CH 01

16th Edition
Understanding
Computers
Today and Tomorrow
Chapter 1 Comprehensive
Introduction to
the World of
Computers
Deborah INSTRUCTOR:
Morley MUHAMMAD JAMEEL
Learning
Objectives
1. Explain why it is essential to learn about computers
today and discuss several ways computers are
integrated into our business and personal lives.
2. Define a computer and describe its primary operations.
3. List some important milestones in computer evolution.
4. Identify the major parts of a personal computer,
including input, processing, output, storage, and
communications hardware.
5. Define software and understand how it is used to
instruct the computer what to do.
Understanding Computers: Today and Tomorrow, 2

15th Edition
Learning
Objectives
6. List the six basic types of computers, giving at least
one example of each type of computer and stating
what that computer might be used for.
7. Explain what a network, the Internet, and the World
Wide Web are, as well as how computers, people,
and Web pages are identified on the Internet.
8. Describe how to access a Web page and navigate
through a Web site.
9. Discuss the societal impact of computers, including
some benefits and risks related to their prominence in
our society.

15th Edition
Overvie
w
• This chapter covers:
– What computers are, how they work, and how
they are used
– Computer terminology
– An overview of the history of computers
– The basic types of computers in use today
– How to access resources on the Internet
– Societal impacts of computers

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Computers in Your
Life
• Why learn about computers?
– Pervasive computing
• Also known as ubiquitous
computing
• Computers have become an
integral
part of our lives
– Basic computer literacy
• Understanding what a
computer is and how it works

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Computers in Your
Life
• Before 1980
– Computers were large and expensive
– Very few people had access to them
– Computers were mostly used for high-
volume
processing tasks
• Microcomputers in the early
1980s
– Inexpensive personal computers
– Computer use increased dramatically

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Computers in Your
Life
• Today
– Nearly 90% of US households include a
computer, and most use computers at work
– Electronic devices are converging into single units
with
multiple capabilities
• Check e-mail on living
room television
• View Internet content on mobile
devices
– Computer literacy is an essential skill for
everyone
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Computers in Your
Life

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Computers in the
Home
• Computers used for a variety of
tasks:
– Looking up information and
news
– Exchanging e-mail
– Shopping and paying bills
– Watching TV and videos
– Downloading music and
movies
– Organizing digital photographs
– Playing games
Understanding Computers: Today and Tomorrow,
– Making vacation plans
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9
Computers in the
Home
• Used for reference, productivity, and entertainment
• Wireless networking
– Computers can be used in nearly any location
• Smart appliances
– Traditional appliances with built-in
computer or communication technology
• Smart homes
– Household tasks are monitored and controlled by a
main computer in the house

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Computers in
Education
• Youth today: the computing generation
• Computer labs and classrooms
– Most students today have access to computers at
school
– Some schools integrate e-books into the curriculum
• Wireless hotspots
– Colleges and universities are even more integrated
– Some have computer requirements for enrollment
• Supplied or Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
• Distance learning
– Students participate from locations other than the
traditional classroom setting using computers and
Internet access
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Computers in
Education

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Computers on the
Job
• Computers have become a universal on-the-job
tool for decision-making, productivity, and
communication
– By all types of employees
– For access control and other security measures
– For service professional use
– Extensively by the military
– Requires continually refreshing computer skills
– Common uses:
– Decision making, productivity, off-site
communications, and authentication
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Computers on the
Job

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Computers on the
Go
• Computers are encountered in nearly every aspect of
daily life
– Consumer kiosks
– ATM transactions
– POS systems at retail stores
– Self-checkout systems
– Consumer authentication systems
– Portable computers or mobile devices
– GPS systems

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Technology and You
Box
Restaurant iPad Ordering Systems
– Used in conjunction with e-menus
– Customers can place and pay for
orders
– Can provide more resources to
customers

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What Is a Computer and What
Does It Do?
• Computer
– A programmable, electronic device that accepts
data, performs operations on that data, and
stores the data
– Follows instructions, called programs, which
determine the
tasks the computer will perform
• Basic Operations
– Input: Entering data into the computer
– Processing: Performing operations on the data
– Output: Presenting the results
– Storage: Saving data, programs, or output for future
use
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What Is a Computer and What
Does It Do?

