Chapter 1
Introduction to Information Technology
Your Digital World Chapter Topics and Key Questions 1.1 Infotech Is Commonplace: Cellphones, Email, the Internet, and the
E-World How does information technology facilitate email, networks, and the use of
the internet and the web; what is the meaning of the term cyberspace? 1.2 The "All-Purpose Machine": The Varieties of Computers What are the five sizes of computers, and what are clients and servers? 1.3 Understanding Your Computer: How Can You Customize Your PC? What four basic operations do all computers follow, and what are some of
the devices associated with each operation and what are some of the devices
associated with each operation? How does communications affect these operations? 1.4 Where Is Information Technology Headed? What are three directions of computer development and three directions of
communications development? Chapter 2
The Internet and the World Wide Web
Exploring Cyberspace Chapter Topics and Key Questions 2.1 Choosing Your Internet Access Device and Physical Connection: The
Quest for Broadband What are the means of connecting to the internet, and how fast are they? 2.2 Choosing Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) What is an internet service provider, and what do ISPs provide? 2.3 Sending and Receiving Email What are the options for obtaining email software, what are the components
of an email address, and what are netiquette and spam? 2.4 The World Wide Web What are websites, web pages, browsers, URLs, and search engines? 2.5 The Online Gold Mine: More Internet Resources What are FTP, Telnet, newsgroups, real-time chat, blogs, distance learning,
and e-commerce? Chapter 3
Application Software
For Productivity and Creativity Chapter Topics and Key Questions 3.1 System Software What are three components of system software; what does the operating system
(OS) do; what is an OS interface; and what are some common desktop, network,
and portable OSS? 3.2 Application Software: Getting Started What are five ways of obtaining application software, tools available to
help you learn to use software, three common types of files, and the types of
software? 3.3 Word Processing What can you do with word processing software that you can't do with pencil
and paper? 3.4 Spreadsheets What can you do with an electronic spreadsheet that you can't do with pencil
and paper and a standard calculator? 3.5 Database Software What is database software, and what is personal information management software? 3.6 Specialty Software What are the principal uses of specialty software such as presentation graphics,
financial, desktop publishing, drawing and painting, project management, computer-aided
design, video/audio editing software, and web page design software? Chapter 4
Hardware: The CPU and Storage
How to Buy a Multimedia Computer System
Chapter Topics and Key Questions
4.1 Microchips, Miniaturization, and Mobility What are the differences between transistors, integrated circuits, chips,
and microprocessors? 4.2 The System Unit How is data represented in a computer; what are the components of the system
cabinet; what are processing speeds; how do the processor and memory work; and
what are some important ports, buses and cards? 4.3 Secondary Storage What are the features of floppy disks, hard disks, optical disks, magnetic
tape, smart cards, and online secondary storage?
Chapter 5
Hardware: Input and Output
Taking Charge of Computing and Communications
Chapter Topics and Key Questions 5.1 Input and Output How is input and output hardware used by a computer system? 5.2 Input Hardware What are the three categories of input hardware, what devices do they include,
and what are their features? 5.3 Output Hardware What are the two categories of output hardware, what devices do they include,
and what are their features? 5.4 Future Developments in Processing and Storage What are some forthcoming developments that could affect processing power
and storage capacity? Chapter 6
Networks and Communications
The "New Story" in Computing Chapter Topics and Key Questions 6.1 From the Analog to the Digital Age How do digital data and analog data differ, and what does a modem do? 6.2 The Practical Uses of Communications What are some uses of new telecommunications technology? 6.3 Communications Media and Transfer Rates What are types of wired and wireless communications media, and what affects
data transmission efficiency and speed? 6.4 Networks What are the benefits of networks, and what are their types, components,
and variations? 6.5 Cyberethics: Controversial Material and Censorship What are some concerns regarding censorship of internet information? Chapter 7
Files, Databases, and E-Commerce
Digital Engines for the New Economy Chapter Topics and Key Questions 7.1 Managing Files: Basic Concepts What are the data storage hierarchy, the key field, types of files, and some
methods of data access and storage? 7.2 Database Management Systems What are two types of database access? 7.3 Database Models What are four types of database models? 7.4 Databases and the New Economy: E-Commerce, Data Mining, and B2B
Systems How are e-commerce, data mining, and business-to-business systems using databases? 7.5 The Ethics of Using Databases: Concerns about Accuracy and Privacy What are some ethical concerns about the uses of databases? Chapter 8
Society and The Digital Age
Challenges and Promises Chapter Topics and Key Questions 8.1 The Digital Environment: Is There a Grand Design? What are the Internet 2, the 1996 Telecommunications Act, and ICANN? 8.2 Security Issues: Threats to Computers and Communications Systems
What are some characteristics of the key security issues for information
technology? 8.3 Security: Safeguarding Computers and Communications What are the characteristics of the four components of security? 8.4 Quality-of-Life Issues: The Environment, Mental Health, and the
Workplace How does information technology create environmental, mental-health, and
workplace problems? 8.5 Economic Issues: Employment and the Haves/Have-Nots How may technology affect the unemployment rate and the gap between rich
and poor? 8.6 Artificial Intelligence What are the Main areas of artificial intelligence? 8.7 The Promised Benefits of the Digital Age What are some benefits of the digital age?
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