Tools for Users
Consumer Applications
- Many software companies have replaced their printed documentation with:
>Tutorials
>Reference materials
>Help files
>Online help
- Upgrading: Users can upgrade a program to the new version by paying an upgrade fee to the software manufacturer
>Newer releases often have additional features and fewer bugs
- Compatibility
>Allows software to function properly with the hardware, operating system, and peripherals
>Programs written for one type of computer system may not work on another
- Disclaimers
>Software manufacturers limit their liability for software problems by selling software "as is"
- Licensing: Commercial software is copyrighted so it can't be legally duplicated for distribution to others
>Software licenses
>Volcume licenses
- Distribution: Software is distributed via:
>Direct sale
>Retail stores
>Mail-order catalogs
>Websites
>Not all software is copyrighted: Public domain software, shareware
Web Applications
- Web applications fall into several categories
>Some simple Web applications perform simple data-processing tasks that could also be performed by traditional programs running on stand-alone PCs
>Most Web applications take advantage of the Web's connectivity
>Many web applications leverage the Web's strength as a huge repository of information
>Some web applications support online business trnasactions
>News-oriented Web applications provide up-to-the-minute reports on a myriad of subjects
>Other Web applications support a more traditional form of information broadcasting
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Chapter 3: Tomorrow's Technology and You: Part 2
Output: From Pulses to People
Screen Output
- A monitor or video display terminal (VDT) displays characters, graphics, photographic images, animation and video.
>Video adapter—connects the monitor to
the computer
>VRAM or video memory, a special portion of RAM to hold video images
- The more video memory, the more picture detail is displayed.
- Monitor size: Measured as a diagonal line across the screen
- Resolution: The number of pixels displayed on the screen
>Pixels (or picture elements): tiny dots that compose a picture
>The higher the resolution, the closer together the dots.
- Image quality is affected by resolution and color depth (or bit depth).
>Color depth refers to the number of different colors a monitor
displays at one time.
Monitor classes
- CRTs (cathode-ray tubes)
- LCDs (liquid crystal displays)
>Overhead projection panels
>Video projectors
>Portable computers
Paper Output
- Printers produce paper output or hard copy.
- Two basic groups of printers:
>Impact printers
>Line printers
>Dot-matrix printers
Output You Can Hear
- Sound card
>Enables the PC to:
>Accept microphone input
>Play music and other sound through speakers or headphones
>Process sound in a variety of ways
- Synthesizers
>Used to produce music, noise
Rules of Thumb: Ergonomics and Health
- Choose equipment that’s ergonomically designed.
- Create a healthy workspace.
- Build flexibility into your work environment.
- Rest your eyes.
- Stretch to loosen tight muscles.
- Listen to your body.
- Seek help when you need it.
Storage Devices: Input Meets Output
Magnetic Disks
- Random data access
- Floppy disks
>Provide inexpensive, portable storage
- Hard disks
>Non-removable, rigid disks that spin continuously and rapidly
>Provide much faster access than a floppy disk
- Removable media (Zip & Jaz disks)
>Provides high-capacity portable storage
Optical Disks
- Use laser beams to read and write bits of information on the disk surface
>Not as fast as magnetic hard disks
>Massive storage capacity
>Very reliable
CD-ROM
- Optical drives that read CD-ROMs
CD-R
- WORM media (write-once, read many)
CD-RW
- Can read CD-ROMs and write, erase and rewrite data onto CD-R & CD-RW
DVD (Digital Versatile Disks)
>Store and distribute all kinds of data
>Hold between 3.8 and 17 gigabytes of information
DVD-ROM drives
>Can play DVD movies, read DVD data disks
>Read standard CD-ROMs, and play audio CDs
>Read-only: can’t record data, music, or movies
DVD-RAM drives
>Can read, erase, and write data (but not DVD video) on multi-gigabyte DVD-R (but not CD-R or CD-RW) media
Solid-State Storage Devices
-Flash memory is an erasable memory
chip:
>Sizes range from 16 MB to 1 GB
>Compact alternative to disk storage
>Contains no moving parts
>Designed for specific applications such as
storing pictures in digital cameras
>Likely to replace disk and tape storage
Screen Output
- A monitor or video display terminal (VDT) displays characters, graphics, photographic images, animation and video.
>Video adapter—connects the monitor to
the computer
>VRAM or video memory, a special portion of RAM to hold video images
- The more video memory, the more picture detail is displayed.
