Information Technology

We will discuss the BASICS of Information Technology as they relate to the Information Technology Students

What is Information Technology ?

Information Technology Association of America (ITAA)

a leading industry trade group for information technology companies

the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware

IT deals with the use of electronic computers and computer software to convert, store, protect, process, transmit, and securely retrieve information

Getting Started in IT
Computer system and programs

Computer Systems
A computer system consists of hardware and software components

Let us Identify the

Following Figures

HARDWARE
Hardware is the physical equipment such as the case, floppy disk drives, keyboards, monitors, cables, speakers, and printers

Lets take a look at the

Following Figures

SOFTWARE
The term software describes the programs that are used to operate the computer system Computer software, also called programs, instructs the computer on how to operate These operations may include identifying, accessing, and processing information

The two types of software

Operating Systems Applications

Operating System
An operating system (OS) is a program that manages all the other programs in a computer. It also provides the operating environment for applications that are used to access resources on the computer. Operating systems perform basic tasks like recognizing input from the keyboard or mouse, sending output to the video screen or printer, keeping track of files on the drives, and controlling peripherals such as printers and modems.

The Disk Operating System (DOS), Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows NT, Linux, Mac OS X, DEC VMS, and IBM OS/400 are all examples of operating systems.

 Operating systems are platformspecific, meaning they are designed for specific types of computers. For example, the Windows operating system is designed for an IBMcompatible personal computer (PC). The Mac OS will only work with Macintosh computers. PC and Macintosh are called platforms. A platform is the computer system on which different programs can be used

Application Software
Application software accepts input from the user and then manipulates it to achieve a result. This result is known as the output. Applications are programs designed to perform a specific function for the user or for another application program.

 Examples of applications include word processors, database programs, spreadsheets, Web browsers, Web development tools, and graphic design tools.

Computer Program
Essentially, a program is a sequence of instructions that describe how data will be processed. Programs vary widely depending on the type of information that will be accessed or generated. For example, instructions for balancing a checkbook are very different from instructions for simulating a virtual reality world on the Internet.