Technology in Action
by Evans, Alan; Martin, Kendall; Poatsy, Mary AnnEdition: 3rd
Format: Paperback
Pub. Date: 2007-01-01
Publisher(s): Pearson College Div
Other versions by this Author
List Price: $94.67
Rent Textbook
Select for Price
New Textbook
We're Sorry
Sold Out
Used Textbook
We're Sorry
Sold Out
eTextbook
We're Sorry
Not Available
How Marketplace Works:
- This item is offered by an independent seller and not shipped from our warehouse
- Item details like edition and cover design may differ from our description; see seller's comments before ordering.
- Sellers much confirm and ship within two business days; otherwise, the order will be cancelled and refunded.
- Marketplace purchases cannot be returned to eCampus.com. Contact the seller directly for inquiries; if no response within two days, contact customer service.
- Additional shipping costs apply to Marketplace purchases. Review shipping costs at checkout.
Summary
"For introductory courses in computer concepts or computer literacy often including instruction in Microsoft Office." A Computer Concepts Text Focused on Today's Student! "Technology in Action "engages students by combining a unique teaching approach with rich companion media.
Table of Contents
| Why Computers Matter to You: Becoming Computer Fluent | p. 2 |
| Becoming a Savvy Computer User and Consumer | p. 4 |
| Being Prepared for Your Career | p. 5 |
| Computers in Business: Working in a Data Mine? | p. 6 |
| Computers in Retail: Let Me Look That Up for You | p. 6 |
| Computers in Shipping: UPS Data on the Go | p. 7 |
| Computers in the Arts: Shall We Dance? | p. 7 |
| Computers in the Medical Field: Fact or Science Fiction? | p. 9 |
| Computers in Law Enforcement: Put Down That Mouse-You're Under Arrest! | p. 10 |
| Computers in the Legal Fields: Welcome to the Virtual Courtroom | p. 12 |
| Computers in Education: And on the Left, You See the Mona Lisa | p. 12 |
| Computers and the Sciences: Programming the Perfect Storm | p. 14 |
| Computers in Sports: Bend Your Elbow Another Two Degrees? | p. 15 |
| Computer Gaming Careers: Now Bigger Than Hollywood! | p. 16 |
| Computers at Home: Just Program It and Forget It | p. 16 |
| Getting Ready for the Technology of Tomorrow | p. 17 |
| Nanoscience: The Next "Big" Thing | p. 17 |
| Biomedical Chip Implants: Combining Humans with Machines? | p. 18 |
| Artificial Intelligence: Will Computers Become Human? | p. 19 |
| Understanding the Challenges Facing a Digital Society | p. 20 |
| Trends in it: Ethics: Knowledge Is Power: Bridging the Digital Divide | p. 21 |
| Becoming Computer Fluent | p. 22 |
| Computers Are Data Processing Devices | p. 22 |
| Bits and Bytes: The Language of Computers | p. 22 |
| Computer Hardware | p. 24 |
| Computer Software | p. 25 |
| Computer Platforms: PCs and MACs | p. 26 |
| Specialty Computers | p. 26 |
| Dig Deeper: What Can You Do with a Digital Home? | p. 28 |
| Looking at Computers: Understanding the Parts | p. 40 |
| Your Computer's Hardware | p. 42 |
| Input Devices | p. 42 |
| Keyboards | p. 42 |
| Mice and Other Pointing Devices | p. 45 |
| Inputting Sound | p. 47 |
| Output Devices | p. 48 |
| Monitors | p. 48 |
| Printers | p. 50 |
| Dig Deeper: How Ink-Jet and Laser Printers Work | p. 53 |
| Outputting Sound | p. 54 |
| The System Unit | p. 54 |
| On the Front Panel | p. 55 |
| On the Back | p. 58 |
| Inside the System Unit | p. 60 |
| Setting It All Up: Ergonomics | p. 62 |
| Trends in it: Emerging Technologies: Tomorrow's Displays | p. 64 |
| Technology in Focus: The History of the PC | p. 76 |
| Using the Internet: Making the Most of the Web's Resources | p. 88 |
| Internet Basics | p. 90 |
| The Origin of the Internet | p. 90 |