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Data vs.
Information
• Data
– Raw, unorganized facts
– Can be in the form of text, graphics, audio, or
video
• Information
– Data that has been processed into a meaningful
form
• Information Processing
– Converting data into information

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Computers Then and
Now
• The computer as we know it is a fairly recent invention
• The history of computers is often referred to in
terms of generations
• Each new generation is characterized by a major
technological development
• Precomputers and early computers (before approx.
1946)
– Abacus, slide rule, mechanical calculator
– Punch Card Tabulating Machine and Sorter

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Computers Then and
Now
• First-generation computers (1946-1957)
– Enormous and powered by vacuum tubes
– Used a great deal of electricity and generated a lot of
heat
– ENIAC and UNIVAC
• Second-generation computers (1958-1963)
– Used transistors
– Computers were smaller, more powerful, cheaper,
more energy-efficient, and more reliable
– Punch cards and magnetic tape were used to
input and store data
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Computers Then and
Now
• Fifth-generation (now and the future)
– Infancy stage
– May be based on artificial intelligence (AI)
– Will likely use voice and touch input
– May be based on optical computers and
utilize nanotechnology

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Computers Then and
Now

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Hardwar
e
• Hardware: The physical parts of a computer
– Internal hardware
• Located inside the main box (system unit)
of the computer
– External hardware
• Located outside the system unit
• Connect to the computer via a wired or
wireless connection
– Hardware devices are associated with all five
computer operations
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Hardwar
e
• Input Devices
– Used to input data into the computer
– Keyboards, mice, scanners, cameras, microphones,
touch pads, touch screens, fingerprint readers, etc.
• Processing Devices
– Perform calculations and control computer’s
operation
– Central processing unit (CPU) and memory
• Output Devices
– Present results to the user
– Monitors, printers, speakers, projectors, etc.
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Hardwar
e
• Storage Devices
– Used to store data on or access data
from storage media
– Hard drives, CD/DVD discs and drives,
USB flash drives, etc.
• Communications Devices
– Allow users to communicate with others
and to electronically access remote
information
– Modems, network adapters, routers, etc.

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Hardwar
e

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Softwar
e
• Software
– The programs or instructions used to tell the
computer hardware what to do
• System Software
– Operating system starts up the computer and
controls its operation
– Without OS, computer cannot function
– Boots the computer and launches programs at the
user’s
direction
– Most use a GUI to interact with the user via icons,
buttons, tiles, etc.
–
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Softwar
e
• Windows 8 interface
– Start button, Start screen, tiles, charms,
etc.

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Application
Software
• Application Software
– Performs specific tasks or applications
• Creating letters, budgets, etc.
• Managing inventory and customer
databases
• Editing photographs
• Scheduling appointments
• Viewing Web pages
• Exchanging e-mail
• Burning DVDs
• Designing homes
• Playing games
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Application
Software
• Examples of application
software
– Word processing programs
– Multimedia programs
– Web browsers
– E-mail programs

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Computer Users and
Professionals
• Computer Users (end users)
– People who use a computer to obtain
information
• Computer professionals include:
– Programmers
• Write programs computers use
– Systems analysts
• Design computer systems
– Computer operations personnel
• Manage day-to-day computer operations
– Security specialists
• Secure computers and networks against
hackers
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Computers To Fit Every
Need
• Six basic categories of
computers:
– Embedded computers
– Mobile devices
– Personal computers
– Servers
– Mainframe computers
– Supercomputers

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Embedded
Computers
• Embedded Computers
– Embedded into a product and designed to perform
specific tasks or functions for that product
– Cannot be used as general-purpose computers
– Often embedded into:
• Household appliances
• Thermostats
• Sewing machines
• Treadmills
• Answering machines
• Cars

