LECTURE 1: INTRODUCTION

TO INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
FCT10010 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

INTRODUCTION TO IT
Information Technology (IT)

Any technology that helps to produce, manipulate, store,

communication, and/or distribute information.

INTRODUCTION TO IT (2)
IT consists of two (2) components:

Computers programmable multiuse machines that

convert raw data into information.
Communications electromagnetic devices and systems
for communicating over long distance.

TYPES OF COMPUTERS
Five (5) types of computers:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Supercomputers
Mainframes
Workstations
Microcomputers
Microcontrollers

TYPES OF COMPUTERS - SUPERCOMPUTERS

Is the fastest, most powerful computer but most
expensive.
Priced from $1 million to over $1 billion.
High-capacity machines with thousands of
processors.
Multi-user systems.
Used for research tasks such as:

Forecasting weather,
Designing aircraft,
Modeling molecules,
Simulating explosion of nuclear bombs, etc.

TYPES OF COMPUTERS SUPERCOMPUTERS (2)

Japans K Computer is the largest supercomputer

(2011)

TYPES OF COMPUTERS - MAINFRAMES

Is large, expensive, powerful computer.
Priced from $5,000 to $5 million.
Most corporations (i.e. bank, airlines, universities) use
mainframes for business activities such as:
Bill millions of consumers
Manage thousands of items in inventory

Act as servers in a network environment.

Servers and other mainframe can access data and
information from a mainframe.

TYPES OF COMPUTERS MAINFRAMES (2)

People can access programs on the mainframe
using terminals or personal computers.
Terminal is used to access a mainframe. It consists of a
display screen and a keyboard. A terminal can input and
output data but cannot by itself process data.

TYPES OF COMPUTERS MAINFRAMES (3)

Mainframes from IBM

TYPES OF COMPUTERS - WORKSTATION

Is expensive, powerful personal computers.
Used for complex scientific, mathematical, and
engineering calculations and for computer-aided
design and computer-aided manufacturing.
Used for tasks such as:
Designing airplane,
Movie special effects such as Wall-E and Harry Porter.

TYPES OF COMPUTERS WORKSTATION (2)

HP Z1 Workstation (2012)

TYPES OF COMPUTERS - MICROCOMPUTERS

Also called as personal computers.
Microcomputers are four (4) types of
microcomputers:

Desktop PCs or Tower PCs

Notebooks (Laptops)
Tablet PCs
Handheld computers (PDAs, smartphones)

Used for everyday and office tasks:

Word processing
Electronic records
Entertainment
Web browsing

TYPES OF COMPUTERS MICROCOMPUTERS (2)

Tower PC

Desktop PC

TYPES OF COMPUTERS - MICROCONTROLLERS

Also called as embedded
computers.
Is a special-purpose
computer that functions as
a component in a larger
product.
Such as:
Consumer electronic:
Mobile phones, digital
cameras, MP3 players
Home automatic devices:
Security monitoring
Automobiles: Antilock
Brakes, Airbag controller

Car equipped with wireless

communications
capabilities, called
telematics

UNDERSTAND YOUR COMPUTERS

Concept 1

The purpose of a computer is to process data into

information.

Concept 2

Computers consist of hardware and software.

Concept 3

All computers follow the same five (5) basic operations.

UNDERSTAND YOUR COMPUTERS CONCEPT 1

Data the raw facts and figures that are processed
into information.
Example: The votes for different candidates being elected
to student council office.

Information Data that has been summarized or

changed so that it becomes more useful.
Example: the total votes for each candidate, which are
used to decide who won.

UNDERSTAND YOUR COMPUTERS CONCEPT 2

Hardware all the machinery and equipment in a
computer system (i.e. keyboard, printer, etc).
Software all the instructions that tell the computer
how to perform a task.

CONCEPT 2 - SOFTWARE
System software
Helps the computer perform essential operating tasks and
enable application software to run.

CONCEPT 2 SOFTWARE (2)

Application Software
Enables you to perform
essential task, solve
specific problems, and
entertain yourself.
Most application software
is specific to the system
software you use.

UNDERSTAND YOUR COMPUTERS CONCEPT 3

All computers follow the same five (5) basic
components:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Input
Processing
Storage
Output
Communication

CONCEPT 3 - INPUT
Input anything that is put into (input) a
computer system.
Input hardware devices that allow people to put
data into the computer in a form that the computer
can use.
Example: Keyboard, Mouse, etc.

CONCEPT 3 - PROCESSING
Processing the manipulation
a computer does to transform
data into information.
The system unit is a case that
contains the electronic
components of the computer
(i.e. processor, the memory,
and the motherboard with
power supply, as well as
secondary storage devices)
that are used to process data.

CONCEPT PROCESSING (2)

The circuitry of the system unit usually is part of or is
connected to a circuit board called the
motherboard also called the system board.
The motherboard has the expansion slots for expanding
the PCs board which give you places to plug in additional
circuit boards, such as those for video, sound and
communication (modem).

CONCEPT PROCESSING (3)

CONCEPT 3 PROCESSING (4)

Two (2) main components on the motherboard are
the processor and memory.
1. Processor (also called the central processing unit or CPU)
is a tiny piece of silicon that contains millions of miniature
electronic circuits.
Is the brain of the computers.
The processing is done by CPU which it executes instructions to
process data.

CONCEPT 3 PROCESSING (5)

2. Memory consists of electronic components that interprets
and carries out the basic instructions that operate the
computer.
Also known as RAM (Random Access Memory) chips, represent
primary storage, or temporary storage (means its contents are
erased when the computer is shut off); they hold data before
processing and information after processing, before it is sent
along to an output or storage device.

CONCEPT 3 - STORAGE
Primary storage or memory
Is the internal computer circuitry
that temporarily holds data waiting
to be processed.

RAM

Example: RAM

Secondary storage or storage

Refers to the devices and media
that store data or information
permanently.
Example: Hard disk, optical disk,
pendrive
Hard Disk

CONCEPT 3 - OUTPUT
Output
Devices which transform information processed by the
computer into a form that humans can understand.
Example: Printer, sound card, speaker.

Sound card

Speaker

CONCEPT 3 - COMMUNICATION
Modem A device that sends and receives data
over telephone lines to and from computers.

SUMMARY: THE 5 BASIC OPERATIONS

Input: What goes into the computer system.
Processing: The manipulation of a computer does
to transform data into information.
Storage:
Primary storage (or memory), is temporary storage (i.e.
RAM).
Secondary storage is permanent storage (i.e. Hard disk)

Output: What comes out.

Communications: Sending and receiving data.

(Source: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2013)

(Source: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2013)