COMPUTER

FUNDAMENTALS
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWNEZLbP9
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What is IT?
• Information technology (IT) is the application of
computers and telecommunications equipment to
store, retrieve, transmit and manipulate data, often in
the context of a business or other enterprise.
Source:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_technology

• The information technology association of America

defines IT as the study, design, development,
application, implementation, support or management
of computer based management systems
What is the role IT has played in the development of
modern computer society?
• Improves work production. i.e. use of robots, robotics,
machinery, etc.
• Increases efficiency in how tasks are done in a timely manner.
• Creates new jobs or improves existing jobs; also eliminates
jobs.
• Access to the use of telecommuting to reduce the cost of
travel and cut time.
• Online access to information at your fingertips; Introduction
of Mobile computing devices to access services of companies
and individuals.
What is the role IT has played in the development of
modern computer society?
• Online access to information at your fingertips; Introduction
of Mobile computing devices to access services of companies
and individuals.
• Improvement in health care services with new technologies
employed to assist medical personnels in carrying out their
functions.
• Implementation on online learning, e-Learning, virtual
learning to educational institutions.
What is the role IT has played in the development of
modern computer society?
• Improvement in social and domestic communications using
technologies.
• Improvement in early childhood development using home
taught devices.
• Used to conduct feasibility research in solving problems.
• Improvement in the protection of information, data,
instructions, hardware, software, etc. from being misused,
stolen, manipulated wrongfully, etc.
How has IT shaped the way in which we behaved?
• Humans become more lazy to complete tasks as they depend
heavily on computers.
• Increase in computer crimes and the need for law
enforcements persons and governments to enact legislation
to correct these.
• Increases antisocial behaviour. i.e. children pay less attention
to parents/teachers.
• Affects negatively and positively the culture of raising
children.
• Affects social development of society. i.e. computer addiction.
Young children ignore eating because they are consumed in
game playing.
• Improves efficiency in how business/government and
individuals operate.
 What are significant changes made possible through
introduction of IT?
• Medical personnels can • How persons socialise with
diagnose patients with each other have changed
illness more accurately where people interact less
using software and devices. face to face.
i.e. Xray, CAT Scanning, • Increase in creative power
Ultrasound, etc. Expert with the use of ICT for
Systems. fraud, scamming, but also
• Improvement in for meaningful business.
transportation using faster • Children interaction has
computer vehicles. suffered because of
introduction of IT Tools in
games and they being used
as ‘companion’ for keeping
kids occupied.
 What are significant changes made possible through
introduction of IT?
• Increased in internet
communication and • How persons socialise with
video/audioconferencing. each other have changed
i.e. Skype, Facebook Chat, where people interact less
• Improvement in business face to face.
operations by introduction • Increase in creative power
of new services. i.e. Online with the use of ICT for
Banking, Internet Banking, fraud, scamming, but also
e-Business, Virtual Business, for meaningful business.
Online Shopping, • Children interaction has
ecommerce. suffered because of
• Use of newer storage introduction of IT Tools in
devices that have decreased games and they being used
in size but increase in their as ‘companion’ for keeping
capacity. Holographic kids occupied.
storage.
What are possible future implications that might
arise from use of continued development in IT
• Develop an advanced • Improve waste and
learning society. i.e. E- recycling systems.
Learning, Online • Call for retraining and
Learning, Virtual re-engineering.
Learning, Robots used • Careers are constantly
in classrooms. changing and
• Increased energy crisis. introduced.
• Call for renewable
sources of energy to
support increased use
of ICT in society.
 What are the major challenges faced
by IT in our society
• Lack of/invasion of privacy and security
invasion;
• Intellectual property infringement.
• Increase in computer related crimes. i.e.
Spamming, Phishing, Eavesdropping,
Pharming, …..
• Lack of creativity and initiative to study and
access information.
Are there any personal, social, political or ethical
concerns raised by IT usage
• Social concerns • Political concerns
Increase in poor Online voting, polling
mannerism and online, online ampaigning,
communication; ignorance
of people around you and Ethical Concerns
lack of the need to
communicate.
Personal concerns Increase attention of
moral values being down
Investigation using social played in society.
media.
 How have IT changed the way we do business?
Education? Trade? Tourism? Etc.
• Online catalogue of products/services
• Introduction of E-Commerce • Online learning and e-Learning
to many businesses • Use of online learning system to assist
students to learn at their own pace.
• Virtual businesses • Virtual schools – education course can
• E-Business be done solely online or blended with
• E-Governance strategies by face-to-face classes; Distant
ministries of government Education. UWI-DEC
• Online shopping • Online testing/Virtual testing sites
• Online Banking (institutions)
Using Skype/Oovoo and other
• Online trading videoconferencing software platforms
• Online booking of hotels for sharing information, having
and flights: JAMPRO, meetings for teachers and students
Jamaica Tourist Board,
Types of computer Systems
Super Computer

