Information

Technology
Study Aid

ISB11C
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THE EVOLUTION OF THE INFORMATION AGE

Agricultural Age Industrial Age Information Age

Time Period Pre-1800s 1800s to 1957 1957 to present
Majority of Workers Farmers Factory Workers Knowledge workers
Partnership People and Land People and Machines People and people
Principal Tool Hand Tools Machines Information technology

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFORMATION AGE

 The Information age came about with the rise of an information-based society
 Information society – a society wherein more people work at handling information than at agriculture
and manufacturing combined
 Businesses in the Information Age depend on information to get their work done
 In the Information Age, work processes are transformed to increase productivity
o Work Processes – the activities that workers perform, the way they perform these activities, and
the tools they use
o Productivity – measure of work done or accomplished with a given level of effort
o Effectiveness – the extent wherein desirable results are achieved
o Success in the Information Age is largely determined by the effectiveness with which information
technology is used
 In the Information Age, information technology is embedded in many products and services

What is information technology?

 Information technology – a wide variety of items and abilities used in the creation, storage, and
dispersal of information.
 Data – raw facts, figures and details
 Information – an organized, meaningful and useful interpretation of data
 Knowledge – an awareness and understanding of a set of information and how that information can
be put to the best use.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IS DIVIDED INTO THREE PRIMARY COMPONENTS:

1. Computers
2. Communications networks and
3. Know-how.

 COMPUTERS – a computer is any electronic system that can be instructed to accept, process,
store and present data and information.

 Computer, machine that performs tasks, such as calculations or electronic communication, under
the control of a set of instructions called a program. Programs usually reside within the
computer and are retrieved and processed by the computer’s electronics. The program results
are stored or routed to output devices, such as video display monitors or printers. Computers
perform a wide variety of activities reliably, accurately, and quickly.
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CATEGORIES OF COMPUTERS
 Personal Computers (desktop)
o Can perform all of its input, processing, output and storage activities by itself. These
contain processors, memory, and one or more input, output, and storage devices.
o Two popular styles of personal computers are the PC and the Apple.
o A desktop computer is designed so the system unit, input devices, output devices, and
any other devices fit entirely on or under a desk or table.
 Mobile Computers and mobile devices
o A mobile computer is a personal computer you can carry from place to place. Similarly,
a mobile device is a computing device small enough to hold in your hand.
o Notebook Computers
 A notebook computer, also called a laptop computer, is a portable, personal
computer designed to fit on your lap.
 Resembling a letter-sized slate, the Tablet PC is a special type of
notebook computer that allows you to write or draw on the screen using
a digital pen. With a digital pen, users write or draw by pressing the pen
on the screen, and issue instructions to the Tablet PC by tapping on the
screen.
o Mobile Devices – three popular mobile devices are handheld computers, PDAs, and smart
phones.
 A handheld computer, sometimes referred to as an ultra personal computer
(uPC) or a handtop computer, is a computer small enough to fit in one hand.
 A PDA (personal digital assistant) provides personal organizer functions such as
a calendar, an appointment book, an address book, a calculator, and a notepad.
 A smart phone is an Internet-enabled telephone that usually also provides PDA
capabilities. In addition to basic telephone capabilities, a smart phone allows you
to send and receive e-mail messages and access the web.
 Game Consoles
o A game console is a mobile computing device designed for single-player or multiplayer
video games. Standard game consoles use a handheld controller as an input device; a
television screen as an output device; and hard disks, CDs, DVDs, and/or memory cards
for storage.
 Servers
o A server controls access to the hardware, software, and other resources on a network
and provides a centralized storage area for programs, data, and information. Servers can
support from two to several thousand connected computers at the same time.
 Mainframes
o A mainframe is a large, expensive, powerful computer that can handle hundreds or
thousands of connected users simultaneously. Mainframes store tremendous amounts of
data, instructions, and information.
 Supercomputers
o A supercomputer is the fastest, most powerful computer – and the most expensive. The
fastest supercomputers are capable of processing more than 100 trillion instructions in a
single second.
o Applications requiring complex, sophisticated mathematical calculations use
supercomputers. Large-scale simulations and applications in medicine, aerospace,
automotive design, online banking, weather forecasting, nuclear energy research and
petroleum exploration use a supercomputer.
 Embedded Computers
o An embedded computer is a special-purpose computer that functions as a component in
a larger product.
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o Because embedded computers are components in larger products, they usually are small
and have limited hardware. These computers perform various functions, depending on
the requirements of the product in which they reside.

 COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK – the interconnection of different locations through a medium

that enables people to send and receive data and information
 A computer network is any set of computers or devices connected to each other with the
ability to exchange data. Examples of different networks are:
LAN – Local Area Network – usually a small network, within a small geographic area. An
example of this would be a small office, with 2 or more computers connected to the same
printer. Another example would be a school, where several computers are connected to shared
resources (printers, faxes, etc) and are then connected to the internet or some other kind of
WAN.
WAN – Wide Area Network – usually a large network of interconnected computers and
devices. WANs typically span a large geographic area. An example could be a large enterprise
that has systems that communicate with each other throughout several offices located in
numerous cities and/or countries. Ex. Internet or world wide web
Many WANs are built for one particular organization and are private. They are commonly
implemented in enterprise networking environments to link offices in different cities, states,
countries and even continents. WANs are also built by Internet service providers (ISPs) to
provide connections from the LANs of their customers to the Internet. The Internet, which is a
world-wide network of interconnected computer networks, is a WAN, and thus it is the largest
WAN in existence.

Communication – the sending and receiving of data and information over a communications network
Data Communication – the transmission of data and information over a communications medium

 KNOW-HOW – the capability to do something well

 Familiarity with the tools of IT
 The skills needed to use these tools
 Understanding when to use IT to solve a problem or capitalize on an opportunity

The most important principle of information technology: The purpose of information technology is to
solve problems, to unlock creativity, and to make people more effective than they would be if they didn’t
involve IT in their activities.

FUNCTIONS OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

1. Capture – the process of compiling detailed records of activities

2. Processing – the process of converting, analyzing, computing, and synthesizing all forms of data or
information
a. Data Processing – the process of handling data and transforming them into information
b. Information Processing – a general term for the computer activity that entails processing any
type of information and transforming it into a different type of information.
c. Word Processing – the creation of text based documents
d. Image Processing – converting visual information into a format that can be managed within a
computer system or transmitted between people and locations
e. Voice Processing – the processing of spoken information
3. Generation – the process of organizing information into a useful form, whether as text, sound, or
visual image
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4. Storage – the process by which a computer keeps data and information for later use
5. Retrieval – the process by which a computer locates and copies stored data or information for further
processing or transmission to another user
6. Transmission – the sending of data and information from one location to another
a. Electronic Mail – the acceptance, storage and transmission of text and image messages between
users of a computer system.
b. Voice messaging – a form of voice processing in which callers leave spoken messages entered
through their telephone receiver.

BENEFITS OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

 Speed
 Consistency
 Precision
 Reliability

OPPORTUNITIES FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

1. Helping People
2. Solving Problems
o Problem – the perceived difference between a particular condition and a desired condition
o Problem Solving – the process of recognizing a problem, identifying alternatives for solving the
problem, and successfully implementing a solution

RESPONSIBILITIES OF PEOPLE WHO USE IT

1. To be informed – to know the capabilities and limitations of IT
2. To make proper use – to use IT in a desirable and ethical manner
3. To safeguard – to protect data and information against damage or loss