What is Information Technology?

Information technology is applied to solve organizational problems in the workplace. In most

businesses today, information technology is the foundation of all operations. There are three key areas
of information technology:

Hardware and infrastructure: Most people associate information technology with the physical aspects
they can see, such as routers, phone systems and servers. An IT professional sets up and maintains these
elements.

IT governance: This area revolves around policies and processes for running IT systems. This can include
broad rules for using technology in the workplace or specificfile-naming conventions.

IT operations: The day-to-day work of an IT professional includes offering technical support to the
workplace to ensure all systems run smoothly. They may also conduct security testing or network
maintenance.

Key areas that information technology professionals oversee within a workplace are data usage and
management. Businesses have large amounts of data that require governance and maintenance.
Information technology professionals also ensure that their technical solutions offer enough bandwidth
for the company to conduct business, such as making sure video calls are not lagging.

Information technology
-encompasses all of the technological systems used to conduct business in the workplace,
-is a broader area that includes ICT as a subset.

Information Communication Technology

-deals specifically with technology that enables communication between different groups of people.
-focus is on hardware or software that helps people talk to each other at work,
-infrastructure and components that enable modern computing.

History of Computer: Basic Computing Periods

-Earliest Computers originally calculations were computed by humans, whose job title was computers.
-The first use of the word "computer" was recorded in 1613, referring to a person who carried out
calculations, or computations, and the word continued to be used in that sense until the middle of the
20th century.

a) Tally sticks
-an ancient memory aid device to record and document numbers, quantities, or even messages.

b) Abacus
-is a mechanical device used to aid an individual in performing mathematical calculations.
-invented in Babylonia in 2400 B.C.
-first used in China in around 500 B.C.
-used to perform basic arithmetic operations.
c) Napier’s Bones
-Invented by John Napier in 1614.
-Allowed the operator to multiply, divide and calculate square and cube roots by moving the
rods around and placing them in specially constructed boards.

d. Slide Rule
- Invented by William Oughtred in 1622.
-based on Napier's ideas about logarithms.
-Used primarily for – multiplication – division – roots – logarithms – Trigonometry
-Not normally used for addition or subtraction.

E.Pascaline
- Invented by Blaise Pascal in 1642.
-It was its limitation to addition and subtraction.
-It is too expensive.

F. Stepped Reckoner
-Invented by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz in 1672.
-that can add, subtract, multiply and divide automatically.

G. Jacquard Loom
-a mechanical loom, invented by Joseph-Marie Jacquard in 1881.
-an automatic loom controlled by punched cards.

H. Arithmometer
-mechanical calculator invented by Thomas de Colmar in 1820,
-first reliable, useful and commercially successful calculating machine.
-could perform the four basic mathematic functions.
-first mass-produced calculating machine.

i) Difference Engine and Analytical Engine

- automatic, mechanical calculator designed to tabulate polynomial functions.
-Invented by Charles Babbage in 1822 and 1834
-the first mechanical computer

j. First Computer Programmer

-In 1840, Augusta Ada Byron suggests to Babbage that he use the binary system.
- She writes programs for the Analytical Engine.

k. Scheutzian Calculation Engine

-Per Georg Scheutz in 1843.
- Based on Charles Babbage's difference engine.
l. Tabulating Machine
-Herman Hollerith in 1890.
-To assist in summarizing information and accounting.

m. Harvard Mark 1
-Also known as IBM Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator (ASCC).
- Invented by Howard H. Aiken in 1943
- The first electro-mechanical computer.

n. Z1
-first programmable computer.
-Created by Konrad Zuse in Germany from 1936 to 1938.
-To program the Z1 required that the user insert punch tape into a punch tape reader and all
output was also generated through punch tape.

O. Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC)

-the first electronic digital computing device.
-Invented by Professor John Atanasoff and graduate student Clifford Berry at Iowa State
University between 1939 and 1942.

P. ENIAC
-ENIAC stands for Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer.
- It was the first electronic general-purpose computer.
- Completed in 1946.
- Developed by John Presper Eckert and John Mauchly.

q. UNIVAC 1
-The UNIVAC I (Universal Automatic Computer 1) was the first commercial computer.
- Designed by John Presper Eckert and John Mauchly.

r. EDVAC
- EDVAC stands for Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer
- The First Stored Program Computer
- Designed by Von Neumann in 1952.
- It has a memory to hold both a stored program as well as data.

s. The First Portable Computer

- Osborne 1 – the first portable computer.
- Released in 1981 by the Osborne Computer Corporation.

