UNIVERSITY OF RIZAL SYSTEM

Morong, Rizal








Information
Technology
(ICT-1)


















Esher J abes B. Escalante Fernan Natividad
1-B ICT Professor



I. Definition of Information Technology

Information Technology is the application of computers and telecommunications
equipment to store, retrieve, transmit and manipulate data, often in the context of a
business or other enterprise. The term is commonly used as a synonym for computers
and computer networks, but it also encompasses other information distribution
technologies such as television and telephones. Several industries are associated with
information technology, including computer hardware, software, electronics,
semiconductors, internet, telecom equipment, e-commerce and computer services.
Humans have been storing, retrieving, manipulating and communicating
information since the Sumerians in Mesopotamia developed writing in about 3000 BC,
but the term information technology in its modern sense first appeared in a 1958 article
published in the Harvard Business Review; authors Harold J. Leavitt and Thomas L.
Whisler commented that "the new technology does not yet have a single established
name. We shall call it information technology (IT)." Their definition consists of three
categories: techniques for processing, the application of statistical and mathematical
methods to decision-making and the simulation of higher-order thinking through
computer programs.
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_technology)

II. Four Purposes of Information Technology

III. Importance of Computer Literacy

Computer literacy is defined as the knowledge and ability to use computers and
related technology efficiently, with a range of skills covering levels from elementary use
to programming and advanced problem solving.
Computer literacy is significant because it is considered to be a very important
skill to possess while in the first world. Employers want their workers to have basic
computer skills because their company becomes ever more dependent on computers.
Many companies try to use computers to help run their company faster and cheaper.
As personal computers become common place and they become more powerful,
the concept of computer literacy is moving beyond basic functionality to more powerful
applications under the heading of literacy.
One of the best methods for teaching computers is that our Government should
encourage the use of computers in schools and college so that our younger generation
gets adapted to the use and basic knowledge regarding computer.
For the working professionals, there should be some refresher courses about the
basic computer skills so that the hesitation with computer usage gets minimized.
Computers have kept an upward trend in terms of usage.Back in 1960s, people
wondered who would want a computer for their homes! Predicting what lies in the future
is virtually impossible, but we do know that whatever it brings, computer technology will
be right in the center of it. As computer technology continues to advance and develop
for both home and industry, there will be an ever growing need for computer
professionals to fill the resulting job openings. Career opportunities in the computer field
remain strong, and knowledge of computer technology will continue to become more
and more important to workers in every field.
So, regarding the future of computers one is spell bound. It is expected that the
reliance on computers would increase to the extent that the world of commerce would
break up to a sudden stop if computers were removed.

(Source:http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/8060041-computer-literacy-
and-its-importance)
IV. Aspects of Computer Literacy

1. What is a computer
2. What are its limitations
3. What is a program (not necessarily how to program)
4. What is an algorithm
5. What is computable
6. What a computer cannot do
7. Why computers cannot produce random numbers
8. Understanding the concept of stored data
9. What are the real causes of "computer errors"
10. The implications of incorrect (buggy) programs
11. The implications of using a program incorrectly (garbage in, garbage out)
12. Issues rising from distributed computing
13. Computer security
a) rojan horse (computing), computer virus, email spoofing, URL spoofing,
phishing, etc ...
b) what to do when a security certificate is questioned
c) password creation (how to avoid bad ones)
14. Netiquette (or at least E-mail Etiquette)
a) identifying urban legends (and not forwarding them)
b) critical assessment of internet sources
c) criminal access to financial databases
15. Keyboarding, mousing (using input devices)
16. Plugging in and turning the computer on
17. Using/understanding user-interface elements
a) Composing, editing and printing documents
b) the ability to communicate with others using computers through electronic
mail (email) or instant messaging services
c) managing and editing pictures (from cell phones, digital cameras or even
scans)
d) Opening files and recognizing different file types
18. Multimedia literacy, including, but not limited to:
a) making movies
b) making sound files
c) interactivity
d) creating web pages
(Source:http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_aspects_of_computer_literacy)
V. Application Areas of Computers

There are at least five areas that are covered by computer applications, and five
of those are business, government, military, manufacturing, and music. There are
also other areas such as scientific and the role of technology in our society is growing
annually.
Computers have now for several decades brought automation to the table in
small, medium, and large businesses. There are word processing and spreadsheet
applications for small businesses all the way up to enterprise-wide applications that
cover every aspect of a large business such as accounting, inventory, shop floor,
management, and feature real-time reporting capability that can give a snapshot
glimpse of the financial position of a company at any point in time.
The government has a wide variety of computer applications. Government uses
many of the same tools as small to large businesses in desktop type applications and
many that are much more advanced that are used in the military.
Manufacturing applications involve computer-aided design and applications that
are used to track production from the time a raw material is moved into the warehouse
all the way to the production floor and back into the warehouse as a finished good.
Military only applications include systems that use GPS in missiles to hone in on
targets from miles away. There are all kinds of other applications some of which are
secret in nature and the public does not become aware of these until a war is underway.
Computer applications in music can help to transcribe and compose music as
well as provide accompaniment for a musician to practice with.
Expect the number of computer applications in all of these fields to become more
common in the future. Expect many applications to take the place of people to save
money in a cash-crunched economy where everyone is looking for more ways to save
money and cut costs.

