TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1 The World of Computers

1-1 The Information Society

Rx for Cyberphobia:
Computer Competency
The Computer Revolution
Looking Back a Few Years
Data: Foundation for the Information Society
This Course: Your Ticket to the Computer Adventure

1-2 Networking: Bringing People Together

The Global Village
The Internet and Information Services: Going Online

1-3 Computers: The Essentials

Conversational Computerese: Basic Terms and Definitions
Computer Systems: Commuters to Wide-Bodies

1-4 Personal Computers to Supercomputers: Capabilities and Uses

Microcomputers: Getting Personal
Workstations: The Hot Rods of Computing
Mainframe Computers: Corporate Workhorses
Supercomputers: Processing Giants

1-5 A Computer System at Work

Processing Payroll: Payday
What Can a Computer Do?
The Computer's Strength

1-6 How Do We Use Computers?

Information Systems
Personal Computing
Communication
Science, Research, and Engineering
Education and Reference
Entertainment and Edutainment

Focus on IT: The History of Computing: An Overview

CHAPTER 2 Inside the Computer

2-1 Data Storage: A Bit About the Bit

Going Digital
Binary Digits: On-Bits and Off-Bits
Data in a Computer

2-2 Encoding Systems: Bits and Bytes

ASCII and ANSI
Unicode: 65,536 Possibilities

2-3 Analyzing a Computer System, Bit by Bit

RAM: Random-Access Storage
The Processor: Nerve Center
Buses: The Processor's Mass Transit System
Making the Processor Work
Processor Design: There Is a Choice

2-4 Describing the Processor: Distinguishing Characteristics

Word Size: 16-, 32-, and 64-Lane Bitways
Processor Speed: Warp Speed
RAM Capacity: Megachips
Differences in Processor Personality

2-5 Inside the PC

The Microprocessor: Computer on a Chip
The System Board: The Mother of All Boards
Connecting Peripheral Devices: Putting It Together
PC Growth: Adding Capabilities
Why It's Important to Know What's Inside Your PC

Focus on IT: The Computer on a Chip

CHAPTER 3 Software: Telling Computers What to Do

3-1 Software in Perspective

3-2 System Software: Maintaining Control

The House of Software
System Software in Perspective: Behind the Scenes

3-3 The Operating System: Directing the Action

Operating System Objectives and Orientation
Living on a Budget: Allocating Computer Resources
The Graphical User Interface: Goodie "Gooie"

3-4 Programming Languages: Computertalk

Computer Programs: The Power of Logic
Types of Programming Languages
Programming and You

3-5 Platforms: Homes for Software

PC Platforms
Platform Problems: Interoperability and Cross-Platform Technologies

3-6 Interacting with the PC and Its Software

Computer Operation: Getting Started
Entering Commands and Data: Computers Can Be Very Picky
Input and Control: Keyboards and Point-and-Draw Devices
Menus and Button Bars

CHAPTER 4 Storing and Retrieving Information: Disks and Tape Backup Units

4-1 Secondary Storage and Files: Data Keepers

Storage Technologies: Disk and Tape
The Many Faces of Files

4-2 Sequential and Random Access: New Terms for Old Concepts

4-3 Magnetic Disks: Round and Round

Hardware and Storage Media
Magnetic Disks: The Microcomputer Environment
Magnetic Disks: The Mainframe Environment
Computer Viruses: The Plague of Magnetic Disks

4-4 Magnetic Tape: Ribbons of Data

Magnetic Tape and PCs
Principles of Operation

4-5 Backup: Better Safe than Sorry

Backup to Magnetic Tape
Backup to Interchangeable Disks

4-6 Optical Laser Disks: High-Density Storage

CD-ROM and DVD: Moby Dick, Mozart, and the Daily Oklahoman
WORM Disks
Rewritable Optical Disks
Let's Compare: Space and $

4-7 Storage Forecast: Is There a Disk in Your Future?

