-to-date information, most government offices have Web sites. People in the United States access government Web sites to file taxes, apply for permits and licenses, pay parking tickets, buy stamps, report crimes, apply for financial aid, and renew vehicle registrations and driver’s licenses. To provide these services, some Web sites require users provide personal information. Nearly every area of health care today uses computers. Whether you are visiting a family doctor for a regular checkup, having lab work or an outpatient test, or being rushed in for emergency surgery, the medical staff around you will be using computers for various purposes. All branches of science, from biology to astronomy to meteorology, use computers to assist them with collecting, analyzing, and modeling data. Scientists also use the Internet to communicate with colleagues around the world. Breakthroughs in surgery, medicine, and treatments often result from scientists’ use of computers. Publishing is the process of making works available to the public. These works include books, magazines, newspapers, music, film, and video. Special software assists graphic designers in developing pages that include text, graphics, and photos; artists in com posing and enhancing songs; filmmakers in creating and editing film; and journalists and mobile users in capturing and modifying video clips. Whether traveling by car or airplane, your goal is to arrive safely at your destination. As you make the journey, you may interact with some of the latest technology. Vehicles manufactured today often include some type of onboard navigation system, such as OnStar. Many mobile devices such as smart phones have built-in navigation systems. Some mobile users prefer to carry specialized handheld navigation devices. Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) refers to the use of computers to assist with manufacturing processes such as fabrication and assembly. Industries use CAM to reduce product development costs, shorten a product’s time to market, and stay ahead of the competition. Often, robots carry out processes in a CAM environment. CAM is used by a variety of industries, including oil drilling, power generation, food production, and automobile manufacturing. Automobile plants, for example, have an entire line of industrial robots that assemble a car. Why Is Computer Literacy Vital in Today’s World? Computer literacy, or digital literacy, involves having current knowledge and understanding of computers and their uses. The requirements that determine computer literacy change as technology changes. As computers become more a part of everyday life, many people believe that computer literacy is vital to success. What Is a Computer, and What Is the Relationship between Data and Information? A computer is an electronic device, operating under the control of instructions stored in its own memory, that can accept data, process the data according to specified rules, produce results, and store the results for future use. Data is a collection of unprocessed items, which can include text, numbers, images, audio, and video. Information conveys meaning and is useful to people. List and Describe the Five Components of a Computer. The electric, electronic, and mechanical components of a computer, or hardware, include input devices, output devices, a system unit, storage devices, and communications devices. An input device allows you to enter data or instructions into a computer. An output device conveys information to one or more people. The system unit is a case that contains the electronic components of a computer that are used to process data. A storage device records and/or retrieves items to and from storage media. A communications device enables a computer to send and receive data, instructions, and information to and from one or more computers. What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages That Users Experience When Working with Computers? A user is anyone who communicates with a computer or utilizes the information it generates. Computers have the advantages of speed, reliability, consistency, storage, and communications. They perform operations at incredibly fast speeds, are dependable and reliable, consistently generate error-free results, can store enormous amounts of data, and can share processing with other computers. Disadvantages of computers relate to health risks, the violation of privacy, public safety, the impact on the labor force, and the impact on the environment. What Is a Network, and What Are Its Benefits? A network is a collection of computers and devices connected together, often wirelessly, via communications devices and transmission media. Networks allow computers to share resources, such as hardware, software, data, and information. Sharing resources saves time and money. The world’s largest computer network is the Internet. How Are the Internet and World Wide Web Used? The Internet is a worldwide collection of networks that connects millions of businesses, government agencies, educational institutions, and individuals. People use the Internet to communicate with and meet other people; conduct research and access information and news; shop for goods and services; bank and invest; participate in online training; engage in entertaining activities; download music and videos; share information, photos, and videos; and access and interact with Web applications. The Web, short for World Wide Web, is a global library of documents containing information that is available to anyone connected to the Internet. How Is System Software Different from Application Software? Software, also called a program, is a series of related instructions, organized for a common purpose, that tells the computer what actions to perform and how to perform them. System software consists of the programs that control or maintain the operations of a computer and its devices. Two types of system software are the operating system, which coordinates activities among computer hardware devices, and utility programs, which perform maintenance-type tasks usually related to managing a computer, its devices, or its programs. Application software consists of programs designed to make users more productive and/or assists them with personal tasks. Popular application software includes Web browsers, word processing software, spreadsheet software, database software, and presentation software. What Are the Differences among the Types, Sizes, and Functions in the Following Categories: Personal Computers (Desktop), Mobile Computers and Mobile Devices, Game Consoles, Servers, Mainframes, Supercomputers, and Embedded Computers? Industry experts typically classify computers in seven categories: personal computers (desktop), mobile computers and mobile devices, game consoles, servers, mainframes, supercomputers, and embedded computers. A personal computer is a computer that can perform all of its input, processing, output, and storage activities by itself. A mobile computer is a personal computer you can carry from place to place, and a mobile device is a computing device small enough to hold in your hand. A game console is a mobile computing device designed for single-player or multiplayer video games. A server controls access to the hardware, software, and other resources on a network and provides a centralized storage area for programs, data, and information. A mainframe is a large, expensive, powerful computer that can handle hundreds or thousands of connected users simultaneously and can store tremendous amounts of data, instructions, and information. A supercomputer is the fastest, most powerful, and most expensive computer and is used for applications requiring complex, sophisticated mathematical calculations. An embedded computer is a special-purpose computer that functions as a component in a larger product. What Is the Role of Each Element in an Information System? An information system combines hardware, software, data, people, and procedures to produce timely and useful information. People in an information technology (IT) department develop procedures for processing data. Following these procedures, people use hardware and software to enter the data into a computer. Software processes the data and directs the computer hardware to store changes on storage media and produce information in a desired form. How Do the Various Types of Computer Users Interact with Computers? Computer users can be separated into five categories: home user, small office/home office user, mobile user, power user, and enterprise user. A home user is a family member who uses a computer for a variety of reasons, such as budgeting and personal financial management, Web access, communications, and entertainment. A small office/home office (SOHO) includes any company with fewer than 50 employees, as well as the selfemployed individual who works from home. SOHO users access the Internet to look up information and use basic business software and sometimes industry-specific software. Mobile users are employees and students who work on a computer while away from a main office, home office, or school. A power user uses a workstation or other powerful computer to work with industry-specific software. Power users exist in all types of businesses. An enterprise user works in or interacts with a company with many employees and uses a computer and computer network that processes high volumes of transactions in a single day. How Does Society Use Computers in Education, Finance, Government, Health Care, Science, Publishing, Travel, and Manufacturing? In education, students use computers and software to assist with learning or take distance learning classes. In finance, people use computers for online banking and online investing. Government offices have Web sites to provide citizens with up-to-date information, and government employees use computers as part of their daily routines. In health care, computers are used to maintain patient records, monitor patients, deliver medication to nurse stations via robots, assist with medical tests and research, correspond with patients, fi le insurance claims, provide greater precision during operations, and as implants. All branches of science use computers to assist with collecting, analyzing, and modeling data and to communicate with colleagues around the world. Publishers use computers to assist in designing pages and make the content of their works available online. Many vehicles use some type of online navigation system to help people travel more quickly and safely. Manufacturers use computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) to assist with manufacturing processes.

INTRODUCTION-TO-COMPUTING-WHOLE-MODULE-REVIEWER.pdf

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