Last Chapter

Last class

Today is the last day of computer application class.Time run as fast as river,I love computer application class maybe is because my lovely lecturer miss wan.She is very friendly and cute actually.haha!! And...she always hang the smile on her face.Thank you miss wan.u are the best lecturer.Thank you for the exam XXX also.

2 more week final going to start,Is time to fight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chapter 14

What is  Enterprise Computing? Finally last chapter

1. Enterprise computing involves the use of computers in networks, such as LANs and WANs, or a series of interconnected networks that encompass a variety of different operating systems, protocols, and network architectures .
2. Types of enterprises include:
• Retail
• Manufacturing
• Service
• Wholesale
• Government
• Educational     
• Transportation
3. Most traditional enterprises are organized in a hierarchical manner
4. In an enterprise, users typically fall into one of four categories:
• Executive Management
• Middle Management
• Operational Management
• Nonmanagement Employees
5. Enterprise information is the information gathered in the ongoing operations of an enterprise-sized organization:
• Business intelligence
• Business process management
• Business process automation
6. Managers coordinate resources by performing four activities:
• Planning
• Organizing
• Leading
• Controlling

Information Systems in the Enterprise

1. An information system is a set of hardware, software, data, people, and procedures that work together to produce information
2. Functional units within an enterprise might include:
• Enterprise
• Accounting and Finance
• Human Resources
• Engineering or Product Development
• Manufacturing
• Marketing
• Sales
• Distribution
• Customer Service
• Technology
3. Accounting software manages everyday transactions
4. Billing software helps the company reconcile purchases with customer payments
5. Financial software helps managers budget, forecast, and analyze
6. A human resources information system (HRIS) manages one or more human resources functions.
7. Employee relationship management systems manage communication between employees and the business.
8. Computer-aided design (CAD) uses a computer and special software to aid in engineering, drafting, and design.
9. Computer-aided engineering (CAE) uses computers to test product designs.
10. Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) is the use of computers to control production equipment.
11. Computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) uses computers to integrate the many different operations of the manufacturing process.
12. Material Requirements Planning (MRP) uses software to help monitor and control processes related to production.
13. Manufacturing Resource Planning II (MRP II) is an extension of MRP and also includes software that helps in scheduling.
14. A quality control system helps an organization maintain or improve the quality of its products or services.
15. A marketing information system serves as a central repository for the tasks of a marketing department.
16. Sales force automation (SFA) software equips traveling salespeople with the electronic tools they need to be more productive.
17. Distribution systems perform the following functions:
• Provide forecasting for inventory control
• Manage and track shipping of products
• Provide information and analysis on inventory in a warehouse
18. Customer interaction management (CIM) software manages the day-to-day interactions with customers.
19. The information technology (IT) department makes technology decisions for the enterprise.
• Whether to build or buy new information systems
• When a computer or information system has outlived its useful life
20. Web site management programs collect data designed to help organizations make informed decisions regarding their Web presence
21. General purpose information systems generally fall into one of five categories.
• Office Information System
• Transaction Processing System
• Management Information System
• Decision Support System
• Expert System
22. Batch processing vs. online transaction processing.
23. A Sample Expert System In Windows 7 Help and Support
• Step 1: A user enters the nature of the problem.
• Step 2: Select a suggested solution from the list presented by the expert system.
• Step 3: Expert system displays details about the solution and additional options.
• Step 4: Expert system displays detailed steps when requested.
24. Integrated Information Systems
• Customer relationship management manages information about customers, interactions with customers, past purchases, and interests
• Enterprise resource planning provides centralized, integrated software to help manage and coordinate ongoing activities
• Content management systems are information systems that combine databases, software, and procedures.

Enterprise-Wide Technologies and Methodologies

1. Some technologies used in enterprises include:
• Portals - A portal is a collection of links, content, and services presented on a Web page that are interesting for a particular job function.
• Data warehouses - A data warehouse is a huge database that stores and manages the data required to analyze historical and current transactions.
• Electronic data interchange - EDI is a set of standards that controls the transfer of business data and information among computers both within and among enterprises.
• Extranets - An extranet is the portion of a company’s network that allows customers or suppliers of a company to access parts of an enterprise’s intranet.
• Web services - Web services allow businesses to create products and B2B interactions over the Internet. In a service-oriented architecture, information systems provide services to other information systems in a well-defined manner over a network.
• Document management systems - A document management system (DMS) allows for storage and management of a company’s documents
• Stored in a repository
• Workflow - A workflow is a defined process that identifies the specific set of steps involved in completing a particular project or business process.
• Workflow application
• Virtual private networks - A virtual private network (VPN) provides mobile users, vendors, and customers with a secure connection to the company network server.

