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1.1 Overview of Information Technology

TOPIC 1.0 :

INTRODUCTION TO

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

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At the end of this topic, students should be

able to:

Explain Information Technology

Discuss the applications of Information

Technology

Explain different categories of computers

Learning Outcomes:

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Definition of Information Technology

The use of computer hardware and software to store, retrieve, and manipulate information.

http://www.mariosalexandrou.com/definition.asp

● - http://ccs.mit.edu/21c/iokey.html

computer hardware and software

informationstore, retrieve & manipulate

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The study, design, development, implementation support or management of computer-based information systems.

- Information Technology Association of America (ITAA)

Definition of Information Technology

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Advantages and disadvantages of

Information Technology

Advantages :

Speed

When data, instructions, and information flow along

electronic circuits in a computer, they travel at

incredibly fast speeds. Many computers process

billions or trillions of operations in a single second.

Reliability

The electronic components in modern computers are

dependable and reliable because they rarely break or

fail.

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Advantages and disadvantages of

Information Technology

Advantages :

Consistency

Given the same input and processes, a computer will

produce the same results — consistently.

Storage

A computer can transfer data quickly from storage to

memory, process it, and then store it again for future

use. Many computers store enormous amounts of

data and make this data available for processing

anytime it is needed.

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Advantages and disadvantages of

Information Technology

Advantages :

Communications

Most computers today can communicate with other

computers, often wirelessly. Computers with this

capability can share any of the four information

processing cycle operations with another computer or

a user.

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Advantages and disadvantages of

Information Technology

Advantages :

Increase efficiency and effectiveness

IT hepls employees to increase their capability in the

work place. With the helps of IT, employees can key

in data into different types of software to process and

produce result in minute.

Improves communication

IT can connect users in different locations all over the

world. E-mail and instant messages have made online

communication possible. Social networking and

blogging websites and online discussion forums have

proved being popular platform of expression.

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Advantages and disadvantages of

Information Technology

Advantages :

Boosts nation's economy

The improvement of IT has encouraged the creation and

development of E-commerce where people and

organizations performing online trading.

Improve the quality of life

The use of Internet allow users to be online without

difficulty. Access of information become easier. 3D

technology, television and digital camera has enabled

humans to live comfortably.

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Advantages and disadvantages of

Information Technology

Disadvantages :

Violation of privacy

Personal and confidential records were not protected

properly, individuals have found their privacy violated and

identities stolen.

Public safety

Sharing publicly the photos, videos, and other personel

information could trap the computer users into crimes

comitted by dangerous strangers.

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Advantages and disadvantages of

Information Technology

Disadvantages :

Impact on labour force

Although IT has improved productivity in many ways and

created hundred of thousands of new jobs, the skills of

millions employees itself have been replaced by

computers.

Impact on the environment

Computer manufacturing processess and computer

waste are depleting natural resources and polluting the

environment.

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Education

Finance

Government

Health Care

Science

Publishing

Travel

Manufacturing

Applications of Information Technology

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Assists educators and learners in teaching and learning process.

Education

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Application of IT in Education :

Self Access Learning

Distance Education

Smart Schools

Educational Portals

Edutainment

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Education : Self Access Learning

Learning process using CD, DVD or via the Internet.

Educators create materials and upload to the Internet.

Learners download materials from the Internet.

Example:

Online tuition

e – Test

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The educator and learner in physically separate

locations but can communicate via video

conferencing, e-mails and bulletin boards.

Student can apply Self Access Learning, learn at

their own time and pace.

Education : Distance Education

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Uses information technology as the basis for

teaching and learning.

The computer is expected to be used in

educational management, evaluation and in

teaching and learning.

Stress on the development of student

potential as individuals through the benefits

received from ICT.

Education : Smart School

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Students will be exposed to computer usage and

teaching materials will also be in electronic form.

The teacher plays the role of facilitator while the

students themselves determine their own level of

learning according to their own capabilities.

Education : Smart School

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Education : Educational Portal

A gateway to education that is suitable for use by

students.

Provides a lot of useful information especially to

students who will be sitting for important

examinations such as UPSR, PMR, and SPM.

Example : Tutor Utusan

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Education : Edutainment

A multimedia application which combines the

elements of education and entertainment in a

single package.

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Finance

To help manage their finance.

Finance software to balance checkbooks, pay

bills, track personal income and expenses,

manage investment, and evaluate financial

plans.

Improving productivity, competitiveness and

profitability.

Help company to promote their product and

services.

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Applications in Finance

Online Banking

Electronic Payment System (EPS)

Online Investing

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Finance : Online Banking

Users can access account balances, pay

bills and view monthly transactions.

Examples:

BankIslam.biz

Maybank2u

Cimbclicks.

