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Information technology

any technology that helps to produce, manipulate, store, communicate, and/or disseminate

information.

computer

is a programmable, multiuse machine that accepts data—raw facts and

figures—and processes, or manipulates, it into information we can use, such as summaries,

totals, or reports. Its purpose is to speed up problem solving and increase productivity.

Communications technology,

also called telecommunications technology, consists of electromagnetic devices

and systems for communicating over long distances.

network

is a communications system connecting

two or more computers; the internet is the largest such network.

email,

messages transmitted over a computer network, most

often the internet, are used by students to set up appointments with professors, discuss grades

or get clarification of an assignment.

Telemedicine:

Medical care via telecommunications lets doctors treat patients

from far away.

robots

automatic devices that perform functions ordinarily performed by human

beings—permit precise microsurgery.

Virtual

something that is created, simulated, or carried on by means of a computer or a

computer network.

Downloading

transferring data from a remote computer to one's own computer.

Supercomputers

High-capacity machines with thousands of

processors that can perform more than

several quadrillion calculations per second.

Mainframes

Process billions of instructions per second

Size is dependent on the use

Water-cooled or air-cooled

Used to be called midsize computers

Used by banks, airlines, colleges, and the

like for millions of transactions

Workstations

are used for graphics, special effects,

and certain professional applications.

Desktop PCs

are older microcomputers

whose case or main housing sits on a desk,

with keyboard in front and monitor (screen)

often on top.

Tower PCs

are microcomputers whose case sits as

a "tower," often on the floor beside a desk, thus

freeing up desk surface space.

Notebook computers or laptop computers

are lightweight portable computers with built-in

monitor, keyboard, hard-disk drive, CD/DVD drive,

battery, and AC adapter that can be plugged into

an electrical outlet; they weigh anywhere from 1.8

to 9 pounds.

Netbooks

A fairly recent category, netbooks are low-cost,

lightweight, computers with tiny dimensions and

functions designed for basic tasks, such as web

searching, email, and word processing.

Smartphones

A mobile phone that performs many of the

functions of a computer, typically having a

touchscreen interface, Internet access, and an

operating system capable of running downloaded

applications

Personal Digital Assistants

also called

handheld computers or palmtops, combine

personal organization tools—schedule planners,

address books, to-do lists—with the ability in some

cases to send email and faxes.

Microcontrollers

also called embedded

computers, are the tiny, specialized

microprocessors installed in "smart" appliances

and automobiles.

Servers

is a central computer

that holds collections of data (databases) and

programs for connecting or supplying services to

PCs, workstations, and other devices, which are

called clients.

Data:

consists of the raw facts and figures that are processed into information

—for example, the votes for different candidates being elected to student

government office.

Information:

is data that has been summarized or otherwise

manipulated for use in decision making —for example, the total votes for each

candidate, which are used to decide who won.

Input operation:

is whatever is put in ("input") to a computer system.

Input can be nearly any kind of data—letters, numbers, symbols, shapes,

colors, temperatures, sounds, pressure, light beams, or whatever raw material needs processing. When you type some words or numbers on a

keyboard, those words are considered input data.

Processing operation:

is the manipulation a computer does to

transform data into information. When the computer adds 2 + 2 to get 4, that

is the act of processing. The processing is done by the central processing unit

frequently just called the CPU —a device consisting of electronic circuitry that

executes instructions to process data.

Primary

storage, or memory,

is the internal computer circuitry that temporarily holds

data waiting to be processed.

Secondary storage,

refers to the devices and media that store data or information permanently. A

hard disk or CD/DVD is an example of this kind of storage. (Storage also

holds the software—the computer programs.)

Output

is whatever is output from ("put out of") the

computer system—the results of processing, usually information. Examples of

output are numbers or pictures displayed on a screen, words printed out on

paper by a printer, or music piped over some loudspeakers.

Green computing

involves reducing the electricity consumed and environmental

waste generated when using a computer.

Miniaturization

everything has become smaller

Input hardware

consists of devices that translate data into a form the computer can process.

The people-readable form of the data may be words like those on this page, but the computer-

readable form consists of binary 0s and 1s, or off and on electrical signals.

Output hardware

consists of devices that translate information processed by the computer

into a form that humans can understand. The computer-processed information consists of 0s

and 1s, which need to be translated into words, numbers, sounds, and pictures.

Computer Savvy

means knowing what computers can do and what they can't, knowing how they can benefit you and how they can harm you, knowing when you can solve computer problems and when have to call a friend

Artificial intelligence (AI)

to a group of related

technologies used for developing machines to emulate human

qualities, such as learning, reasoning, communicating, seeing,

and hearing. Much of AI is based on the use of algorithms,

formulas or sets of steps for solving particular problems.