| The Web Versus the Internet | p. 90 |
| The Internet's Clients and Servers | p. 91 |
| Connecting to the Internet | p. 92 |
| Dial-Up Connections | p. 92 |
| Broadband Connections | p. 93 |
| Choosing the Right Internet Connection Option | p. 96 |
| Finding an Internet Service Provider | p. 96 |
| Choosing an ISP | p. 97 |
| Navigating the Web: Web Browsers | p. 97 |
| Getting Around the Web: URLs, Hyperlinks, and Other Tools | p. 98 |
| URLs | p. 99 |
| Hyperlinks and Beyond | p. 100 |
| Favorites and Bookmarks | p. 100 |
| Tabbed Browsing | p. 101 |
| Searching the Web: Search Engines and Subject Directories | p. 102 |
| Search Engines | p. 102 |
| Dig Deeper: Refining Your Web Searches: Boolean Operators | p. 104 |
| Subject Directories | p. 106 |
| Evaluating Web Sites | p. 106 |
| Communicating Through the Internet: E-Mail and Other Technologies | p. 107 |
| p. 107 | |
| Weblogs (Blogs) | p. 108 |
| Chat Rooms | p. 109 |
| Instant Messaging | p. 110 |
| Newsgroups | p. 110 |
| Listservs | p. 111 |
| Managing Online Annoyances | p. 111 |
| Pop-Ups | p. 112 |
| Cookies | p. 113 |
| Spyware | p. 113 |
| Phishing and Internet Hoaxes | p. 114 |
| Trends in it: Ethics: What Can You Borrow from the Internet? | p. 115 |
| Conducting Business Over the Internet: E-Commerce | p. 116 |
| E-Commerce Safeguards | p. 116 |
| Web Entertainment: Multimedia and Beyond | p. 117 |
| The Future of the Internet | p. 119 |
| Application Software: Programs That Let You Work and Play | p. 130 |
| The Nuts and Bolts of Software | p. 132 |
| Productivity Software | p. 132 |
| Word Processing Software | p. 132 |
| Spreadsheet Software | p. 134 |
| Presentation Software | p. 136 |
| Database Software | p. 137 |
| Personal Information Manager (PIM) Software | p. 137 |
| Productivity Software Tools | p. 138 |
| Integrated Software Applications vs. Software Suites | p. 138 |
| Dig Deeper: Speech-Recognition Software | p. 140 |
| Financial and Business-Related Software | p. 143 |
| Personal Financial Software | p. 143 |
| General Business Software | p. 145 |
| Specialized Business Software | p. 146 |
| Graphics and Multimedia Software | p. 146 |
| Desktop Publishing Software | p. 146 |
| Image-Editing Software | p. 147 |
| Drawing Software | p. 148 |
| Computer-Aided Design Software | p. 149 |
| Video-Editing Software | p. 149 |
| Web Page Authoring Software | p. 150 |
| Educational and Reference Software | p. 151 |
| Educational Software | p. 151 |
| Reference Software | p. 152 |
| Entertainment Software | p. 152 |
| Digital Audio Software | p. 154 |
| Communications Software | p. 154 |
| Trends in it: Emerging Technologies: Is It Real or Is It Virtual? | p. 155 |
| Getting Help with Software | p. 156 |
| Buying Software | p. 157 |
| Standard Software | p. 157 |
| Discounted Software | p. 158 |
| Freeware and Shareware | p. 158 |
| Software Versions and Systems Requirements | p. 160 |
| Installing/Uninstalling and Opening Software | p. 160 |
| Trends in it: Ethics: Can I Borrow Software That I Don't Own? | p. 163 |
| Technology in Focus Digital Entertainment | p. 174 |
| Using System Software: The Operating System, Utility Programs, and File Management | p. 190 |
| System Software Basics | p. 192 |
| Operating System Categories | p. 192 |
| Real-Time Operating Systems | p. 193 |
| Single-User Operating Systems | p. 193 |
| Multiuser Operating Systems | p. 194 |
| Desktop Operating Systems | p. 194 |
| Microsoft Windows | p. 195 |
| Mac OS | p. 196 |
| UNIX | p. 196 |
| Linux | p. 196 |
| Trends in it: Emerging Technologies: Open-Source Software-Why Isn't Everyone Using Linux? | p. 197 |
| What the Operating System Does | p. 198 |
| The User Interface | p. 199 |
| Processor Management | p. 200 |