Virtualization and Cloud Computing

1. Virtualization is the practice of sharing or pooling computing resources.
• Server virtualization - Provides the capability to divide a physical server logically into many virtual servers.
• Storage virtualization - Provides the capability to create a single logical storage device from many physical storage devices.
2. Cloud computing is an Internet service that provides computing needs to computer users.
3. Grid computing combines many servers and/or personal computers on a network to act as one large computer.

Enterprise Hardware

1. Enterprise hardware allows large organizations to manage and store information and data using devices geared for:.
• Heavy use
• Maximum availability
• Maximum efficiency
2. RAID duplicates data and implements duplication in different ways.
3. Network attached storage (NAS) is a server that provides storage to users and information systems attached to the network.
4. A storage area network (SAN) is a high-speed network that provides storage to other servers to which it is attached.
5. An enterprise storage system is a strategy that focuses on the availability, protection, organization, and backup of storage in a company.
6. Goal is to consolidate storage.
7. A blade server packs a complete computer server on a single card (called a blade) rather than a system unit.
8. The individual blades insert in a blade server chassis.
9. A thin client is a small terminal-like computer that mostly relies on a server for data storage and processing.
10. The processing for a thin client usually is done on a server.

High Availability, Scalability, and Interoperability

1. A high-availability system continues running and performing tasks for at least 99 percent of the time.
2. May include hot-swapping and redundant components.
3. When a component fails, another component takes over and the system continues to function.
4. Scalability is a measure of how well computer hardware, software, or an information system can grow to meet increasing performance demands.
5. Interoperability is the ability for an information system to share information with other information systems within an enterprise.

Backup Procedures

1. Continuous data protection provides automatic data backup whenever data is changed in an enterprise.
2. A disaster recovery plan is a written plan describing the steps a company would take to restore computer operations in the event of a disaster.
3. Contains four major components.
• Emergency plan
• Backup plan
• Recovery plan
• Test plan 

Chapter 13

What is Computer programs and programming language?

1. A computer program is a series of instructions that directs a computer to perform tasks.
2. Created by a programmer using a programming language.

Low‐Level Languages

1. Machine language is the first generation of programming languages.
2. Only language the computer directly recognizes.
3. Assembly language is the second generation of programming languages.
4. Programmer writes instructions using  symbolic instruction codes.
5. A source program contains the code to be converted to machine language.

Procedural Languages

1. In a procedural language, the programmer writes instructions that tell the computer what to accomplish and how to do it.
2. Third-generation language (3GL)
• A compiler translates an entire program before executing it.
• An interpreter converts and executes one code statement at a time.
3. The C programming language is used to write many of today’s programs.
4. COBOL (COmmon Business-Oriented Language) is designed for business applications, but easy to read because of the English-like statements.

Object-Oriented Programming Languages and Program Development Tools

1. An object-oriented programming (OOP) language allows programmers the ability to reuse and modify existing objects.
2. Other advantages include:
• objects can be reused
• programmers create applications faster
• work well in a RAD environment
• most program development tools are IDEs
3. Java is an object-oriented programming language developed by Sun Micro systems.
4. The Just-in-time (JIT) compiler converts the bytecode into machine-dependent code.
5. The Microsoft .NET Framework allows almost any type of program to run on the Internet or an internal business network, as well as computers and mobile devices.
6. Features include:
• CLR (Common Language Runtime) 
• Classes
7. C++ is an extension of the C programming language.
8. C# is based on C++ and was developed by Microsoft.
9. F# combines the benefits of an object-oriented language with those of a functional language.
10. Visual Studio is Microsoft’s suite of program development tools:
• Visual Basic is based on the BASIC programming language
• Visual C++ is based on C++
• Visual C# combines the programming elements of C++ with an easier, rapid-development environment]
11. A visual programming language is a language that uses a visual or graphical interface for creating all source code.
12. Borland’s Delphi is a powerful program development tool that is ideal for building large-scale enterprise and Web applications in a RAD environment.
13. Power Builder is a powerful program development RAD tool.
14. Best suited for Web-based, .NET, and large-scale enterprise object-oriented applications.

Other Programming Languages and Development Tools

1. A 4GL (fourth-generation language) is a nonprocedural language that enables users and programmers to access data in a database.
• One popular 4GL is SQL
2. Classic programming languages include:
• Ada
• ALGOL
• APL
• BASIC
• Forth
• FORTRAN
• HperTalk
• LISP
• Logo
• Modula-2
• Pascal
• PILOT
• PL/1
• Prolog
• RPG
• Smalltalk
3. An application generator is a program that creates source code or machine code from a specification of the required functionality.
• Often bundled as part of a DBMS
4. A macro is a series of statements that instructs an application how to complete a task.
5. You usually create the macro in one of two ways:
• Record the macro with a macro recorder
• Write the macro