Keyboards

Is an input device that contains keys the users press to enter

data and instructions into a computer.

insertion point, (cursor)

is a symbol on the

screen indicates where the next character you type will appear.

mouse

is a pointing device that fits under

palm of your hand comfortably

trackball

a stationary

pointing

device with a

ball on its top

or side

touchpad

is a small, flat,

rectangular

pointing

device that is

sensitive to

pressure and

motion

pointing

stick

is a

pressure-

sensitive

pointing

device shaped

like a pencil

eraser that is

positioned

between keys

on a keyboard

digital camera

is a mobile device that allows

users to take pictures and store

Studio cameras

them digitally

resolution

is the number of horizontal and vertical

pictures in a display device

-A pixel is the smallest element in an electronic display

Voice input

is the

process of entering

input by speaking into a

microphone

Voice recognition

is the

computer's capability of

distinguishing

words

spoken

Audio input

is the process of entering any sound

into the computer

Video input

is the process of capturing full-motion

storing them on a computer's storage medium

Web cam

is a type of digital video

enables a user to: Capture video and

still images, Send e-mail

messages with

video attachments

Optical character recognition (OCR)

involves reading

characters from ordinary documents

turnaround document

is a document you return to the

company that creates and sends it

Optical mark

recognition (OMR)

reads hand-drawn

marks such as small

circles or rectangles

bar code reader,

uses laser

also

beams

codes

to read

RFID (radio frequency identification)

uses radio signals to

communicate with a tag placed in or attached to an object

•An RFID reader reads information on the tag via radio waves

Magnetic stripe card readers

read the magnetic stripe on the back of cards

MICR (magnetic ink character recognition)

devices read text printed with magnetized ink

Biometrics

authenticates a person's identity by

verifying a personal characteristic

terminal

is a computer that allows users to senddata to

and/or receive information from a host computer

filtered

the following are nature or character of data except

Convergence

describes the combining of several industries in exchanging data

Pos

system that records sale info at the retail point of sales

Ergonomics

incorporates comfort, efficiency, and

safety into the design of the workplace

chat

tools that enables multiple participant

display device

visually conveys text, graphics, and video information

monitor

is packaged as a separate peripheral

Liquid crystal display (LCD)

uses a liquid

compound to present information on a display

Plasma monitors

are display devices that use gas

plasma technology and offer screen sizes up to

150 inches

CRT monitor

is a desktop monitor that contains

a cathode-ray tube

printer

produces

text and graphics on a physical medium

nonimpact printer

forms characters and

graphics on a piece of paper without actually

striking the paper

ink-jet printer

forms characters and graphics by

spraying tiny drops of liquid ink onto a piece of paper

photo printer

produces color

photo-lab-quality pictures

multifunction peripheral (MFP)

is a single

device that prints, scans, copies, and

cases, faxes

in

thermal printer

generates images by pushing

electrically heated pins against the heat-sensitive printer

mobile printer

is a

small, lightweight,

battery-powered printer

that allows a mobile

user to print from a

notebook computer,

smart phone, or other

mobile device

label printer

is a small printer that prints on

adhesive-type material

Plotters

are used to produce high-quality

drawings

Large-format printers

create photo-realistic

quality color prints on a larger scale

Impact printers

form characters and graphics on a

piece of paper by striking a mechanism against an

inked ribbon that physically contacts the paper

dot-matrix printer

produces printed

images when tiny wire

pins on a print head

mechanism strike an

inked ribbon

line printer

prints an

entire line at a time

data projector

is a device that takes the text and images displaying on a computer screen and projects them on a larger screen so that the audience can see the image clearly

interactive whiteboard

is a touch-sensitive

device, resembling a dry-erase board, that

displays the image on a connected computer screen

Application software

consists of programs

designed to make users more productive and/or

assist with personal tasks

Business software

is application software that

assists people while performing business activities

Word processing

software

allows users

to create and

manipulate documents

Clip art

is a collection

electronic drawings,

of

photos,

images

and

Spreadsheet software

allows users to organize data in

rows and columns and perform calculations

database

is a collection of data organized in a manner

that allows access, retrieval, and use of that data

presentation software

allows users to create visual aids for presentations to communicate ideas, messages, and other information to a group

Note taking software

is application software that

enables users to enter typed text, handwritten

comments, drawings, or sketches anywhere on a page

software suite

is a collection of individual

programs available together as a unit

personal information manager (PIM)

is application software that includes appointment calendar, address book, and notepad

project management software

allows a user to plan,

schedule, track, and analyze the events, resources, and

costs of a project

Accounting software

helps companies record and report

their financial transactions

Document management software

provides a means for sharing, distributing, and searching through documents by converting them into a format that can be viewed by any user

Web page authoring software

helps users of all skill levels create Web pages that include multimedia and interactive content

Web Application

a Web Site that allows users to access and interact with software from any computer or device that is connected to the internet

Online Help

is the

electronic equivalent of

a user manual

Web-based training

a type of CBT that uses internet technology and consists of application software on the web

Distance learning (DL)

the delivery of education at one location while the learning takes place at other locations

packaged software

Mass-produced, copyrighted retail software that meets the needs of a wide variety of users, not just a single user or company.

Custom software

performs functions specific to a business or industry