Hardware and Software Basics

BSAD 141

Dave Novak

BDIS: 1.1 (2-13)

Appendix A

Reminder Please READ the syllabus so that you

understand the expectations, requirements, and structure of the course

Understand the software requirements

Course Website URL

I administer everything through the BSAD 141 course website

http://www.uvm.edu/~dnovak/bsad141.htmlProvides the schedule, class notes, class

activities, reading assignments, grades, etc.I suggest that you save the site in your

favoritesYou will need to consult the site multiple

times a week

Required Software

Microsoft Office suite (includes Word, Excel, Access, and Visio)MACs will need to have special software

installed such as VirtualBox• You CANNOT run the Apple version of

Excel or Access – You will need the Windows version!

Matt Parisi (227 Kalkin) during business hours• Bring your power supply

Topics Covered Hardware and software overview Basic hardware Basic software Data and information What is MIS?

Why should a non-IT worker or manager care how about technology related issues?

IS versus IT

Information systems (IS) – a large conceptual idea covering all systems designed to create, store, manage, and disseminate information

Information technology (IT) – a component of IS that specially addresses the technologies being used by the systems

A particular information system (i.e. UVM’s course registration system) uses many different technologies

IS vs. IT

Information Systems (IS) includes all five components below, while Information Technology (IT) addresses only the hardware and software components

Source: “Experiencing MIS”, Kroenke, 2008

Hardware versus Software

Hardware - Consists of the physical tangible devices (these can be touched) associated with a computer system Monitors

Printers

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

Hardware and software must work together

Hardware Basics

Source: Kroenke, Experiencing MIS, 2008, p. 70

Central Processing Unit

What is the CPU and what does it do?

Central Processing Unit

The number of CPU cycles per second determines the speed of a CPU

Megahertz (MHz)

Gigahertz (GHz)

Bit versus Byte

Binary digit (bit) - The smallest unit of information that a computer can process

1 or 0

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

10001100

Question: When do you use b vs. B?

Central Processing Unit

CPU speed factors

Clock speed

Word length

Bus width

Central Processing Unit

Parallel Bus versus Serial Bus

Primary Storage

Primary storage - The computer’s main memory

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 (RAM)

Cache Memory

Read Only Memory (ROM)

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

PC Optimization through VM Management

Setting your virtual memory allocation to a static amount is a technique to optimize system performance.

Clearing the swap file can help lagging systems

Fluctuating virtual memory allocated space leads to noticeable lag when the size is adjustedfragmentation errors

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, AIM, 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?

Secondary Storage Secondary storage - Consists of equipment

designed to store large volumes of data for long-term storage

Less expensive but much slower to access and use

Types of Secondary Storage (magnetic)

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

Types of Secondary Storage (optical) A device that uses lasers to read or write

data Compact disk-read-only memory (CD-

ROM) Compact disk-read-write (CD-RW) driveDigital video disk (DVD) DVD-ROM driveDigital video disk-read/write (DVD-RW)

Types of Secondary Storage (optical) Difference between CDs and DVDs?

What is Blu-ray?

Units of Storage

Units of Storage Kilobyte (KB) – Approximately one thousand Bytes

Megabyte (MB) - Approximately one million Bytes

Gigabyte (GB) - Approximately one billion Bytes

Terabyte (TB) - Approximately one trillion Bytes

Petabyte (PB) - Approximately one quadrillion Bytes

Software Basics

System software – software designed to operate and manage all the hardware in the computer and provides a platform for running all application software

Types of System Software

1) Operating system software

2) Utility software

3) Device Drivers

Operating System Software

Questions you should be able to answer: Name three commonplace operating systems

What operating system does your mobile computing device currently run?

Utility Software

Types of Utility Software

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

Device Drivers

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

Generic Types of Application Software

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

Examples of Specific Types of Application Software Browser

Internet Explorer is specifically designed to run with Microsoft Windows system software

Safari is specifically designed to run with Apple / MAC system software

Firefox is designed to work with different system software, but you need to download the version that is specific to the system software you are running

Issues with Specific Types of Application Software Most application software is designed to

work with a specific system software suite – i.e. MS Office / MS Windows / on a PC, Android/smartphone and tablets (note that Android is based on Linux) If you are running Apple-based system

software on your iPhone, iPad, or MAC, you cannot run application software that is specifically designed for a different system software like Windows

Data Raw, unorganized facts and figures that need

to be processed Data can be random until properly organized

Information Data (raw, unorganized facts and figures) that

have been organized, structured or presenting in a given context to make it useful

Data versus Information

Data – the numeric score that you receive on an assignment (i.e. you receive a 50)

Information – the numeric score you receive relative to the maximum number of points on the assignment and the average of all scores in the class (i.e. you scored a 50 out of 55 total points where the average score for the class was 47)

Management Information Systems (MIS) Generally refers to how people and

organizations design, implement, manage, and use all types of information technology (IT) and information systems (IS) to generate information to improve the effectiveness of decision-making

Summary of Topics Covered Hardware and software overview Basic hardware Basic software Data and information What is MIS?

Check the schedule BEFORE next class!