- Monitor size: Measured as a diagonal line across the screen
- Resolution: The number of pixels displayed on the screen
>Pixels (or picture elements): tiny dots that compose a picture
>The higher the resolution, the closer together the dots.
- Image quality is affected by resolution and color depth (or bit depth).
>Color depth refers to the number of different colors a monitor
displays at one time.
Monitor classes
- CRTs (cathode-ray tubes)
- LCDs (liquid crystal displays)
>Overhead projection panels
>Video projectors
>Portable computers
Paper Output
- Printers produce paper output or hard copy.
- Two basic groups of printers:
>Impact printers
>Line printers
>Dot-matrix printers
Output You Can Hear
- Sound card
>Enables the PC to:
>Accept microphone input
>Play music and other sound through speakers or headphones
>Process sound in a variety of ways
- Synthesizers
>Used to produce music, noise
Rules of Thumb: Ergonomics and Health
- Choose equipment that’s ergonomically designed.
- Create a healthy workspace.
- Build flexibility into your work environment.
- Rest your eyes.
- Stretch to loosen tight muscles.
- Listen to your body.
- Seek help when you need it.
Storage Devices: Input Meets Output
Magnetic Disks
- Random data access
- Floppy disks
>Provide inexpensive, portable storage
- Hard disks
>Non-removable, rigid disks that spin continuously and rapidly
>Provide much faster access than a floppy disk
- Removable media (Zip & Jaz disks)
>Provides high-capacity portable storage
Optical Disks
- Use laser beams to read and write bits of information on the disk surface
>Not as fast as magnetic hard disks
>Massive storage capacity
>Very reliable
CD-ROM
- Optical drives that read CD-ROMs
CD-R
- WORM media (write-once, read many)
CD-RW
- Can read CD-ROMs and write, erase and rewrite data onto CD-R & CD-RW
DVD (Digital Versatile Disks)
>Store and distribute all kinds of data
>Hold between 3.8 and 17 gigabytes of information
DVD-ROM drives
>Can play DVD movies, read DVD data disks
>Read standard CD-ROMs, and play audio CDs
>Read-only: can’t record data, music, or movies
DVD-RAM drives
>Can read, erase, and write data (but not DVD video) on multi-gigabyte DVD-R (but not CD-R or CD-RW) media
Solid-State Storage Devices
-Flash memory is an erasable memory
chip:
>Sizes range from 16 MB to 1 GB
>Compact alternative to disk storage
>Contains no moving parts
>Designed for specific applications such as
storing pictures in digital cameras
>Likely to replace disk and tape storage
Chapter 3: Tomorrow's Technology and You: Part 1
Objectives:
- List several examples of input devices and explain how they can make it easier to get different types of information into the computer.
- List several examples of output devices and the explain how they make computers more useful.
- Explain why a typical computer has different types of storage devices.
Diagram how the components of a computer system fit together.
Input: From Person to Processor
- Keyboard
>The most familiar input device
- Used to enter letters, numbers and special characters
- Standard keyboard
- Ergonomic keyboards
>To address possible medical problems
- Wireless keyboard
- Folding keyboards
>Used with palm-sized computers
- One-handed keyboards
- Keyboards printed on membranes
Pointing Devices
>Mouse
>Touchpad
>Pointing stick
>Trackball
>Joystick
>Graphics tablet
>Touch screen
>Stylus
Reading Tools
- Read marks representing codes specifically designed for computer input
>Magnetic-ink character readers
>Optical-mark readers
>Bar-code readers
>Pen scanners
>Tablet PC
>Smart whiteboard
>Radio Frequency Identification Readers (RFID)
Scanners capture and digitize printed images.
- Flatbed
- Slide
- Drum
- Sheet-fed
Digital camera
- Snapshots captured as digital images
- Digital images stored as bit patterns on disks or other digital storage media
Video digitizer
- Capture input from a:
>Video camera
>Video cassette recorder or television
- Convert it to a digital signal
>Stored in memory and displayed on computer screens
- Videoconferencing
>People in diverse locations can see and hear each other
>Used to conduct long-distance meetings
>Video images transmitted through networks
Audio digitizers
- Digitize sounds from
>Microphones
>Other input devices
- Digital signals can be
>Stored
>Further processed with specialized software
A digital signal processing chip
compresses the stream of bits before
it is transmitted to the CPU
Speech recognition software
- Converts voice data into words that can be edited and printed
Sensors
- Designed to monitor physical conditions
>Temperature, humidity, pressure
- Provide data used in:
>Robotics
>Environmental climate control
>Weather forecasting
>Medical monitoring
>Biofeedback
>Scientific research
- List several examples of input devices and explain how they can make it easier to get different types of information into the computer.
