Hardware and Software Chapter 4

Q1: What does a manager need to know about computer hardware? Q2:What’s the difference between a client and a server? Q3:What does a manager need to know about software? Q4:What buying decisions do you make? Q5:What are viruses, Trojan horses, and worms? 4-2 Study Questions Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Dee hires consultant –Specializes in setting up systems like blogs Consultant needs answers: –Will blog be run inside or outside Emerson? –Will server be Windows or Linux? –Which blog software will be used? –How will the blog be coded? Dreamweaver? Build HTML editor? –What browsers need to be supported? –Do you care if blog does not render perfectly with all browsers? This Could Happen to You 4-3 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Dee needs information system to support her blog –Actors, Instructions and Bridge Needs to consider five components of information systems 1.People: sales force and herself 2.Hardware: server 3.Procedures: for posting, accessing blog, leaving comments 4.Software: blog software, setup 5.Data: security Dee’s Challenge 4-4 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Basic hardware categories: (IPOS) –Input Keyboard, mouse, document scanners, bar-code scanners, microphones, magnetic ink readers –Processing CPU – “the brain” Main memory and cache memory Special function cards –Output Video displays, printers, audio speakers, overhead projectors, plotters –Storage Magnetic disks, optical disks, magnetic tapes Q1: What Does a Manager Need to Know About Computer Hardware? 4-5 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Binary digits (bits) –Used to represent data Bit is either zero or one Sizing Computer Data –Bytes –8-bit chunk equals 1 byte –Size of main memory, storage devices etc. Computer Data 4-6 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Internet Addressing Data Representation - ASCII (American Standard Coding for Information Interchange) Computer Data (cont.) 4-7 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

ASCII Representation 4-8 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall CharacterCodeCharacterCodeCharacterCode a n b o c p d q e r f s g t h u i v j w k x l y m z

Kilobyte ( KB or K or Kilo ) – about 1 thousand or 2 10 (1024) Megabyte ( MB or M or Meg ) – about 1 million bytes or 2 20 (1,048,576) Gigabyte ( GB or Gig ) – about 1 billion bytes or 2 30 (1,073,741,824) Terabyte ( TB or Tera ) – about 1 trillion bytes or 2 40 (1,099,511,627,776) Petabyte (PB) – about 1 quadrillion bytes or 2 50 (1,125,899,906,842,624) Capacity/Performance 4-9 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Computer Components 4-10 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Main memory is too small to hold all programs and data CPU loads programs from memory in chunks –Places new program into unused memory –If none available, the operating system will remove chunk being used and replace with requested data (Swap Files) –It does slow down your computer Memory Swapping 4-11 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Main memory size –Too little means constant memory swapping Slows processing CPU speed –Expressed in hertz (Hz) –Dual core processors for PCs –Quad core processors for servers Why Should a Manager Care How a Computer Works? 4-12 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Multi-Core Processor 4-13 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Cache and main memory are “volatile” –Contents lost when power is cut off Magnetic and optical disks are “nonvolatile” –Saved contents survive after power is turned off Why Should a Manager Care How a Computer Works? (cont’d) 4-14 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Client computers are used for word processing, spreadsheets, database access –Connect to servers for Web, , database Servers provide service to clients –They are faster, larger, more powerful –Usually have very simple video display, if any Server farm –Large collection of coordinated servers –Google has several hundred thousand servers in 36 data centers around world Q2: What’s the Difference Between a Client and a Server? 4-15 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Grid computing –Network of computers operating as if it is one computer –Companies lease time on grid from IBM and others – Used for intensive arithmetic computing Cloud computing –Computing networks provided as a service on Internet What’s the Difference Between a Client and Server? (cont’d) 4-16 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Client and Server Models 4-17 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Thin client –Requires nothing more than browser –Does not require installation and administration of client software Thick client –Has more code to run on it –More features and functions –More expense and administration What Is the Difference Between a Thin and Thick Client? 4-18 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Hardware and Software Cont. Chapter 4

Two fundamental types: 1.Operating system Large, complex program that controls computer’s resources 2.Application programs Perform specific user tasks Software constraints –Operating systems Run only on particular types of hardware Must conform to instruction set of CPU Windows works only on Intel instruction set CPUs –Application programs Written to use particular operating system Q3: What Does a Manager Need to Know about Software? 4-20 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

1.Windows –Used by 85% of the world’s desktops –95% of business users –Different versions for client computers and servers, Web sites, , and so on 2.Mac OS –Apple Computer, Inc. developed for Macintosh computers –Easy-to-use interfaces –Used extensively by graphic artists and art community –Runs on PowerPC processor or a MAC with Intel processor What Are the Four Major Operating Systems? 4-21 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

3.Unix –Workhorse for scientific and engineering communities –More difficult to use than Windows or MAC –Not for business users (????) 4.Linux –Developed by open-source community (Linus Torvalds) –No fee to use it –IBM has developed business systems solutions that use Linux What Are the Four Major Operating Systems? (cont’d) 4-22 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Application Software –Programs that perform a business function –Some are general purpose – Excel, Word –Some are specific purpose – QuickBooks, SAP Application Software Acquisition –Buy off-the-shelf May need alterations –Custom-developed software Tailor-made for organization What Types Of Applications Exist and How Do Organizations Obtain Them? 4-23 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Horizontal-market application software –Provides capabilities common across all organizations and industries Examples: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Acrobat, Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, PageMaker Off-the-shelf software, little or no customization Vertical-market application software –Serves need of specific community/industry Examples: appointment scheduling, tracking system for mechanics Can be customized by vendor or qualified consultant What Types of Application Programs Exist? 4-24 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

1.Off-the-shelf 2.Off-the-shelf with alterations 3.Custom-developed software –Difficult, risky and expensive –May be developed in-house or by outside developer How Do Organizations Acquire Application Software? 4-25 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Summary of Software Sources and Types 4-26 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Computer software installed into devices –Printers, print servers, communication devices –Coded like other software –Installed into read-only memory Becomes part of device’s memory –Can be changed and upgraded What Is Firmware? 4-27 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Manager’s role depends on organization’s policies –Large organizations have IS department that sets standards for hardware and software –Medium to small organizations less formal Managers take more active role Usually standardize to single client operating systems Managers and employees may have role in specifying horizontal and vertical application software Usually no role in specifications of server hardware Work with technical personnel to test and accept software Q4: What Buying Decisions Do You Make? 4-28 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Viruses –Computer programs that replicates themselves –Take unwanted and harmful actions –Consume computer resources Payload causes unwanted activity Trojan horses –Viruses that masquerade as useful programs or files, such as games, MP3s, and so on Macro viruses –Attach to Word, Excel, and so on to infect documents –Place themselves in startup files –Infect every file the application creates or processes Q5: What Are Viruses, Trojan Horses, and Worms 4-29 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Worms –Viruses that propagate using Internet or network –Specifically programmed to spread –Actively use networks to spread What Are Viruses, Trojan Horses, and Worms (cont’d) 4-30 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Never download from unknown sites Don’t open attachments from strangers Don’t open unexpected attachments Don’t rely on file extension names Purchase antivirus program to detect and eliminate viruses Prevention Steps 4-31 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Q1: What does a manager need to know about computer hardware? Q2:What’s the difference between a client and a server? Q3:What does a manager need to know about software? Q4:What buying decisions do you make? Q5:What are viruses, Trojan horses, and worms? Active Review 4-32 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Hardware and Software Chapter 4