Introduction to the Course

An Overview

• Fundamental • Remedial (recognizing that CS is missing in the

current K-12 and near future)• Accessible (no prereq)• Relevant• Concept based

Important Dates

• Go over important dates.

• No background required!!!

Grading

• Grading

• Show the syllabus

Homework

• Go over first homework assignment (posted on Angel).

Today’s Lecture

• Introduction and Class Overview

• What is a computer?• Hardware• Software• Data representation• Internet• HTML

Concept based

Remedial

Accessible

relevant

Fundamental

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• In high school, you learn knowledge

• In college, you learn how to learn

• Especially true for computer science• Especially true since 20 years ago, and more

and more important for the future!

• When you mention the word "technology," most people think about computers.

• Virtually every facet of our lives has some computerized component. – Cell phones, Ipods, etc. The appliances in our

homes have microprocessors built into them, as do our televisions. Even our cars have computers.

• But the computer that everyone thinks of first is typically the personal computer, or PC.

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What is a computer?

• A computer is a kind of device that is equipped with software to process information, to mimic human being intelligence, to make people live longer and better.

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hardware components point of view

Computer Human being

CPU ( central processing unit) The most important component!! Brain

Internal (Primary) memory, chips memory

External (secondary) memory (storage) Harddisk, floppy disk, flash drive, CD DVD

External memory ( paper)

Input devices ( keyboard, mouse, digital camera, microphone, scanner)

Eyes, ears

Output devices (monitor, speaker, printers …) mouth

Communication component, modem, network card, ADSL, etc. Communication function

Mother board (a common ground all other hardware components will be plugged in)

Skelton (to which everything is plugged in)

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Let us compare a computer to a human being.

Motherboard

Hardware

CPUCPUSecondarySecondary

storagestorageMainMain

memorymemoryOutput Output devicesdevices

Data bus

Conceptually, a computer consists of the following hardware components. Instructions need to be issued to manipulate these hardware components. The instructions are written in special binary languages.

Input Input devicesdevices

Communication Communication devicesdevices

software

• A computer with no software is a people no intelligence.

• Need software to run hardware!

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software

• Operating system software– The software directly controls the hardware of a

computer, common to all upper level application software.

• Application software– The software on the top of the operating system

software.– Each application software is designed with a

specific application in mind.

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Examples of application software

Application Software (Tool) Files (materials)

Hammer nails

Word processing Microsoft Word documents

Spreadsheet Excel spreadsheet

Database applicationBank, Student information system, super market, doctor’s office

ACCESS Database, Data

Presentation PowerPoint

Website FrontPage

Image processing Photoshop

Email Outlook,

Surfing the Internet Web Browser, Internet Explore, Firefox, Netscape

…

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Binary language

CPU Human being brain

Machine languageBinary code

Natural language, English

binary Decimal system

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Binary Decimal

base 2 10

Symbol set 0,1 {0, 1, … 9}

? 24

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html

• Hyper text markup language

• Markups are also called tags– A tag is enclosed in a pair of <>– <h1> </h1>

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Check The Readability Of Your Word 2007 Document

• Word includes a function that allows you to obtain information readability statistics about your document. When the readability statistics feature is enabled, Word will analyze your document using the Flesch-Kincaid model and identify the grade level (0-12) and the reading ease (0-100%) of your document.

• To turn on the readability function:• Open Word. • Click the Microsoft Office Button and click Word Options. • Click Proofing. • Place a check beside the Show readability statistics option. • Click OK. • Now you can click the Spelling and Grammar button on the Standard toolbar, the results will include

information about the reading level of your document.

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Something cool- Shortcut keys

• Control+mouse scroll can zoom in and zoom out your word document

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GUI

• Graphical User Interface– Windows, buttons, menus, – Activated by mouse or shortcut keys

• As opposed to the black DOS window, which you usually do not use!!!

HTTP

• Hypertext Transfer Protocol• Inventor of http:// regreted

HTML

• HyperText Markup Language

• Computing programs are designed to offer students opportunities to prepare for careers in a exciting yet rapidly changing profession.

Career paths

• Industry,• Business• Government• Graduate study