Chapter 1

Introduction to IT
Outline
• What is Information Technology
• Why Information Technology
• Evolution of computing devices
• Types of computing devices
• The Internet
• Future developments

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What is Information Technology?

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 Information Technology
IT is the application of computing devices to
create, store, manipulate and exchange data.
IT refers to an entire world of combined
technologies tightly integrated to deliver a service
for a user, a group, a community or humanity at
large.

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Why does it matter?
• Technology is not just:
 A means for career advancement
 A skill set needed to survive in society

• Technology can be a way to make an impact beyond

your own life, and accelerating change around the
world.
• Technology is not a luxury anymore; it is a
necessity.

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Information Technology Advantages
Link
• Make us more productive
• Saves time
• Entertainment
• Allow us to create things we never thought we could
• Easier communications
• Allow us to be creative and artistic
• Save lives

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Technology & Society
• Technology changed how we purchase
and consume goods.
 Sharing a resource using networks instead of owning it.
For instance, cars, homes, etc.

• Different marketing strategies:

 QR (quick response) codes
 Mobile coupons
 Digital media marketing
 Online shopping/payments

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Technology Impact
• Impact on Health
 Helps develop and deliver vaccines.
 Prosthetic devices and 3D printed limbs.

• Impact on Environment
 Cell phones with built-in atmospheric sensors alert
scientists of new trends in environment.
 Smart water sprinklers to save water.

• Impact on Arts
 Creating digital paintings
 3D modelling tools
 Generating images
from prompts

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Technology Impact
• Impact on Science & Engineering
 Virtual experiments
 Scientific simulations
 Computationally intense modeling software

• Impact on Education
 Introduction of interactive and collaborative tools to engage
students
 Intelligent individualized learning plans
 Plagiarism checkers

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Becoming Computer Literate
 Understanding capabilities and limitations of computers.
 Knowing how to use computers wisely, safely and efficiently.
 Enables you to make informed purchasing decisions.
 Understand ethical, legal, and societal implications of technology.

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 The Journey to Modern Computers

• Generation 0:
 Mechanical Computers

• Every computer in use today follows

the basic plan laid out by Charles
Babbage – “Father of Computing”
who imagined the Analytical Engine

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 The Journey to Modern Computers
• First Generation Computers
(1939 – 1955)
 Used Vacuum Tubes

• Large mainframes developed during the war era

• Notable Computers
 Mechanical Calculator (Z1) by Konrad Zuse, Germany
 Atanasoff–Berry Computer (ABC) – 1st Electric
Digital Computer
 Colossus by Alan Turing, UK; used to crack the
Nazi military codes (Enigma)
 Mark 1 by Howard Aiken, USA used by US Navy

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 First Generation Computers
• Characteristics:
 Big & clumsy; filled whole buildings
 High electricity consumption
 High failure rate

Electronic
Numerical
Integrator and
Computer
(ENIAC)

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 The Journey to Modern Computers
• Second Generation Computers (1956 – 1963)
 Used Transistors – 1/10th the size of vacuum tubes

• Characteristics:
 Faster and smaller than first generation computers
 Computers produced less heat
 Used punch cards for Input/Output

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 The Journey to Modern Computers

• Third Generation Computers (1964 – 1970)

 Used Integrated Circuits – small chip with 1000s of transistors

• Characteristics:
 Increased reliability
 Smaller size
 Higher speed
 Higher efficiency - less electric power
 Lower cost

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 The Journey to Modern Computers
• Fourth Generation Computers (1971 – present)
 Used Microprocessors

• The creation of the microprocessor in 1971 (a single silicon chip

containing all the computer’s computational components) fueled
the development of PCs
• Moore’s Law formulated by Intel co-founder
Gordon Moore
 The number of transistors that can be packed into a silicon chip of the
same price would roughly DOUBLE every two years

• Today, microprocessors contain billions

of transistors

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Embedded Systems
• A microprocessor used as a component in special purpose
computers dedicated to perform specific tasks in:
 Traffic lights
 Heart rate monitors
 Alarms and security systems
 Most electric machines
(TVs, Cameras, Thermostats, Ovens, etc.)

• Embedded devices have their program etched on the

silicon chip known as firmware – many of which cannot
be altered.

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Servers
• Central computers that provides
services to other
PCs over the network.
• Features of Server Computers:
 Faster processing power
 Serves multiple clients/users
simultaneously - timesharing
 More memory & storage capacity
 Connected via high-speed network
connection

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Supercomputer
• A computer with a high level of computing performance which
may consist of a group of servers on one grid
• Provide critical services such as:
weather forecasting, climate change, oil & gas explorations,
nuclear fusion, complex computations, etc.

Features:
• Thousands of cores (microprocessor)
• Speeds measured in Peta flops per second

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 The Internet

The internet is a vast network of connected machines transmitting

a wide variety of content enabled by advanced web browsers that
support new formats.

WWW developed in the 1990s

4.5+ Billion users in 2020
Developed in the1960s

One Billion users in 2005

Used mainly for research till 1980s

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Living with Digital Technology
Institutional Computing - 1950
• Large Mainframes for Corporate & Government experts

Personal Computing - 1975

• Millions of PCs for schools and homes

Interpersonal Computing - 1995

• Networks connected PCs, Internet became public

Collaborative Computing - 2005

• Smartphones/tablets join the Internet, Web 2.0 sites
encourages collaboration and contribution
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 We cannot fully imagine what the very near
future might look like.

A flying ‘hypercar’ - UAE

High-speed internet in remote areas 23