15th Edition
Trend
Box
Tiny PCs
– Can look like a USB flash drive or small circuit
board
– Typically connect your TV to the Internet to display
Web content
– Some are full computers

15th Edition
Mobile
Devices
• Mobile Device
– A very small device with some type of built-in
computing or Internet capability
– Typically has a small screen
and keyboard
– Examples:
• Smartphones
• Handheld gaming devices
• Portable digital media players
• Media tablets

15th Edition
Personal Computers
(PCs)
• Personal Computer (PC)
– Small computer designed to be used by one
person at a time
– Also called a microcomputer
– Available in different sizes and shapes
• Desktop Computers
– On or next to a desk
– Tower case, desktop case,
or all-in-one
– PC or Macintosh
– Not portable

15th Edition
Portable
Computers
• Portable Computers
– Designed to be carried around easily
– Fully functional computers
– Notebook (laptop) computers
• Typically use a clamshell design
– Tablet computers
• Usually use a digital pen/stylus or touch screen
• No physical keyboard; can use on-screen or
attached keyboard
– Hybrid notebook-tablet computers
– Netbooks
• Smaller and have more limited features than
conventional notebooks
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Portable
Computers

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Thin Client and Internet
Appliances
• Thin Client
– Designed to utilize a network for much of its
processing
– Lower cost, increased security and easier
maintenance
– Limited or no local storage
– Not able to function as a computer if network is down
• Internet Appliance
– Specialized network computer designed for Internet
access
– Some use apps to deliver news, sports scores,
weather, music, and other Web-based
information
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Inside the Industry
Box
Tech Clothing
– Allows you to carry
multiple devices safely
– Can use devices while
they
are being worn
– Make airport
checkpoints easier

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Serve
rs
• Server
– A medium-sized computer used to host
programs and data for a small network
– Sometimes referred to as a minicomputer
– Users connect via a network with a
computer, thin client, or dumb
terminal
– Virtualization
• Creating virtual rather
than actual
environments (often
used to share a server
Understanding
15th Edition
for increased
Computers: efficiency)
Today and Tomorrow, 42
Mainframe
Computers
• Mainframe Computer
– Powerful computer used by many large
organizations to manage large amounts of
centralized data
– Standard choice for hospitals, universities, large
businesses, banks, government offices
– Located in climate-controlled data centers and
connected to the rest of the company computers via
a network
– Larger, more expensive, and more powerful than
servers
– Usually operate 24 hours a day
– Also called high-end servers or enterprise-class
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43
Mainframe
Computers

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Supercomput
ers
• Supercomputer
– Fastest, most expensive, most powerful type of
computer
– Generally run one program at a time, as fast as
possible
– Can cost several million dollars each
– Tend to be very large and contain a large number of
CPUs
– Titan is one of the fastest computers in the world

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Supercomput
ers

15th Edition
Computer Networks and the
Internet
• Computer Network
– A collection of hardware and other devices that
are connected together
– Users can share hardware, software, and data
– Users can communicate with each other
• Network Servers
– Manage resources on a network

15th Edition
Computer Networks and
the Internet
• Computer networks exist in many sizes and
types
– Home networks
– School and small office networks
– Large corporate
– Public wireless networks
– Mobile telephone networks

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Computer Networks and
the Internet

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What Are the Internet and
the World Wide Web?
• Internet
– The largest/most well-known computer network in
the world
– Individuals connect using an Internet service provider
(ISP)
• World Wide Web
– One resource (a vast collection of Web pages)
available through the Internet
– Web sites contain Web pages stored on Web servers
– Viewed using a Web browser (Internet Explorer,
Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, etc.)
– Offers a wide variety of information
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What Are the Internet and
the World Wide Web?

