CS-128, Module 1:COURSE OVERVIEW, and

Critical Terms & Concepts

Charles Abzug, Ph.D.Department of Computer Science

James Madison UniversityHarrisonburg, VA 22807

Voice Phone: 540-568-8746, E-mail: CharlesAbzug@ACM.org

Home Page: http://www.cs.jmu.edu/users/abzugcx

© 1999 Charles Abzug

© 1999 Charles Abzug

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Agenda

• Personal Introductions• Introduction to Computers and Computing• Course Overview and Content• Rules and Expectations• Grading• Substance

© 1999 Charles Abzug

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Personal Introductions

© 1999 Charles Abzug

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Agenda

• Personal Introductions• Introduction to Computers and Computing

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The Three Revolutions

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The Three Revolutions

AgriculturalIndustrial

Information

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What is a Computer?

• Data Processing• Programs• Data vs. Information• Quantities of Data:

– Byte– kByte (kB: kiloByte)– MByte (MB: MegaByte)– GByte (GB: GigaByte)– TByte (TB TeraByte)

• Communications

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Practical Use of Computers (1):Here and Now

• Communication– E-mail

• Messages• Mailing Lists

– Newsgroups• Data Input and Formatting, and Data Processing

– Word Processing– Presentation– Calculation, Organization of Data (Spreadsheet)

• Information Gathering and Updating– Browsers– Search Engines– Library Access

• Games• Shopping• Banking

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Practical Use of Computers (2):A Somewhat Futuristic View

• Telecommuting• Distance Education, including secure distance examinations• E-Commerce:

– 24-hr-per-day Banking– 24-hr-per-day Investments– 24-hr-per-day General Commerce (browsing catalogs,

ordering, paying)– 24-hr-per-day live consultation via world-wide hookup

• Voting• Inexpensive Telephony• Inexpensive Tele-Conferencing• 24-hr-per-day Total Access to Up-to-Date Information

© 1999 Charles Abzug

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Agenda

• Personal Introductions• Introduction to Computers and Computing• Course Overview and Content

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Focus of this Course (1)

• General Computer Skills– Overcoming computer fear– Demystification– Familiarization– Computer Terminology and Jargon– General Concepts, Principles, and Uses applicable to all

application software– Navigation through the facilities of the machine and of the

network– Look-and-Feel– Bootstrapping Information

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Focus of this Course (2)

• Broadening of horizons: the computer as an extension of the self

• Appreciation for what the computer can accomplish:– communicate– organize– calculate– simulate– analyze– model– draw– organize information– display information

© 1999 Charles Abzug

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Focus of this Course (3)

• Appreciation for the unique benefits of the use of computers– accuracy– speed– neatness and legibility– offloading of drudgery– consistency and logic

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Focus of this Course (4)

• Specific Skills– Computer Control and Navigation: "Windows-95/Windows-NT"– E-mail: Simeon– Terminal Emulator: QVTnet– News Reader: WinVN– Management of Data/Information– Internet Browsers:

• “Netscape Navigator”• “Internet Explorer”

– "Office 97" Applications (Application Programs):• MS “Word” (a word processor)• MS ”PowerPoint” (presentation package)• MS “Excel” (spreadsheet)

– Safety in Computing: Sound Practices for an imperfect world

© 1999 Charles Abzug

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Agenda

• Personal Introductions• Introduction to Computers and Computing• Course Overview and Content• Rules and Expectations

© 1999 Charles Abzug

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Agenda

• Personal Introductions• Introduction to Computers and Computing• Course Overview and Content• Rules and Expectations• Grading

© 1999 Charles Abzug

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Agenda

• Personal Introductions• Introduction to Computers and Computing• Course Overview and Content• Rules and Expectations• Grading• Substance

© 1999 Charles Abzug

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Principal Elements of the Computer

• Hardware• Software

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Structural Elements of the Computer (1)

• System Unit• Microprocessor: 80486, Pentium, Pentium Pro, Pentium II• Input Devices

– Keyboard– Pointing Devices: Mouse/Trackball/Touchpad/Touch Screen– Touch Panel

• Output Devices– Video Display Unit (VDU):

• CRT (Cathode Ray Tube)• LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)

– Active Matrix– Thin Film Transistor (TFT)

– Loudspeakers– Printer

• Input AND Output Devices– MODEM (Modulator/Demodulator)– Network Card

• Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Switched Ethernet• Token Ring

© 1999 Charles Abzug

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Structural Elements of the Computer (2)

• Storage Devices– Disk Drive (magnetic technology)

• Hard Disk • Floppy Disk• IOMEGA" ZIP" Drive• IOMEGA" JAZ" Drive

– Cartridge Tape Drives (magnetic technology)– CD-ROM (Compact Disk-Read-Only Memory): optical

technology– DVD (Digital Video Disk): optical technology

• Memory:– RAM: (Random Access Memory)

• Fast Page Output (FPO)• Extended Data Out (EDO)• Synchronous Dynamic RAM (SDRAM)

– Cache Memory– ROM (Read-Only Memory)

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Structural Elements of the Computer (3)

• Communications Facilities– MODEM and Analog Telephone Line

• Internet Service Provider (ISP)– ISDN “Modem”– Cable MODEM (for Cable-TV)– Local Area Network (LAN): the Network Interface Card

• Ethernet and its variants• Token Ring• Fiber-Optic

• Intranets/Extranets/Internet

• Virtual Devices (e.g., a virtual disk drive)

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Communicating with Your Computer

• Mouse/Trackball/Touchpad/Touch Screen– Left Button– Right Button– Scroll Wheel

• Keyboard– Typing Characters

• Alpha• Numeric• "Special" Characters• <TAB>• <BACKSPACE>• <CAPS LOCK>• <ENTER>

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Communicating with Your Computer (2)

• Keyboard (continued)– Special-Purpose Keys

• <ESC>• <PgUp>• <PgDn>• Four "Arrow" Keys• <PRINT SCREEN>• <NUM LOCK>• <SCROLL LOCK>• <PAUSE>• <INS>• <DEL>

– Function Keys• <F1> <F12>

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Communicating with Your Computer (3)

• Keyboard (continued)– Keys that modify the effects of other keys:

• <SHIFT>• <CTRL>• <ALT>

• Talking to Your Computer

END of MODULE 1:

COURSE OVERVIEW, andCritical Terms & Concepts