Web Page Development

1. HTML is a special formatting language that programmers use to format documents for display on the Web.
2. XHTML is a markup language that allows Web sites to be displayed more easily on mobile devices.
3. XML allows Web developers to create customized tags and use predefined tags to display content appropriately on various devices.
4. WML is a subset of XML and is used to design pages for microbrowsers.
5. Two applications of XML are RSS 2.0 and ATOM.
6. Web browsers can execute short programs to add interactive elements to Web pages.
7. To send and receive information between your computer and a Web server, these programs use the CGI (common gateway interface).
8. Programmers write scripts, applets, servlets, or ActiveX controls using a variety of languages:
• JavaScript
• Perl
• PHP
• Rexx
• Tcl
• VBScript
9. Dynamic HTML  (DHTML) allows Web developers to include more graphical interest and interactivity.
10. Cascading style sheets (CSS) contain the formats for how a particular object should be displayed.
11. Ruby on Rails (RoR) provides technologies for developing object-oriented, database-driven Web sites.
12. Web 2.0 allows Web sites to provide a means for users to:
• Share personal information
• Allow users to modify Web site content
• Have application software built into the site
13. Most Web 2.0 sites use APIs
• An API enables programmers to interact with an environment such as a Web site or operating system.
14. Web page authoring software can create sophisticated Web pages that include images, video, audio, animation, and other effects
• Dreamweaver
• Expression Web
• Flash
• SharePoint Designer

Multimedia Program Development

1. Multimedia authoring software allows programmers to combine text, graphics, animation, audio, and video in an interactive presentation.
• ToolBook
• Director
2. Program development consists of a series of steps programmers use to build computer programs.
3. Step 1 – Analyze Requirements
• To initiate program development, programmer:
• Reviews the requirements
• Meets with the systems analyst and users
• Identifies input, processing, and output, IPO chart
4. Step 2 – Design Solution
• Design a solution algorithm.
• In structured design, the programmer typically begins with a general design and moves toward a more detailed design.
• Programmers use a hierarchy chart to show program modules graphically.
• With object-oriented (OO) design, the programmer packages the data and the program into a single object
• Encapsulation
• The sequence control structure shows one or more actions following each other in order.
• The selection control structure tells the program which action to take, based on a certain condition.
• If then else
• Case
• The repetition control structure enables a program to perform one or more actions repeatedly as long as a certain condition is met.
• A program flowchart graphically shows the logic in a solution algorithm.
• Flow charting software makes it easy to modify and update flowcharts:
• SmartDraw
• Visio
• Pseudo-code uses a condensed form of English to convey program logic.
• UML (Unified Modeling Language) has been adopted as a standard notation for object modeling and development.

Step 3 – Validate Design

1. Check for logic errors using test data:
• Develop various sets of test data
• Determine the expected result
• Step through the algorithm
• Compare the results
• Repeat steps for each set of test data

Step 4 – Implement Design

1. Implementation of the design includes using a program development tool that assists the programmer by:
• Generating or providing some or all code
• Writing the code that translates the design into a computer program
• Creating the user interface
2. Extreme programming is a strategy where programmers immediately begin coding and testing solutions as soon as requirements are defined.

Chapter 12

• Chapter 12 Exploring Information System Development
  
  
  Ongoing Activities
  • Planning
  • Analysis
  • Design
  • Implementation
  • Operation, Support, and Security

  Example for Planning
  1. Select team- required staff
  2. Resources
  3. Expectation/ Request from user

  Example for Analysis
  1. Study of car park system available
  2. User requirement/ Priority

  Example for Design
  1. Design layout, Features, software used(GUI)

  Example for Implementation
  1. Build car park system
  2. User training
  3. Testing the system

  Example for Operation, Support, and Security
  1. Maintenance- based on schedule
  2. Check Security
  3. Monitor Performance- daily activitie

Chapter 11

What is computer securely?

A computer security risk is any event or action that could cause a loss of or damage to computer hardware,software,data,information,or processing capability. A cyber crime is an online or Internet-based illegal act such as:

• Hackers
• Crackers
• Script Kiddlies
• Corporate Spies
• Unethical Employees
• Cyberextorrtionists
• Cyber terrorists

Internet and Network Attacks

1. Information transmitted over networks has a higher degree of security risk than information kept on an organization's premises.
2. An online security service is a Web site that evaluates your computer to check for Internet and e-mail vulnerabilities.
3. Computer Virus, which affects a computer negatively by altering the way the computer works. The example will be:
• Worm-Copies itself repeatedly,using up resources and possibly shutting down the computer or network.
• Trojan Horse-A malicious program that hides within or looks like a legitimate program
• Rootkit- Program that hides in a computer and allows someone from a remote location to take full control.
4. An infected computer has one or more of the following symptoms:
• Operating system runs much slower than usual
• Available memory is less than expected 
• File become corrupted
• Screen displays unusual message or image
• Music or unusual sound plays randomly
• Existing programs and files disappear
• Programs or files do not work properly
• Unknown programs or files mystereriously appear
• System properties change
• Operating system does not start up
• Operating system shuts down unexpectedly
5. Users can take several precautions to protect their home and work computers and mobile devices from these malicious infections.
6. A botnet is a group of compromised computers connected to a network. A compromised computer is known as a zombie.
7. A denial of service attack (DoS attack) disrupts computer access to Internet services.
8. A back door is a program or set of instructions in a program that allow users to bypass security controls.
9. Spoofing is a technique intruders use to make their network or Internet transmission appear legitimate.
10. A firewall is hardware and/or software that protects a network's resources from intrusion.
11. Intrusion detection software such as:
• Analyzes all network traffic
• Assesses system vulnerabilities
• Identifies any unauthorized intrusions
• Notifies network administrators of suspicious behavior patterns or system breaches.
12. Honeypot, vulnerable computer that is set up to entice an intruder to break into it.

