The Williams, Using Information Technology, 9th edition utilizes a practical, applied approach to technology. This text is user-focused and has been highly updated including topics, pictures and examples. The Williams text contains less theory and more application to engage students who might be more familiar with technology. Continually published and updated for over 15 years, Using Information Technology was the first text to foresee and define the impact of digital convergence, the fusion of computers and communications. It was also the first text to acknowledge the new priorities imposed by the Internet and World Wide Web and bring discussion of them from late in the course to the beginning. Today, it is directed toward the “Always On” generation that is at ease with digital technology, comfortable with iPhones, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia, and the blogosphere, but not always savvy about its processes, possibilities, and liabilities. This 9th edition continues to address the two most significant challenges that instructors face in teaching this course: Trying to make the course interesting and challenging, and trying to teach to students with a variety of computer backgrounds. This text also correlates with SimNet Online, our online training and assessment program for the MS Office Suite and also computing concepts!
Author(s): Brian Williams, Stacey Sawyer
Edition: 9th
Publisher: McGraw-Hill
Year: 2010
Language: English
Pages: 606
Tags: Информатика и вычислительная техника;Информационные технологии;
Cover......Page 1
Title Page......Page 6
Copyright......Page 7
Contents......Page 22
1 INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: YOUR DIGITAL WORLDY......Page 30
1.1 The Practical User: How Becoming Computer Savvy Benefits You......Page 32
The Two Parts of IT: Computers & Communications......Page 33
Education: The Promise of More Interactive & Individualized Learning......Page 34
Health: High Tech for Wellness......Page 35
Money: Toward the Cashless Society......Page 37
Leisure: Infotech in Entertainment & the Arts......Page 38
Government & Electronic Democracy: Participating in the Civic Realm......Page 39
Jobs & Careers......Page 40
The Phone Grows Up “You’ve Got Mail!” Email’s Mass Impact......Page 43
Practical Action Box: Managing Your Email......Page 46
The Internet, the World Wide Web, & Plumbing of Cyberspace”......Page 47
College Students & the E-World......Page 48
All Computers, Great & Small: The Categories of Machines......Page 49
Supercomputers......Page 50
Microcomputers......Page 51
Microcontrollers......Page 52
Servers......Page 53
How Computers Work: Three Key Concepts......Page 54
Pretending to Order (or Build) a Custom-Built Desktop Computer: Basic Knowledge of How a Computer Works......Page 55
Processing & Memory Hardware: Inside the System Cabinet......Page 57
Storage Hardware: Hard Drive & CD/DVD Drive......Page 59
Output Hardware: Video & Sound Cards, Monitor, Speakers, & Printer......Page 60
Software......Page 61
Is Getting a Custom-Built PC Worth the Effort?......Page 62
Three Directions of Computer Development: Miniaturization, Speed, & Affordability......Page 63
When Computers & Communications Combine: Convergence, Portability, Personalization, Collaboration, & Cloud Computing......Page 64
E” Also Stands for Ethics......Page 66
Experience Box: Better Organization & Time Management: Dealing with the Information Deluge in College—& in Life......Page 67
2 THE INTERNET & THE WORLD WIDE WEB: EXPLORING CYBERSPACE......Page 78
2.1 Connecting to the Internet: Narrowband, Broadband, & Access Providers......Page 81
Narrowband (Dial-Up) Modem: Low Speed but Inexpensive & Widely Available......Page 82
High-Speed Phone Lines: More Expensive but Available in Most Cities......Page 83
Cable Modem: Close Competitor to DSL......Page 85
Satellite Wireless Connections......Page 86
Other Wireless Connections: Wi-Fi & 3G......Page 87
Internet Access Providers: Three Kinds......Page 88
Internet Connections: POPs, NAPs, Backbone & Internet2......Page 89
Internet Communications: Protocols, Packets, & Addresses......Page 91
Who Runs the Internet?......Page 92
The Face of the Web: Browsers, Websites, & Web Pages......Page 93
How the Browser Finds Things: URLs......Page 94
The Nuts & Bolts of the Web: HTML & Hyperlinks......Page 97
Using Your Browser to Get around the Web......Page 98
