INFORMATION

TECHNOLOGIES

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 AN OVERVIEW OF
COMPUTER SYSTEMS

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A World of Computers

What is computer literacy?

 Knowledge and understanding
of computers and their uses
 Computers are everywhere

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Information Systems Literacy

 Broad-based understanding of information systems

that includes behavioral knowledge about
organizations, management and individuals using
information systems as well as technical knowledge
about computers

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What Is a Computer?

How is a computer defined?

 Electronic device operating under the control of
instructions stored in its own memory

Processes data into

Accepts data information
Raw facts, figures, and
Data that is organized,
symbols
meaningful, and useful

Produces and stores results

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The Components of a Computer

What is an _____
input device?
 Hardware used
to enter data
and instructions

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The Components of a Computer

What is an ______
output device?
 Hardware that
conveys
information
to a user

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The Components of a Computer

What is the system unit?

 Box-like case
containing
electronic
components
used to process
data

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The Components of a Computer
What are common components inside the system unit?
 Processor power supply drive bays
 Memory
 Adapter cards processor

 Sound card
 Modem card ports
memory

 Video card
 Network card
 Ports
sound card
 Drive bays
 Power supply
modem card video card
network card

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The Components of a Computer
adapter cards
What is the motherboard? processor chip

 Main circuit
board in system
unit
 Contains adapter memory chips

cards, processor
chips, and
memory chips
 Also called
memory slots
system board
Expansion
slots for
adapter cards motherboard

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The Components of a Computer

What are two main components on the motherboard?

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Also called a processor
Carries out instructions that tell computer what to do

Memory
Temporary holding place for data and instructions

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The Components of a Computer

What is storage?
 Holds data, instructions, and information
for future use

Storage media
Physical material on which data, instructions,
and information are stored

Storage device
Records and retrieves items to and from
a storage medium

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The Components of a Computer
What is storage capacity?
 Number of bytes (characters) a storage medium can hold

Kilobyte (KB) 1 thousand

Megabyte (MB) 1 million
Gigabyte (GB) 1 billion
Terabyte (TB) 1 trillion
Petabyte (PB) 1 quadrillion
Exabyte (EB) 1 quintillion

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The Components of a Computer

What is a USB flash drive?

 Portable storage device

 Small and lightweight enough to be
transported on a keychain or in a pocket
 The average USB flash drive can hold
about 8 billion characters

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The Components of a Computer

What is a hard disk?

 Provides much
greater storage
capacity than a
floppy disk or
Zip® disk
 Housed inside the
system unit

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The Components of a Computer

What is a compact disc?

 Flat, round, portable metal disc
 CD-ROM
 CD-RW
 DVD-ROM
 DVD-RW

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The Components of a Computer

What is miniature storage media?

Digital
cameras
Portable, thin
memory cards
used in:
Handheld
computers

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Computer Software

What is system software?

 Programs that control the operations of the computer
and its devices

Operating System (OS)

is a set of programs
that coordinates all
activities among
computer hardware
devices and allows Utility Programs allow the user to
users to run perform maintenance-type tasks
application software usually related to managing a
computer, its devices or its programs

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Computer Software

System Software
 Serves as the interface
between the user, the
application software,
and the computer’s
hardware

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Computer Software

What are the functions of an operating system?

start the computer provide a user interface manage programs

administer
security

manage
memory

control a
network

provide file monitor establish an schedule jobs and

management and performance Internet connection configure devices
other utilities

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Computer Software

What is application software?

 Programs that perform
specific tasks for users
 Suite
Popular software applications
bundled together as a single unit

Word
Spreadsheet
Processing

Presentation
Database
Graphics

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Categories of Computers

What are the categories of computers?

Personal computers (desktop)

Mobile computers
and mobile devices

Midrange servers

Mainframe computers

Supercomputers

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Personal Computers

What are the two most popular series of personal

computers?
 PC and compatibles  Apple Macintosh
use the Windows uses the Macintosh
operating system operating system
(Mac OS)

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Personal Computers

What is a desktop computer?

 Designed so all of the components fit on or under
a desk or table

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Mobile computers

What is a notebook computer?

 Portable, small enough to fit on
your lap
 Also called a laptop
 Generally more expensive than
a desktop computer

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Mobile computers

What is a tablet PC?

 Resembles a letter-sized slate
 Allows you to write on the
screen using a stylus
 Smaller version is the
modular computer

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Mobile computers

What is a handheld computer?

Small
enough to fit
Used
in your
by mobile
hand
employees such as
meter readers and
delivery people

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Mobile computers

What is a personal digital assistant (PDA)?

 Provides personal organizer functions
 Calendar
 Appointment book
 Address book
 Calculator
 Notepad

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Mobile computers

What are Web-enabled handheld computers?

 Allow you to check e-mail
and access the Internet
 Web-enabled telephone is
a “smart phone”

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Servers

What types of servers are there?

Midrange server Powerful, large
computer that supports up to a few
thousand computers

Mainframe Very powerful,

expensive computer that supports
thousands of computers

Supercomputer The fastest, most

powerful, most expensive
computer. Used for applications
requiring complex mathematical
calculations

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