Unauthorized Access and Use

1. Unauthorized access is the use of a computer or network without permission.
2. Unauthorized use is the use of a computer or its data for unapproved or possibly illegal activities.
3. Organizations take several measures to help prevent unauthorized access and use. Team viewer is a software which let other to operate your computer from other place, but it has it own term and condition plus it required you to give the id and password to the person.
• Acceptable use policy
• Disable file and printer sharing
• Firewalls
• Intrusion detection software
4. Access controls define who can access a computer,when they can access it,and what actions they can take:
• Two-phase processes called identification and authentication
• User name
• Password
• Passphrase
• CAPTCHA
5. A possessed object is any item that you must carry to gain access to a computer or computer facility. Often are used in combination with a personal identification number(PIN)
6. A biometric devices authenticates a person's identify by  translating a personal characteristic into a digital code that is compared with a digital code in a computer.
7. Digital forensics is the discovery,collection,and analysis of evidence found on computers an network.
8. Many areas use digital forensics such as:
• Law enforcement
• Criminal prosecutors
• Military intelligence
• Insurance agencies
• Information security department
9. Hardware Theft and Vandalism. Hardware theft is the act of stealing computer equipment while hardware vandalism is the act of defacing or destroying computer equipment.
10. To help reduce the of chances of theft,companies and schools use a variety of security measures:

• Physical access controls
• Alarm systems
• Cables to lock equipment
• Real time location system
• Passwords,possessed objects,and biometrics

Software Theft

1. Software theft occurs when someone:
• Steals software media 
• Intentionally erases programs
• Illegally copies a program
• Illegally registers and/or activates a program
2. A single-user license agreement typically contains the following conditions:
1. Permitted to：
• Install the software on one computer
• Make one copy of the software
• Remove the software from your computer before giving it away or selling it
2. Not permitted to:
• Install the software on a network
• Give copies to friends or colleagues while continuing to use the software
• Export the software
• Rent or lease the software
3. Copying,loaning,borrowing,renting,or distributing software can be a violation of copyright law.
4. Some software requires product activation to function fully.

Information Theft

1. Information theft occurs when someone steals personal or confidential information.
2. Encryption is a process of converting readable data into unreadable characters to prevent unauthorized access.
3. A digital signature is an encrypted code that a person,Web site,or organization attaches to an electronic message to verify the identity of the sender.
4. Often used to ensure that an impostor is not participating in an Internet transaction.
5. Web browsers and Web sites use encryption techniques.
6. Popular security techniques include:
• Digital certificates
• Transport Layer Security(TLS)
• Secure HTTP
• VPN

System Failure

1. A system failure is the prolonged malfunction of a computer.
2. A variety of factors can lead to system failure,including:
• Aging hardware
• Natural disasters
• Electrical power problems
• Noise,undervoltages,and overvoltages
• Errors in computer programs
3. Two ways to protect from system failures caused by electrical power variations include surge protectors and uninterruptable power supplies (UPS) .

Backing Up-The Ultimate Safeguard

1. A backup is a duplicate of a file,program,or disk that can be used if the original is lost,damaged, or destroyed. to back up a file means to make a copy of it.
2. Offsite backups are stored in a location separated from the computer site.
3. Two categories of backups:
1. Full backup
2. Selective backup
4. Three-generation backup policy:
1. Grandparent
2. Parent
3. Child

