1. What is the difference between data and information?

(2 points)

There is a subtle difference between data and information. Data are the facts or details from
which information is derived. Individual pieces of data are rarely useful alone. For data to
become information, data needs to be put into context.
Comparison chart

Data versus information comparison chart

Data Information

Meaning Data is raw, unorganized facts that need When data is processed, organized, structured or
to be processed. Data can be something presented in a given context so as to make it useful,
simple and seemingly random and it is called information.
useless until it is organized.

Example Each student's test score is one piece of The average score of a class or of the entire school
data. is information that can be derived from the given
data.

Etymology "data" comes from a singular latin word, "information" is an older word that dates back to the
datum, which originally meant 1300s and has old french and middle english origins.
"something given." its early usage dates It has always referred to "the act of informing, "
back to the 1600s. Over time "data" has usually in regard to education, instruction, or other
become the plural of datum. knowledge communication.

2. List at least 6 characteristics of valuable information and discus. (3 points)

The value of the information directly affects the overall outcome of business processes.
Let's examine what characterizes good information and how valuable information is an
important factor in business.

Information is data that has been processed into inter-relatable data. Some of the
characteristics of good information include:

1. Accurate

Information is said to be accurate when it represents all the facts pertaining to an issue.
For example, an instruction from the government that all non-nationals with the
exemption of those who have a right to abode status, must secure non-citizen identity
cards is accurate. It can be found in written form, directly from the source.

2. Complete
Information is complete when there are no missing parts of the data. Facts and figures
should be available in their entirety. The government's communique in the first
example would be incomplete if the information about the exemption of non-nationals
who have a right to abode status is omitted.

3. Cost-beneficial

The success of a business is marked by outputs exceeding inputs. The benefits obtained
through securing information should outweigh the costs of obtaining it. An example of
this is a small business obtaining data related to the efficacy of its advertising strategy
by hiring a company to survey customers. The benefits of collecting this information
would need to outweigh the costs involved in order for the process to be cost-beneficial.

4. Relevant

Does the end-user need the information? In other words, the information provided
should be pertinent or suitable to the person's tasks. Technical data on production
specifications would be relevant to the line supervisor but may not be relevant to upper
management.

5. Timely

Untimely information is almost useless. At 7:00 am a student who needs train times to
make his 10:00 am class will find all train times before 7:00 am useless. Decision-making
is always time-strapped. Getting the information to the right end-user at the right time
is key.

6. Easy to use

Clear, understandable, and objective are all characteristics that make information easy
to use. The style, grammar, and technical terminology need to have the end-user in
mind. Again, technical data on production specifications may not be easy to use by
management but would be vital to a production supervisor.

3. What are the components of computer-based information system? Explain each component. (3
points)

A computer-based information system (cbis) is an information system that uses computer

technology to perform different functions. For example, the google uses internet to
accomplish its task, to reach its customers. Computer based information system is a field of
studying computers and algorithmic processes including their applications. Such a system
can include personal computer and software. It aims to support operations, management,
and decision making.

There are five major components of cbis like hardware, software, data, people and network.

• hardware resources
Machines: computers and other equipment’s along with all data media. Machine is the one
in which data is recorded and saved.

Computer system peripheral: a computer peripheral is an external object that provides

input and output for the computer. Some common input devices include:

Keyboard

Mouse

Touchscreen

some common output devices include:

Printer

Monitor

Projector

software resources

software resources include all sets of information processing instructions. Software is a

general term for the various kinds of programs used to operate computers and related
devices.

Data resources

Data resources include data and database. Alphanumeric data, numbers, characters, image
data, graphic shapes are the different forms of data. Data are facts that are used by
programs to produce useful information. Like programs, data are generally stored in
machine readable from on disk or until the computer needs them.

People resources

every system needs people if it is to be useful. Often the most over-locked element of the
system are the people, probably the component that most influence the success or failure of
information systems.

People built computers for people to use. This means that there are many different
categories in the development and management of information systems to help
organizations to create value and improve productivity, such as:

Users: these are the people who actually use an is to perform a job function or task.
Examples include: a student uses a spreadsheet or a word processing software program.

Technical developers: these are the people who actually create the technologies used to
build an information system. Examples include a computer chip engineer, a software
programmer, and an application programmer.

Business professionals: these are the ceos, owners, managers, entrepreneurs, employees
who use is to start or expand their business to perform their job functions such as
accounting, marketing, sales, human resources, support customers, among others.
Examples include famous ceos such as jeff bezos of amazon, steve jobs of apple, bill gates
of microsoft, and marc benioff of salesforce.

Networking resources

The components of hardware, software, and data have long been considered the core
technology of information systems. However, networking communication is another
component of an is that some believe should be in its own category. An information system
can exist without the ability to communicate. For instance, the first personal computers were
stand-alone machines that did not have access to the internet. Information systems,
however, have evolved since they were developed. For example, we used to have only
desktop operating system software or hardware. However, in today’s environment, the
operating system software now includes mobile os, and hardware now includes other
hardware devices besides desktops. It is extremely rare for a computer device that does not
connect to another device or a network.

4. What are the difference between input devices and output devices? Give an examples. (2 points)

The difference between input devices and output devices

Input devices:
input devices are the component of the computer system that accepts incoming data and
instructions and converts them into a pattern of electrical signals in binary code that is
understandable to a digital computer.