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Finance : Online Banking

Maybank2u.com Features :

View

Account Balance

Transfer

History

Pay bills

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Finance : Online Investing

Investors buy and sells stocks and bond

without using a broker.

The transaction fee for each trade usually is

much less than when trading through a broker.

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Government

Government Web sites provide

citizens with up-to-date

information.

People can file taxes, apply for

permits and licenses, pay

parking ticket, buy stamps,

report crimes, and renew

vehicle registration and driver's

license.

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Applications in Government

e-Filing

HRMIS

e-penyata

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Government : e-Filing

Online system for declaring tax.

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Government : HRMIS

Online system for updating government

employee information.

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Government : e-penyata

Online system that allow users to view and

print pay slip.

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Health Care

The medical staffs around us will be using

computers for various purposes.

Applications :

Telemedicine

Telesurgery

Medline

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Health Care

To maintain and access patient records.

Monitor patients' vital signs in hospital room.

Doctors use e-mail to correspond with

patients.

Pharmacists use computers to file insurance

claims.

Surgeons implant computerized devices, such

as pacemakers, that allow patients to live

longer.

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Health Care : Telemedicine

The practice of medicine through the use of all

forms of data, visual and audio

communication.

Health-care professionals in separate

locations conduct live conferences on the

computer.

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Telemedicine

Several new hospitals such as UKM Hospital,

Putrajaya Hospital, Selayang Hospital and

Putrajaya Clinic possess comprehensive

facilities that can effectively apply tele-

medicine.

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Several new hospitals such as UKM Hospital,

Putrajaya Hospital, Selayang Hospital and

Putrajaya Clinic possess comprehensive facilities

that can effectively apply tele-medicine.

Telemedicine

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Health Care : Telesurgery

A surgeon perform an operation on a patient who is

not located in the same physical room as the

surgeon.

Enables surgeons to direct robots to perform an

operation via computers connected to a high-speed

network.

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Health Care : MedlinePlus

A free Web site that provides consumer health

information for patients, families, and Health care

providers.

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Science

All branches of science use IT to assist them

with collecting, analyzing and modeling data.

Applications:

Neural network

Virtual Reality

Cochlear Implant

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Science : Neural Network

A system that attempt to imitate the behavior of

human brain.

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Science : Virtual Reality

Computer use to simulate a real or imagined

environment that appears as 3 dimensional

space.

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Science : Cochlear Implant

Help user in hearing problem.

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Publishing

Publishing is the process of making works

available to the public

Special software assists graphic designers in

developing pages.

Many publishers make their works available

online.

Applications:

Digital Newspaper

Digital Magazine

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Publishing

The use of special software that assists:

graphic designers in developing pages that

include text, graphic, and photos;

artists in composing an enhancing songs;

film makers in creating an editing film;

journalists in capturing and modifying video

clips.

The use of website to make their works

available online.

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Publishing : Digital Newspaper

People can read newspaper online.

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Publishing : Digital Magazine

People can read magazine online.

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Travel

Latest technology have help in making travel

convenient.

Applications:Car Navigation System by Global Positioning

System (GPS)

Automatic roaming

Online reservation

Air Traffic Control

Automatic Toll Payment System

Ticket Reservation System

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Travel : Global Positioning System (GPS)

Help users to track routes for specific location.

Combined technology of locating, mapping

and route guidance of cars.

The location of the car is estimated by a GPS

receiver.

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Travel : Automatic Roaming

Telecommunication companies provides

automatic roaming for travelers to travel

abroad.

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Travel : Online Reservation

Transportation and accommodation reservation

can be done through website.

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Travel : Air Traffic Control

The workers in airport tower

rely on computers to help

monitor air traffic.

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Manufacturing

Latest technology have help in making manufacturing process more effective.

Applications:

Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM)

Bar Code System

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Manufacturing : Computer-Aided

Manufacturing (CAM)

The use of computers to assist with

manufacturing processes such as fabrication

and assembly.

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Manufacturing : Computer-Aided

Manufacturing (CAM)

Industries use CAM to:

reduce product development costs,

shorten a product's time to market, and

stay ahead of the competition

CAM used in:

Oil drilling

Power generation

Food production

Automobile manufacturing

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Manufacturing : Bar Code System

Bar coded and can be read by the computer

scanner to help in determining prices and

managing inventory.

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Chapter Summary

Discuss the applications of IT:

Education

Finance

Government

Health Care

Science

Publishing

Travel

Manufacturing

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Categories of computers:

Supercomputers

Mainframes

Personel Computers

Mobile Computers and Mobile Devices

Embedded Computers

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Supercomputers

A supercomputer is the fastest, most powerful computer.

The physical size of supercomputer – full room of equipment.

Fastest supercomputers are capable of processing more than

one quadrillion instructions in a single second

With weights that exceeds 100 tons, these computer can store

more than 20000 times the data and information of an

average desktop computers.

Applications requiring complex, sophisticated mathematical

calculations use supercomputers. Large scale simulations and

applications in medicine, aerospace, automotive design,

online banking, whether forecasting, nuclear energy research

and petroleum exploration use a supercomputer.

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Supercomputers

IBM’s Blue Gene is one of the

fastest computers in the world.

O’Leary/O’Leary, Computing Essentials 2012: Making IT work for you, p. 11

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Mainframes

A large, expensive, powerful computer that can handle hundreds or thousands of connected users simultaneously (multi- user).

Shelly Cashman, Discovering Computers: Living in a Digital World 2011, p. 25

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Mainframe computers are typically: Large:

physically large – partial room to a full room of equipment; often kept in special, air-conditioned rooms

Powerful: stores tremendous amounts of data, instructions &

information used by large organizations for bill millions of

customers, prepare payroll for thousand of employees, and manage thousand of items in inventory

Mainframes

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Mainframes

Mainframe computers are typically: Multi-user:

allow several users to use the computer at the same time, connected through remote terminals (screens and keyboards)

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Personal Computers

A personal computer or also known as

microcomputer is a computer that can perform all of its

input, processing, output, and storage activities by itself

It is least powerful, but the most widely used and fastest

growing type of computer

This computer can fits on the desk or tables and prove

to be the best choice for single user tasks.

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Personal Computers

Examples of personal computer:

Desktop

Laptop

Tablet PC

Netbook

Handheld computers

Smartphones

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Personal Computers

Common applications in personal computer include word

processing, spreadsheet calculations, database

management, creating or editing photographs or graphics,

browsing the Internet, retrieving email and playing music,

videos and games.

Modern personal computers often have connections to the

Internet, allowing access to the World Wide Web and wide

range of other resources.

Personal computers maybe connected to local area network

(LAN), either by a cable or wireless connection.

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/different-types-of-computers.html

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Mobile Computers and Mobile Devices

Mobile Computers Mobile Devices

Personal computer you cancarry from place to place.

Computing device small enoughto hold in your hand.

Physical size – fits on your lapor in your hand.

Physical size – fits on your lap orin your hand.

Examples : notebook computers, laptop computers, netbooks, ultra-thins, and Tablet PCs.

Examples : smart phones and PDAs, e-book readers, handheld computers, portable media players, and digital cameras.

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Mobile Computers

Notebook Computers

A notebook computer also called

a laptop computer, is a portable,

personal computer often designed to

fit on your lap.

Notebook computers are thin and

lightweight, can be as powerful as the

average desktop computer

Some notebook computers have

touch screens, allowing you to interact

by touching the screen with finger.

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Tablet PCs

a special type of notebook

computer that you can interact

with by touching the screen with

your finger or a digital pen.

it is useful especially for

taking notes in lectures, at

meetings, conferences and

other forums.

Mobile Computers

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Smartphones

Smartphone is an internet-enabled phone that provides personal

information management functions such as a calendar, an appointment

book, an address book, a calculator and a notepad.

Smartphone allows you to send and receive emails, access to the Web.

Smartphone also offer a variety of application software such as word

processing, spreadsheet and games and capability of conducting live video

conferences.

Mobile Devices

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Mobile Devices

Digital cameras

A device that allows user to

take pictures and store the

photographed images digitally.

Digital cameras usually have

some amount of internal storage

to hold images, but most users

store images on small storage

media such as memory cards.

It allows users to review and

modify images, connect and

communicate wirelessly with

computers or printers.

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Embedded Computers

An embedded computer is a special-purpose

computer that functions as a component in a

larger productConsumer Electronics

•Mobile and digital telephones

•Digital televisions

•Cameras

•Video recorders

•DVD players and recorders

•Answering machines

Home Automation Devices

•Thermostats

• Sprinkling systems

• Security monitoring systems

•Appliances

• Lights

Automobiles

•Antilock brakes

•Engine control modules

•Airbag controller

•Cruise control

Process Controllers and Robotics

•Remote monitoring systems

•Power monitors

•Machine controllers

•Medical devices

Computer Devices and Office Machines

•Keyboards

•Printers

• Faxes

•Copiers

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Embedded Computers

Some of the embedded computers designed to improve your safety, security and performance in today’s

automobiles

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PSPM Model Questions

1. Explain how IT can benefit education

2. (a) State two (2) fields of application of Information Technology

(b) List two (2) examples of application for each of the fields mentioned above

(c) Discuss the application of IT in any of the field above

3. Give three (3) examples of application on Information

Technology

4. List four (4) applications of IT in our daily life

5. Identify and explain one (1) way IT can be leveraged in

banking.