Wireless Security

1. Wireless access poses additional security risks
2. About 80 percent of wireless networks have no security protection.
3. War driving allows individuals to detect wireless network while driving a vehicle through the area.
4. In additional to using firewalls,some safeguards improve security of wireless networks:
• A wireless access point should not broadcast an SSID.
• Change the default SSID
• Configure a WAP so that only certain devices can access it
• Use WPA or WPA2 security standards
5. Ethics and Society
6. Computer ethics are the moral guidelines that govern the use of computers and information systems.
7. Information accuracy is a concern
8. Not all information on the Web is correct
9. Intellectual property rights are the rights to which creators are entitled for their work.
10. An IT code of conduct is a written guideline that helps determine whether a specific computer action is ethical or unethical. 
11. Green computing involves reducing the electricity and environmental waste while using a computer.
12. Information privacy refers to the right of individuals and companies to deny or restrict the collection and use of information about them.
13. Huge databases store data online.
14. It is important to safeguard your information
15. When you fill out a form,the merchant that receives the form usually enters it into a database.
16. Many companies today allow people to specify whether they want their personal information distributed.
17. A cookie is a small text file that a Web server stores on your computer.
18. Web sites use cookies for a variety of reasons:
• Allow for personalization
• Store user's passwords
• Assist with online shopping
• Track how often users visit a site
• Target advertisements
19. Spam is an unsolicited e-mail message or newsgroup posting.
20. E-mail filtering blocks e-mail messages from designated sources.
21. Anti-spam programs attempt remove spam before it reaches your inbox.
22. Phishing is a scam in which a perpetrator sends an official looking e-mail message that attempts to obtain your personal and financial information.
23. Pharming is a scam where a perpetrator attempts to obtain your personal and financial information via spoofing.
24. Social engineering is defined as gaining unauthorized access or obtaining confidential information by taking advantage of trust and naivety.
25. Employee monitoring involves the use of computers to observe,record,and review an employee's use of a computer.
26. Content filtering is the process of restricting access to certain material on the Web.
27. Many businesses use content filtering.
28. Internet Content Rating Association(ICRA)
29. Web filtering software restricts access to specified Web sites.

Chapter 10


What is Database,Data,and Information?

1. Database is collection of data organized in a manner that allows access,retrieval,and use of that data.
2. Data is collection of unprocessed items such as:
• Text
• Numbers
• Images
• Audio
• Video
• Information
• Processed data
• Documents
• Audio
• Images
• Video
3. Database software,often called a database management system (DBMS),allows users to
• Create a computerized database
• Add,modify,and delete data
• Sort and retrieve data
• Create forms and reports from the data
4. Garbage in,garbage out (GIGO) points out the accuracy of a computer's output depends on the accuracy of the input.
5. Valuable information should have the following characteristics:

• Accurate
• Verifiable
• Timely
• Organized
• Accessible
• Useful
• Cost-effective

The Hierarchy of Data

1. Character character is only byte, numbers,letters,space,punctuation marks,or other symbols.
2. Field is a combination of one or more related characters
• Field name
• Field size
• Data type
3. Common data types include:
• Text
• Numeric
• AutoNumber
• Currency
• Date
• Memo
• Yes/No
• Hyperlink
• Object
• Attachment
• Record
4. A record is a group of related fields. A primary key uniquely identifies each record.
5. A data file is a collection of related records.

What to maintaining Data?

1. File maintenance refers to the procedure that keep data current:
• Adding records-Users add new records to a file when they obtain new data.
• Modifying records-Users modify a record to correct inaccurate data or update old data
• Deleting records-When a record no longer is needed,a user deletes it from a file.
2. Validation compares data with a set of rules or values to find out if the data is correct:
• Alphabetic/Numeric check
• Range check
• Consistency check
• Completeness check
• Check digit
• Other checks

File Processing Versus Databases: Let's see which one is more convenient.

1. File processing system: 
• Each department has its own set of files
• Used for many years
• Have data redundancy
• Isolate data
2. Database approach
• Programs and users share data
• Reduce data redundancy 
• Improve data integrity
• Share data
• Allows easier
• Reduces development time
• Can be more vulnerable

Database Management Systems

1. A data dictionary contains data about each file in the database and each field in those files.
2. A DBMS provides several tools that allow users and programs to retrieve and maintain data in the database:
• Query language consists of simple,English-like statements that allow users to specify the data to display,print,or store. Query by example (QBE) provides a GUI to assist users with retrieving data.
3. Form is a window on the screen that provides areas foe entering or modifying data in a database.
4. Report generator allows users to design a report on the screen,retrieve data into the report design,and then display or print the report.
5. A DBMS provides means to ensure that only authorized users access data at permitted times.
6. A DBMS provides a variety of techniques to restore the database to usable form in case it is damaged or destroyed. There are:
• Backup
• Log
• Recovery utility
• Continuous backup

Relational,Object-Oriented,and Multidimensional Databases

1. A data model consists of rules and standard that define how the database organizes data.
2. A relational database stores data in tables that consists of rows (each row has a primary key) and columns (each columns has a unique name).
3. A relationship is a link within the data.
4. Structured Query Language (SQL) is a query language that allows users to manage,update,and retrieve data.
5. An object-oriented database (OODB) stores data in object.
6. Examples of applications appropriate for an object-oriented database include:
• Multimedia database
• Groupware database
• Computer-aided design database
• Hypertext database
7. A multidimensional database can store data in more than two dimensional of data and sometimes known as a hyper-cube. It can consolidate data much faster than a relational database
8. A data warehouse is a huge database that stores and manages the data required to analyze historical and current transactions.
9. Web Databases allow you to:
• Shop for products or services
• Buy or sell stocks
• Search for a job
• Make airline reservations
• Register for college classes
• Check semester grades
10. Database Administration. It is important to have a carefully designed database. Database analysts and administrators are responsible for managing and coordinating all database activities.
• Database Analyst (DA)-Decides on proper field placement,defines data relationship,and identifies user's access privileges.
• Database Administrator (DBA)-Creates and maintains the data dictionary,manages security,monitors performance,and checks backup and recovery procedures.
11. Employees should learn how to use the data in the database effectively:
• Interact with database
• Identify new data for the database
• Maintain the database

