1. Tomorrow’s Technology and You 9/e Chapter 4 Software Basics: The Ghost in the Machine Slide 1 Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

2. Tomorrow’s Technology and You 9/e Chapter 4 Computer programs The three major categories of software:  Compilers and other translator programs: enable programmers to create other software  Software applications: serve as productivity tools to help computer users solve problems  System software: coordinates hardware operations and does behind-the-scenes work the computer user seldom sees Application vs. Operating Systems Slide 2 Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

3. Tomorrow's Technology and You 9/e Chapter 4 Processing with Programs Food for thought  The hardware in a computer system is equipped to produce whatever output a user requests. Slide 3 Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

4. Tomorrow’s Technology and You 9/e Chapter 4 Processing with Programs A fast, stupid machine  Programmers begin with an algorithm: a set of step-by- step instructions written in a natural language, for example, English.  The steps are often ambiguous, error-prone generalities.  The steps are translated into the vocabulary of a programming language.  Debugging is done to correct errors. Slide 4 Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

5. Tomorrow’s Technology and You 9/e Chapter 4 Processing with Programs The language of computers  Machine language: numeric codes that represent basic computer operations  High-level language: falls between machine language and natural human language (C++, Java, VB.NET, etc.)  Compilers translate high-level language into machine language.  Natural languages: resembles languages used by humans  Translation software Slide 5 Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

6. Tomorrow’s Technology and You 9/e Chapter 4 Software Applications: Tools for Users Consumer applications  Many software companies have replaced or supplemented the printed documentation with:  Tutorials  Reference materials  Help files  Online help Slide 6 Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

7. Tomorrow’s Technology and You 9/e Chapter 4 Software Applications: Tools for Users Consumer applications (cont.)  Updating: minor bug fixes and enhancements  Upgrading: Users can upgrade a program to the new version by paying an upgrade fee to the software manufacturer.  Newer releases often have additional features and fewer bugs.  Service Packs contain minor revisions and are usually free. Slide 7 Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

8. Tomorrow’s Technology and You 9/e Chapter 4 Software Applications: Tools for Users Consumer applications (cont.)  Compatibility  It allows software to function properly with the hardware, operating system, and peripherals.  Programs written for one type of computer system; may not work on another.  Disclaimers  Software manufacturers limit their liability for software problems by selling software “as is.”  EULA (End User License Agreement ) Slide 8 Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

9. Tomorrow’s Technology and You 9/e Chapter 4 Software Applications: Tools for Users Consumer applications (cont.)  Licensing: Commercial software is copyrighted so it can’t be legally duplicated for distribution to others.  Software license  Volume licenses  Distribution of software via:  Direct sales  Retail stores  Mail-order catalogs  Web sites  Not all software is copyrighted  Public domain software  Shareware Slide 9 Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

10. Tomorrow’s Technology and You 9/e Chapter 4 Software Applications: Tools for Users Web applications  Web applications fall into several categories:  Some Web applications perform simple data-processing tasks that could also be performed by traditional programs running on stand-alone PCs  Most Web applications take advantage of the Web’s connectivity  Many Web applications leverage the Web’s strength as a huge repository of information  Some Web applications support online business transactions  News-oriented Web applications provide up-to-the-minute reports  Other Web applications support a more traditional form of information broadcasting Slide 10 Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

11. Tomorrow’s Technology and You 9/e Chapter 4 Software Applications: Tools for Users Vertical-market & custom software  Tends to cost far more than mass-market applications  Job-specific software:  Medical billings  Library cataloging  Legal reference software  Restaurant management  Single-client software needs Slide 11 Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

12. Tomorrow’s Technology and You 9/e Chapter 4 System Software: The Hardware-Software Connection What the operating system does System software  A class of software that includes the operating system and utility programs, handles these details and hundreds of other tasks behind the scenes.  Operating system functions:  Supports multitasking  Manages virtual memory  Maintains file system  Responsible for authentication and authorization Slide 12 Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

13. Tomorrow’s Technology and You 9/e Chapter 4 System Software: The Hardware-Software Connection Utility programs and device drivers  Utility programs  Serve as tools for doing system maintenance and repairs that aren’t automatically handled by the operating system  Make it easier for users to:  Copy files between storage devices  Repair damaged data files  Translate files so that different programs can read them  Guard against viruses and other potentially harmful programs (as described in the chapter on computer security and risks)  Compress files so they take up less disk space  Perform other important, if unexciting, tasks Slide 13 Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

14. Tomorrow’s Technology and You 9/e Chapter 4 System Software: The Hardware-Software Connection Device Drivers  Device drivers  Small programs that enable I/O devices—keyboard, mouse, printer, and others—to communicate with the computer  Included with the operating system, bundled with peripherals, or given away as separate products Slide 14 Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

15. Type of Utility Software Disk defragmentation – Optimizes hard disk performance by arranging files into contiguous sectors Backup programs – Used to compress and back up important files Encryption – Secure files, folders, and disks in the event of theft of loss of the computer System monitoring – Monitors system resources such as processor and memory usage and optimizes them to improve performance Disk clean up – Detects and deletes unneeded files, such as temporary files created by some applications. ITGS, Stuart Gray pg. 47