| Memory and Storage Management | p. 201 |
| Hardware and Peripheral Device Management | p. 201 |
| Software Application Coordination | p. 202 |
| The Boot Process: Starting Your Computer | p. 203 |
| Activating BIOS | p. 204 |
| Performing the Power-On Self-Test | p. 204 |
| Loading the Operating System | p. 204 |
| Checking Further Configurations and Customizations | p. 205 |
| Handling Errors in the Boot Process | p. 205 |
| The Desktop and Windows Features | p. 207 |
| Organizing Your Computer: File Management | p. 209 |
| Organizing Your Files | p. 209 |
| Viewing and Sorting Files and Folders | p. 211 |
| Naming Files | p. 212 |
| Working with Files | p. 214 |
| Utility Programs | p. 214 |
| Display Utilities | p. 216 |
| The Add or Remove Programs Utility | p. 216 |
| File Compression Utilities | p. 217 |
| System Maintenance Utilities | p. 218 |
| System Restore and Backup Utilities | p. 219 |
| Dig Deeper: How Disk Defragmenter Utilities Work | p. 220 |
| The Task Scheduler Utility | p. 222 |
| Accessibility Utilities | p. 222 |
| Understanding and Assessing Hardware: Evaluating Your System | p. 234 |
| To Buy or to Upgrade: That Is the Question | p. 236 |
| What Is Your Ideal Computer? | p. 237 |
| Assessing Your Hardware: Evaluating Your System | p. 238 |
| Evaluating the CPU Subsystem | p. 239 |
| Upgrading Your CPU | p. 240 |
| Evaluating RAM: The Memory Subsystem | p. 242 |
| Virtual Memory | p. 243 |
| Adding RAM | p. 244 |
| Evaluating the Storage Subsystem | p. 245 |
| The Hard Disk Drive | p. 245 |
| Dig Deeper: How a Hard Disk Drive Works | p. 246 |
| Portable Storage Options: The Floppy and Beyond | p. 248 |
| Upgrading Your Storage Subsystem | p. 252 |
| Evaluating the Video Subsystem | p. 252 |
| Video Cards | p. 252 |
| Trends in it: Ethics: CD and DVD Technology: A Free Lunch-or at Least a Free Copy | p. 253 |
| Monitors | p. 254 |
| Evaluating the Audio Subsystem | p. 256 |
| Speakers | p. 256 |
| Sound Cards | p. 256 |
| Evaluating Port Connectivity | p. 258 |
| Adding Ports: Expansion Cards and Hubs | p. 260 |
| Evaluating System Reliability | p. 262 |
| Trends in it: Computers in Society: How to Donate Your Old Computer Safely | p. 263 |
| Making the Final Decision | p. 264 |
| Technology in Focus: Computing Alternatives | p. 276 |
| Networking and Security: Connecting Computers and Keeping Them Safe from Hackers and Viruses | p. 290 |
| Networking Fundamentals | p. 292 |
| Network Architectures | p. 293 |
| Describing Networks Based on Network Control | p. 293 |
| Describing Networks Based on Distance | p. 294 |
| Network Components | p. 294 |
| Transmission Media | p. 294 |
| Network Adapters | p. 295 |
| Network Navigation Devices | p. 295 |
| Networking Software | p. 295 |
| Types of Peer-to-Peer Networks | p. 296 |
| Wired Ethernet Networks | p. 296 |
| Wireless Ethernet Networks | p. 300 |
| Power-Line Networks | p. 302 |
| Phoneline Networks | p. 303 |
| Choosing a Peer-to-Peer Network | p. 304 |
| Configuring Software for Your Home Network | p. 305 |
| Trends in it: Emerging Technologies: Grid Computing: Fighting Bioterrorism with Your Computer | p. 308 |
| Keeping Your Home Computer Safe | p. 308 |
| Computer Threats: Hackers | p. 309 |
| What Hackers Steal | p. 310 |
| Trojan Horses | p. 310 |
| Trends in it: Computers In Society: Identity Theft: Is There More Than One You Out There? | p. 311 |
| Denial of Service Attacks | p. 311 |
| How Hackers Gain Access | p. 312 |
| Computer Safeguards: Firewalls | p. 314 |
| Dig Deeper: How Firewalls Work | p. 314 |
| Types of Firewalls | p. 316 |
| Is Your Computer Secure? | p. 316 |
| Securing Wireless Networks | p. 317 |
| Computer Threats: Computer Viruses | p. 318 |
