Computers Information Technology in Perspective

9780131405721

0131405721

(NOTE: The Brief Edition consists of the "Getting Started" section and the first 8 chapters; The Comprehensive Edition consists of the "Getting Started" section and Chapters 1-12.) Getting Started. The Personal Computer (PC). The Microsoft Windows Operating System. Data and File Management. Going Online. Popular Internet Applications. Popular Applications. 1. The Technology Revolution. Our Information Society. R x for Cyberphobia: Information Technology Competency. The Net Connection. The Basics: Hardware, Software, and Computer Systems. Personal Computers to Supercomputers. Computer System Capabilities. How Do We Use Computers? IT Illustrated: The History of Computing. 2. Software. The Operating System. Windows Concepts and Terminology. Productivity Software: The Software Suite. Applications Software for Your PC. 3. Going Online. The Internet. Internet Browsers. Internet Resources and Applications. 4. Inside the Computer. Going Digital. The PC System Unit. Describing the Processor and Its Performance. Processor Design. IT Illustrated: The Computer on a Chip. 5. Storing and Retrieving Information. Mass Storage, Files, and File Management. Magnetic Disks. Optical Laser Discs. Viruses and Virus Protection. Backing Up Files: Better Safe than Sorry. 6. Information Input and Output. Input Devices and Capabilities. Output Devices and Capabilities. The Multimedia Experience. Assistive Technology for the Disabled. 7. Networks and Networking. Our Wired World. The Data Communications Channel. Data Communications Hardware. Networks. IT Illustrated: PC Buyer's Guide. 8. IT Ethics and Healthy Computing. The Information Technology Paradox. The Workplace. Ethics in Information Technology. Computer, Internet, and System Security. 9. Exploring the Cyberworld. Internet Issues. E-commerce. Electronic Publishing. Working at Home. Creating a Web Site. 10. Information Systems. Leveraging Information Technology as a Competitive Strategy. Information and Decision-Making. The DP System and the MIS. Decision Support Systems. Expert Systems. Intelligent Agents. 11. Developing Business Information Systems. The System Life Cycle. System Development Techniques and Concepts. Computer-Aided Software Engineering. Prototyping. System Conversion and Implementation. Programming. 12. Technology and Society. Careers in an Information Society. Robots and Robotics. Virtual Reality. Down the Information Highway. Our Challenge for the Twenty-First Century.