Fundamentals of Information Technology - Lecture notes - Module 1 PDF

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Thursday, May 28, 2015

Module 1 Understanding Computer Parts

- bit > byte > kilobyte > megabyte > gigabyte > terabyte > petabyte > exabyte > zettabyte

- 8 bits = 1 byte - ~1,000 bytes = 1KB - ~1,000,000 bytes = 1 MB - ~1,000,000,000 bytes = 1 GB - ~1,000,000,000,000 bytes = 1 TB - major functions of a computer: • gathers data (allows users to input data) • processes data into information • outputs data or information • stores data and information - Hardware • any physical part of the computer (the ones we can touch) • system unit + peripheral devices • some devices help the computer communicate with other computers (like network routers)

• all of these perform the four basic functions of a computer - Software

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• set of programs that enables the hardware to perform different tasks • application software: enables carrying out tasks like creating spreadsheets or editing photos

• system software: enables the hardware to communicate with the application software (operating system)

- Computer Types • portable: notebooks, netbooks, tablets • stationary: desktop computers • mainframe: supports hundreds or thousands of users simultaneously • supercomputer: performs complex calculations rapidly • embedded: self-contained computer performing dedicated functions - Input Devices • enables the user to enter data (text, images) and commands into the computer • keyboard: typed data and commands - QWERTY standard on mosts PCs - features can include numbers, function and navigation keys - notebook keys normally have alternate functions when used with F (function) keys

- virtual laser keyboard - configurable keyboard • mouse: responses and commands - optical mouse (no mousepad or cleaning, uses optical light to sense user’s movements) 2

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- trackball (stationary on desk, senses movements with a rolling trackball underneath its body)

- wireless mouse (sends data to computer through radio waves) - integrated pointing device (touchpad) - magnifier (function of mice that pulls and magnification box that you can drag around the screen to enhance its view)

- customizable buttons (extra buttons that can be programmed) - web search (allows to highlight a word or phrase and then search it on the Web) - file storage (includes a wireless USB receiver that contains flash memory) • microphone: audio input (used for podcasts, videoconferences, internet phone calls, speech recognition)

• scanner: physical paper input into the computer • digital camera: video and image input (can come from cameras, camcorders, cell phones, webcam)

• digital pens • game controllers • touch screens • there are input devices for the physically challenged (voice recognition, large keyboards, touch-screen keyboards, special trackballs designed for one-finger use and head-mounted pointing devices)

- Output Devices • enables you to send processed data out of the computer - text - pictures (or graphics) 3

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- sounds (audio) - video • monitor (displays text, graphics and video as soft-copies - only onscreen) - LCD: liquid crystal display. Screen made of pixels; each made of red, blue and green sub-pixels (sometimes yellow too) and a layer of liquid crystal sandwiched between to transparent layers to form images

• aspect ratio: WxH proportion • contrast ratio: light intensity difference between brightest white and darkest black

• viewing angle: angle where you can move to on the sides before the image turns unacceptable

• brightness: greatest amount of light showing when displaying pure white • response time: pixel colour change time - LED: light-emitting diode, more energy efficient than LCD monitors and better colour accuracy

- CRT: outdated, legacy technology • printer (created hard-copies of texts and graphics) - inkjet (spray dots of ink onto the page); - laser (uses laser beams and static electricity) • speed: how many pages it can print per minute • resolution: dots per inch of the image printed • colour output: colour cartridges in the printer (all in one or varied; changes by printer and brand)

• use and cost 4

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• cost of consumables - Motherboard • key circuit board that holds essential processing parts of the computer • CPU (computer’s brain. Controls all functions of the computer and processes all commands. Performs billions of tasks per second without error; very powerful component. Quality measured in speed and cores)

• RAM (Random Access Memory: temporary storage of instructions and data; consists of several memory cards/modules)

• Expansion cards and slots • Built-in components - Hard Drive • computer’s primary device for permanent storage of softwares and documents • holds data even with the computer turned off • there are external drives available - Drives Bays • internal drive bays: - cannot be seen of accessed from outside the system unit - reserved for internal hard drives • external drive bays: - can be accessed from outside - houses CD and DVD drives

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Thursday, May 21, 2015

Module 3 System Software

- coordinates instructions between hardware and software - operating system (Windows, Macintosh) - utility programs Application Software

- programs used to complete tasks - freeware: any copyrighted software you can use for free - open source software: free to use on the condition that any changes you make to improve the source code can be distributed for free

- Productivity Software • word processing (Microsoft Office Word) • spreadsheet (Microsoft Office Excel) - worksheets with cells - values, formulas and functions - automatic recalculation • cells: little excel squares • labels: description of the content in the columns and rows of cells • values: numeric data • formulas: equations used to calculate results in the form of numeric data • functions: formulas programmed into the spreadsheet software 1

