Introduction to ICT and Programming

Lecture # 2 : Introduction to Information Technology

Book Reference:

Using Information Technology

Introduction to Information Technology

1.1 Infotech Becomes Commonplace: Cellphones, E-Mail, the Internet, & the E-World

1.2 The “All-Purpose Machine”: The Varieties of Computers

1.3 Understanding Your Computer: What If You Custom-Ordered Your Own PC?

1.4 Where is Information Technology Headed?

Mind Tools for Your Future

InfoTech Becomes Commonplace

InfoTech: InfoTech is the fusion of computer technology and communication technology. InfoTech is the merging of computers with high-speed communications links carrying data, sound, and video.  

IT: is a general term that describes any technology that helps to produce, manipulate, store, communicate, and/or disseminate information

With huge information available all the time everywhere: what will this do to us as human beings? Information overload: Less use of our brains for memorizing: Multitasking activity: Smart mobile devices could produce “smart mobs”:

Emerge when communication and computing technologies amplify Human talents for cooperation

Cell phones, E-Mail, the Internet, & the E-World

Computer Technology

Programmable, multiuse machine that accepts data—raw facts and figures -- and processes, or manipulates, it into usable information.

76%79%80%87%90%Email

InternetTyping Letters/CorrespondenceResearchGames

TOP FIVE USES:

Source: The New York Times, September 30, 2002, p.C1

Communication Technology

Consists of electromagnetic devices and systems for communicating over long distances. 

What is the meaning of the following term? “go online” ? “pervasive computing” ?

Online: Availability for communication

Using a computer or other information device, connected through a voice or data network, to access information and services from another computer or information device. 

Pervasive computing

The world has moved on beyond boxy computers that sit on desks.

Today handheld computers and cell phones let us access information anytime anywhere

Not just the general information but personal information --- electronic correspondence, documents, appointments, photos, songs, money matters, and other data important to us.

Anytime anywhere accessing the information

E-mail: (Electronic mail)

Messages transmitted over a computer network

A great overview on how E-mail works can be found at the following web site:

http://www.howstuffworks.com/email.htm

Example: yourname@niit.edu.pk

User ID Domain/Server

Network

Communication system connecting two or more computers with each other so that they can share resources.

LAN: Local Area Network

MAN: Metropolitan Area Network

WAN: Wide Area Network

Network

LAN: Local Area Network connects, usually by cable, a group of desktop PCs and other devices, such as printers, in an office or a building. 

MAN: Metropolitan Area Network A data network intended to serve an area the size of a large city. Such networks are being implemented by innovative techniques, such as running optical fiber through subway tunnels.

WAN: Wide Area Network A communications network that uses such devices as telephone lines, satellite dishes, or radio waves to span a larger geographic area than can be covered by a LAN.

Network

LAN is maintained inside a building or small campus

MAN’s connect LAN’s together within a city

WAN’s connects LAN’s together across the country.

Cyberspace 

Includes not only the online world and the Internet in particular, but also the whole wired and wireless world of communications in general.

Two most important aspects of cyberspace include • Internet• World Wide Web

Internet

Worldwide network that connects up to 400,000 smaller networks in more than 200 countries.

World Wide Web

Interconnected system of computers all over the world that store information in Multimedia form

A network of servers linked together by a common protocol, allowing access to millions of hypertext resources

Multimedia

Technology that presents information in more than one medium, such as text, still images, moving images, and sound.

The “All-Purpose Machine”: The Varieties of Computers

1. Supercomputers

2. Mainframes

3. Workstations

4. Microcomputers

5. Microcontrollers

All Computers, Great & Small: The Categories of Machines

Supercomputers

High-capacity machines with hundreds of thousands of processors that can perform over 1 trillion calculations per second.  Price range $500,000 to more than $350 millions

IBM ASCI White

Applications:Processing ofEnormous data,Forecasting Weather, designingAircrafts, modelingMolecules, breakingEncryption codes,Simulating explosion Of nuclear bombs, Film animation,

Mainframes

Water- or air-cooled computers that vary in size from small, to medium, to large, depending on their use. Price ranges from $5,000 to $5 million

VP2400 mainframe

Workstations

Expensive, powerful computers usually used for complex scientific, mathematical, and engineering calculations and for computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing.

