Types of Computers

Workstation
Supercomputer
PalmtopComputer

LaptopComputer

PersonalDataAssistant

New Learning Technologies

Internet
Multimedia
Virtualreality
Distancelearning
Datawarehousing

The Information Age Timeline

1970s1980s

1990s?

Infrastructurefocused
ondatacrunchingand
datastorage

Shiftin
information
infrastructure

Infrastructurefocused
oncommunications,
connectivity,andservice

Progress of Technology through

Time

=
ENIAC

Composedof17,000vacuumtubes,70,000resistors,and
10,000capacitors,theENIAC(ElectronicNumerical
IntegratorandComputer)weighedover30tonsandtookup
1800squarefeetoffloorspace.Completedin1945,the
ENIACwasusedforballisticsworkandlateronforweather
prediction.

CurrentTechnology
Todaystechnologyusesvastnumbersof
electroniccomponentsintheformofminiaturized
integratedcircuitscontainedonsiliconchips.
ModerndaydeskcalculatorsexceedENIACs
computationalpowerandspeedbyfar.

Personal and Multimedia

Computers

Apple
computer
created

1976

IBMand
Multimedia
Microsoft
DOS
Microsoft computers
IBM
IBM
releasethe releases andpersonal
becomesthe
introduces
firstmicro Macintosh
OS/2
industry
Windows
data
firstlaptop
computer
operating
computer
standard
3.0
assistants
computer
system
created
developed

1980

1981

1984

1986

1988

1990

1994

Components of a Computer System

InputDevices
Keyboard
Mouse
Trackball
Stylus

CentralProcessingUnit(CPU)

Microprocessor
StorageDevices(HardDrives&FloppyDrives)

OutputDevices
Monitor
Printer

Components of a VGA
Monitor
MagneticDeflectionYoke
Thismechanismuseselectromagnetic
fieldstobendthepathsoftheelectron
streams.

ShadowMask

Thebeamspassthroughholesina
metalplatecalledashadowmask.
Themaskkeepstheelectronbeams
preciselyaligned,sothatcolorsare
accurate.Themonitorsdotpitch
isameasureofhowcloselythe
holesarespacedapart.

PhosphorCoating

ElectronGuns

Threeelectrongunslocated
atthebackofthemonitorscathode
raytubesendoutthreeelectronbeams
foreachoftheprimarycolors.

Thephosphorcoatingisamaterial
thatglowswhenstruckbyanelectron
beam.Thescreenismadeupof
triadsofred,green,andbluephosphor
dots.Astheenergyintheelectron
beamincreases,thephosphordots
glowbrighter.Tocreatedifferent
colors,theintensityofeachofthe
threebeamsisvaried.

Computer Memory
SIMM

SingleInlineMemoryModulesarethemost
popularmemorymoduleofpresentday
computers.Thesmallcircuitboardcontains
threetonineDIPchips.SIMMsrangeinsize
from4MBto32MBofmemory.

ROM

AReadOnlyMemorystoragedevicehas
instructionspermanentlyembeddedinits
circuits.ROMchipscontainprogramsthat
startthecomputerandperformsystem
diagnostics.

DIP

DualInlinePinmemorymoduleswereonce
usedformainmemoryinoldercomputer
systems.Nowtheyareusedascomponents
onSIMMchipsandarealsousedincache
RAM.

VirtualMemory

Whenacomputerrunsoutofrealmemory
(storinginformationinRAM),itemploys
asoftwaretechniquetogeneratevirtual
memory,storingandswappinginformation
onthecomputersharddrive.

Hard Disk Storage

Sector

Whenformattingtheharddrive,the
computerdividesthediskintoradial
sectionscalledsectors.

HeadActuator

Thiscomponentmovesthe
collectionofread/writeheads
acrossthesurfaceoftheplatters
withextremeaccuracy.Italigns
theheadswiththetracksthat
lieinconcentriccircles
ontheplatters.

Read/WriteHead

Theseread/writeheadsmovein
unisonacrossthesurfacesofthe
platters.Theheadswritedatato
theplattersbyaligningmagnetic
particlesonthesurfaceandread
databydetectingthepolarityof
theparticles.

Track

Circularandconcentricpaths
theread/writeheadsfollow
whenreadinginformationfrom
thedisk.

SealedMetalHousing

Thehousingprotectstheinternal
componentsfromdustparticlesthatcould
blockthegapbetweentheread/writeheads
andtheplatters,causingtheharddriveto
crash.

DriveSpindle

Thedrivespindleisconnectedtoa
motorwhichspinsoneormore
magneticallycoatedplattersatseveral
thousandrevolutionsperminute.
Moreplattersmeangreaterdisk
storagecapacity.

How a Mechanical Mouse

Works
Aperforatedwheelandaphotoelectricswitch
measuretherotationstheballmakesasthe
mouseismoved,thusmovingthecursoronthe
screen.Thephotoelectricswitchconsistsofa
lightemittingdiode(emitter)ononeside,
andaphototransistor(receiver)onthe
otherside.Theperforatedwheelis
sandwichedbetweenthetwo,
turningtheswitchoffandon
asitrotates.

