Hardware and Software Basics

Hardware and Software Basics

BSAD 141Dave Novak

BDIS: Appendix A

Reminder It is important to READ the syllabus so that

you understand the expectations, requirements, and structure of the course

Understand the attendance and grading policies

Understand the software requirements

Course Website URL I administer everything through the BSAD

141 course website http://www.uvm.edu/~dnovak/bsad141.html

Provides the schedule, class notes, class activities, reading assignments, grades, etc.

I suggest that you save the site in your favorites

You will need to consult the site multiple times a week

Required Software Microsoft Office suite (includes Word,

Excel, Access, and Visio)Matt Parisi (227 Kalkin) during business

hours• Bring your power supply

The Book is Required!! “Business Driven Information Systems”

5th edition, Baltzan, McGraw Hill Publishing, ISBN: 9780073402987 Learn Smart Connect license is required

to access companion content for courseYou cannot use codes from used books

and McGraw Hill does not vouch for 3rd party materials

You must register the Connect product associated with your specific section

The Book is Required!! You can use a single URL to register and

purchase material

Section A (10:05 AM)

Section B (11:40 AM)

Agenda Hardware and software overview Basic hardware Basic software

Hardware versus Software Hardware - Consists of the physical

tangible devices (these can be touched) associated with a computer systemMonitorsPrinters

Software - The collection of non-tangible instructions that the hardware executes to carry out specific tasks

Hardware and software work together

When does a manager care how a computer works? Device Usage – Memory leaks, limits and

applications Personal data files – storage options and

personal responsibilities (including security) Data file transmissions – size and security

considerations Budgeting – Over or Under Provision for 1,000

workstations every three years can be costly Competency with tools of the information age

Telephone, photograph, or the printing press of prior generations.

Why Does a Manager Care How a Computer Works? Main memory

Too little means constant memory swapping• Slows processing• Needs more memory if many applications need to be run for heavy

multitasking Speed in processing all instructions

• Expressed in hertz• Needs more CPU if handling complex tasks• Often the most costly upgrade

Magnetic and optical disks are nonvolatile Saved contents survive after power is turned off Where are your data Stored? Where are your data backed up? If there was a catastrophic event, what would happen to your data?

Hardware Basics

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Interprets and executes all software instructions

Coordinates how all hardware and software work together

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Number of CPU cycles per second determines the speed of a CPU Megahertz (MHz) - millions of CPU cycles per

second

Gigahertz (GHz) - billions of CPU cycles per second

Central Processing Unit (CPU) CPU speed factors

Clock speed

Word length

Bus width

Central Processing Unit Parallel Bus versus Serial Bus

Illustration of Processing Speed http://spritzinc.com/

Primary Storage Primary storage - The computer’s main

memory, which consists of:1) Random access memory (RAM)2) Cache memory3) Read-only memory (ROM)

Random Access Memory

Random access memory (RAM) - The computer’s primary working memory, in which program instructions and data are stored so that they can be accessed directly by the CPU via the processor’s high-speed external data bus

What is Virtual Memory?

What is Virtual Memory?

Scenario:You have a machine with 2 GB of RAM1.8 GB is already being used by the system

for background services (real-time virus protection,FB Messenger, Auto-Updating Services, Itunes…)

You now want to run MS Visio 2010 and to do so you, need 500 MB of available Memory.

What does your machine do?

What is Virtual Memory? Virtual memory is a technique for

combining the computer’s RAM with temporary space on the hard drive (cheap storage)

Modern applications and programs can be memory intensive

Computers have a limited amount of all types of memory, and adding additional memory costs money

How Virtual Memory works A reserved space on the hard drive for

virtual memory fluctuates in size (by default) depending on how much additional memory the system needsThis reserved space is called the page file

(a.k.a. swap file)Still may experience “slowness” when the

computer pauses to change tasks and swap files

Purpose of Virtual Memory Increases Usable Memory

Virtual memory allows some of the contents in RAM that haven’t been used recently to be copied into memory or storage on the hard drive. This frees up space in RAM to load and run new applications

Alternatively, you would have to seriously limit the number of applications you have open at any given time or add more RAM

Hard disk space is MUCH cheaper than RAM, so the cost effective solution may not be to add more RAM

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/virtual-memory.htm

Secondary Storage Secondary storage - Consists of equipment

designed to store large volumes of data for long-term storage Megabyte (MB or M or Meg) - Roughly 1 million bytes

Gigabyte (GB) - Roughly 1 billion bytes

Terabyte (TB) - Roughly 1 trillion bytes Binary digit (bit) - The smallest unit of information that a computer can

process

Byte - A group of eight bits representing one natural language character

Question: When do you use b vs. B?

SECONDARY STORAGE

Magnetic Medium Magnetic tape - An older secondary

storage medium that uses a strip of thin plastic coated with a magnetically sensitive recording medium

Hard drive - A secondary storage medium that uses several rigid disks coated with a magnetically sensitive material and housed together with the recording heads in a hermetically sealed mechanism

Solid State Storage Uses microchips that retain

data in non-volatile memory chips and contain no moving parts.

Pros vs. Cons?

Questions you should be able to answer: What is an operating system and when/why do

you need to know what your OS is? What is a ‘Server’? How is a mobile device different than a

workstation? What is a file extension and how are they used? What is a ‘zipped’ file? When do you need to

use them? What are Temporary Internet Files? Why is the PC still king? http://www.zdnet.com/article/after-30-years-why-did-the-mac-never-break-into-big-business/

Software Basics

System software - Controls how the various technology tools work together along with the application softwareOperating system software

Utility software

Application software

Operating System Software

OS is the most important piece of software on the computer and manages all software operationsWindows

MAC

Linux

Unix

Application Software Software that is used to perform specific

tasks beyond operating the computer itselfSystem software manages the computer, but

does not necessarily “do anything” for the userApplication software directly serves the

user

Application software is run in combination with (or on top of) a specific system software

Application Software Types of application software

Bowser Communication Data management Desktop publishing Email Groupware Presentation graphics Programming Spreadsheet Word processing

Utility Software System software supports the computer

and adds to the capabilities of the OS Helps to maintain, configure, and analyze

the computers as opposed to performing “user” tasks

Utility Software Types of utility software

Crash-proof Disk imageDisk optimization Encrypt dataFile and data recovery Text protectPreventative security Spyware Uninstaller

Summary

Hardware and software overview Basic hardware Basic software

Check the schedule BEFORE next class! If you have not done so already, purchase

course materials and register for Connect! You are running out of time