(Source:http://technology.blurtit.com/1016435/what-are-the-8-application-areas-
of-computers)
VI. Capabilities, Limitations, and Failures of Computer System

We see computer everywhere: at home, in school, in the hospital, in the bank, in
bookstores and department stores, at recreation centers and in man other places. They
are important pieces of equipment and they help man in so many ways.
Many people depend so much on computers. They use computers to do their
work, to have fun. To keep in touch with their loved ones, to store important documents
and so on. Why is this so? Because computers are capable of doing so many things.
The following items are the capabilities of a computer.

1. The computer processes information very fast.
Would you believe that computer can get the average of a million sets. of
numbers in a few seconds by pressing a button? It is like getting the sum or total of one
hundred different sets of numbers in one click.
2. The computer gives accurate results.
Some scientists use the computer in their experiments. The needed data for their
experiments are processed in the computer. They can get almost perfect and more
accurate results through it.
3. The computer stores large amount of data and information.
Most computers have storage or accessories wherein the user can save
information or document. These are called floppy diskettes, hard disks and zip disks.
4. The computer enables one to restore or bring back any of his works.
You try to bring your old work when you want to make another copy of it, or when
you want to change something in it. A computer makes all these possible.
5. It is automatic.
You dont have to wait long for a computer to do a certain job. Most of the time,
you just have to click a button and the computers processor will do the rest of the work.
6. The computer can do two things at the same time.
You may open two or more programs at the same time. You may work with the
first one while you minimize or hide the other program.
7. The computer can be improved and upgraded.
The computer is unlike other machines or appliances that your parents discard or
throw away when they do not function properly anymore. Today, it is very easy to
replace damaged and obsolete computer parts. You just have to go to the nearby
computer store or ask a service technician to do installation and repair work for your
computer.

However, the computer is not a supermachine. Thus, it has its own limitations, like the
following:
1. The computer can only do what you tell it to do.
Do not expect the computer to give you something which you never tell it to do. It
will only give you what you ask it.
2. It cannot generate information on its own.
Your computer depends on you. It will not run unless you operate it. In the same
way, it cannot give you information you need if you do not feed it with the necessary
data.
3. The computer will give you wrong information if you feed it with wrong data.
The computer cannot distinguish between correct data and wrong data. Thus, if
you feed your computer with wrong data, it will result with the computer giving wrong
information.
4. The computer cannot correct wrong instruction.
If you give the computer wrong instruction, it will not able to do anything to
correct it. It will only stop functioning. Then, the computer will depend on you to correct
your mistake.

(Source:http://www.slideshare.net/CyberTeach/capabilities-and-limitations-of-a-
computer-2127914)
Failures

1. Hardware conflict
The number one reason why Windows crashes is hardware conflict. If there are a
lot of devices, or if the hardware are not installed properly, when the user tries to use
both devices at the same time, a crash can happen. Sometimes mismatch driver also
can make your device can function properly.
2. Bad Random-Access Memory(RAM)
RAM problems might bring on a fatal error message that indicates a serious
hardware problem. Sometimes it may mean a part is damaged and will need replacing.
But a fatal error caused by RAM might be caused by a mismatch of chips or mismatch
speed of RAM.
3. BIOS settings
A common way to access these settings is to press the F2 or delete button
during the first few seconds of a boot-up. Usually BIOS problem is come up, if you
change something in the BIOS and the computer becomes more unstable.
4. Hard disk drives
After a few weeks, the information on a hard disk drive starts to become
fragmented. Hard disks will slow down and crash if they are too full.
5. Video card
6. Viruses
Some viruses erase the boot sector of a hard drive, making it impossible to start.
Viruses also can eat all your files in your hard drives including system files.
7. Printers
The action of sending a document to print creates a bigger file, often called a
postscript file.
Printers have only a small amount of memory, called a buffer. This can be easily
overloaded. Printing a document also uses a considerable amount of CPU power. This
will also slow down the computers performance.
8. Software
A common cause of computer crash is faulty or badly-installed software.
Incompatible software also cause of this problem. For example, you install Bitdefender
and Kaspersky antivirus in a computer.
9. Overheating
Central processing units (CPUs) are usually equipped with fans to keep them
cool. If the fan fails or fills with dust it may start to overheat and generate a particular
kind of error called a kernel error. This is a common problem in chips that have been
overclocked to operate at higher speeds than they are supposed to.
10. Power supply problems
Sometime computer crash because data lost in your computer. Computer is not
properly shutdown may be the cause of the computer problems

(Source:http://www.scribd.com/doc/29077756/10-Important-Computer-Failures-
and-Reason)