t. The First Computer Company

- The first computer company was the Electronic Controls Company.
- Founded in 1949 by John Presper Eckert and John Mauchly.
Information Technology Timeline

a. Premechanical
-the earliest age of information technology, the time between 3000B.C. and 1450A.D..
-they would try to use language or simple picture drawings known as petroglyths which
were usually carved in rock.
-Early alphabets were developed such as the Phoenician alphabet.
-pens and paper began to be developed.It started off as just marks in wet clay, but later
paper was created out of papyrus plant.
-the first books and libraries are developed.
-of Egyptian scrolls which were popular ways of writing down information to save.
-the first numbering systems.
-Around 100A.D. was when the first 1-9 system was created by people from India.
However, it wasn’t until 875A.D. (775 years later) that the number 0 was invented.

b. Mechanical
-mechanical age is when we first start to see connections between our current
technology and its ancestors.
-between 1450 and 1840.
-A lot of new technologies are developed in this era as there is a large explosion in
interest with this area.
-Blaise Pascal invented the Pascaline which was a very popular mechanical computer.
-Charles Babbage developed the difference engine which tabulated polynomial
equations using the method of finite differences.

b. Electromechanical
-Now we are finally getting close to some technologies that resemble our modern-day
technology.
- between 1840 and 1940.
-These are the beginnings of telecommunication.
-telegraph was created in the early 1800s.
-Morse code was created by Samuel Morse in 1835.
-The telephone (one of the most popular forms of communication ever) was
created by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876.
-The first radio developed by Guglielmo Marconi in 1894.
-The first large-scale automatic digital computer in the United States was the Mark 1
created by Harvard University around 1940.
c. Electronic
-age is what we currently live in.
-the time between 1940 and right now.
-The ENIAC was the first high-speed, digital computer capable of being reprogrammed
to solve a full range of computing problems. This computer was designed to be used by
the U.S. Army for artillery firing tables. This machine was even bigger than the Mark 1
taking up 680 square feet and weighing 30 tons - HUGE. It mainly used vacuum tubes to
do its calculations.

-There are 4 main sections of digital computing.

-The first was the era of vacuum tubes and punch cards like the ENIAC and Mark 1.
Rotating magnetic drums were used for internal storage.

- The second generation replaced vacuum tubes with transistors, punch cards were
replaced with magnetic tape, and rotating magnetic drums were replaced by magnetic
cores for internal storage. Also during this time high-level programming languages
were created such as FORTRAN and COBOL.

- The third generation replaced transistors with integrated circuits, magnetic tape was
used throughout all computers, and magnetic core turned into metal oxide
semiconductors. An actual operating system showed up around this time along with
the advanced programming language BASIC.

-The fourth and latest generation brought in CPUs (central processing units) which
contained memory, logic, and control circuits all on a single chip. The personal
computer was developed (Apple II). The graphical user interface (GUI) was developed.

Information Technology Timeline

-APR 4, 1964
-IBM's System/360 Released

-The System/360 was the first computer on the market to base its data
processing off of microminiturized computer circuits. It changed how computers were
made. Before, they were specially made and often customized based on the customer's
needs. However, this computer used a basic structure to suit the needs of a large user
base. This allowed greater compatibility- no longer did customers have to edit the
programming of a file to use it on another computer.
JUL 3, 1969 General Public Introduced to Online Networking
-In 1969, the UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) put out a press release
regarding possible wireless transmissions of data through networks. The triggered a
series of events that would lead to the creation of email and the internet.

JAN 1, 1971 First email sent

- Ray Tomilson sends an email for the first time in computing history

JAN 1, 1973 First Form of Internet Released

-Vinton Cerf and Robert Kahn collaborate to create the TCP, considered to have codified
the basics of the internet.

MAR 1, 1973 Xerox Alto Created

-Considered one of the most innovative computers of all time, the Alto featured a mouse,
menus, and many features that are now standard. However, its contributer, Xerox, did not see
itself as a computer company, and thus did not market it until 1981 as the Star 8010.
Unfortunately for Xerox Steve Jobs took a lot of inspiration from the Alto and beat the 8010 to
the market. Jobs's company, Apple is now a technological leader, and the handling of the Alto is
considered one of Xerox's biggest errors.

AUG 1, 1981 MS-DOS 1.0 Released

-The MS-DOS 1.0 was Microsoft's first computer. It could hold up to 32 megabytes of data, and
was actually quite primitive. However, it allowed programmers to have peer-to-peer
interactions through the creation of PC user groups, and opened up the door for new talent to
make a mark.