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• presentation (Microsoft Office Power Point) • database (Microsoft Office Access, Oracle) - complex electronic filing system - matrix of data - ability to group, sort and retrieve data to generate reports - organized into fields, records and tables • personal information system (Microsoft Outlook) - used to replace the traditional tools on an desk; profile manager with calendar, address book, notepad and a to-do list

• personal finance - used for tax preparation and financial planning (TurboTax and Microsoft Money, respectively)

• note-taking software (Microsoft OneNote) • Productivity Software Tools: - wizards: step-by-step guides to walk you through necessary steps on the given software

- templates: predesigned forms included with the software - macros: group of a series of commands to run them as a single command - Specialty Software • Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Software • used for architecture, aerospace, automotive and medical engineering industries - Entertainment Software • Media Software for Home - Desktop Publishing Software 2

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- Image Editing Software (Photoshop, Google Picasa) - Computer Aided Design Software - Video Editing (iMovie, Microsoft Movie Maker) - Digital Audio Software (Audacity; certain uses of Garage Band) - Web Page Authoring - Media Management Software (Apple iTunes) - Online Photo Management (flickr.com, pinterest.com) • Computer Games - require processing power, memory in RAM, hard disk capacity, sound and video cards, speakers, monitors, CD or DVD drive, specialized controllers

- Entertainment Software Rating Board - Educational and Reference Software • provide instruction or training • skill development, test preparation, brain development, simulations, online courses - Personal Software - Mapping Software • provides nationwide street maps and directions (GPS service) - Business Software for Home and Office • accounting software • specialized business software - vertical market software: tailored to the needs of a particular industry - can be custom developed for a company • desktop publishing software 3

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- used to arrange text and graphics for publications (formatting, file importing, graphic tools, web publishing)

- ex: Adobe InDesign • webpage authoring software - used to create a Web page - knowledge of HTML is not necessary • include wizards, templates, reference materials and interactive content • ex: Adobe Dreamweaver Integrated Software Application

- single program that incorporates many software programs - complex features are not included - less expensive - example: Microsoft Works Software Suite

- collection of stand-alone software programs packed together - share common menus and toolbars - integrate well - Developers: microsoft, Corel, Linux

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Module 4 System Software

- Operating system - provides means for software to work with the CPU - responsible for management, scheduling and interaction of tasks - provides user interface such as desktop, icons and menus - Controls: • hardware • processor • memory • peripheral devices - Utility programs: • backup • security • diagnostic • recovery Operating System Categories

- Real-Time (Embedded Systems) • measurement instruments • machinery that performs a repetitive series of specific tasks in an exact amount of time requires a real-time operating system 1

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- program with a specific purpose: • automobiles • printers • VoIP phones • medical devices • appliances • robotic equipment - Multiuser (Network Operating System) • Microsoft windows server OS • enables more than one user to access the computer system at one time by efficiently juggling all requests by the users

• installed on the server that manages all user requests, to ensure they do not interfere with each other

• Linux • UNIX - multiuser, multitask - used primarily with mainframes as a network opening system (host computers) • mainframes or supercomputers: - other computers utilizing multiuser operating systems - mainframes handle requests from hundreds or thousands users simultaneously

- supercomputers are used by scientists and engineers

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- vendors can modify the code • Windows Server 2008 • Mac OS X - Single-User, multitasking • Apple Mac OS - Single-user, single-tasking • MS-DOS

- Desktop and Notebook Operating System • combination of operating system and processor is called the computer’s platform • application softwares are platform specific Microsoft Windows

- multiuser, multitasking Mac OS

- first commercially available OS with point and click technology - excellent in graphics display, processing capabilities, system reliability, file backup utilities

- fewer software applications than for Widows Linux

- open source operating system - based on UNIX 3

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- stable system - may be downloaded free from the internet - can be tweaked to meet any OS needs User Interface

- enables you to interact with the computer - Command-driven interface: user must type very specific commands to get a computer to load a program. Complex and difficult to use

- Menu-driven interface: the user chooses a command from menus displayed onscreen. Less complex than command-driven interfaces, but not much easier to use

- Graphical user interface: displays graphics and uses point-and-click technology, making operating systems much more user friendly.