16. Types of Utility Software (cont’d) Accessibility options – Sets options for disabled users, such as increased font size or screen contrast. Anti-virus software – Used to detect and remove malicious software such as viruses, Trojan horses and spyware. System updates – Updates the operating system with the latest security and performance patches released by the software’s creator. Compression software – Used to compress files to save disk space or network bandwidth. ITGS;, Stuart Gray pg. 47

17. Tomorrow’s Technology and You 9/e Chapter 4 System Software: The Hardware-Software Connection Slide 17 Where the operating system lives  Some computers store their operating system in ROM.  Others include only part of it in ROM.  The remainder of the operating system is loaded into memory in a process called booting, which occurs when you turn on the computer.  Most of the time the operating system works behind the scenes.  Interacting with the operating system, like interacting with an application, can be intuitive or challenging, and it depends on something called the user interface. Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

18. The User Interface: The Human–Machine Connection User interface  The interface defines the look and feel of the computing experience from a human point of view. Desktop operating systems  MS-DOS is an operating system in which the user interacts using characters rather than graphics (command line interface)  Letters  Numbers  Symbols Different types of interfaces  Command-line interface (commands are typed)  Menu-driven interface (commands are chosen from on-screen lists)  GUI (Graphical User Interfaces), pronounced “gooey”  Mac OS was developed by Macintosh in 1984 using GUI.  Microsoft Windows is now the most popular operating system. Slide 18 Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

19. The User Interface: The Human–Machine Connection UNIX and Linux  UNIX was developed at Bell Labs before personal computers were available.  Linux was created by Linus Torvalds and continues to be a work-in-progress. (Open source software)  UNIX has dominated the multi-user server market for decades.  Many choose to use dual-boot PCs to switch between Windows and Linux, simply, by rebooting.  UNIX allows a timesharing computer to communicate with several other computers or terminals at once.  Linux is free for anyone to use or improve.  UNIX remains the dominant operating system for Internet servers.  Some form of UNIX is available for personal computers, workstations, servers, mainframes, and supercomputers. Slide 19 Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

20. Tomorrow’s Technology and You 9/e Chapter 4 The User Interface: The Human–Machine Connection  Cross-platform applications, such as Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop, are programs available in similar versions for multiple platforms.  Mac users can buy software emulation programs that:  Create a simulated Windows machine in the Mac  Translate all Windows-related instructions to Mac equivalents  Future applications may be tied to networks rather than to desktop platforms  Microsoft.NET strategy  Java, a platform-neutral computer language developed by Sun Microsystems for use on multiplatform networks  Virtual machines Slide 20 Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Hardware and software platforms

21. Cloud Computing Advantages – Software and data are available from any location that has Internet access, regardless of the computer being used. – There is no need to manage, maintain, and upgrade a network of computers with lots of application software installed. Upgrades to the cloud software are automatically available on all computers immediately. – Reliability and Integrity: there is less need to maintain back-up and test procedures for data stored on the cloud. – Some cloud computing applications let multiple users work simultaneously on the same document (collaborative working.) Slide 21

22. Cloud Computing Disadvantages – Reliability: A fast and reliable Internet connection is required. Unreliable connections may result in inability to work for long periods of time. If lots of users are using the cloud computing system, a lot of bandwidth is needed. – Security: You are reliant on the cloud computing provider having adequate security measures to prevent your data falling into the hands of unauthorized users both during transit and when stored on the remote server. – Reliability and integrity: You are relying on the cloud computing provider to have adequate backup procedures to prevent loss of data if their systems fail – Globalization and Cultural Diversity: There are concerns about the legal status of data stored on serves in different parts of the world. Varying international laws may mean that data is subject to government inspection or may be considered illegal, even though it would not be in the user’s home country. Slide 22

23. Tomorrow’s Technology and You 9/e Chapter 4 File Management: Where’s My Stuff? Organizing files and folders  One solution to this problem is to organize data files logically.  Both Windows and the Mac support the notion of common system folders with self- explanatory names:  My Documents (Documents)  My Pictures (Pictures)  My Music (Music) Slide 23 Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

24. Tomorrow’s Technology and You 9/e Chapter 4 File Management: Where’s My Stuff File-management utilities  View, rename, copy, move, and delete files and folders  Hierarchies help with organization  Help with locating a file  Get size, file type, and last modification date Managing files from applications  Operations: Open, Save As, Save, and Close Slide 24 Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

25. Tomorrow’s Technology and You 9/e Chapter 4 File Management: Where’s My Stuff Locating files  Modern operating systems include search tools that can help you find files  New operating systems have built in file management tools to help users keep track of files  Virtual folders can “contain” files located all over your computer Slide 25 Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

26. Tomorrow’s Technology and You 9/e Chapter 4 File Management: Where’s My Stuff Defragmentation: the cure for fragmented files As you work with a file, its contents become scattered into different tracks and sectors of your hard drive. Slide 26 Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

27. Software Piracy and Intellectual Property Laws The piracy problem  The software industry is a $50 billion a year business sector.  Billions of dollars and tens of thousands of jobs are lost each year to software pirates.  One-third of all software is illegally copied. Intellectual property and the law  Intellectual property includes the results of intellectual activities in the arts, science, and industry.  Laws ensure that mental labor is justly rewarded and encourage innovation. (Copyright, Trademark, Patent, etc.)  The information age requires the outdated and inconsistent intellectual property laws to be changed and adapted. Slide 27 Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall