Computers in Your Life Today

Are You Ready to Become Wired?

Chapter 1

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Objectives

1. Understand the expanding role of the Web beyond just a place to surf to a place to gather vitally important information, schedule your life, interact with other people, and other activities.

2. Define a computer and identify its component parts according to hardware and software.

3. Describe the different types of computers by size, including personal digital assistants, notebooks, desktop computers, minicomputers, mainframes, and supercomputers.

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Objectives cont.

4. Understand that the ethical use of computers and technology extends beyond just how you view the world and your values.

5. Interact with a basic computer system by using buttons, icons, links, and input fields.

6. Begin the process of buying a computer system by understanding your basic needs.

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A:// You, Your Life, and the World Wide Web

• Web site

• Web site address– Unique name that identifies a Web site– Site address

• Example - Palm.com

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Scheduling

• PDAs – Personal digital assistants– Small hand-held computers

• My.Palm.com– No PDA needed– Free scheduling and organization service

How many of you own a PDA?

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My.Palm.com Web Site

Maintain your schedule by day,

week, month, and even year

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Hyperlinks

• Links– Clickable text– Clickable image

• Moves you from one Web site to another

• Moves you to different places within the same Web site

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Links

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Can I Use the Web to Pay Bills?

• Purchase products and services

• Use sites to charge against your credit card to pay bills– Make payments to government entities

• IRS• State & local taxes

– Pay tuition

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Official Payments Web Site

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Sharing Your Wisdom

• Forums for sharing– Epinions.com

• Read what others have to say• Share your thoughts• Royalty payments (eroyalties)

• Chat rooms– Virtual meeting place on the Web– Alias name is often used– Thoughts and ideas are expressed and shared

www.mhhe.com/i-series

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Practically SpeakingCommunication Throughout History

• How did the ancient Romans communicate?

• How efficient was the colonial postal system?

• How many days did it take for a stagecoach to deliver mail in 1785?

• Who introduced the PC in 1982?

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Making the grade

• A ___________ is a specific location on the Web where you visit, gather information, and perhaps order products.

• A ___________ is a unique name that identifies a specific Web site on the Web.

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Making the grade

• A ____________ is clickable text or an image that allows you to move from one Web site to another or move to different places within the same Web site.

• You can go to a ___________, a virtual meeting place on the Web, to communicate live with other people who happen to be on the Web at the same time.

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B:// You and Your Computer

• Computer – a set of tools to perform information-related tasks– Surf the Web– Prepare a report– Keep a checkbook

• Computer system

Why is a computer called a "mind support tool"?

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Major Computer Components

• Hardware– Physical components of a computer

• Software– Set of instructions that hardware carries

out

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SoftwareCategories

• System software

• Application software

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System Software

• Allows computer to carry out technology-specific tasks

• Enables your computer to "speak"

• Examples– Windows 98, Windows 2000 Pro, Windows

NT Workstation, Windows XP– Mac OS– Linux

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Application Software

• Performs specific tasks such as…– Writing a term paper– Surfing the Web– Keeping a home budget

• Examples– Microsoft Office Suite– Corel Office Suite– Netscape Navigator

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Computer Ad

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Categories of Computer Hardware

• Capturing information.

• Processing information.

• Presenting information.

• Storing information.

• Communicating information to other people.

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Categories of Computers By Size

• Personal Digital Assistant (PDAs)

• Notebook & laptop computers

• Desktop computers

• Minicomputers (Mid-range)

• Mainframe computers

• Supercomputers

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I•BuyNotebook versus Desktops

• Portability– Take your computer with you?– Use computer at home, work, or school?

• Price– What gets you more for your money?

• Quality of your interface– Need an ergonomically correct keyboard?– Is a higher screen resolution important?

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Making the grade

• ________________ is the software that details how you would like to perform a specific task.

• A _______________ device helps you communicate information to other people in other locations.

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Making the grade

• _______________ are the fastest, most powerful, and most expensive type of computers.

• Every part of your computer is either ____________ or __________.