JAN 1, 1984 First Macintosh Released

-The first computer in Apple's Macintosh line, simply called the Macintosh. It was the first
commercially successful computer to use a mouse and a graphical user interface (GUI). It cannot
accept new chips or be opened with ease, perhaps forshadowing similar issues with changing
iPhone batteries.

JAN 26, 1998 Intel Releases Celeron Processor

-A cheaper alternative to the Pentium processors, the Celeron families are considered much
slower than the Pentium families. It used to lack an L2 cache, making it difficult to run intensive
programs such as video games. However, with the right modicfications, it could reach overclock
speeds of up to 400MHz. Modern Celerons have more caches now, but are still considered best
for users who only want to use basic computer functions.

JAN 27, 2010 iPad Launched

-The iPad was the first tablet to hit the market. It proved to be a huge success and lead to
similar devices, such as the Kindle Fire and the Samsung Galaxy, being released.
FEB 28, 2011 HBGary Hacked by Anonymous
-HBGary was a well-known internet security company. Its CEO Aaron Burr decided to try to take
down Anonymous, a 4Chan-based hacktivist group. He did so by threatening to reveal the
names of 70,000 of its leaders. Anonymous responded by hacking HBGary's security website,
stealing over 70,000 emails and defacing Burr's Twitter feed. Some of the emails
exposed HBGary's dirty practices, and caused many other tech companies to distance
themselves from HBGary.

OCT 22, 2013 Obamacare Website Fails to Deliver

- Obamacare is the name for a series of controversial new health reform ideas created under
President Obama. He wanted to create a website which would make it easy to sign up for
government healthcare, and hyped it as the next step in buying government insurance.
However, it was plagued by server and security issues and enunciated many of the criticisms
brought in by the program.

JAN 1, 2020 Laptops and Tablets Overtake Desktops

-Multiple innovations allow laptops and tablets to be lighter and smaller while still having a
sizable memory and reasonable cost. With this newfound portability, desktops (which are
heavy and stuck in one place) won't be able to keep up.

SEP 12, 2025 Accessibility over Security Rears Ugly Head

-Companies have been undermining online security for the sake of user convenience for years,
from an Microsoft help topic recommending a password book to website allowing people to get
a password for their account with merely an email addresses. Eventually, companies will go too
far on the convenience side, which will be exploited by hackers and cause a major security
breach.

SEP 12, 2040 Internet Hacking Resolved

Hacking has been a major issue for internet security, even before groups such as
Anonymous were formed. Over time, the law will become accustomed with the
avant of technology and devise an effective solution and law processes to deal
with technology's new issues.

SEP 12, 2054 Tablets Can Be Small Enough to Fit in One Hand

Over the years, tablets have come in various sizes but have been increasing in
capabilities. Eventually, the components that allow these capabilities will be
compact enough to not require a large tablet to hold them. However, large
tablets will still be in style and thus the smaller, palm-sized ones will be merely an
option on the market.
Computer Peripheral
-peripheral is a device that can be attached to the computer
processor.
-Devices are usually classified as input, output or backing storage
devices.

Input Devices
-can take a variety of forms, from commands you enter from the keyboard to data from
another computer or device.
-A device that feeds data into a computer processor.

Examples:
 Keyboards
-used to enter letters, numbers, and other symbols to give the computer with
information and instruction.
 Pointers
-become increasingly important with the introduction of GUI(Graphical User Interface)
and WIMP(windows, icons, menus, pointer) operating systems.

 Trackerballs are used on laptops or by people who may have difficulty moving
their fingers.
 Joystick is an input device that is often used to control video games, and
usually have one or more push-buttons whose state can also be read by the computer.
 The mouse is still the most common pointer. It is still the main input device
used with computers at home and in the workplace.

 Webcam
-input device most often used to enable people to see each other when communicating
over the internet, or for recording video blogs, or other videos.

 Microphone
-Microphones are audio input devices. The microphone feeds a sound signal to the
computer, where it can be recorded, or streamed across the internet.
-involves the use of software which samples the incoming signal.
- used sound card which allows the microphone to be attached to the computer
and sound to be captured
 Scanning devices

 Scanner
-optically scans images, printed text, handwriting or an object and converts
it to a digital image.
 Document readers
-reads data directly from source document and convey them as input in the form of
electronic signal.
Types of Document Readers
i) Optical Mark Reader (OMR)
ii) Barcode readers
iii) Optical Character Readers
 Magnetic Readers
-Reads data using magnetic ink.t uses principle of magnetism to
sense data which have been written using magnetised ink.

Output Devices
-can also appear in a variety of forms - text, video, graphics, and so on.
-shows data from a computer processor is an output device.

