Types of Computers

Workstation
Supercomputer

PalmtopComputer

LaptopComputer PersonalDataAssistant
New Learning Technologies

Internet
Multimedia
Virtualreality
Distancelearning
Datawarehousing
The Information Age Timeline

1970s1980s 1990s?

Infrastructurefocused Infrastructurefocused
ondatacrunchingand oncommunications,
datastorage connectivity,andservice

Shiftin
information
infrastructure
Progress of Technology through Time
ENIAC
Composedof17,000vacuumtubes,70,000resistors,and
10,000capacitors,theENIAC(ElectronicNumerical
IntegratorandComputer)weighedover30tonsandtookup
1800squarefeetoffloorspace.Completedin1945,the
ENIACwasusedforballisticsworkandlateronforweather
prediction.
CurrentTechnology
Todaystechnologyusesvastnumbersof
electroniccomponentsintheformofminiaturized
integratedcircuitscontainedonsiliconchips.
ModerndaydeskcalculatorsexceedENIACs
computationalpowerandspeedbyfar.
 Personal and Multimedia Computers
IBMand Multimedia
DOS Microsoft Microsoft computers
Apple IBM IBM
becomesthe releasethe releases andpersonal
computer firstmicro Macintosh introduces
industry OS/2 Windows data
created computer firstlaptop
standard computer operating 3.0 assistants
computer
created system developed

1976 1980 1981 1984 1986 1988 1990 1994

 Components of a Computer System
InputDevices
Keyboard
Mouse
Trackball
Stylus

CentralProcessingUnit(CPU)
Microprocessor
StorageDevices(HardDrives&FloppyDrives)

OutputDevices
Monitor
Printer
 Components of a VGA Monitor
MagneticDeflectionYoke
Thismechanismuseselectromagnetic
fieldstobendthepathsoftheelectron
streams.
ElectronGuns
Threeelectrongunslocated
atthebackofthemonitorscathode
raytubesendoutthreeelectronbeams
foreachoftheprimarycolors.
ShadowMask
Thebeamspassthroughholesina
metalplatecalledashadowmask.
Themaskkeepstheelectronbeams
preciselyaligned,sothatcolorsare
accurate.Themonitorsdotpitch
isameasureofhowcloselythe
holesarespacedapart.
PhosphorCoating
Thephosphorcoatingisamaterial
thatglowswhenstruckbyanelectron
beam.Thescreenismadeupof
triadsofred,green,andbluephosphor
dots.Astheenergyintheelectron
beamincreases,thephosphordots
glowbrighter.Tocreatedifferent
colors,theintensityofeachofthe
threebeamsisvaried.
 Computer Memory
SIMM
SingleInlineMemoryModulesarethemost
popularmemorymoduleofpresentday
computers.Thesmallcircuitboardcontains
threetonineDIPchips.SIMMsrangeinsize
from4MBto32MBofmemory.
ROM
AReadOnlyMemorystoragedevicehas
instructionspermanentlyembeddedinits
circuits.ROMchipscontainprogramsthat
startthecomputerandperformsystem
diagnostics.
DIP
DualInlinePinmemorymoduleswereonce
usedformainmemoryinoldercomputer
systems.Nowtheyareusedascomponents
onSIMMchipsandarealsousedincache
RAM.
VirtualMemory
Whenacomputerrunsoutofrealmemory
(storinginformationinRAM),itemploys
asoftwaretechniquetogeneratevirtual
memory,storingandswappinginformation
onthecomputersharddrive.
 Hard Disk Storage
Sector
Whenformattingtheharddrive,the
computerdividesthediskintoradial
sectionscalledsectors.
HeadActuator
Thiscomponentmovesthe
collectionofread/writeheads
acrossthesurfaceoftheplatters
withextremeaccuracy.Italigns
theheadswiththetracksthat
lieinconcentriccircles
ontheplatters.
SealedMetalHousing
Thehousingprotectstheinternal
componentsfromdustparticlesthatcould
blockthegapbetweentheread/writeheads
andtheplatters,causingtheharddriveto
crash.
Read/WriteHead
Theseread/writeheadsmovein
unisonacrossthesurfacesofthe
platters.Theheadswritedatato
theplattersbyaligningmagnetic
particlesonthesurfaceandread
databydetectingthepolarityof
theparticles.
Track
Circularandconcentricpaths
theread/writeheadsfollow
whenreadinginformationfrom
thedisk.
DriveSpindle
Thedrivespindleisconnectedtoa
motorwhichspinsoneormore
magneticallycoatedplattersatseveral
thousandrevolutionsperminute.
Moreplattersmeangreaterdisk
storagecapacity.
 How a Mechanical Mouse Works
Twosmallswitchesinthefrontofthe
Aperforatedwheelandaphotoelectricswitch mouseregisterleftandrightmouse
measuretherotationstheballmakesasthe clicks.
mouseismoved,thusmovingthecursoronthe
screen.Thephotoelectricswitchconsistsofa
lightemittingdiode(emitter)ononeside,
andaphototransistor(receiver)onthe
otherside.Theperforatedwheelis
sandwichedbetweenthetwo,
turningtheswitchoffandon
asitrotates.

