Chapter 2 Fundamentals of Information Technology Introduction to Business Information Systems by Mark Huber, Craig Piercy, Patrick McKeown, and James Norrie

Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd. 2 Information Technology Categories  _______________: the electronic and mechanical components you can see and touch  _______________: the set of instructions that direct the hardware  _______________: increases the power of IT by allowing the sharing of resource

Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd. 3 Hardware Components  ______________: Directs execution of instructions and the transformation of data  _______________: Temporarily stores data and instructions before and after processing  ______________: Provides the interface used for data entry into a device  ______________: Provides the interface to retrieve information from a device  _______________: Stores data, information, and instructions for the long term  ______________: Connects one IT device to another

Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd. 4 The Central Processing Unit  Core of all computing operations is a __________ composed of millions of transistors called the _______________.  A _______________ is an electronic switch that can be on (1) or off (0).  By combining multiple transistors we can represent data in a ____________ format.  The CPU works together with __________ to control the execution of instructions and the processing of data.  CPU speed is measured by its __________ in billions of cycles per second (gigahertz).

Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd. 5 Memory  There are two types of memory—long term (__________) memory and short- term (__________) memory  Both types of memory are built onto _______________  Both are measured in number of bytes stored: 1000’s (kilobytes—KB) Millions (megabytes—MB Billions (gigabytes—GB)

Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd. 6 Read Only Memory  Read Only Memory (ROM) contains instructions that are not meant to be changed or changed only infrequently  In computers, ROM holds instructions used to control the _____________________  There are far fewer _____ chips than _____ chips in a computer

Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd. 7 Random Access Memory  Random Access Memory (RAM) is the predominant form of memory in a computer.  The __________ can access any item stored in RAM directly (randomly).  RAM is ___________ memory so anything in RAM is lost when the computer is shut down.  Increasing ______________ is the easiest way to increase effectiveness of a computer.

Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd. 8 Input Hardware  Input devices provide one interface between the internal processes of an IS and its environment.  It allows us to enter ________________.  Input devices include: ___________________ Pointing devices such as a _______________ __________________ such a barcode scanner

Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd. 9 Output Hardware  Output devices convert IT-processed information into a form usable by people (or other machines)  ___________ and ___________ of output is important in choosing an output device.  Common output devices include _____________________ such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs) _______________, typically laser or ink-jet as well as plotters ________________

Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd. 10 IT Storage Hardware  Storage refers to hardware media and devices used to contain large amounts of ___________________ for the long term.  Storage is much ____________ to access than memory.  Examples include: Hard drive CD and DVDs USB flash memory

Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd. 11 Communications Hardware  _______________________ provide the physical connection between the computer and a local network  _______________ allow you to connect to a remote network over a telecommunications line (telephone line or cable TV service)

Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd. 12 Software  Software is information that specifies how the device should work with other data, information, and knowledge.  Software is ________________________ just like music and books.  _______________ is software built into chips (hardware) like that in cell phones and PDAs

Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd. 13 System Software  Controls the _____________ associated with a system  Supports the execution of ___________________________  Two main types of systems software _______________ Software: coordinates and handles the details of working with the computer hardware. _______________ software: provides additional tools to maintain and service your system (many utility software tasks are now included in the OS).

Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd. 14 Application Software  _______________ software is a complete, self-contained program or set of programs for performing a specific job.  Application software is the software you use to get things done.  _______________ software: software used by knowledge workers to work with data, information, and knowledge. For example, MS Office and Intuit’s Quicken software.

Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd. 15 Connecting Over Networks  A computer network consists of ___________ that represent computer hardware and network user with hardware, software, and ___________________________ forming links between nodes.  Network consists of 4 primary components: ________________________________

Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd. 16 Network Categories  Computer networks are commonly described by the __________________ of the network.  The most commonly use types are ______ and _______.  A _______________ is confined to a relatively small area like a building.  A _______________ connects computers over regions, countries, and continents.

Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd. 17 Network Hardware  There are three basic categories of network hardware 1. Hardware to connect a _________ to a network. 2. Specialized hardware for handling network _____________. 3. Specialized computers that control the network and _____________ of data on the network.

Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd. 18 Network Connection Hardware  _______________, cable modems, network interface cards, and wireless cards  The physical link that creates the network connection is referred to as the _____________________________

Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd. 19 Network Traffic Hardware  A _______________ is a device that lets you connect to networks or break a large network into two smaller, more efficient networks.  A _______________ is an intelligent bridge that connects, translates, and then directs data that cross between two networks.  A _________________ serves as a central connection point for devices on a a network.  A _________________ is a special bridge that connects between wireless devices and a wired network.

Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd. 20 Specialized Network Computers  __________________ are specialized computers that manage the various functions on a network.  A _______________ is a fast computer with large amount of RAM and storage.  _________________ run the network operating system as well as storing shared software applications and data files.  Computers connected to a file server are called _______________________.

Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd. 21 Network Software  Network ____________________ software manages network functions and the flow of data over a computer network.  Network _______________________ provides the instructions that allow for the creation of data and for transformation to fit appropriate protocols for transmission over a network.  A _______________ is a standard set of rules that allows the communication of data between nodes on a network.

Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd. 22 The Internet  Any computer network that connects several networks together is an ____________________.  Typically we refer to the single largest and most popular internet as the “Internet.”  The Internet uses the _______________ suite of packet switching protocols.  Any computer using software compatible with ___________________, regardless of OS, can connect and communicate over the Internet.

Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd. 23 Accessing the Internet  Home users access the Internet through ______________ over traditional telephone lines or _______________ through cable or DSL.  Most users connect through an _________________ using Internet access software.  Internet access has moved into libraries, airports, or coffee shops using ________.  _______________ stands for standards for wireless network access.

Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd. 24 The World Wide Web  The World Wide Web (WWW) is one the two most popular Internet applications ( is the other.)  The Web provides a ______________ system that operates over the Internet.  _______________ provides an easy way to publish information on a network in documents that incorporate hyperlinks to other information on the network.  _______________ software enables user to view hypertext document and use hyperlinks to browse other related documents.

Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd. 25 Web Standards The Web relies on three basic standards: 1. A ______________________, which specifies a unique address for each page that indicates the location of a document. 2. The _______________ provides rules used by browsers and servers as they respond to each other. 3. _______________ provides a language for encoding the information so a variety of IT devices can display it.

Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd. 26 Copyright Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons Canada, Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction or translation of this work beyond that permitted by Access Copyright (The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency) is unlawful. Requests for further information should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons Canada, Ltd. The purchaser may make back-up copies for his or her own use only and not for distribution or resale. The author and the publisher assume no responsibility for errors, omissions, or damages caused by the use of these programs or from the use of the information contained herein.