Output devices:
output devices are the component of computer system that converts the digitized signals into
a form understandable to the user. The output devices are generally known as reverse of
input devices. Output devices also send data from one computer system to another.

Input device Output device

It accepts data from user. It reflects processed data to user.

It is directly commanded by user. It is commanded by processor.

It converts user friendly instruction into It converts machine’s instructions to

machine friendly. user intelligible.
 Input device Output device

It takes the processed data from the

It takes the data from the user and sends it processor and sends it back to the
to the processor for execution. user.

It helps the computer is displaying the

It helps the computer is accepting the data. data.

The design of input devices is more The design of output devices is less
complex. complex.

Ex: keyboard, mouse, image scanner,

Ex: monitor, printers, plotters, projector,
microphone, pointing device, graphics
speakers, printer.
tablet, joystick.

5. List and discus at least 8 system unit components. (2 points)

1 motherboard

The motherboard is an important computer component because it’s what everything else
connects to! The motherboard is a decently sized circuit board that lets other components
communicate. A motherboard has ports that face outside a pc’s case, so you can charge your
computer, plug in a monitor, or connect a mouse.

A computer’s motherboard also contains slots for expansions, so you can add additional
accessory ports if you wish. The motherboard also stores low-level information like the
system time even when the computer is turned off.
2 power supply

True to its name, the power supply powers all other components of the machine. It usually
plugs into the motherboard to power the other parts. The power supply connects to either an
internal battery (on a laptop) or a plug for an outlet (on a desktop).
3 central processing unit (cpu)

A cpu, sometimes referred to as a computer’s brain, is the workhorse of the machine. It

performs the calculations needed by a system, and can vary in speed. The work that a cpu
does generates heat, which is why your computer has a fan inside. A more powerful cpu is
necessary for intense computer work like editing high-definition video or programming
complex software.
4 random-access memory (ram)
Ram is temporary memory. Whenever you open up a microsoft word window, your computer
places it in ram, and when you close the window, that ram is freed. Since ram is volatile, its
contents are lost if the machine loses power. This is why you lose a word document when the
power goes out if you didn’t save it.

The more ram you have, the more programs you can run at once. A common cause of slow
computers is a lack of sufficient ram.
5 hard disk drive / solid state drive

Since ram is temporary, your computer needs a place to store data permanently. That’s where
the hard drive comes in. The traditional hard drive consists of several spinning platters with
an arm that physically writes data to the disk. However, these drives are slow and are starting
to be replaced by the faster solid-state drives.

Solid-state drives consist of flash memory, like your smartphone or flash drive. They are
much faster than traditional hard disk drives, though cost more for the increased efficiency.
Both types of drives come in various sizes to suit different needs.

Replacing a hard drive with a solid state drive is one of the best computer upgrades you
can make — the speed difference is amazing.
6 video card

A video card is a dedicated unit for handling the output of images to a display. Video cards
have their own dedicated ram for performing these functions. A high-end video card is
required to process extremely intense visual functions, such as computer drafting by
engineers. Like many components, many types of video cards are available with varying
power and prices.

An alternative to a video card is integrated graphics, which occurs when the system borrows
regular ram for graphics processing. Typically, integrated graphics are attached to the cpu,
especially on laptops. Integrated graphics is sufficient for normal computing use and is less
expensive than a dedicated card, but won’t work for intense editing jobs or high-end games.
7 optical drives

Though less common than they used to be, many machines still have an optical drive for
reading cds and dvds. These can be used to listen to music or watch movies, place
information onto a blank disc, or install software from a disc. Since most software nowadays
is installed from the internet instead of using discs, these aren’t as important as they once
were, especially on laptops.
8 input and output devices

Depending on your particular computer, you can connect a variety of devices to send
information into it or out of it. Common input devices include mice (touchpads on laptops),
keyboards, and webcams, while output devices consist of monitors, printers, and speakers.
Removable media such as flash drives and cd cards can also be used to transfer data between
computers.

In summary, here’s the inside of a desktop computer with its parts labeled:

Now you know the basics of what’s inside your pc! These components look slightly different
inside laptops to compensate for the size differences, but perform the same functions.
6. Discus the difference between hardware and software. Give an example. (3 points

Hardware:
hardware refers to the physical components of a computer. Computer hardware is any part
of the computer that we can touch these parts. These are the primary electronic devices
used to build up the computer.
Software is a collection of instructions, procedures, documentation that performs different
tasks on a computer system. We can say also computer software is a programming code
executed on a computer processor. The code can be machine-level code or the code written
for an operating system.

Hardware Software

Hardware is a physical parts computer Software is a set of instruction that tells

that cause processing of data. a computer exactly what to do.

It is manufactured. It is developed and engineered.

Hardware cannot perform any task Software cannot be executed without

without software. hardware.

As hardware are physical electronic We can see and also use the software
devices, we can see and touch hardware. but can’t actually touch them.

It has four main categories: input device, It is mainly divided into system
output devices, storage, and internal software, programming software and
components. application software.

Hardware is not affected by computer Software is affected by computer

viruses. viruses.

It cannot be transferred from one place to

another electrically through network. But it can be transferred.

If hardware is damaged, it is replaced If software is damaged, its backup copy

with new one. can be reinstalled.

Ex: keyboard, mouse, monitor, printer, Ex: ms word, excel, power point,
Hardware Software

memory devices, cpu, hard disk, ram,

rom etc. photoshop, google chrome, mysql etc.