Twosmallswitchesinthefrontofthe
mouseregisterleftandrightmouse
clicks.

Athirdrollerisused
notformeasurement,
butinsteadtokeep
theballinplaceas
theusermovesthe
mouse.
Astheballrotatesitturnsthetwo
rollersmountedperpendiculartoone
another.Onerollercorrespondsto
verticalmovementsofthemouse,
anothercorrespondstohorizontal
movements.

Major Components of a
Motherboard
Microprocessor

Singleintegratedcircuitthat
executesthemajority
oftheinstructions
toprocess
data.

16BitISASlots

Allowsexpansionofcomputer
throughmodem,soundand
videocards.

32BitPCISlots

Allowsexpansioncardsthat
cantransferdatafasterthan
ISAslots.

Battery

Providespower
forthesystem
clock.

PowerConnector

Suppliespowertothe
motherboard.

ROMBIOS
CacheRAM

Storesandretrievesinformation
forthemicroprocessoratafaster
ratethanSIMMRAMso
instructionscanbeexecutedfaster.

BasicInput/OutputSystem
storespermanentinstructions
thatstartthecomputer.

SIMMRAMBank

SingleInlineMemoryModule
storesdatatobeusedbythe
microprocessor.

Modems
ExternalModem
Plugsintocomputerexternally

InternalModem
Fitsinsidecomputer

Modemscansenddatafromonecomputertoanotherusingtelephonelines.
Modemsareusedinalmosteveryaspectofwork.Businessesusethemtotransfer
files,data,andmoney.Theyarealsousedforteleconferencing,whichallowspeople
invariouslocationstocommunicateovervastdistances;thesearesometimescalled
virtualmeetings.SchoolsusethemtoprovideaccesstotheInternet.

Software
Suites
Softwaresuitesarefull
featuredversionsofseveral
differentprograms
packagedtogether.

MicrosoftOfficeisoneofthemostpopular
softwaresuitesavailableforbusiness,
educational,andpersonalcomputeruse.

Wordprocessor
Databaseprogram
Spreadsheet
Presentationsoftware
Informationmanagement

What does the Future Hold for

Computers and Society?
ArtificialIntelligenceComputer
brainsthatbecomeselfteachingand
selfthinking.
CloningDuplicationofcellsand
DNAtocreateanexactcopyofan
organicbeing.
CyberneticsTheunionofthe
organicandinorganic.
VirtualrealityAllencompassing
computerizedmicroworldsfor
businessandentertainment.

Detecting Computer Viruses

1
2

Whatisacomputervirus?

Acomputervirusisarelativelysmallprogramthat
canvaryinitsdestructivenessfrombeingaminor
nuisance,toamajordisaster.Threecommon
methodsofaccessinclude:
1)DiskindriveA:withvirusprogram
2)DownloadedfilesthroughBBS/Internet
3)ViaLANserver

Whattypesofvirusesarethere?

Logicbombswaituntilaspecificactionistaken.
Timebombsactivateonacertaindate.
Trojanhorsesappeartobelegitimateprogramsbut
whenopened,damagesoftwarecodes.
Wormsburrowthroughandbetweennetworksto
changeoroverwritedata.

Data Encryption
Modernencryptiontechniquesusecomplexmathematicalalgorithmsthatscrambleandlockconfidentialdata
containedinemailmessagesandbinaryfiles.Therearetwofundamentalapproachestoencryption:public
keyencryptionandconventionalencryption.Bothrequireuserpasswords.Conventionalencryptionusestwo
identicalorsymmetricalkeysthatboththesenderandtherecipienthave.Publickeyencryptionusestwo
differentkeystoencryptanddecryptfiles.Theadvantageisthatonlyonekeyneedstobekeptsecureandthat
keydoesntneedtobeshared.

Fileencrypted

Lockedfilesenttorecipient

Filedecryptedwithidenticalkey

ConventionalEncryption(Symmetrical)

Fileencryptedwithpublickey

Lockedfilesenttorecipient

Filedecryptedwithsecurekey

PublicKeyEncryption(Asymmetrical)

The Future of Computing:

Parallel Processing

Parallelprocessingsubdividestheprocessingworkloadwithmultipleprocessors,enablinga
computertocompleteataskinshortertime.Examplesofparallelprocessingcomputersinclude
Craysupercomputers,IBMschessmasterDeepBlue,andNASAsMarsPathfinder.

DeepBlue

PathfinderandSojourneronMars

Craysupercomputer

Society and the Future of Computing:

Telecommuting
Sincethewordwasfirstcoinedover
20yearsago,telecommutinghas
growntobeanincreasinglyviable
alternativeworkstructurethatnot
onlyincreasesproductivitybut
lowersoperatingcostsandworker
turnoveraswell.

Advantages

Greateremployeeretentionandlowerturnover
Reducestrafficcongestionandtaxesforroad
repairandnewhighwayconstruction
Reducesabsenteeism
Reducespollution

Disadvantages

Requiresgreaterdisciplineandselfmotivation
Greaternumberofdistractionsathome
Reducedonsiteinteractionwithclients
andcoworkers