CHAPTER 5 Input/Output: Computers in Action

5-1 I/O Devices: Let's Interface

5-2 Traditional Input Devices: Key, Point, and Draw

The Keyboard
Point-and-Draw Devices

5-3 Source-Data Automation: Getting Closer to the Action

Scanners: Making Hard Copy Soft
Magnetic Stripes and Smart Cards: Just Say Charge It
Speech Recognition: Getting on Speaking Terms with Computers
Vision-Input Systems: Computer Eyes
Digital Cameras: Look, No Film
Hand-held Data Entry Devices

5-4 Output Devices: Computers Communicate with Us

Monitors and Graphics Adapters
Printers: Lots of Choices
Plotters: Precision Instruments
Presentation Graphics: Be Persuasive
Voice-Response Systems: Say It with Bits

5-5 Terminals: Input and Output

Terminals: From Telephones to ATMs
Special-Function Terminals: ATMs and POSs

CHAPTER 6 Networks and Networking: Linking the World

6-1 Our Weird, Wild, Wired World

Digital Convergence: Coming Together as Bits and Bytes
Connectivity: Getting to the Information
The Beginning of an Era: Cooperative Processing

6-2 Data Communications Hardware: Making It Happen

The Modem: Digital to Analog to Digital
Special-Function Processors: Help along the Line
Routers: Bridging the Gap

6-3 The Data Communications Channel: Data Highways

Transmission Media: Wires and Wireless
Common Carriers: Anything but Common
Data Transmission in Practice

6-4 Networks: Connecting Nodes

Network Topologies: Star, Ring, and Bus
Computer Systems Working Together: Client/Server Computing
Network Line Control: Rules for Data Transmission

6-5 Local Area Networks: Local Nets

WANs, LANs, and TANs
LAN Hardware
LAN Software

CHAPTER 7 Going Online: The Net, Information Services, and More

7-1 The Online World

7-2 Information Services: America Online, CompuServe, And Many More

7-3 The Internet: A Worldwide Web of Computers and Information

What Is the Internet?
From ARPANET to the Internet: Some Historical Perspective
Who Governs the Internet?
Making the Internet Connection
Retrieving and Viewing Information
Uniform Resource Locator: The Internet Address
Internet Resources and Applications
The Intranet: A Closed Internet
Internet Issues
Cruising the Net

APPENDIX: The Windows Environment

A-1 Concepts and Terminology

What Is Windows?
Understanding Windows 98: Help
Non-Windows versus Windows Applications
Differences between Windows 95 and Windows 98
The Desktop

A-2 Sharing Information Among Applications

The Clipboard: The Information Way Station
Object Linking and Embedding: OLE
Object Imbedding: Implant Operation
A Thousand Look-Alikes

A-3 Migrating to Windows 95

CHAPTER 8 Communicating: Word Processing, Desktop Publishing, Electronic Publishing, and Presenting

8-1 Personal Computing with Popular Productivity Packages

8-2 Word Processing: The Most Popular PC Application

Concepts and Features
Integrating Tables and Graphs
Writing Tools: Dotting the i's and Crossing the t's
Putting Word Processing to Work

8-3 Desktop Publishing: Freedom of the Press

Desktop Publishing and Word Processing: What's the Difference?
Concepts and Features

8-4 Publishing Without Paper

The Advantages of Electronic Publishing
Creating Electronic Documents
Distribution of Electronic Documents
Converting Print Documents to Electronic Documents

8-5 Presentation Software

Output Options
Preparing a Graph
Presenting a Graph
Making a Presentation

CHAPTER 9 Organizing and Gathering Information: Spreadsheet, Database, and Browsers

9-1 Data Management in Practice: Bits to Databases

9-2 Spreadsheet: The Magic Matrix

Concepts and Features
Putting Spreadsheet Software to Work

9-3 Database: A Dynamic Data Tool

Database Software and Spreadsheet Software: What's the Difference?
Concepts and Features

9-4 BROWSERS: THE INFORMATION TOOL

Concepts and features
Summary

CHAPTER 10 Graphics and Multimedia: Tickling our Senses

10-1 Adding Pizzazz

10-2 Graphics: Creating and Working with Images

Displaying and Printing Graphic Images
Paint Software
Draw Software
Photo Illustration Software
Drag-and-Drop Software
Animation
Screen Capture and Graphics Conversion
Applications of Computer Graphics

10-3 Multimedia: Teaching the Computer to Sing and Dance

Multimedia Hardware and Software: Making It Happen
Multimedia Resources
Creating a Multimedia Application: Putting the Resources Together
Multimedia: The Possibilities