Sun Microsystems workstation

Microcomputers A Desk Top Personal Computer: price ranges between $500 to $ 5,000

Microcomputers

Sony tower PC

A Tower Case Personal Computer

Microcomputers

A Lap Top Personal Computer Lightweight portable computers with built-in monitor, keyboard, hard-disk drive, battery and AC adapter.

Microcomputers

A Personal Digital Assistant or Palmtops

Personal organization tools-schedule planners, address books, to-do lists, send e-mail and faxes.

Microcontrollers

Embedded computers are the tiny, specialized microprocessors installed in "smart" appliances and automobiles.

Client Server Architecture

A network architecture in which each computer or processor on the network is either a Client or a Server.

Client/Server network = Server + Clients linked together

Server

A server, central computer, holds collections of data and programs for connecting PCs, workstations, and other devices, which are called clients.

Clients

Clients = PCs, workstations, & other devices

Clients are PC’s or Workstations on which users run applications. Clients rely on servers for resources, such as files, devices, and even processing power. 

Understanding Your Computer

Data

The raw facts and figures that are processed into information

Information

Data that has been summarized or otherwise manipulated for use in decision making

20%

25%

55%

How Computers Work - Concept #1The purpose of a computer is to process data into information.

Hardware

All the machinery and equipment in a computer system or all the tangible components in a computer

e.g. CPU, I/O devices etc.

Understanding Your Computer

How Computers Work - Concept #2 Computers consist of hardware and software.

Software

Consists of programs where programs contains instructions written in some programming language that tell the computer how to perform a task e.g.

Operating System, BIOS etc.

Firmware

Instructions or programs that reside inside Integrated Circuits (ICs)

Liveware

All the living things aiding computer to work. Data entry operators, programmers etc

Understanding Your Computer

How Computers Work - Concept #2 Computers consist of firmware and liveware.

1. Input

2. Processing

3. Storage

4. Output

5. Communications

Keyboard

Mouse

How Computers Work - Concept #3 All computers follow five basic operations

Understanding Your Computer

1. Input

2. Processing

3. Storage

4. Output

5. Communications

Case or system cabinet

How Computers Work - Concept #3 All computers follow five basic operations

Understanding Your Computer

1. Input

2. Processing

3. Storage

4. Output

5. CommunicationsProcessor chip

How Computers Work - Concept #3 All computers follow five basic operations

Understanding Your Computer

Processor Chip - A tiny piece of silicon that contains millions of miniature electronic circuits.

Also called the CPU (Central Processing Unit).

1. Input

2. Processing

3. Storage

4. Output

5. Communications

Motherboard

How Computers Work - Concept #3 All computers follow five basic operations

Understanding Your Computer

Motherboard - the main circuit board in the computer.

1. Input

2. Processing

3. Storage

4. Output

5. Communications

Primary storage (memory)

Computer circuitry that temporarily holds data waiting to be processed

Secondary storage (storage)

The area in the computer where data or information is held permanently

How Computers Work - Concept #3 All computers follow five basic operations

Understanding Your Computer

1. Input

2. Processing

3. Storage

4. Output

5. Communications Memory chips

Memory chips:

Also known as RAM (Random Access Memory).Represent primary storage or temporary storage.Hold data before processing and information after processing.

How Computers Work - Concept #3 All computers follow five basic operations

Understanding Your Computer

1. Input

2. Processing

3. Storage

4. Output

5. Communications

Nibble – 4 bits of data

Byte – 8 bits of data

Kilobyte – 210 bytes of data = 1024 bytes

Megabyte – 220 bytes of data = 1048576

Gigabyte – 230 bytes of data = 1073741824

How Computers Work - Concept #3 All computers follow five basic operations

Understanding Your Computer

1. Input

2. Processing

3. Storage

4. Output

5. Communications Zip disk

Floppy disk

Floppy-disk drive - a storage device that stores data on removable 3.5-inch-diameter diskettes.

Zip-disk drive - a storage device that stores data on floppy-disk cartridges with 70-170 times the capacity of the standard floppy.

