ITGS Software Based on the textbook “Information Technology in a Global Society for the IB Diploma” by Stuart Gray

Software Programs that are the sets of instructions which hardware follows in order to perform tasks. Processes input data and transforms it to useful output.

Operating Systems (OS) Manages and controls all of the computer’s hardware Operating Systems – 4 Tasks Memory Management – runs multiple software at once Security Management - Authentication Provides User Interface – GUI or CLI (Command Line Interface) Communicates with hardware

Common Operating Systems Microsoft Windows – new version 8 – Internet Explorer MacOS 10 – only runs Apple hardware Unix – developed in the 1970’s Linux – Fedora and Ubuntu Symbian OS – mobile phones Android – developed by Google; phone Page 45 in book – check out pie charts – desktop vs. supercomputer

Selecting and Installing an OS Most are pre-installed by manufacturer Check hardware and software capability Check hardware requirements Obtain OS media and licenses Back up existing data Partition and format hard disk Run installation program and configure OS

Selecting and Installing an OS Continued 7. Activate or register OS 8. Update the OS 9. Install any required application software 10. Restore any data from back up copies WHY IS FILE BACK-UP IMPORTANT????????

Utility Software Basic software included with OS Performs common “housekeeping” tasks to help maintain and manage computer Disk Defragmentation Backup Programs Encryption System monitoring Disk clean up Accessibility Options Anti-virus software System Updates Compression software

Disk Fragmentation A file is stored in several sectors (hard disk area) which are scattered across different parts of the disk Most OS include a defragmentation utility = program that rearranges file allocations so they are stored together This is why your computer SLOWS DOWN with age!!!!!

Backups Full backup – complete backup of all data on a computer system Incremental backup – backs up only files that have changed since last backup; quicker

Application Software Allows user to perform tasks to solve problems Also called productivity software Word Processing (mail merge) Desktop Publishing software (DTP); page layout software Presentation software Spreadsheet software Database software – Relationship Database Management Systems (RDBMS) – millions of items of data Web browsers Web Development software Graphics software – Vector, 3D, CAD Audio software Video editing software Multimedia software – Adobe Flash Accounting software, note-taking software

Applications Suites Software that is sold together Microsoft Office – includes Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Publisher and Access Price is lower buying together than separate Integrate together well

Software Licenses Computer software is a form of intellectual property Covered by copyright laws Commercial software – Microsoft, Apple – sold for profit – offers technical support and training Shareware – Distributed for no cost and is free for a limited period of time – user buys it or deletes it Freeware – can be distributed for no cost but the software’s copyright is maintained by the author

Software Licenses Cont. Public Domain – Software that the creator has relinquished all rights (remember the WWW?) Free and Open Source Software – know as FOSS or software libre – users have the freedom to use the software as they please; users encouraged to distribute and make changes Examples – Linux OS – LibreOffice suite; Firefox web browser and MySQL database program

Commercial Licenses Users of commercial software need an appropriate license to use it in order to comply with copyright laws. End User License Agreement (EULA) – terms and conditions of the software that usually forbid certain practices such as modifying software. You approve this when you install the software = check “I Agree”

Commercial Licenses Cont. Single User License – only 1 user to use the software; may allow installation on several computers (laptop, desktop) BUT only 1 copy should be used at a time. Multi-User or Concurrent License – Allows a fixed number of users to install and use the software. This number is specified when the license is purchased. We have this at JHS. Site License – Allows software to be installed on as many computers as desired and used by many users provided they are part of the same organization or on the same site. These are expensive and used by large companies.

Copy Protection Piracy – illegal copying and distributing software. Serial numbers – found in the software’s packaging and entered upon installation. Offers unique identifiers. Product activation – software contacts servers and indentifiers information as serial number, user, location and machine specifications.

Copy Protection Cont. Digital Rights Management (DRM) – stops any duplicates of CDs and DVDs to be made. Business Software Alliance (BSA) and Federation Against Software Theft (FAST) – organizations that represent software companies and work to reduce illegal copying.

Cloud Computing Computer applications are web-based and stored on a remote server on the Internet (“in the cloud”) instead of being stored on a local computer or network server. Google Apps and Zoho Office Suite offer cloud computing services.

Cloud Computing Advantages Disadvantages Available from ANY location No need to manage, maintain or upgrade software = automatic Less need to maintain backup Multiple users work simultaneously Reliability – need fast and reliable connection Security – Is it there? Integrity – provider has back up capability? Globalization and Cultural Diversity – Varying international laws

User Interfaces Graphical User Interface (GUI) – uses visual buttons, icons and windows to represent different parts of the computer; usually controlled by a pointing device. Command Line Interface (CLI) – user interacts with computer by typing commands. Menu-Driven Interfaces (MDI) – lets the user make a selection from a series of pre-determined options. (Used in ATMs and restaurants)

Software Help Read Me files FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) and tutorials Wizards Third party documentation – books or internet help

Software Activity #1 Every computer system has bugs – it is impossible to build a computer system that is 100% reliable. This means we need to build computer systems that are “safe enough.” How could we determine an acceptable failure rate? What would be an acceptable rate for software controlling an aircraft or a medical device? Explain your answer. (4 marks)

Software Activity #2 Research three famous computer failures. Describe the events, including the cost (in money or materials or intangibles) of the failure. Try to determine whether the failures were caused by errors with hardware, software, people or data. (12 marks) Be sure to cite your sources!

Software Activity #3 Choose one scenario and produce a short persuasive presentation justifying either switching to FOSS or continuing to use commercial software. Your argument should take into account the specifics of the scenarios. (10 marks) You will need to research BOTH types of software – a good persuasive argument is balanced and covers ALL angles. You should refer to specific examples of software and apply them to the scenarios.

Software Activity #3 Scenarios #1 A large business has office all over the county in many towns and cities. Each location has between 10 and 100 computers on their own network, with a server. Each office is connected to the main office in the capital city. The company has a 4 year hardware life-cycle. They run Microsoft Windows, Office, and Exchange. They have an upgrade agreement so they get big discounts on the latest Microsoft versions.

Software Activity #3 Scenarios #2 A medium sized photographic and printing business has 50 desktop computers and 2 servers. The computers are 5 years old. They mostly run Windows XP, with some still using Windows 2000. The desktops all use commercial software such as Photoshop, Internet Explorer and Outlook. Staff frequently exchanges emails and files with clients who mostly use Windows.

Software Activity #3 Scenarios #3 A large secondary school with 800 students has 2 computer labs with 50 Windows PCs in total and 1 learning resource center with 20 Apple Macs. The school also has laptop carts with Windows netbooks that can be moved from classroom to classroom. A significant number of students also bring their own laptops to school. The school wants to increase the number of laptops available in the carts, increase the use of e-learning by teachers and decrease the total cost of operations – but they are unsure of the direction to take their IT strategy.