10-4 Software Suites: All in One Package

Focus on IT: The Smart Shopper: A Personal Computing Buyer's Guide

CHAPTER 11 Information Systems: The MIS, DSS, and EIS

11-1 An End to Business as Usual

11-2 Information and Decision Making

11-3 All About Information Systems

The Information System: What Is It?
The Information System: What Can It Do?
The Manual System: Opportunities for Automation
Function-Based and Integrated Information Systems
Getting Data into the System: Data Entry Concepts

11-4 Data Processing Systems

11-5 Management Information Systems

The Management Information System: What Is It?
The MIS versus the Data Processing System
Characteristics of Management Information Systems
The MIS in Action

11-6 Decision Support Systems

The Decision Support System: What Is It?
The DSS versus the MIS
Characteristics of Decision Support Systems
The DSS Tool Box
Executive Information Systems: The Executive's DSS

11-7 Expert Systems

The Expert System: What Is It?
An Expert System Example: Technical Support
Are Expert Systems in Your Future?

11-8 Software Agents: Working for Us

Focus on IT: Robots and Robotics

CHAPTER 12 Developing Business Information Systems

12-1 THE SYSTEM LIFE CYCLE

Stages of the Life Cycle
Applications Software: Whether to Make It or Buy It

12-2 Application Development Concepts

Structured system design
Data flow diagrams
Entity Relationship Diagrams
Flowcharting

12-3 COMPUTER-AIDED SOFTWARE ENGINEERING: THE CASE TOOL KIT

Design Tools
Information Repository Tools
Program Development Tools

12-4 PROTOTYPING: CREATING A MODEL OF THE TARGET SYSTEM

The Emergence of Prototyping
The Prototype System
Approaches to Developing Prototype Systems
The Prototyping Process

12-5 System Conversion and Implementation: Making the Transition

System and Acceptance Testing
Approaches to System Conversion
The System Becomes Operational

CHAPTER 13 Computers in Society: Today

13-1 THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PARADOX

Are We Ready for Information Technology?
Do We Really Want Information Technology?
Reaching the Point of No Return

13-2 Working in the Information Society

Opportunities for Computer Specialists
Career Opportunities for the Computer Competent Minority
Our Jobs Are Changing

13-3 The Work Place: Ergonomics and Green Computing

Ergonomics and Work-Place Design
Reasons for Concern
Work-Place Design: An Evaluation
Green Computing

13-4 The Question of Ethics

Standards of Conduct: A Code of Ethics
The Misuse of Personal Information
Computer Monitoring
Computer Crime

13-5 Computer and System Security

Computer-Center Security
Information Systems Security
PC Security
Level of Risk

Focus on IT: PC Applications Galore

CHAPTER 14 Computers in Society: Tomorrow

14-1 The Virtual Frontier

14-2 The Wake Up Call

14-3 DOWN THE ROAD: THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY

Travelers along the Information Superhighway
The Information Superhighway: Getting There

14-4 Your Challenge

Chapter 1
Emerging Technology Going Grocery Shopping: Let Your Fingers Do the Walking
Issues in Computing Monitoring of E-mail

Chapter 2
Emerging Technology Computers: The Enabling Technology for the Disabled
Issues in Computing Should PC Ownership Be an Entrance Requirement for Colleges?

Chapter 3
Emerging Technology Tailoring PCs to the Needs of Mobile Workers
Issues in Computing Modern-Day Bounty Hunters

Chapter 4
Emerging Technology CD-ROM Publishing: A New Approach to Publishing
Issues in Computing Accessibility to E-mail Archives

Chapter 5
Emerging Technology The I-Book Reader: Textbook of the Future
Issues in Computing ATM Fees

Chapter 6
Emerging Technology Working@Home
Issues in Computing Predicting Election Returns

Chapter 7
Emerging Technology Cybertalk: A New Way to Communicate
Issues in Computing Prescreening of Online Communications

Chapter 9
Issues in Computing Better Sales through Better Information

Chapter 10
Emerging Technology Myst is More than a Game-It's an Experience
Issues in Computing Collecting and Distributing Personal Information

Chapter 11
Emerging Technology Y2K: The Year 2000 Problem

Chapter 12
Emerging Technology Twenty-First Century CASE
Issues in Computing Addiction to the Internet

Chapter 13
Issues in Computing Telecommuting Policies

Chapter 14
Emerging Technology The Promise of Virtual Reality