| Types of Viruses | p. 320 |
| Virus Classifications | p. 321 |
| Computer Safeguards: Antivirus Software | p. 321 |
| Other Security Measures | p. 322 |
| Trends in it: Careers: Cybercops on the Beat: Computer Security Careers | p. 323 |
| Mobile Computing: Keeping Your Data on Hand | p. 334 |
| Mobile Computing: Is it Right for You? | p. 336 |
| Mobile Device Limitations | p. 336 |
| Mobile Computing Devices | p. 338 |
| Paging Devices | p. 338 |
| Cellular Phones | p. 339 |
| Cell Phone Hardware | p. 339 |
| How Cell Phones Work | p. 341 |
| Cell Phone Features: Text Messaging | p. 341 |
| Cell Phone Internet Connectivity | p. 342 |
| MP3 Players | p. 343 |
| MP3 Hardware | p. 345 |
| MP3 Flash Memory and File Transfer | p. 345 |
| MP3 Ethical Issues: Napster and Beyond | p. 346 |
| Trends in it: Emerging Technologies: Why Carry Your Data When You Can Wear It? | p. 347 |
| Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) | p. 348 |
| PDA Hardware | p. 348 |
| PDA Operating Systems | p. 349 |
| PDA Memory and Storage | p. 350 |
| PDA File Transfer and Synchronization | p. 351 |
| PDA Internet Connectivity | p. 352 |
| PDA Software and Accessories | p. 353 |
| PDA or Cell Phone? | p. 353 |
| Dig Deeper: The Power of GPS | p. 354 |
| Tablet PCs | p. 354 |
| Tablet PC Hardware | p. 356 |
| Tablet Software | p. 357 |
| Tablet or PDA? | p. 357 |
| Trends in it: Ubiquitous Networking: Wherever You Go, There You Are | p. 358 |
| Laptops | p. 359 |
| Laptop Hardware | p. 359 |
| Laptop Operating Systems and Ports | p. 359 |
| Laptop Batteries and Accessories | p. 360 |
| Laptop or Desktop? | p. 361 |
| Trends in it: Emerging Technologies: Nanotubes: The Next Big Thing Is Pretty Darn Small! | p. 362 |
| Technology in Focus Protecting Your Computer and Backing Up Your Data | p. 374 |
| Behind the Scenes: A Closer Look at System Hardware | p. 386 |
| Digital Data: Switches and Bits | p. 388 |
| Electronic Switches | p. 388 |
| The Binary Number System | p. 389 |
| Dig Deeper: Advanced Binary and Hexadecimal Notations | p. 391 |
| The CPU: Processing Digital Information | p. 393 |
| The CPU Machine Cycle | p. 395 |
| The Fetch Stage | p. 396 |
| The Decode Stage | p. 397 |
| The Execute Stage | p. 398 |
| The Store Stage | p. 398 |
| Trends in it: Emerging Technologies: Printable Processors: The Ultimate in Flexibility | p. 399 |
| RAM: The Next Level of Temporary Storage | p. 399 |
| Types of RAM | p. 400 |
| Buses: The CPU's Data Highway | p. 401 |
| Making Computers Even Faster: Advanced CPU Designs | p. 403 |
| Pipelining | p. 404 |
| Specialized Multimedia Instructions | p. 405 |
| Multiple Processing Efforts | p. 406 |
| Trends in it: Emerging Technologies: Computer Technology Changing the Face of Medicine | p. 407 |
| Glossary | p. 419 |
| Index | p. 439 |
| Credits | p. 455 |
| Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved. |
An electronic version of this book is available through VitalSource.
This book is viewable on PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and most smartphones.
By purchasing, you will be able to view this book online, as well as download it, for the chosen number of days.
Digital License
You are licensing a digital product for a set duration. Durations are set forth in the product description, with "Lifetime" typically meaning five (5) years of online access and permanent download to a supported device. All licenses are non-transferable.
More details can be found here.
A downloadable version of this book is available through the eCampus Reader or compatible Adobe readers.
Applications are available on iOS, Android, PC, Mac, and Windows Mobile platforms.
Please view the compatibility matrix prior to purchase.