Web Portals: Starting Points for Finding Information......Page 101
Four Web Search Tools: Individual Search Engines, Subject Directories, Metasearch Engines, & Specialized Search Engines......Page 103
Smart Searching: Three General Strategies......Page 105
Multimedia Search Tools: Image, Audio, & Video Searching......Page 106
Practical Action Box: Serious Web Search Techniques......Page 108
Tagging: Saving Links for Easier Retrieval Later......Page 109
2.4 Email & Other Ways of Communicating over the Net......Page 110
How to Use Email......Page 111
Sorting Your Email......Page 112
Attachments......Page 114
Instant Messaging......Page 116
FTP—for Copying All the Free Files You Want......Page 117
Listservs: Email-Based Discussion Groups......Page 118
Netiquette: Appropriate Online Behavior......Page 119
Telephony: The Internet Telephone & Videophone......Page 121
Multimedia on the Web......Page 122
The Web Automatically Comes to You: Webcasting, Blogging, & Podcasting......Page 124
E-Commerce: B2B Commerce, Online Finance, Auctions, & Job Hunting......Page 126
Web 2.0 & the Social Web: Social Networking, Media Sharing, Social Network Aggregation, & Microblogging......Page 127
Spam: Electronic Junk Mail......Page 131
Practical Action Box: Tips for Fighting Spam......Page 132
Cookies: Convenience or Hindrance?......Page 133
Spyware—Adware, Browser & Search Hijackers, & Key Loggers: Intruders to Track Your Habits & Steal Your Data......Page 134
Practical Action Box: Tips for Avoiding Spyware......Page 135
Experience Box: Web Research, Term Papers, & Plagiarism......Page 136
3 SOFTWARE: TOOLS FOR PRODUCTIVITY & CREATIVITY......Page 148
3.1 System Software: The Power Behind the Power......Page 149
3.2 The Operating System: What It Does......Page 150
Booting......Page 151
CPU Management......Page 152
File Management......Page 153
Task Management......Page 154
Device Drivers: Running Peripheral Hardware......Page 155
Practical Action: Utility Programs......Page 156
3.4 Common Features of the User Interface......Page 158
Using Keyboard & Mouse......Page 159
The GUI: The Graphical User Interface......Page 160
The Help Command......Page 166
Macintosh Operating System......Page 167
Microsoft Windows......Page 169
Network Operating Systems: NetWare, Windows NT/2000/2003, Microsoft .NET, Unix, & Linux......Page 173
Practical Action Box: Get a PC or Get a Mac? Dealing with Security Issues......Page 174
Embedded Operating Systems for Handhelds: Palm OS & Windows CE......Page 177
Application Software: For Sale, for Free, or for Rent?......Page 179
Tutorials & Documentation......Page 181
A Few Facts about Files & the Usefulness of Importing & Exporting......Page 182
Types of Application Software......Page 183
3.7 Word Processing......Page 184
Editing Documents......Page 185
Formatting Documents with the Help of Templates & Wizards......Page 187
Tracking Changes & Inserting Comments......Page 189
The Basics: How Spreadsheets Work......Page 190
Analytical Graphics: Creating Charts......Page 192
The Basics: How Databases Work......Page 193
Personal Information Managers......Page 195
3.10 Specialty Software......Page 196
Presentation Graphics Software......Page 197
Financial Software......Page 199
Desktop Publishing......Page 201
Drawing & Painting Programs......Page 203
Animation Software......Page 204
Web Page Design/Authoring Software......Page 205
Project Management Software......Page 207
Portable Document Format (PDF)......Page 208
Computer-Aided Design......Page 209
Experience Box: The Mysteries of Tech Support......Page 211
4 HARDWARE: THE CPU & STORAGE : HOW TO CHOOSE A MULTIMEDIA COMPUTER SYSTEM......Page 222
From Vacuum Tubes to Transistors to Microchips......Page 223
Mobility......Page 225
4.2 The System Unit: The Basics......Page 227
The Binary System: Using On/Off Electrical States to Represent Data & Instructions......Page 228
The Computer Case: Bays, Buttons, & Boards......Page 231
Power Supply......Page 233
Practical Action Box: Power Issues: Problems with Electrical Power to Your Computer......Page 234
The Motherboard & the Microprocessor Chip......Page 235
Processing Speeds: From Megahertz to Picoseconds......Page 238
How the Processor or CPU Works: Control Unit, ALU, Registers, & Buses......Page 240
How Memory Works: RAM, ROM, CMOS, & Flash......Page 242
How Cache Works......Page 244
Ports & Cables......Page 245
