1. Extended Learning Module A Computer Hardware and Software

2. A Quick Tour of Technology Categories of Computers by Size
Software: Your Intellectual Interface
Hardware: Your Physical Interface
The Complete Computer At Work
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3. Introduction
Information technology (IT) – computer-based tool that people use to work with information and support the information and information-processing needs of an organization.
Hardware – the physical devices that make up a computer.
Software – the set of instructions that your hardware executes to carry out a specific task for you.
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4. A Quick Tour of Technology
Six categories of hardware
Input device
Output device
Storage device
Central processing unit (CPU)
Telecommunications device
Connecting device
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5. A Quick Tour of Technology
Software types include:
Application software - solves specific problems or perform specific tasks.
System software - handles tasks specific to technology management.
Operating system software - controls application software and manages hardware devices.
Utility software - provides additional functionality to the operating system.
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6. Categories of Computers By Size Personal Digital Assistants, Notebook Computers, and Desktop Computers
Personal digital assistant (PDA) - small hand-held computer that surfs the Web and performs simple tasks.
Notebook computer - a fully functional computer that runs on battery power.
Desktop computer - the most popular choice.
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7. Categories of Computers By Size Minicomputers, Mainframe Computers, and Supercomputers
Minicomputer – used in a small to medium-size business environment.
Mainframe computer – used in a large business environment.
Supercomputers - the fastest, most powerful, and most expensive type of computer.
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8. Software: Your Intellectual Interface Application Software
Application software is used to meet specific information-processing needs, including such things as:
Payroll
Customer relationship management
Project management
Training
Word processing and many others.
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9. Software: Your Intellectual Interface Application Software
Personal productivity software - performs personal tasks, including such things as creating:
Memos
Graphs
Slide presentations
Team Work
Buying Personal
Productivity
Software Suites
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10. Software: Your Intellectual Interface Application Software
Vertical market software - unique to a particular industry. Examples include:
Patient-scheduling software
Nursing allocation software
Horizontal market software - general enough to be suitable for use in a variety of industries. Examples include:
Inventory management software
Payroll software
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11. Software: Your Intellectual Interface System Software
Operating system software - controls application software and manages how hardware devices work together.
Microsoft Windows 2000 Pro
Microsoft Windows 2000 ME
Microsoft Windows XP Home
Microsoft Windows XP Pro
Mac OS
Linux
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12. Software: Your Intellectual Interface System Software
Team Work
Evaluating Utility
Software Suites
Utility software - adds additional functionality to the operating system.
Anti-virus software
Crash-proof software
Uninstaller software
Disk optimization software
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13. Hardware: Your Physical Interface
Binary digit (bit) - the smallest unit of information.
ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) - the coding system that most personal computers use to represent, process, and store information.
Byte - a group of eight bits represents one natural language character.
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14. Hardware: Your Physical Interface Common Input Devices
Input device - a tool you use to capture information and commands. Examples include:
Keyboard
Point-of-sale (POS)
Microphone
Mouse
Trackball
Pointing stick
Touch pad
Touch screen
Bar code reader
Optical mark recognition (OMR)
Scanner
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15. Hardware: Your Physical Interface Common Output Devices
Output device - a tool you use to see, hear, or otherwise accept the results of your information-processing requests.
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16. Hardware: Your Physical Interface Common Output Devices
CRTs – look like television sets.
Flat-panel displays – thin, lightweight monitors that take up much less space than CRTs.
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17. Hardware: Your Physical Interface Common Output Devices
Resolution of a screen – number of pixels it has.
Dot pitch – the distance between the centers of a pair of like-colored pixels.
Resolution of a printer - the number of dots per inch (dpi) it produces, which is the same principle as the resolution in monitors.
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18. Hardware: Your Physical Interface Common Output Devices

19. Hardware: Your Physical Interface Common Output Devices
Inkjet printers – make images by forcing ink droplets through nozzles.
Laser printers – form images using an electrostatic process.
Multifunction printers – scan, copy, and fax, as well as print.
On Your Own
Finding a Printer to
Meet Your Needs
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20. Hardware: Your Physical Interface Characteristics of CPUs and RAM
Speed measured in megahertz (MHz) and gigahertz (GHz).
Contains control unit and arithmetic/logic unit (A/L unit)
RAM
Capacity measured in megabytes (millions of characters)
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21. Hardware: Your Physical Interface Characteristics of CPUs and RAM

22. Hardware: Your Physical Interface Common Storage Devices
Common storage devices include:
Floppy disk
High-capacity floppy disk
Hard disk
CD-ROM
CD-R (compact disc – recordable)
CD-RW (compact disc – rewritable)
DVD-ROM
DVD-R
DVD-RW, or DVD-RAM, or DVD+RW (all different names by different manufacturers)
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23. Hardware: Your Physical Interface Telecommunications Devices
Network - two or more computers connected so that they can communicate with each other and possibly share information, software, peripheral devices, and/or processing power.
Telephone modem - a device that connects your computer to your phone line so that you can access another computer or network.
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24. Hardware: Your Physical Interface Telecommunications Devices
Types of modems include:
Telephone modem
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) modem
Cable modem
Satellite modem
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25. Hardware: Your Physical Interface Telecommunications Devices
Communication software includes:
Connectivity software – enables you to use your computer to “dial up” or connect to another computer.
Web browser software – enables you to surf the Web.
software – enables you to electronically communicate with other people by sending and receiving .
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26. Hardware: Your Physical Interface Connecting Devices
Connecting devices enable your hardware to communicate with each other.
Busses – system and expansion.
Expansion – slots and cards.
Ports and connectors – USB, serial, parallel, and IrDA
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27. Hardware: Your Physical Interface Connecting Devices

28. Hardware: Your Physical Interface
Parallel port
Serial port
USB port
Keyboard and mouse ports
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29. Hardware: Your Physical Interface Connecting Devices

30. Hardware: Your Physical Interface Connecting Devices
Popular connectors include:
USB (universal serial bus) –the most popular means of connecting devices to a computer.
Serial connector – usually has 9 holes but may have 25, which fit into the corresponding number of pins in the port.
Parallel connector – has 25 pins, which fit into the corresponding holes in the port.
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31. Hardware: Your Physical Interface Connecting Devices
IrDA (infrared data association) ports –are for wireless devices that work in essentially the same way as the remote control on your TV does.
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