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C:// You, Your Computer, and Society

• Computer UNDERuse– Not learning to use many of

the capabilities of your software and hardware

– Not using all the buttons on a mouse

• ABuse of computers– Hackers breaking into

computer systems– Computer viruses

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The Abuse of Computers

• Hackers – people who use their computers and the Web to break into other computers

• Computer virus – a piece of software designed intentionally to cause annoyance or damage

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The Ethical Use of Computers

• Ethics– Set of principles and standards– Used in deciding what to do in situations

that affect other people– May be socially given standards– May be principles that are very personal to

you

• Ethics differ from laws

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Using Computers for the Right Reasons

• Always use your computer ethically

• Ethical behavior is essential in our society

Is it unethical to forward an e-mail message without the author's

permission?

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I • Series InsightsAre Transactions on the Internet Really

Safe?

• Providing credit card information for purchases– Most Web sites provide security– Just as safe as using your card in a

restaurant– Not everyone sees your information– Credit card fraud on the Web is estimated to

include less than 1 % of all transaction fraud

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Making the grade

• We refer to most common wrong use of a computer as the _______-use of computer.

• Using a computer for really “wrong,” that is, unethical, reasons is called the ____-use of computers.

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Making the grade

• A ________ is a piece of software designed intentionally to cause annoyance or damage.

• _________ is the set of principles and standards we use in deciding what to do in situation that affect other people.

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D:// Understanding Computer Interfaces

• Graphical User Interface (GUI)– Buttons– Icons

• The Windows desktop is an example of a GUI

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Interface Elements

• Yahoo buttons and graphical links– Input field and search

button– Calendar– Messenger– Check Email

• Yahoo text-based links– Arts & Humanities– Recreation & Sports

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Making the grade

• A ______ is a graphic or icon-driven interface on which you use your mouse to start software, use that software, and initiate various other functions.

• An _______ is a graphic representation of something that you click on once with the left mouse button.

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Making the grade

• ____________ links on Web sites are almost always in blue and underlined.

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E:// Consumer Issues

• Identify your needs for a computer

• Consider cost of a computer

• Advantages & disadvantages of purchasing and owning a computer

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Making the grade

• You should buy a computer if you want one or if you ________ one.

• Many people like to buy a computer locally because the ____________ is local.

• Purchasing a computer is a very ___________ decision.

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F:// "Key" Key Terms

• application software (p.1.9)

• computer (computer system) (p. 1.7)

• computer virus (virus) (p. 1.17)

• ethics (p. 1.18)

• hardware (p. 1.9)• software (p.1.7)• system software

(p.1.8)• website (p. 1.2)

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Frequently Asked Questions

• Why do so many people own PDAs?

• How safe is it to pay my bills online?

• Why would someone "visit" a chat room?

• What's the difference between a computer and a computer system?

• What is utility software?

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FAQs cont.

• What is an operating system? Give an example.

• Name a number of input devices that help you capture information on a computer.

• When would I use a modem?• What is the difference between a

notebook and a laptop computer?

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Hands-On ProjectsE-Commerce

• Many music lovers are turning to the Internet to purchase CDs. What are the advantages of buying online?

• Some specialty food stores offer online ordering and will deliver food items. Is this a current trend or will there be more of this type of service in the future?

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Hands-On ProjectsOn the Web

• It is very easy to locate friends and family using the Web. How do feel about this type of personal information being available on the Web?

• How comfortable do you feel getting medical advice from the Web? How can the Web help individuals who are searching for medical information?

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Hands-On ProjectsEthics, Security, & Privacy

• How do you feel about employee's sending and receiving personal e-mail (not business related) during working hours?

• You work in the lab installing software on computers. Some at school, asks you for a copy of this software. What should you do?

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Hands-On ProjectsGroup Activities

• You need a computer to create term papers and presentations. Find a computer store online and put together the complete system that you need. Don't forget the software.

• What jobs on the web can you find that require computer skills? Look for jobs that are not in the computer field.