CPS 111 – Introduction to Information Communication Technology

1. CPS 111 – Introduction to Information Communication Technology Lecture 2 HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, NETWORKS Lecturer: Mr. B. SINGHATEH 1

2. Functions of personal computer Hardware Software Networks To research : Multiplexer

3. Computers range from the smallest PDAs to the largest CPU mainframes Today’s computer systems come in a variety of sizes shapes and computing capabilities Super Computers Mainframe Systems Midrange computers Microcomputers

4. Purchase prices for supercomputers can range from $5M to $50M USD The term supercomputer describes a category of extremely powerful computers Specifically designed for scientific, engineering and business applications requiring extremely high speeds Use parallel processing architectures or interconnected microcomputers As of November 2008, the fastest supercomputer is the IBM Roadrunner 4

5. Super Computer

6. Mainframe use is on the rise as a result of emerging applications such as data mining/warehousing and ecommerce Mainframe systems continue to handle the information processing needs of major corporations and government agencies Used to handle high transaction processing volume or complex computational problem solving Can process thousands of million instructions per second Have large primary storage capacity

7. A Mainframe Computer

8. Features • large-sized • Powerful multi-user computers that can support concurrent programs. -- Mainframe computers can be used by as many as hundreds or thousands of users at the same time. • Large organizations may use a mainframe computer to execute large-scale processes such as processing the organization's payroll.

9. Though less powerful, midrange systems are less costly to buy, operate and maintain than mainframe systems Midrange - Systems are primarily high-end network servers and other types of servers that can handle the processing of many business applications Often used to help manage larger Internet websites, corporate intranets and extranets and other networks Other applications such as data warehouse management, data mining and online analytical processing are becoming popular

10. Futures • Are mid-sized multi-processing computers. --Support a good number of users • In recent years the distinction between mini-computers and small mainframes has become blurred. • Organizations may use a mini-computer for such tasks as • -Managing financial system or maintaining a small database or applications

11. Microcomputers are the most important category for consumers Also called PCs (personal computers) PCs are available as hand-held, notebook, laptop, portable, desktop or floor-standing models Other examples of microcomputers include Workstation computers that support applications e.g. IBM 1620 Network servers that coordinate telecommunications and resource sharing in small networks

12. A Micro Computer

13. There are several additional, smaller, categories of microcomputers Network computers Sealed and networked microcomputers with minimal disk storage Primarily used with the internet Low cost to purchase, maintain, upgrade and support Information appliances Hand-held personal digital assistants (PDAs) are the most popular IA Computer terminals Use keypads, touch screens, bar code scanners etc. to capture data and interact with end users during a transaction, while relying on other computers in the network for further transaction processing

14. What do you look for in a new PC system? A large monitor? Lots of RAM? Capacious hard drive? Price of a new computer is only a small part of the total cost of ownership (TCO) Support, maintenance, upgrades etc. contribute far more heavily to the total sum Large corporations are more concerned with the following: Solid performance at a reasonable price Operating system ready Connectivity

15. How fast are computer systems? Early computer operating speeds were measured in milliseconds (thousandths of a second) Now computers operate in the nanosecond (billionth of a second) range An average person taking one step each nanosecond would circle the earth 20 times in one second Picoseconds (trillionth of a second) have been achieved by some computers Most computers process instructions at million instructions per second (MIPS) Another measure of processing speed is megahertz (MHz), or millions or cycles per second, and gigahertz (GHz), or billions of cycles per second

16. Operating speed is only one factor which impacts processing speed Operating speed ratings can be misleading indicators of effective processing (ability to perform useful computations or data processing during a given period of time) Processing speed depends on several additional factors: Size of circulatory paths Capacity of instruction processing registers Use of specialized processors Etc.

17. There are hundreds of smaller components within a computer, but only a few major ones Monitor Keyboard Mouse Cables Computer tower Processor (CPU) Fan Disk drive and/or floppy drive Hard drive RAM Motherboard

18. Computers can be relatively easy to Assemble Plug computer tower and monitor to wall Connect monitor, keyboard and mouse to computer tower Look for pictures on back of the tower to help guide you to the correct connection location Verify that outlet is on and functional Take note of: USB ports Headphone connection Network ports

19. REVIEW: What are the six major components of a computer? Input devices Processor Memory (random access memory, RAM) Output devices Storage devices Communication devices Can you give an example of these hardware components?

