Tuesday 5 April 2011

Information Technology, The Internet, and You

Five Parts of an Information System

1.1. People
2.2. Procedures
3.3. Software

 4.4. 
 5.4. Hardware
5. Data


People are the most important part of an information system
Our lives are touched everyday by computers- many time the contact is direct and obvious, such as creating documents using a word processing program or when connecting to the internet. Other times, it isn’t as obvious and is much more indirect as shown in a couple of the pictures
Have students give examples of how they use computer applications throughout the day

Some examples are:

Instant messaging

Web-based applications 
     
Personal Web site

Virus protection

TV tuners and video clips
 
Digital photography

Music

Home networking

Spyware

Job opportunities


Software is another name for programs
Programs are instructions that tell the computer how to process data into the form you want
Emphasize differences between application and systems software

System software
Operating system (Key Term)
Utilities
Device drivers (Key Term)

Application software
General-purpose (Key Term)
Special purpose

System
Not a single program
A collection of programs
Two best known Operating systems are:
Windows XP
Mac OS X
Utilities
Service programs (key term)
Performs tasks related to managing computer resources
Device drivers


“End-user” software – these are the types of programs you have to know to be considered computer competent
An example of a basic application is a browser to navigate, explore and find information (Key Term) on the Internet
Two major categories
General purpose - basic programs; off-the-shelf
Specialized application – narrow focus on specific disciplines and occupations


There are four types of computers
Supercomputers (key term) – the most powerful; special high-capacity computers used in very large corporations

Mainframe computers (key term) – are capable of great processing speed and data storage; occupy specially wired, air-conditioned rooms; insurance companies use to process information about millions of policyholders

Minicomputers (key term)  - known as midrange computers (key term), are refrigerator sized machines used in medium sized companies or departments in large companies

Microcomputers (key term) – least powerful but most widely used and fastest-growing type of computers

Desktop (key term)
Laptop or notebook (key term)
Tablet PC (key term)
Handheld computers (Key Term)
Palm computers (Key Term)
Personal digital assistants (PDA) (Key Term)

Small but not a laptop
Have students begin discussing the type(s) of a desktop computer (key term) they are using or familiar with


Notebook computers are also known as laptops
Have students begin discussing the type(s) of notebook or laptop computer(s) they are using or familiar with


Accepts handwriting
Ask students if they are familiar with tablet PCs


Personal digital assistants (PDA) are the most widely used handheld computer
Ask students if they are familiar with palm computers or PDAs


System Unit is the container that houses most of the electronic components that make up a computer system.
Input/Output – Input devices (key term) translate data and programs from a form humans understand to a form computers can process;
Secondary Storage – Unlike memory (key term), secondary storage holds data and programs even after the electrical power has been turned off—examples of secondary storage include USB drives, hard drives and optical drives and floppy drives  eliminated
Communication – one computer communicating with another computer or other computer systems using communication devices (key term) such as a modem


Systems unit-container houses most of the electronic components that make up a computer system
The microprocessor controls and manipulates data to produce information
Memory holds data and program instructions for processing the data.  It also holds the processed information before it is output
Memory is sometimes referred to as temporary storage because its contents will typically be lost if the electrical power to the computer is disrupted


Floppy disks are used to store and transport data from one computer to another.  Floppy disks are named as such due to the fact that data is stored on a very thin flexible, or floppy, plastic disk  ELIMINATE (floppy reference)
Hard disks are typically used to store programs and very large data files.  Hard disk have a much larger capacity and are able to access information much faster than floppy disks
Optical disks use laser technology and have the greatest capacity. 
Examples of optical disks include:
compact discs (CDs) (Key Term)
digital versatile discs (DVDs) (Key Term)
high definition (hi def) (Key Term) discs


Check notes with book Used to describe facts about something
Contained in files for documents, worksheets, and databases
Document files (key term) - usually created by word processors
Worksheet files (key term) - electronic spreadsheets
Database files (key term) - electronic database management programs
Presentation files (key term) - electronic slide shows


Word processors are used to prepare written documents
Create text-based documents
One of the most flexible and widely used software tools
Features to make entering, editing, and formatting documents easy


Files created by spreadsheet programs
Uses functions and formulas to analyze numeric data
Manipulates numeric data
Features include workbooks, worksheets, cells, ranges, text and numeric entries, formulas, functions, charts, recalculation, and what-if analysis

A database management system (DBMS) or database manager is a program that sets up, or structures, a database
Files created by database management programs
Organizes data for efficient retrieval
Is the electronic equivalent of a file cabinet
It also provides tools to enter, edit, and retrieve data from the database


Used to create a variety of visual objects to create attractive, visually interesting presentations
Features include slides, AutoContent wizard, color schemes, slide layouts, special effects, master slides, and design templates
Connectivity is the capability of your microcomputer to share information with other computers
Wireless /mobile communication devices are more popular than ever
A network is central to the concept of connectivity
Ask students questions about the Internet. Here are some facts:
No one owns the Internet
There is no Internet, Inc.
The Internet is a network of networks
The Word Wide Web (key term) (WWW) provides multimedia interface to resources on the Internet

Internet & Web - browse the Web,  communicate with others, locate Information, etc
Powerful Software - create professional looking documents, analyze massive amounts of data, create dynamic multimedia pages, and more.
Powerful Hardware – more powerful & robust, new technologies such as wireless networks & their impact to connect, equipment can be dynamic vs. essential features of devices remain static
Security & Privacy – negative impacts, potential mental & physical health risk, negative effects on the environment, etc
Organizations – organizational information systems and their use
Changing Times – fast paced era and rapid change

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