Examples

 Monitor
-enables users to interact with a computer more easily.
-displays a signal sent by the computer in a visual format.
-similar to televisions in outward appearance, but typically have a higher display
resolution than televisions, enabling greater visual detail, plus they lack a tuner to
change channels.

 Speaker
-used to play music and movies.
 Projector
-"project" still or moving images onto a screen, blank wall, or other surface.
 Printer
-used to generate hard copies of electronic data stored on a computer, most often
text or images onto paper.
Backing Storage Devices
-a device which holds and retains data.
-allow the user to save data in a more permanent way than RAM so that data is not lost and
may be used at a later time.

Examples

 Magnetic Disks
-a fast backing storage media.
 Tape
-used as a backup medium in commercial situations for many years.
-Its main disadvantage is the serial nature of access which makes it very slow to access
data unless it has first been sorted.

 Optical Drives
 Different types of CD and DVD drives.
-CD-R drives allow CD-ROMs and audio CDs to be written. CD-R software is also
required to enable the CD to be ‘burned’.
-CD-RW drives enables CDs to be written onto it in multiple sessions.
-CD-R disks is that you can only write to them once.

 Solid State Devices

 USB Flash Memory
-a memory chip with a USB plug,
-This type of memory uses Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM)
technology. USB flash drives have less storage capacity than an external hard drive
 Memory Card Reader/Writer
-allow the cards to be used as a file transfer medium similar to the USB Flash Memory.
- This is useful as it allows memory cards from digital cameras etc to be removed and
used without the camera being connected to the computer.

COMPONENTS OF COMPUTER SYSTEM

1. Computer hardware - physical parts/tangible parts of a computer.

-There are five main hardware components in a computer system:Input,
Processing, Storage, Output and Communication devices. (IPSOC)
- refer to the computer input, output, storing devices

 THE CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT ( C P U)

-brain or the heart of a computer.
-also known as processor and consist of three units namely.
i) Control Unit ( C U)
ii) Arithmetic logic Unit ( A L U)
iii) Main Memory unit ( M M U)
--random access memory (RAM), which temporarily stores information that the CPU uses while
the computer is on. The information stored in RAM is erased when the computer is
turned off.
2. Computer software - known as programs o rapplications. (ASU)
 Application software
-consists of those programs written to perform particular tasks required by the
users.
 System software
-the collection of programs that must be available to any computer system for it
to operate.
 Operating System
-Operating systems like Windows, macOS, Android and iOS are examples of
system software. Operating systems are loaded into RAM when the device
starts up, and have access to the hard drive.
-The operating system allocates the computer’s resources to the different
tasks that the computer must accomplish.

 Utility software
-part of the system software and performs specific tasks to keep the computer
running.
-Examples of utility software are security programs include anti-virus software that
scans and removes viruses. and optimisation programs that include tools for system
clean-up, disk defragmentation, and file compression.

3. Humanware
-the computer user.
-commands the computer system to execute on instructions

PARTS OF A COMPUTER

 SYSTEM UNIT/COMPUTER CASING

-holds all of the parts of a computer to make up the computer system.

 Motherboard
-the main board that is screwed directly inside the computer case. All other cards and
everything else plugs directly into the motherboard, hence its name.
 Central Processing Unit (CPU)
-the brain of the computer
 Storage Unit
-main part of our computer system.
 Hard Disk Drive (HDD)
-This storage in the form of storage disk in our computer, which we use to store
any digital data.
 Solid State Drive. (SDD)
-storage unit that comes with the new generation of computer which is much
better than the HARD DISK DRIVE
-HDD is very slow as compared to the speed of data transfer of SSD.
-SSD is much more expensive than HDD.
 Memory Unit
-a main part of our computer without which our computer system is incomplete.
 Random Access Memory (RAM)
-It is temporary and volatile memory. It does not store any data permanently
as it stores any data as long as that data is being worked on at the present time,
 Read Only Memory (ROM)
-It is permanent and non volatile memory.
 Graphics Card
-output device that processes the data from the motherboard and sends the
appropriate information to the computer’s screen for display.
 Sound Card
-allows the microphone to be attached to the computer
and sound to be captured.
 Uninterruptible power supply.
-provides electricity to our computer so that our computer continues to run even after
the power cut.
 Power Supply Unit
-provides electrical energy to a computer system that runs the computer.
 Power Cord
-supplies electricity to run the computer system. Power cord This is a type of cable.
 CD/DVD Drive (Compact Disc)/(Digital Versatile Disc).
-used to read and write images, videos, software, and other types of data.
-read and write data from optical discs through laser technology.
 FANS & HEATSINKS
-cool the components of a computer system by circulating air.