Chapter 8

The Two Types Of Software

Two types of software are application software and system software. Application software consists of programs that perform specific tasks for users, such as a word processing program, e-mail program, or Web browser. System software consists of the programs that control the operations of a computer and its devices. The two types of system software are operating systems and utility programs. An operating system (OS) is a set of programs containing instructions that coordinate all the activities among computer hardware devices. A utility program performs a specific task, usually related to managing a computer, its devices, or its programs.

Understand The Startup Process For A Personal Computer

Booting is the process of starting or restarting a computer. When you turn on the computer, the power supply sends an electrical signal to devices located in the system unit. The processor chip resets itself and looks for the ROM chip that contains the BIOS (basic input/output system), which is firmware that holds the startup instructions. The BIOS executes the power-on self test (POST) to make sure hardware is connected properly and operating correctly. The POST results are compared with data in a CMOS chip on the motherboard. If the POST completes successfully, the BIOS searches for specific operating system files called system files. Once located, the boot drive (the drive from which your personal computer starts), loads the system files from storage (the hard disk – usually drive C) into memory (RAM) and executes them. Next, the kernel of the operating system loads into memory and takes control of the computer. The operating system loads configuration information. In Windows XP, the registry consists of several file that contain the system configuration information. When complete, the Windows XP desktop and icons display, and programs in the StartUp folder are executed.

Discuss The Purpose Of The Following Utilities: File Viewer, File Compression, Diagnostic, Uninstaller, Disk Scanner, Disk Defragmenter, Backup, And Screen Saver

 Know The Difference Between Stand-Alone Operating Systems And Network Operating System

A stand-alone operating system is a complete operating system that works on a desktop or notebook computer. A network operating system (also called network OS or NOS) is an operating system that supports a network. A network is a collection of computers and devices connected together via communications media and devices such as cables, telephone lines, and modems. In some networks, the server is the computer that controls access to the hardware and software on a network and provides a centralized storage area. The other computers on the network, called clients, rely on the server(s) for resources.

Chapter 7

Actually this chapter explains various storage media and storage devices. Students discover how memory is different from storage. Floppy disks are introduced, and characteristics of a floppy disk, floppy disk drives, care of floppy disks, and high-capacity floppy disks are presented. Hard disks are explained, and students find out about characteristics of a hard disk, how a hard disk works, removable hard disks, hard disk controllers, RAID, and maintaining data on a hard disk. Compact discs, including CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs, are described. Finally, students learn about tapes, PC Cards, and other types of storage such as smart cards, microfilm and microfiche.

Differentiate Between Storage And Memory

Memory, which is composed of one or more chips on the motherboard, is a temporary holding place for data and instructions during processing. The contents of volatile memory, such as RAM, are lost when the power to the computer is turned off. The contents of nonvolatile memory, such as ROM, are not lost when power is removed from the computer. Storage holds items such as data, instructions, and information for future use; that is, storage holds these items while they are not being processed. Storage is nonvolatile, which means the items in storage are retained even when power is removed from the computer. Compared to memory, the access time (the time it takes to locate a single item) for storage is slow.

Identify Various Types Of Storage Media And Storage Devices

A storage medium (media is the plural) is the physical material on which items are kept. A storage device is the computer hardware that records and retrieves items to and from a storage medium. Storage devices can function as sources of input and output. When storage devices transfer items from a storage medium into memory – a process called reading – they function as sources of input. When storage devices transfer items from memory to a storage medium – a process called writing – they function as sources of output. Types of storage media include floppy disks, hard disks, compact discs, tape, PC Cards, microfilm, and microfiche.

How A Floppy Disk Stores Data

A floppy disk is a portable, inexpensive storage medium that consists of a thin, circular, flexible plastic disk with a magnetic coating enclosed in a square-shaped plastic shell. A floppy disk drive (FDD) is a device that can read from and write on a floppy disk. When you insert a floppy disk into a floppy disk drive, a shutter on the disk’s plastic shell slides to the side to expose the disk’s recording surface. A floppy disk is a type of magnetic media because it uses magnetic patterns to store items. Data is stored in tracks and sectors. A track is a narrow recording band that forms a full circle on the surface of the disk. The disk’s storage locations consist of pie-shaped sections, which break the track into small arcs called sectors. For reading and writing purposes, sectors are grouped into clusters. A cluster consists of two to eight sectors and is the smallest unit of space used to store data. Formatting is the process of preparing a disk for reading and writing.