Athirdrollerisused
notformeasurement,
butinsteadtokeep
theballinplaceas
theusermovesthe
mouse.

Astheballrotatesitturnsthetwo
rollersmountedperpendiculartoone
another.Onerollercorrespondsto
verticalmovementsofthemouse,
anothercorrespondstohorizontal
movements.
Major Components of a Motherboard
16BitISASlots
Microprocessor Allowsexpansionofcomputer
Singleintegratedcircuitthat throughmodem,soundand
executesthemajority videocards.
oftheinstructions 32BitPCISlots
toprocess Allowsexpansioncardsthat
data. cantransferdatafasterthan
ISAslots.
Battery
Providespower
forthesystem
clock.

PowerConnector
Suppliespowertothe
motherboard.
ROMBIOS
BasicInput/OutputSystem
storespermanentinstructions
CacheRAM thatstartthecomputer.
Storesandretrievesinformation
forthemicroprocessoratafaster SIMMRAMBank
ratethanSIMMRAMso SingleInlineMemoryModule
instructionscanbeexecutedfaster. storesdatatobeusedbythe
microprocessor.
 Modems
ExternalModem
Plugsintocomputerexternally

InternalModem
Fitsinsidecomputer

Modemscansenddatafromonecomputertoanotherusingtelephonelines.

Modemsareusedinalmosteveryaspectofwork.Businessesusethemtotransfer
files,data,andmoney.Theyarealsousedforteleconferencing,whichallowspeople
invariouslocationstocommunicateovervastdistances;thesearesometimescalled
virtualmeetings.SchoolsusethemtoprovideaccesstotheInternet.
 Software Suites
Softwaresuitesarefull Wordprocessor
featuredversionsofseveral Databaseprogram
Spreadsheet
differentprograms
Presentationsoftware
packagedtogether. Informationmanagement

MicrosoftOfficeisoneofthemostpopular
softwaresuitesavailableforbusiness,
educational,andpersonalcomputeruse.
 What does the Future Hold for
Computers and Society?
ArtificialIntelligenceComputer
brainsthatbecomeselfteachingand
selfthinking.
CloningDuplicationofcellsand
DNAtocreateanexactcopyofan
organicbeing.
CyberneticsTheunionofthe
organicandinorganic.
VirtualrealityAllencompassing
computerizedmicroworldsfor
businessandentertainment.
 Detecting Computer Viruses
11

22
Whatisacomputervirus?
Acomputervirusisarelativelysmallprogramthat
canvaryinitsdestructivenessfrombeingaminor
nuisance,toamajordisaster.Threecommon
methodsofaccessinclude:

1)DiskindriveA:withvirusprogram
2)DownloadedfilesthroughBBS/Internet
3)ViaLANserver

Whattypesofvirusesarethere?
Logicbombswaituntilaspecificactionistaken.
Timebombsactivateonacertaindate.
Trojanhorsesappeartobelegitimateprogramsbut
whenopened,damagesoftwarecodes.
Wormsburrowthroughandbetweennetworksto
changeoroverwritedata.
33
 Data Encryption
Modernencryptiontechniquesusecomplexmathematicalalgorithmsthatscrambleandlockconfidentialdata
containedinemailmessagesandbinaryfiles.Therearetwofundamentalapproachestoencryption:public
keyencryptionandconventionalencryption.Bothrequireuserpasswords.Conventionalencryptionusestwo
identicalorsymmetricalkeysthatboththesenderandtherecipienthave.Publickeyencryptionusestwo
differentkeystoencryptanddecryptfiles.Theadvantageisthatonlyonekeyneedstobekeptsecureandthat
keydoesntneedtobeshared.

Fileencrypted Lockedfilesenttorecipient Filedecryptedwithidenticalkey

ConventionalEncryption(Symmetrical)

Fileencryptedwithpublickey Lockedfilesenttorecipient Filedecryptedwithsecurekey

PublicKeyEncryption(Asymmetrical)
 The Future of Computing:
Parallel Processing
Parallelprocessingsubdividestheprocessingworkloadwithmultipleprocessors,enablinga
computertocompleteataskinshortertime.Examplesofparallelprocessingcomputersinclude
Craysupercomputers,IBMschessmasterDeepBlue,andNASAsMarsPathfinder.

DeepBlue

PathfinderandSojourneronMars Craysupercomputer
 Society and the Future of Computing:
Telecommuting

Sincethewordwasfirstcoinedover
20yearsago,telecommutinghas
growntobeanincreasinglyviable
alternativeworkstructurethatnot
onlyincreasesproductivitybut
lowersoperatingcostsandworker
turnoveraswell.

Advantages
Greateremployeeretentionandlowerturnover
Reducestrafficcongestionandtaxesforroad
repairandnewhighwayconstruction
Reducesabsenteeism
Reducespollution
Disadvantages
Requiresgreaterdisciplineandselfmotivation
Greaternumberofdistractionsathome
Reducedonsiteinteractionwithclients
andcoworkers