15th Edition
Accessing a Network or
the Internet
• Need a modem or network adapter to connect
• Some networks require a username and
password
• Internet connections can be:
– Direct (always-on) connections
– Dial-up connections
• Internet addresses are used to access resources
on the Internet
– IP (Internet Protocol) address
• Numeric address that identifies
computers (207.46.197.32)
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IP Addresses and Domain
Names
• IP Addresses
– Are numeric and unique
• Domain Names
– Correspond to IP
addresses
– Top-level domains (TLDs)
– Identifies type of
organization or its location

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Uniform Resource Locators
(URLs)
• Uniform Resource Locators (URLs)
– Uniquely identifies a Web page, including
• Protocol or standard being used
• Web server hosting the page
• Names of folders in which the Web page file is
stored
• Web page’s filename

15th Edition
Uniform Resource Locators
(URLs)
• Protocols:
– Hypertext Transfer Protocol (http://) is typically used
to display Web pages (https:// is used for secure
Web pages)
– File Transfer Protocol (ftp://) is often used for file
exchange

15th Edition
E-mail
Addresses
• E-mail addresses consist of:
– Username
• An identifying name
– The @ symbol
– Domain name for the computer that will be handling
the person’s e-mail (mail server)
• Pronouncing Internet addresses

15th Edition
How It Works
Box
Campus Emergency Notification Systems
– Enable students and teachers to be notified of
dangerous activity, weather, etc. in a timely manner
– Can be sent via text messages,
e-mail messages, Facebook
pages, Twitter feeds, digital
signage systems, etc.

15th Edition
Surfing the
Web
• Web browser
– Used to display Web pages
• Browser starting page or home page
– The first page displayed when the browser is
opened
• To navigate to a Web page, you can:
– Type a URL in the Address bar
– Click a hyperlink – graphics or text linked to other
Web
pages
– Select a Favorite/Bookmark or page from the
History list
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Searching the
Web
• Search site:
– Helps you locate what you
are looking for
– Typically search using
keywords
• Reference sites
– Look up addresses,
telephone numbers, ZIP
codes, maps, etc.

15th Edition
E-
Mail
• Electronic mail (e-mail)
– Electronic messages exchanged between
computers on a network
• One of the most widely used Internet applications
• Can be conventional e-mail program, Web-
based, or mobile-based
Conventional Web-based
Microsoft Gmail
Outlook Mac Outlook.co
OS X Mail m

15th Edition
E-
Mail
• Can contain photos, attached files,
etc.
• Mobile e-mail may require a fee
• Other types of mobile
communications
– Short Message Service (SMS)
– Multimedia Message Service
(MMS)

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E-
Mail

15th Edition
Computers and
Society
• The vast improvements in technology over the past
decade have had a distinct impact on daily life, at
home and at work
• Many benefits of a computer-oriented society
– Ability to design products before construction leads
to
safer products
– Earlier medical diagnoses and more effective
treatment
– Devices that allow physically and/or visually
challenged individuals to perform job tasks
– Documents e-mailed or faxed in moments
– Download information, music, programs, movies,
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63
Computers and
Society
• Computer-oriented society also has
risks
– Stress and health concerns
– Spam
– Computer viruses and malware
– Identity theft and phishing
– Privacy issues
• How data is collected
• How secure is the collected
data

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Computers and
Society
• Differences in online communications
– Less formal than traditional
– Netiquette
• Be polite and considerate of
others
• Refrain from offensive remarks
– Abbreviations (acronyms) and
emoticons
• Acronyms, such as BTW (by the
way)
• Illustrations of faces, such as ☺
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Computers and
Society

15th Edition
Computers and
Society
• The Anonymity Factor
– Gives many individuals a sense of freedom
– Can also be abused
• Information Integrity
– Use common sense when evaluating online content
– Check your source--not all information on the
Internet is accurate

15th Edition
Summa
ry
• Computers in Your Life
• What is a Computer and What Does It
Do?
• Computers to Fit Every Need
• Computer Networks and the Internet
• Computers and Society

15th Edition

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16th Edition

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