- List several examples of output devices and the explain how they make computers more useful.
- Explain why a typical computer has different types of storage devices.
Diagram how the components of a computer system fit together.
Input: From Person to Processor
- Keyboard
>The most familiar input device
- Used to enter letters, numbers and special characters
- Standard keyboard
- Ergonomic keyboards
>To address possible medical problems
- Wireless keyboard
- Folding keyboards
>Used with palm-sized computers
- One-handed keyboards
- Keyboards printed on membranes
Pointing Devices
>Mouse
>Touchpad
>Pointing stick
>Trackball
>Joystick
>Graphics tablet
>Touch screen
>Stylus
Reading Tools
- Read marks representing codes specifically designed for computer input
>Magnetic-ink character readers
>Optical-mark readers
>Bar-code readers
>Pen scanners
>Tablet PC
>Smart whiteboard
>Radio Frequency Identification Readers (RFID)
Scanners capture and digitize printed images.
- Flatbed
- Slide
- Drum
- Sheet-fed
Digital camera
- Snapshots captured as digital images
- Digital images stored as bit patterns on disks or other digital storage media
Video digitizer
- Capture input from a:
>Video camera
>Video cassette recorder or television
- Convert it to a digital signal
>Stored in memory and displayed on computer screens
- Videoconferencing
>People in diverse locations can see and hear each other
>Used to conduct long-distance meetings
>Video images transmitted through networks
Audio digitizers
- Digitize sounds from
>Microphones
>Other input devices
- Digital signals can be
>Stored
>Further processed with specialized software
A digital signal processing chip
compresses the stream of bits before
it is transmitted to the CPU
Speech recognition software
- Converts voice data into words that can be edited and printed
Sensors
- Designed to monitor physical conditions
>Temperature, humidity, pressure
- Provide data used in:
>Robotics
>Environmental climate control
>Weather forecasting
>Medical monitoring
>Biofeedback
>Scientific research
Friday, September 3, 2010
Chapter 2: Hardware Basics
Objectives
- Explain in general terms how computers store and manipulate
information.
- Describe the basic structure and organization of a computer.
- Discuss the functions and interactions of a computer system’s
principal internal components.
- Explain why a computer typically has different types of
memory and storage devices.
What Computers Do
- Receive input: Accept information from the outside world
- Process information: Perform arithmetic or logical (decision-making) operations on information
- Produce output: Communicate information to the outside world
Store information: Move and store information in memory
Basic Components of a Computer
Input devices :
Keyboards and pointing devices(mouse)
Output devices:
Display or video monitor
Printer
Speakers
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
Memory and storage devices
- Primary storage: RAM (Random Access Memory)
- Secondary storage: Storage devices that serve as long-term repositories for data:
>Hard disk drives
>Recordable CD and DVD drives
>Tape drives
A Bit About Bits
- Every track gives a specific function
- When you press a button it sends through tracks
Decimal Numbers:
- Decimal numbers are 0/1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9
- Using two symbols, all numbers can be represented on a calculator as well as performing arithmetic
- Calculator translates the touch on the numeric keypad into series of 0's and 1's
Binary Numbers:
- Represented in 0's (off) and 1's (on)
- Binary denotes all numbers with combination of 2 digits
- Decimals are automatically converted into binary's, vice-versa
- Binary number processing is completely hidden from the user
- Binary's go from right to left
Bits as Codes:
-> ASCII
- Most widely used
- Stands for American Standard code for information interchange
-> Unicode
- Coding scheme that supports 65,000 unique characters
Bits as Instructions in Programs
- Programs are stored as collection of bits
- Program instructions are represented in binary notation through use of codes
Bits, Bytes, & Buzzwords
- Byte = 8 bytes
- Kilobyte (KB) = One thousand bytes
- Megabyte (MB) = One million bytes
- Gigabytes (GB) = One billion bytes
- Terabytes (TB) = One trillion bytes
Green Computing
*The manufacture of hardware and software can have an impact on the environment
- Buy green equipment (energy star)
- Use a notebook & solar battery
- Use energy-saving features
- Turn off the computer when you're away
- Screen savers don't save energy
- Print only once
- Recycle waste products
- Energy costs already exceeds hardware cause
- 20bn kWh a year is wasted die to PCs being left overnight in US & UK
- Power can be saved through server virtualization
-> 2900 servers, 30 mainframes, 80% saving
- Energy efficient coding could cut energy use by up to 30%
- Computers can be both the problem and solution to the problem of being green
- Computers can:
-> Increase business efficiency
-> Enable dematerealization (buying things digitally)
- Intel says computing has saved more resources then it has consumed
Make A Checklist
Plan
-> Buy laptops instead of PC, or thing clients
-> Don't over-specify
-> High-efficiency power unit supply
-> Only green
Maintenance
-> Set monitors off when you leave house
-> Turn off your PC when you leave house
-> Replace CRT monitors with LCDs
Data Centres
-> Highly efficient servers
-> Virtual Servers if possible
-> Review cooling strategies
- Explain in general terms how computers store and manipulate
information.