Describe How A Hard Disk Organizes Data

A hard disk, or hard disk drive, consists of several inflexible, circular platters that store items electronically. A platter in a hard disk is made of aluminum, glass, or ceramic and is coated with a material that allows items to be recorded magnetically on its surface. Each platter has two read/write heads, one for each side. Because of the stacked arrangement of the platters, the location of the read/write heads often is referred to by its cylinder, which is the location of a single track through all platters. Some computers improve hard disk access time by using a disk cache, which is a portion of memory that the processor uses to store frequently accessed items. A hard disk can be divided into separate areas, called partitions, each of which functions as if it were a separate hard disk drive.

Identify The Advantages Of Using An Internet Hard Drive

An Internet hard drive is a service on the Web that provides storage to computer users. People use Internet hard drives to:

• Eliminate the need to transport files when away from a desktop computer
• Instantaneously save large audio, video, and graphics files when surfing the Web
• Make audio files, video clips, or pictures available to family, friends, co-workers, and customers
• Immediately view time-critical data and images while away from a main office or location
• Store offsite backups of data

Chapter 6

(Output)

 Four Categories Of Output

Output is data that has been processed into a useful form called information. Four types of output are text, graphics, audio, and video. Text consists of characters (letters, numbers, punctuation marks, or any other symbol requiring one byte of computer storage space) that are used to create words, sentences, and paragraphs. Graphics are digital representations of nontext information such as drawings, charts, photographs, and animation (a series of still images in rapid sequence that gives the illusion of motion). Audio is music, speech, or any other sound. Video consists of images played back at speeds to provide the appearance of full motion. An output device is any computer component capable of conveying information to a user.

The Differences Among Various Types Of Printers

A printer is an output device that produces text and graphics on a physical medium such as paper or transparency film. Printed information is called hard copy because the information exists physically and is a more permanent from of output. Printers can be grouped in two categories: impact and non impact.

A Terminal Is Both An Input And Output Device

A terminal is a device that performs both input and output because it consists of a keyboard (input), a monitor (output), and a video card. A dumb terminal has no processing power and cannot function as an independent device. Dumb terminals connect to a host computer that performs the processing and then sends the output back to the dumb terminal. An intelligent terminal has memory and a processor that has the capability of performing some functions independent of the host computer. Some special-purpose terminals perform specific tasks and contain features designed for a particular industry. A point-of-sale (POS) terminal is a special-purpose terminal used to record purchases at the point where a consumer buys a product or service. An automatic teller machine (ATM) is a self-service, special-purpose terminal used to access your bank account.

Output Options For Physically Challenged Users

For users with mobility, hearing, or vision disabilities, many different types of output devices are available. For example, hearing-impaired users can instruct programs to display words instead of sound. With the Windows operating system, physically challenged users can set options to make programs easier to use. Visually impaired users can change the size or color of text to make words easier to read. Blind users can use speech output, where the computer reads information that displays on the screen. A Braille printer outputs information in Braille onto paper.

Chapter 5

Two Types Of Input

Input is any data or instructions entered into the memory of a computer. Two types of input are data and instructions. Data is a collection of unorganized items that can include words, numbers, pictures, sounds, and video. A user response is an instruction you issue to the computer by responding to a question posed by a computer program. Any hardware component that allows you to enter data, programs, commands, and user responses into a computer is an input device.

The Characteristics Of A Keyboard

The keyboard is an input device that contains keys you press to enter data into a computer. Desktop computer keyboards usually have from 101 to 105 keys, while keyboards for smaller computers contain fewer keys.

Identify Various Types Of Keyboards

A standard computer keyboard sometimes is called a QWERTY keyboard because of the layout of its typing area. An enhanced keyboard has 12 function keys along the top row, 2 ctrl keys, 2 alt keys, and a set of arrow and additional keys between the typing area and the numeric keypad. Cordless keyboards transmit data via infrared light waves. Keyboards for notebook and handheld computers usually have smaller and fewer keys than desktop computers. A portable keyboard is a full-sized keyboard you can attach to and remove from a handheld computer.

 How A Mouse Works

you move a mouse across a flat surface, the movement is translated into signals that are sent to the computer, and the pointer on the screen also moves. When you move the mouse to the right, the pointer moves to the right on the screen. For Windows users, the top of a mouse has at least two buttons and sometimes also a wheel. Generally, you use a mouse to move the pointer on the screen to an object and then press a button, or click, to perform a certain action on that object. Other operations you can perform using a mouse include right-click, double-click, drag, right-drag, rotate wheel, and press wheel button.