20. A computer is only a high powered “processing box” without peripherals Peripherals is a generic name given to all: Input devices Output devices Secondary storage devices Are separate from, but can be electronically connected to and controlled by, a CPU

21. Input technologies now provide a more natural user interface Keyboards are the most widely used devices for entering text and data The electronic mouse is the most popular pointing device used to move the cursor on the screen The computer interface displayed on the computer screen is also known as the Graphical User Interface (GUI)

22. There are several additional, but less popular, pointing devices used today Trackball - A roller ball with only its top exposed outside used to move the cursor Pointing stick – A small button-like device which moves the cursor in the direction on the pressure you place on the stick (Likened to an eraser head) Touchpad – A small rectangular touch-sensitive surface Touch screen – Allows you to use a computer by touching the surface of its video display screen

23. Pen-based computing is an input technology often used with PDAs Pen-based computing – Your handwriting or drawing in digitalized Uses a digitizer pen as a pointing device to draw or write on a pressure-sensitive surface of the graphic tablet Speech recognition systems – Digitalize, analyze and classify your speech and passes recognized words into your application software Often requires training your computer

24. The banking industry utilizes many different input technologies Opticalscanning – Read text or graphics and convert them to digital input Other input technologies: Magnetic stripes Smart cards Digital cameras Magnetic ink character recognition (MICR)

25. It is increasingly more common to utilize multimedia forms of output Video output Video monitors – Use a cathode ray tube similar to that in used in a TV Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) – Used for portable microcomputers such as laptops and PDAs Printed output Inkjet printers – Spray ink onto a page Laser printers – Electronic process similar to photocopying Audio output

26. Data / information can be stored until needed using various storage devices Primary Storage (Main Memory) Semiconductor Memory Access Speed Increases Cost per Byte Increases Storage Capacity Decreases Secondary Storage Magnetic Disks Optical Disks Magnetic Tape

27. Data are processed and stored in a computer through binary representation Data are processed and stored in a computer system through the presence or absence of electronic or magnetic signals This is called two-state or binary representation The smallest element of data is called a bit A byte is a basic grouping of bits that the computer operates as a single unit

28. The primary storage of your computer consists of microelectronic semiconductor memory chips Semiconductor memory – Provides you with working storage your computer needs to process applications RAM: Random access memory – Each memory position and both be read (sensed) ROM: Read only memory – Used for permanent storage as ROM cannot be erased or overwritten and written (changed)

29. Magnetic and optical disks are popular storage methods because of their portability Magnetic disks Floppy disks – Capacities range from 1.5MB – 750MB Hard disk drives – Enclosed in a sealed module which allows for higher speeds and greater data recording densities Capacities of several terabytes Magnetic tape Provide low-cost storage to supplement magnetic disks

30. Optical disks are a fast growing storage media CD-ROM: Low cost way to read data files and load software from CDs CD-RW (rewritable): Allows you to create custom data CDs CD-RW/DVD: Can read DVD-ROM and CD-ROM disks and can create custom CDs DVD-ROM: Allows you to view DVD video and sound A DVD-ROM drive can also read CD-ROM disks DVD+RW/+R with CD-RW: All in one package Can burn DVD-RW or DVD-R disks, burn CDs, and read DVDs and CDs

31. There are two major types of computer software Application software – Performs information processing tasks for end user Application specific programs General purpose application programs System software – Manages and supports operations of computer systems and networks System management programs System development programs The types of software you will encounter depend on the types of computer you use and the tasks you want to accomplish

32. The system and application software interface between the end users and computer hardware End User Application Software System Software Computer Hardware

33. Thousands of application specific software packages are available Application specific software packages are available to support specific applications of end users in business and other fields E.g. data warehousing, accounting, marketing, manufacturing, human resource management, etc.

34. The most widely used general purpose productivity packages come bundled as software suites Software suites (e.g. Microsoft Office, Lotus SmartSuite, AppleWorks) Word processing (e.g. MS Word) Electronic spreadsheets (e.g. MS Excel) Presentation graphics (e.g. MS PowerPoint) Advantage: cheaper than purchasing individual applications, similar GUIs, designed to work together Disadvantages: Large space required, may not need all features Software alternatives (custom software) are also growing in popularity

35. The most important software component for many computers today is the web browser Web browser are the key software interface you use to point and click through the world wide web and the rest of the internet, intranet and extranet E.g. Internet Explorer, Netscape, Firefox, Google Chrome, etc. Universal software platform on which end users launch information searches, check e-mail, transfer files, chat, etc.