How Computers Work - Concept #3 All computers follow five basic operations

Understanding Your Computer

1. Input

2. Processing

3. Storage

4. Output

5. CommunicationsHard-disk drive

How Computers Work - Concept #3 All computers follow five basic operations

Understanding Your Computer

Hard-disk drive - a storage device that stores billions of characters of data on a Non-removable disk platter.

1. Input

2. Processing

3. Storage

4. Output

5. Communications

CD (Compact Disk) drive or DVD (Digital Video Disk) drive - a storage device that uses laser technology to read data from optical disks.

How Computers Work - Concept #3 All computers follow five basic operations

Understanding Your Computer

1. Input

2. Processing

3. Storage

4. Output

5. CommunicationsSound card

Sound card - enhances the computer’s sound-generating capabilities by allowing sound to be output through speakers.

How Computers Work - Concept #3 All computers follow five basic operations

Understanding Your Computer

1. Input

2. Processing

3. Storage

4. Output

5. Communications

Speakers

How Computers Work - Concept #3 All computers follow five basic operations

Understanding Your Computer

Speakers - the devices that play sounds transmitted as electrical signals from the sound card.

1. Input

2. Processing

3. Storage

4. Output

5. Communications

Video card

How Computers Work - Concept #3 All computers follow five basic operations

Understanding Your Computer

Video card - converts the processor’s output information into a video signal that can be sent through a cable to the monitor.

1. Input

2. Processing

3. Storage

4. Output

5. Communications

Monitor

Monitor - the display device that takes the electrical signals from the video card and forms an

image using points of colored light on the screen.

How Computers Work - Concept #3 All computers follow five basic operations

Understanding Your Computer

1. Input

2. Processing

3. Storage

4. Output

5. Communications

Printer

How Computers Work - Concept #3 All computers follow five basic operations

Understanding Your Computer

Printer - an output device that produces text and graphics on paper.

1. Input

2. Processing

3. Storage

4. Output

5. Communications

Modem

Modem - a device that sends and receives data over telephone lines to and from computers.

How Computers Work - Concept #3 All computers follow five basic operations

Understanding Your Computer

Put all the hardware together and…

You still need the software!

System software

Helps the computer perform essential operating tasks and enables the application software to run

System Software

System Software

OperatingSystems

Device Drivers

BIOS Embedded S/Ws

Compilers/Interpreters

SystemUtilities

DOSWindow 9XWindows XPWindows MeWindows ProUnixLinuxSun SolarisMac OSOS/2

Modem Sound CardVGAEthernetTV Tuner

Microwave OvenHome AppliancesEmbedded OS(Symbian)

AssemblyCOBOLFORTRANBASICC/C++PASCALVBVC++JAVA

fdiskformatsysdoskeyDefrag-mentationscandisk

The BIOS configuration determines how your hardware is accessed.

You still need the software!

Application software

Enables you to perform specific tasks--solve problems, perform work, or entertain yourself

Application SoftwareApplication Software

ProductivityS/W

BusinessS/W

GraphicsS/W

EducationalS/W

ReferenceS/W

UtilityS/W

Vertical Market

S/W

Word ProcessorSpread SheetsDBMS

Horizontal Market

S/W

Others:Artificial IntelligenceNeural NetworksSoftware AgentsMachine TranslationHCINatural Lang. TranslationManagement Info. Sys.Autonomic Comp. Adaptive ComputingMobile ComputingUbiquitous ComputingPervasive ComputingDistributed ComputingGrid Computing

Copymiddleware

Where Is Information Technology Headed?

Miniaturization

Speed

Affordability

Then (1946)

Now

Three Directions of Computer Development

1946 ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator And Calculator) vs. today’s handheld PDA

Three Directions of Communications Development

Connectivity - the ability to connect computers to one another by communications line, so as to provide online information access.

Interactivity - two-way communication in which a user can respond to information he or she receives and modify the process.

Multimedia - technology that presents information in more than one medium--such as text, pictures, video, sound, and animation--in a single integrated communication.

When Computers & Communications Combine

Convergence, Portability, & Personalization

Convergence - the combining of several industries through various devices that exchange data in the format used by computers. The industries are computers, communications, consumer electronics, entertainment, and mass media.

Portability- wearable computer on model in picture.

Personalization - the creation of information tailored to your preferences, such as stock portfolio information kept on Yahoo.com’s Web site.

Thank you

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