- Describe the basic structure and organization of a computer.
- Discuss the functions and interactions of a computer system’s
principal internal components.
- Explain why a computer typically has different types of
memory and storage devices.
What Computers Do
- Receive input: Accept information from the outside world
- Process information: Perform arithmetic or logical (decision-making) operations on information
- Produce output: Communicate information to the outside world
Store information: Move and store information in memory
Basic Components of a Computer
Input devices :
Keyboards and pointing devices(mouse)
Output devices:
Display or video monitor
Printer
Speakers
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
Memory and storage devices
- Primary storage: RAM (Random Access Memory)
- Secondary storage: Storage devices that serve as long-term repositories for data:
>Hard disk drives
>Recordable CD and DVD drives
>Tape drives
A Bit About Bits
- Every track gives a specific function
- When you press a button it sends through tracks
Decimal Numbers:
- Decimal numbers are 0/1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9
- Using two symbols, all numbers can be represented on a calculator as well as performing arithmetic
- Calculator translates the touch on the numeric keypad into series of 0's and 1's
Binary Numbers:
- Represented in 0's (off) and 1's (on)
- Binary denotes all numbers with combination of 2 digits
- Decimals are automatically converted into binary's, vice-versa
- Binary number processing is completely hidden from the user
- Binary's go from right to left
Bits as Codes:
-> ASCII
- Most widely used
- Stands for American Standard code for information interchange
-> Unicode
- Coding scheme that supports 65,000 unique characters
Bits as Instructions in Programs
- Programs are stored as collection of bits
- Program instructions are represented in binary notation through use of codes
Bits, Bytes, & Buzzwords
- Byte = 8 bytes
- Kilobyte (KB) = One thousand bytes
- Megabyte (MB) = One million bytes
- Gigabytes (GB) = One billion bytes
- Terabytes (TB) = One trillion bytes
Green Computing
*The manufacture of hardware and software can have an impact on the environment
- Buy green equipment (energy star)
- Use a notebook & solar battery
- Use energy-saving features
- Turn off the computer when you're away
- Screen savers don't save energy
- Print only once
- Recycle waste products
- Energy costs already exceeds hardware cause
- 20bn kWh a year is wasted die to PCs being left overnight in US & UK
- Power can be saved through server virtualization
-> 2900 servers, 30 mainframes, 80% saving
- Energy efficient coding could cut energy use by up to 30%
- Computers can be both the problem and solution to the problem of being green
- Computers can:
-> Increase business efficiency
-> Enable dematerealization (buying things digitally)
- Intel says computing has saved more resources then it has consumed
Make A Checklist
Plan
-> Buy laptops instead of PC, or thing clients
-> Don't over-specify
-> High-efficiency power unit supply
-> Only green
Maintenance
-> Set monitors off when you leave house
-> Turn off your PC when you leave house
-> Replace CRT monitors with LCDs
Data Centres
-> Highly efficient servers
-> Virtual Servers if possible
-> Review cooling strategies
The computer: The real computer
-> CPU (Microprocessor)
-> Interprets and executes the instructions in each program
-> Supervises arithmetic and logical data manipulations
-> Communicates with all the other parts of the computer system indirectly through memory
-> An extraordinarily complex collection of electronic circuits
-> Houses along with other chips and electronic components on the motherboard
Compatibility
- All software is not necessarily compatible with every computer
- Software written for the powerPC family of processors used in Macintosh computers wont run on Intel processors
- Programs written for Linux cant run on Windows
- CPU's from the same family are generally designed to be backwards compatible
Performance
- Applications require faster machines to produce satisfactory results
- A computer's overall performance is determined by: its internal clock speed and architecture and word size of processor
- Techniques to speed up a computer's performance: parallel processing, server clusters
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