36. Electronic mail and instant messaging are the first thing many people do at work Electronic mail (e-mail) and instant messaging (IM) have changed the way people work and communicate Millions of users depend on various e-mail and IM software via the internet, intranet or extranet Many of these software applications are free and can be downloaded or accessed via the WWW

37. We can group system software into two major categories System management programs manage the hardware, software, network, and data resources of computer systems during the execution or information processing jobs System development programs help the users develop information system programs and procedures and prepare user programs for computer processing

38. The most important system software package is the operating system (OS) The OS is an integrated system of programs that manages the operations of the CPU, controls the input/output and storage resources and activities of the computer system and provides various support services as the computer executes the application programs of users The most indispensible component of the software interface between users and the hardware

39. The OS controls many vital computer software functions Operating system controls the following: User interface – Allows you to communicate with the OS (command-driven, menu-driven, GUI) Resource management – Manage the hardware and networking resources File management – Control the creation, deletion, location and access of files of data and programs Task management – Manage the accomplishment of the computing tasks

40. There are a variety of operating systems available today Microsoft Windows Windows NT, 2000, XP, 2007 etc. are different versions of the Windows OS Mac OS Operating system offered by Apple. Has advanced GUI and multitasking and multimedia capabilities Linux Is UNIX-like but was developed as free or open-share software UNIX Multitasking, multiuser, network-managing operating system

41. There are many other types of important system management software besides operating systems Network management: Monitors network to keep them up and running Application server: Shuttles data between business apps and the web Database manager: Provides digital storehouse for data Collaboration tools: Powers everything from e-mail to electronic calendars Development tools: Allows programmers to craft software code quickly

42. To understand computer software you should have a basic understanding of programming languages (sys. dev.) A programming language allows a programmer to develop a set of instructions that constitute a computer program Programming requires the use of a variety of programming packages Higher level languages require a compiler or interpreter to translate the program back into machine language Web languages and services HTML, XML and Java are three programming languages that are important tools for building web pages, websites and web-based applications

43. There is a wide spectrum of telecommunication based technologies available today Telecommunications is the exchange of information in any form (voice, data, text, image, audio, video) over computer based networks Entertainment  Information Transactions  Communications E.g. High-definition TV  Distance learning Cellular systems

44. The networked enterprise When computers are networked, two industries – computing and communications – converge, and the result is vastly more than the sum of the parts. Suddenly, computing applications become available for business-to-business coordination and commerce, and for small as well as large organizations. The global Internet creates a public place without geographic boundaries – cyberspace – where ordinary citizens can interact, publish their ideas, and engage in the purchase of goods and services. In short, the impact of both computing on our society and organizational structures is greatly magnified.

45. Businesses have become networked enterprises Systems which are being used to network business processes and employees together and connect them to their customer, suppliers and other business stakeholders: Internet Web Intranets Extranets

46. The internet has become the largest and most important network today The explosive growth of the internet is a revolutionary phenomenon in computing and telecommunications Thousands of business, educational, and research networks now connect millions of computer systems The internet does not have a central computer system. Instead each message sent has a unique address code so any internet server in the network can forward it to its destination No headquarters - International advisory and standards groups of individual and corporate members promote use of the internet and the development of new communications standards

47. The World Wide Web is one of the most popular internet applications The most popular internet applications are e-mail, instant messaging, browsing sites on the WWW, and participating in newsgroups and chat rooms http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/internet/2002/web_vs_internet.asp You can make online searches for information at websites using search engines such as Google and Yahoo!

48. What business value do companies derive fro their business applications on the internet? Generate new revenue from online sales Reduce costs of doing business Develop new web-based products Increase customer loyalty and retention Attract new customers Develop new markets and channels

49. Many companies feel that investing in the intranet is as fundamental as supplying an employee with a phone A network inside of an organization that uses internet technologies to provide an internet-like environment within the enterprise Information sharing Communication Collaboration Support of business processes Is protected by passwords and encryption and can only be accessed by authorized users via the internet Business value Collaboration and communication Web publishing Business operations and management

50. As companies continue to use extranets they are able to gain many competitive advantages along the way Extranets are network links that use internet technologies to interconnect the intranet of a business with the intranets of its customers, suppliers or other business partners Business value Speed and ease of access to intranet resources Enables a company to offer new kinds of interactive web-based services to their customers Improved collaboration