BUS1MIS Management Information Systems

Semester 1, 2012

Week 4 Lecture 1

Administration

Online Quiz – Tutorial 2 (theory), Week 4

• 25 multiple choice and true/false questions• Conducted during tutorial time or at home• Becomes available on Thursday 22th March at 9am• Remains available for a week• BUT – you only get one chance• 50 minute time limit• Tests Chapter 1, Section 1.1 p. 3 – 13 and Section 1.2• Textbook can be used

Essentials of IS: Hardware and Software

Why should a business manager take any interest in hardware and software?

Ref: Appendix B, on-line website for the text

At some stage an investment in hardware and software will be required. The investment may be a significant one.There are better and worse times to make the investment.The investment needs to be protected.

Why not just call in an IT consultant?

Why not indeed. However, a business manager with no knowledge of hardware and software requirements, and current trends and prices, cannot effectively oversee the consulting process.

Essentials of IS: Hardware and Software

Learning Objectives

• Describe the six major categories of hardware and provide an example of each.

• Identify the different computer categories and explain their potential business uses.

• Explain the difference between primary and secondary storage.• List the common input, output, storage and communication devices• Describe the eight categories of computers by size• Define the relationship between operating system software and utility

software

Essentials of IS: Hardware and Software

Information technology

Hardware Software

physical devices associated with a computer system

set of instructions executed by the hardware to achieve a task

A computer is `an electronic device operating under the control of instructions stored in its own memory that can accept, manipulate, and store data’.

Hardware

6 categories

• Central Processing Unit (CPU)

• Primary storage

• Secondary storage

• Input devices

• Output devices

• Communication devices

Central processing unit (CPU) RAM

ROM

Memory = read only memory (ROM) + random access memory (RAM)

CPU = control unit + arithmetic logic unit

ROM is permanent and cannot be changed (can only be read from)

RAM can change ( read from and written to) and is volatile (the contents are lost when the power is turned off)

Memory size is measured in bytes

Processing (clock) speed is measured in cycles per sec (Hertz)

The number of bits that can be processed by the CPU is the word length of the machine (e.g. 32-bit (4 Byte) machines, 64-bit machines (8 Byte) etc

The trend is towards faster processing, by physically smaller CPUs with larger word lengths and larger random access memory

1 kilobyte (KB) ~ 1,000 bytes1 megabyte (MB) ~ 1,000 KB1 gigabyte (GB) ~ 1,000 MB1 terabyte(TB) ~ 1,000 GB) <etc>

CPU and Primary Memory

The trend is towards as much memory as you can afford

CPU and Primary Memory

Check out the CPU and Primary Memory at:

http://dicksmith.com.au/product/XC7831/hp-pavilion-dv6-6027tx-notebook

RAM

ROM

Hard drive Secondary storage

Permanent, typical size 180 GB, 500 GB, 1TB for magnetic disc [hard drive]

Different mediamagneticoptical

CD-ROM, CD-RW,DVD etc

Memory stick~800MB to ~17GB

Up to ~64GB

Primary storage

RAM

ROM

Hard drive Secondary storage

Input devices

manual automated

keyboard

mouse

scanner

<etc>

Primary storage

RAM

ROM

Hard drive Secondary storage

Input devices

Primary storage

output devices

Flat screen technology is replacing the older CRT technology

Laser and inkjet printers

issues: running costs and speed

RAM

ROM

Hard drive Secondary storage

Input devices

Primary storage

output devices

communication devicesallows communication between this computer and others carrier technology can vary (table B.9)

e.g. modem

Issue: rate of data transfer (bandwidth)

Computer Software

System Software Application Software

Operating system + utility software

Controls the application software, controls the connected hardware

Extra functionality e.g. anti-virus software, anti-spam software etc

The software that you use to do things (applications)

•Word processing•Web browsing•Image processing•Spreadsheet modelling•Database •<etc>•<etc>

e.g. Windows, Mac OS X, Linux e.g. Norton’s Utilities

Open sourced vs. proprietary software

Computer Software

EXCEL

Operating system

MS-WORD

printer

keyboardmousemonitor

Random Access Memory

Multitasking : more than one application running at the same time

Computer types [categories]

•PDA [personal digital assistant]

•Laptop

•Tablet

•Desktop

•Minicomputer

•Mainframe

•Supercomputer

See fig B.11

increasing physical size

increasing cost [although laptops tend to be a little more expensive that a corresponding desktop]

increasing processing power

In general …

Most relevant to small business …

…and larger organisations

What happens when you turn your computer on?

CPU

ROM

1. Some basic instructions, stored in ROM, are executed, e.g. check memory, identify and check the attached devices,

2. Load the operating system into RAM

RAM

3. Run the operating system (OS)

output device

input device

secondary storage device

4. … then the OS awaits developments!

OS files here

What happens when you turn your computer off?

CPU

ROM

RAM

output device

input device

secondary storage device

All the contents of RAM are lost!

… only the contents of ROM remain

Hardware and Software: Issues

When acquiring a computer system you should consider

… your requirements

… compatibility with your existing systems

… your budget

When dealing with an IT consultant you need to have some understanding of technical issues such as

… operating and application software

… processing speed and memory size

…storage media and storage capacity

… automated and manual input

… softcopy and hardcopy output

The three exercises described at the end of Appendix B, Hardware & Software Basics, illustrate some of these issues

… off the shelf vs a customised solution

Hardware and Software: Humour

Blackberry – PDAOrange – phone company in the UK

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAG39jKi0lI