A supercomputer is not simply a fast or very large

computer, it works in an entirely different way,
typically using parallel processing instead of the serial
processing that an ordinary computer uses. Instead of
doing one thing at a time, it does many things at
once.
Fastest calculation and processing speed
Super Computer cont’d
Supercomputers play an important role in the field of
computational science, and are used for a wide range of
computationally intensive tasks in various fields, including
quantum mechanics, weather forecasting, climate research,
oil and gas exploration, molecular modeling (computing the
structures and properties of chemical compounds,
biological macromolecules, polymers, and crystals), and
physical simulations (such as simulations of the early
moments of the universe, airplane and spacecraft
aerodynamics, the detonation of nuclear weapons, and
nuclear fusion).
• Example of supercomputers is Cray
Seymour Cray’s Supercomputer
Mainframes
A mainframe computer (or simply a mainframe) is a
large and expensive computer capable of
simultaneously processing data for hundreds or
thousands of users. Mainframes are generally used by
businesses or governments to provide centralized
storage, processing, and management for large
amounts of data. Mainframes remain the computer
of choice in situations where reliability, data security,
and centralized control are necessary.
Mainframes cont’d
The price of a mainframe computer typically starts at $100,000 and
can easily exceed $1 million. Its main processing circuitry
is housed in a closet-sized cabinet (Figure 1-20); but after large
components are added for storage and output, a mainframe
computer system can fill a goodsized room.

Examples of Mainframe computers: IBM, zEnterprise System

Desktop Computers
A desktop computer is a personal computer designed for
regular use at a single location on or near a desk or table
due to its size and power requirements. The most common
configuration has a case that houses the power supply,
motherboard (a printed circuit board with a microprocessor
as the central processing unit (CPU), memory, bus, and
other electronic components), disk storage (usually one or
more hard disk drives, optical disc drives, and in early
models a floppy disk drive); a keyboard and mouse for input
; and a computer monitor, speakers, and, often, a printer
for output. The case may be oriented
horizontally or vertically and placed either underneath,
beside, or on top of a desk.
Mobile Devices
Also known as handheld computer is a
computing device small enough to hold and operate
in the hand. Typically, any handheld computer device
will have an LCD flatscreen interface, providing a
touchscreen interface with digital buttons and
keyboard or physical buttons along with a physical
keyboard. Many such devices can connect to the
Internet and interconnect with other devices such as
car entertainment systems or headsets via Wi-Fi,
Bluetooth, cellular networks or
near field communication (NFC).
Mobile Devices cont’d

Examples of these devices include but not limited to laptops,

notebooks, netbooks, smartphones, tablets and game consoles.

Power is typically provided by a lithium battery. Mobile devices

may run mobile operating systems
Embedded Devices

An embedded device is an object that contains a special-purpose

computing system. The system, which is completely enclosed by
the object, may or may not be able to connect to the Internet
example, special-purpose systems such as controllers in
microwaves, car ignition systems, answering machines.
Embedded systems have extensive applications in consumer,
commercial, automotive, industrial and healthcare markets.
Generally, an embedded device's operating system will only run a
single application which helps the device to do its job.
Devices that can connect to the Internet are called smart or
intelligent. If an embedded device cannot connect to the Internet,
it is called dumb.
Embedded Devices cont’d

Embedded devices in complex manufactured products, such as

automobiles, are often headless. This simply means that the
device's software does not have a user interface (UI). In such cases,
an in-circuit emulator (ICE) is temporarily installed between the
embedded device and an external computer to debug or update
the software.
Because embedded systems have limited computing resources and
strict power requirements, writing software for embedded devices
is a very specialized field that requires knowledge of both
hardware components and programming.
Examples of Embedded Devices

controllers in
● microwaves
● car ignition systems
● answering machines