Expandability: Buses & Cards......Page 250
Floppy Disks......Page 253
Hard Disks......Page 254
Optical Disks: CDs & DVDs......Page 256
Magnetic Tape......Page 260
Smart Cards......Page 261
Flash & Solid State Memory......Page 263
4.5 Future Developments in Processing & Storage......Page 264
Practical Action Box: Starting Over with Your Hard Drive: Erasing, Reformatting, & Reloading......Page 265
Future Developments in Processing......Page 266
Future Developments in Secondary Storage......Page 269
Experience Box: How to Buy a Laptop......Page 271
5 HARDWARE: INPUT & OUTPUT : TAKING CHARGE OF COMPUTING & COMMUNICATIONS......Page 282
5.1 Input & Output......Page 284
Keyboards......Page 285
Pointing Devices......Page 289
Scanning & Reading Devices......Page 296
Webcams & Video-Input Cards......Page 302
Digital Cameras......Page 303
Speech-Recognition Systems......Page 306
Sensors......Page 307
Radio-Frequency Identification Tags......Page 308
5.3 Output Hardware......Page 309
Traditional Softcopy Output: Display Screens......Page 310
Traditional Hardcopy Output: Printers......Page 314
Practical Action Box: Buying a Printer......Page 318
Mixed Output: Sound, Voice, & Video......Page 319
Health Matters......Page 320
5.4 The Future of Input & Output......Page 323
Toward More Source Data Automation......Page 324
Toward More Output in Remote Locations......Page 326
Toward More Realistic Output......Page 327
Experience Box: Good Habits: Protecting Your Computer System, Your Data, & Your Health......Page 329
6 COMMUNICATIONS, NETWORKS, & SAFEGUARDS: THE WIRED & WIRELESS WORLD......Page 338
The Digital Basis of Computers: Electrical Signals as Discontinuous Bursts......Page 340
The Analog Basis of Life: Electrical Signals as Continuous Waves......Page 341
Purpose of the Dial-Up Modem: Converting Digital Signals to Analog Signals & Back......Page 342
6.2 Networks......Page 344
The Benefits of Networks......Page 345
Types of Networks: WANs, MANs, LANs, HANs, PANs, & Others......Page 346
Intranets, Extranets, & VPNs......Page 347
Components of a Network......Page 349
Network Topologies: Bus, Ring, & Star......Page 351
Two Ways to Prevent Messages from Colliding: Ethernet & Token Ring......Page 353
Wired Communications Media: Wires & Cables......Page 354
Wired Communications Media for Homes: Ethernet, HomePNA, & HomePlug......Page 355
Practical Action Box: Telecommuting & Telework: The Nontraditional Workplace......Page 356
The Electromagnetic Spectrum, the Radio- Frequency (RF) Spectrum, & Bandwidth......Page 357
Four Types of Wireless Communications Media......Page 359
Long-Distance Wireless: One-Way Communication......Page 361
Long-Distance Wireless: Two-Way Communication......Page 364
Short-Range Wireless: Two-Way Communications......Page 366
Cyber Threats: Denial-of-Service Attacks, Worms, Viruses, & Trojan Horses......Page 370
Practical Action Box: Ways to Minimize Virus Attacks......Page 374
Some Cyber Villains: Hackers & Crackers......Page 375
Online Safety: Antivirus Software, Firewalls, Passwords, Biometric Authentication, & Encryption......Page 376
Practical Action Box: How to Deal with Passwords......Page 378
Experience Box: Virtual Meetings: Linking Up Electronically......Page 381
7 PERSONAL TECHNOLOGY: THE FUTURE IS YOU......Page 390
Convergence......Page 391
Personalization......Page 393
Popular Personal Technologies......Page 394
How MP3 Players Work......Page 395
Using PMPs in College......Page 397
HD Radio......Page 398
7.4 Digital Cameras: Changing Photography......Page 400
How Digital Cameras Work......Page 401
The Societal Effects of Digital Cameras......Page 406
How a PDA Works......Page 407
Tablet PCs......Page 408
Internet-Ready, & Mobile TV......Page 409
Three Kinds of Television: DTV, HDTV, SDTV......Page 410
The Societal Effects of the New TV......Page 411
How an E-Book Reader Works......Page 412
The Benefits of E-Book Readers......Page 413
7.8 Smartphones: More Than Talk......Page 414
Smartphone Services......Page 415
7.9 Videogame Systems: The Ultimate Convergence Machine?......Page 420
Microsoft’s Xbox 360......Page 421
The Results of Personal Technology: The “Always On” Generation......Page 422
The Experience Box: The “Always On” Generation......Page 423
8 DATABASES & INFORMATION SYSTEMS: DIGITAL ENGINES FOR TODAY’S ECONOMY......Page 430
8.1 Managing Files: Basic Concepts......Page 431
How Data Is Organized: The Data Storage Hierarchy......Page 432
