Living in the IT Era

• Information technology (IT) uses computers to gather, process, store, protect, and transfer information
• Information and communications technology (ICT) is commonly used today because it is unimaginable to work on a computer not connected to the network
• Computer consists of hardware (physical computer parts) and software (set of commands understandable to the computer)
• Basic principle of computers: data enters through input devices, processed by the computer, and transmitted to output devices like screens or storage devices
• Parts of a computer (Hardware):

  • Monitor: displays images and texts
  • Mouse: communicates as a pointing device
  • Printer: prints output documents
  • Speaker: produces sound output
  • Power Supply: regulates power
  • GPU (Graphics Processing Unit): accelerates image creation
  • Hard Disk: stores files for future access
  • Motherboard: connects all computer devices
  • Processor (CPU): performs computations
  • Computer Case: houses components safely
  • Keyboard: input device for typing commands
• Common devices for storing and transferring data:

  • Hard disk
  • USB flash drive
  • Diskettes and ZIP disks
  • CD and DVD discs
  • Memory cards
  • Network drives
  • Online/Cloud storage
• Software is an intangible part of the computer written to perform tasks using built-in hardware
• Types of software:

  1. Operating System (OS): basic program automatically loaded at startup (e.g., Windows, Mac OS, Linux)

  2. Application Software: used on an installed OS to accomplish tasks (e.g., word processors, spreadsheets, games)
• Skill-building Activities:

  • Word Processing: Microsoft Word, LibreOffice Writer
  • Spreadsheet: Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice Calc
  • Presentations: Microsoft Powerpoint, LibreOffice Impress
  • Calculations: Calculator
  • Antivirus: McAfee Antivirus, AVG Antivirus
  • Internet browsing: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome
  • Games: Solitaire, Hearts, Minesweeper
  • Video Player: Windows Media Player, VLC Media Player
  • Image Editing: Paint, GIMP, Adobe Photoshop
  • Recording Sound: Sound Recorder
• Types of computers:

  • Personal Computer (PC)
  • Desktop
  • Laptop
  • Netbooks and Tablets
  • Handheld Computers
  • Workstation
  • Server
  • Mainframe
  • Supercomputer
  • Wearable
• Personal Computer (PC) is designed for general use by a single person
• Desktop computers were the only choice until the middle of the 1980s
• Laptops are portable computers that integrate various components in a battery-operated package
• Netbooks are ultra-portable and cost-effective, while tablets have lower-performing processors and less storage capacity than traditional PCs
• Handheld computers like smartphones and PDAs provide processing power in a portable device
• Workstations have a more powerful processor and enhanced capabilities for specific tasks like 3D graphics or game development
• Servers are optimized to provide services to other computers over a network
• Mainframes are powerful centralized computers that process millions of transactions daily
• Supercomputers are built for high-speed processing and are used for intense industrial and scientific calculations
• Wearable computers integrate common applications into devices like watches, cellphones, and clothing
• Computer networks are clusters of computers over a shared communication path for sharing resources
• Uses of computer networks include communicating, sharing devices, files, software, and allowing easy access to information
• Types of computer networks:

  • Personal Area Network (PAN)
  • Local Area Network (LAN)
  • Wide Area Network (WAN)
  • Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)
  • Campus Area Network (CAN)
  • Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
  • Storage Area Network (SAN)
  • System Area Network (SysAN)
  • Passive Optical Local Area Network (POLAN)
  • Enterprise Private Network (EPN)
  • Virtual Private Network (VPN)
• Personal Area Network (PAN) is basic and limited to a single person's workspace with a range of 10 meters
• Local Area Network (LAN) connects computers locally, using Ethernet and Wi-Fi technologies
• Wide Area Network (WAN) connects computers over large geographical distances, like the Internet
• Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) acts like a LAN but wirelessly, common example is Wi-Fi
• Campus Area Network (CAN) used in schools or colleges, covers a limited geographical area
• Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) connects computers over a city or metropolitan area
• Storage Area Network (SAN) high-speed network connecting storage devices to servers
• System Area Network (SysAN) connects high-performance computers, useful for high network performance applications
• Passive Optical Local Area Network (POLAN) uses optical splitters for point-to-multipoint LAN architecture
• Enterprise Private Network (EPN) used by businesses for secure connections over various locations
• Virtual Private Network (VPN) extends a private network across the internet for secure connections
• Computer networks can have different designs, with the two basic forms being client/server and peer-to-peer networks
• Client/server networks have centralized servers for storage, which are accessed by client computers and devices
• Peer-to-peer networks tend to have devices that support the same functions and are more common in homes
• Types of network connections concern how elements in a network are connected to each other
• Topologies are used to connect computers, with a collapsed ring being the most common type due to Ethernet supporting the internet, local area networks, and wide area networks
• Star Topology:

  • A central node connects a cable to each computer in the network
  • Each computer has an independent connection to the center, and one connection breaking won't affect the rest of the network
  • Many cables are required to form this network