Scanners And Other Reading Devices Work

Scanners and optical readers can capture data from a source document, which is the original form of the data. A scanner is a light-sensing input device that reads printed text and graphics and then translates the results into a form a computer can use. One of the more popular scanners is a flatbed scanner, which works similarly to a copy machine except it creates a file of the document in memory instead of a paper copy. Many scanners include OCR software, which converts a scanned image into a text file that can be edited. An optical reader uses a light source to read characters, marks, and codes and converts them into digital data that a computer can process. Three types of optical readers are optical character recognition, optical mark recognition, and bar code scanner. Optical character recognition (OCR) is a technology that reads typewritten, computer printed, or handwritten characters from ordinary documents and translates the images into a form that the computer can understand. Optical mark recognition (OMR) devices read hand-drawn marks such as circles or rectangles. A bar code scanner uses laser beams to read bar codes, which are identification codes consisting of vertical lines and spaces of different widths. Another type of reader, called a magnetic-ink character recognition (MICR) reader, reads text printed with magnetized ink and is used almost exclusively by the banking industry.

Chapter 4

Chapter 4 presented the components in the system unit, described how memory stores data, instructions, and information, and discussed the sequence of operations that occur when a computer executes an instruction.

Describe The Components In The System Unit

The system unit, sometimes called the chassis, is a box-like case housing the electronic components of a computer that are used to process data. System unit components include the processor, memory module, cards, ports, and connectors. Many of the system unit’s components reside on a circuit board called the motherboard. The motherboard contains many different types of chips, or small pieces of semiconducting material, on which one or more integrated circuits (IC) are etched. An integrated circuit is a microscopic pathway capable of carrying electronic current. Each IC can contain millions of transistors, which act as switches for electronic signals.

How The CPU Uses The Four Steps Of A Machine Cycle To Process Data

The central processing unit (CPU), also called a processor, significantly impacts overall computing power and manages most of a computer’s operations. The CPU contains the control unit and the arithmetic/logic unit. The control unit directs and coordinates most of the operations in the computer. For every instruction, the control unit repeats a set of four basic operations called the machine cycle: (1)fetching the instruction or data item from memory, (2) decoding the instruction into commands the computer understands, (3) executing the commands, and, if necessary, (4) storing, or writing the result to memory. The arithmetic/logic unit (ALU) performs the execution part of the machine cycle. Specifically, the ALU carries out three operations:

• Arithmetic operations – performing calculations, which include addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
• Comparison operations – comparing data items to determine if the first item is greater than, equal to, or less than the other item
• Logical operations – working with conditions and logical operators such as AND, OR, and NOT
• Compare and contrast various personal computer processors on the market today 

The Various Types Of Memory 

Memory is a temporary storage place for data, instructions, and information. Memory stores the operating system, application programs, and the data processed by application programs. A byte is the basic storage unit in memory. Memory size is measured by the number of bytes available for use. A kilobyte (KB or K) of memory is approximately one thousand bytes, a megabyte (MB) is approximately one million bytes, and a gigabyte (GB) is approximately one billion bytes. The system unit contains several types of memory.

RAM (random access memory) consists of memory chips that the processor can read from and write to. Most RAM is volatile memory, meaning that its contents are lost when the computer’s power is turned off. Two basic types of RAM chips are dynamic RAM and static RAM. Dynamic RAM (DRAM) must be re-energized constantly or it loses its contents. Static RAM (SRAM) is faster and more reliable than DRAM and has to be re-energized less often, but it is much more expensive.

Memory cache, also called a cache store or RAM cache, improves processing time by storing frequently used instructions and data. ROM (read-only memory) refers to memory chips that only can be read and used; that is, they cannot be modified. ROM is nonvolatile memory (NVM), meaning that its contents are not lost when the computer’s power is turned off. A variation of the ROM chip, called programmable read-only memory (PROM), is a blank chip on which you can place items permanently.

Flash memory, also known as flash ROM or flash RAM, is nonvolatile memory that can be erased electronically and reprogrammed. Complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) memory, another type of memory chip, stores configuration information about the computer and uses battery power to retain information when the power to the computer is off.

 The Difference Between A Serial, A Parallel, And A USB Port

A cable often attaches external devices to the system unit. A port is the interface, or point of attachment, to the system unit. Ports have different types of connectors, which are used to join a cable to a device.Male connectors have one or more exposed pins, while female connectors have matching holes to accept the pins. Most computers have three types of ports: serial, parallel, and USB. A serial port is a type of interface that connects a device to the system unit by transmitting data only one bit at a time. Serial ports usually connect devices that do not require fast data transmission rates, such as a mouse, keyboard, or modem. A parallel port is an interface that connects devices by transferring more than one bit at a time. Many printers connect to the system unit using a parallel port. A universal serial bus (USB) port can connect up to 127 different peripheral devices with a single connector type, greatly simplifying the process of attaching devices to a personal computer.