The Key Field......Page 433
Types of Files: Program Files & Data Files......Page 434
8.2 Database Management Systems......Page 436
Three Database Components......Page 437
Practical Action Box: Storing Your Stuff: How Long Will Digitized Data Last?......Page 438
Hierarchical Database......Page 439
Network Database......Page 440
Relational Database......Page 442
Multidimensional Database......Page 445
The Process of Data Mining......Page 447
Some Applications of Data Mining......Page 449
8.5 Databases & the Digital Economy: E-Business & E-Commerce......Page 450
E-Commerce: Online Buying & Selling......Page 451
Types of E-Commerce Systems: B2B, B2C, & C2C......Page 453
The Qualities of Good Information......Page 454
Information Flow within an Organization: Horizontally between Departments & Vertically between Management Levels......Page 455
Transaction Processing Systems......Page 458
Management Information Systems......Page 459
Decision Support Systems......Page 460
Executive Support Systems......Page 461
8.7 Artificial Intelligence......Page 462
Expert Systems......Page 463
Natural Language Processing......Page 464
Virtual Reality & Simulation Devices......Page 465
Robotics......Page 467
Two Approaches to Artificial Intelligence: Weak versus Strong AI......Page 469
Artificial Life, the Turing Test, & AI Ethics......Page 471
The Threat to Privacy......Page 473
Identity Theft......Page 475
Experience Box: Preventing Your Identity from Getting Stolen......Page 477
9 THE CHALLENGES OF THE DIGITAL AGE: SOCIETY & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TODAY......Page 486
Manipulation of Sound......Page 488
Manipulation of Photos......Page 489
Accuracy & Completeness......Page 490
Errors & Accidents......Page 491
Computer Crimes......Page 494
Computer Criminals......Page 498
Practical Action Box: Is the Boss Watching You? Trust in the Workplace......Page 500
Deterrents to Computer Crime......Page 501
Identification & Access......Page 502
Encryption......Page 503
Disaster-Recovery Plans......Page 504
Environmental Problems......Page 505
Mental-Health Problems......Page 507
Protecting Children: Pornography, Sexual Predators, & Online Bullies......Page 508
Workplace Problems: Impediments to Productivity......Page 511
Practical Action: When the Internet Isn’t Productive: Online Addiction & Other Time Wasters......Page 512
9.5 Economic & Political Issues: Employment & the Haves/Have-Nots......Page 513
Gap between Rich & Poor......Page 514
In a World of Breakneck Change, Can You Still Thrive?......Page 515
Experience Box: Student Use of Computers: Some Controversies......Page 516
10 SYSTEMS ANALYSIS & PROGRAMMING: SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT, PROGRAMMING, & LANGUAGES......Page 520
The Purpose of a System......Page 521
The Six Phases of Systems Analysis & Design......Page 522
The Second Phase: Do an Analysis of the System......Page 523
The Third Phase: Design the System......Page 525
The Fourth Phase: Develop the System......Page 526
The Fifth Phase: Implement the System......Page 527
10.2 Programming: A Five-Step Procedure......Page 528
The First Step: Clarify the Programming Needs......Page 529
The Second Step: Design the Program......Page 530
The Third Step: Code the Program......Page 536
The Fourth Step: Test the Program......Page 537
The Fifth Step: Document & Maintain the Program......Page 538
10.3 Five Generations of Programming Languages......Page 539
First Generation: Machine Language......Page 540
Second Generation: Assembly Language......Page 541
Third Generation: High-Level or Procedural Languages......Page 542
Fourth Generation: Very-High-Level or Problem-Oriented Languages......Page 543
FORTRAN: The Language of Mathematics & the First High-Level Language......Page 545
COBOL: The Language of Business......Page 546
Pascal: The Simple Language......Page 547
Object-Oriented Programming: Block by Block......Page 548
Three Important Concepts of OOP......Page 549
Visual Programming: The Example of Visual BASIC......Page 550
10.6 Markup & Scripting Languages......Page 551
XML: For Making the Web Work Better......Page 552
JavaScript: For Dynamic Web Pages......Page 553
Ruby......Page 554
PHP(Personal Home Page, or PHP Hypertext Pre processor) & R......Page 555
Experience Box: Critical Thinking Tools......Page 556
Notes......Page 564
Credits......Page 586
Index......Page 588