Processor Management

- controls the timing of events the processor works on • multitasking • interrupting tasks (interrupt handler, interrupt table) • stack OS Architecture

- more recent versions of Windows (7 or Vista) feature a 64-bit version of Windows - a 64-bit systems must be checked to see if all the programs and applications are in current format with the 64-bit version of the operating system

- previous versions of Windows used 32-bit systems - most editions on Windows 7 require more than 1 GB of RAM alone

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- the translucent Aero interface requires at least 2 GB of RAM and a video card with at least 256 MB of RAM

Virtual Memory

- Instructions and data are stores on the hard drive when the RAM is full • swap file • paging • thrashing • external hard drives • CDs and DVDs • USB Flash Drives

Hardware and Peripheral Device Management

- devices attached to the computer that come with a special program that facilitated communication between the device itself and the operating system

- such a device works on translating commands from the software in the device into commands that the operating system can understand and the other way around too. Thus, the device cannot perform its function without the appropriate driver

- example: printer CDs that come with the printer to install on the computer and things like that

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- Plug and Play is a set of drivers that are preinstalled on Windows in the form of standard software and hardware so it can facilitate the installation of a new device driver of, more specifically in this care, a piece of hardware

Software Application Coordination

- for the CPU to work with software programs, the latter need to come with code that the CPU understands. Rather than having a set of standardized code, the operating system comes with blocks of code apart, called application programming interfaces, that these softwares need to run.

- to create programs that can communicate with the operating system, software programmers need only to refer to these APIs in their individual application program, rather than including a full set of coding lines to equate those in the CPU that runs that particular operating system

- these make it easier for software developers to respond to changes in the operating system

• Microsoft DirectX is a group of multimedia-directed APIs built on to Windows to improve graphics and sound when playing games or watching videos

Starting the computer 1. basic input/output system (BIOS) is activated by powering on the CPU 2. the BIOS checks that all attached devices are in place (called a power-on self test) 3. the operating system in loaded into the RAM 4. configuration and customization settings are checked

- safe mode screen appears on Windows when an error happens during the boot process. It is a special diagnostic mode designed for troubleshooting errors

• while in safe only essential devices will function (keyboard, mouse and monitor, for an example)

• one should try rebooting the machine if it ends up on safe mode • uninstall a recently installed software if it caused you to boot on safe mode 6

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Desktop

- first interaction between user and operating system - contains short-cuts to files and folders to facilitate the operating system’s work - gadget: easy to use miniprogram that gives you information at a glance or quick access to frequently used tools, like weather information and calendar items

- taskbar: displays open and favourite applications for easy access Windows

- standard window system in Windows has consistent features in all its different forms of software:

• title bar • menu bar • toolbar • windows view option • status bar • scrollbars • sizing buttons

- File Management • the operating system accepts commands for dealing with files, such as open, copy, rename, move and delete 7

Thursday, May 21, 2015

• In Windows, the Recycle Bin is where deleted files go to where they can be retrieved easily before complete deletion, if need be. On Mac, that is called Trash.

• Windows 7 comes with a new concept of libraries, which are collections that gather files from different locations regardless of how they are physically stored

• operating system provides an organizational structure for the computer’s contents; in a hierarchical structure of directories

- drives • folders - subfolders • files - File Extensions • identifies what family of files the file belongs to • comes as (x).extension • Mac filenames are case sensitive and do not need file extensions - file path: starts with the drive in which the file is located and includes all the folders and subfolders (if any), the filename and the extensions

Utility Programs

- small applications that perform special functions: • managing system resources (as disk defragmenter utilities) • making time and work on the computer more pleasant (as screen savers) • improving efficiency (file compression utilities) - Display Utilities

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• right click at an open area of the desktop opens the Display Properties (it can also be accessed from the Control Panel through a Display icon)

• it change the appearance of desktop, background, screen savers and window colours

- File Compression Utilities • program that takes out redundancies in a file to reduce its size • it makes a large file more compact • Windows has a built-in compression (zip) file support • stand-alone freeware and shareware programs, such as WinZip (Windows) and StuffIt (Windows/Mac) also exist for this kind of task

• these programs look for repeated patterns of letters in the code and replace them with a shorter placeholder

- System Maintenance Utilities • set of maintenance utilities built into Windows, primarily for system efficiency • Disk Cleanup: removes unnecessary files from the hard drive. We choose the files to be deleted, from Downloaded Program Files, Temporary Internet Files, Offline Web Pages or the Recycle Bin

• Disk Defragmenter Utilities: regroups related pieces of files together on the hard drive so the operating system can work more efficiently.

• Error Checking: once known as ScanDisk. Checks for lost files and fragments as well as physical errors in the hard drive. It can recover lost data, but usually it deletes files that are taking up too much space unnecessarily

• Task Manager: checks or exits a malfunctioning program • System Restore: lets you restore your system settings back to a date when everything was working properly

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• Backup: creates a copy of your hard drive to another storage device • Task Scheduler: schedules tasks to run automatically at predetermined times, with no interaction with the user being necessary

- Accessibility Utilities • Ease of Access Centre: windows utility created to centralize assistive technology and tools that adjust them, like contrast, magnifier, on-screen keyboard and speech recognition

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