Technology in Action, Introductory
by Evans, Alan; Poatsy, Mary Anne; Martin, KendallEdition: 4th
Format: Paperback
Pub. Date: 2009-01-01
Publisher(s): Prentice Hall
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Summary
Today's students often have a greater comfort level with our digital environment, and they want to learn about the exciting things technology can do for them rather than learn about the history of computers. Technology in Action takes a unique approach and teaches technology the way students would actually experience it in real life. The topic sequence covers concepts using a spiraling approach between chapters in order to mirror the typical student learning experience. The question and answer presentation of the material throughout the text is designed to keep students' attention with a constant dialogue. And, the unique companion media engage students that enjoy solving problems with the computer.
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. 5 |
| Computers in Retail: Let Me Look That Up for You | p. 6 |
| Computers in Shipping: UPS Data on the Go | p. 7 |
| Computers in Ranching and Farming: High Tech Down on the Farm | p. 8 |
| Computers in the Arts: Shall We Dance? | p. 8 |
| Computers in the Medical Field: Fact or Science Fiction? | p. 9 |
| Computers in Law Enforcement: Put Down That Mouse-You're Under Arrest! | p. 12 |
| Computers in the Legal Fields: Welcome to the Virtual Courtroom | p. 13 |
| Computers in Education: And on the Left, You See the Mona Lisa | p. 13 |
| Computers and the Sciences: Programming the Perfect Storm | p. 15 |
| Computers in Sports: Bend Your Elbow Another Two Degrees? | p. 16 |
| Computer Gaming Careers: Now Bigger Than Hollywood! | p. 17 |
| Computers at Home: Just Program It and Forget It | p. 18 |
| Getting Ready for the Technology of Tomorrow | p. 18 |
| Nanoscience: The Next "Big" Thing | p. 18 |
| Biomedical Chip Implants: Combining Humans with Machines? | p. 19 |
| Artificial Intelligence: Will Computers Become Human? | p. 20 |
| Understanding the Challenges Facing a Digital Society | p. 21 |
| Trends in it: Ethics: Knowledge Is Power: Bridging the Digital Divide | p. 22 |
| Becoming Computer Fluent | p. 23 |
| Computers Are Data Processing Devices | p. 23 |
| Bits and Bytes: The Language of Computers | p. 23 |
| Computer Hardware | p. 25 |
| Computer Software | p. 26 |
| Computer Platforms: PCs and MACs | p. 26 |
| Specialty Computers | p. 27 |
| 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. 46 |
| Sound Input | p. 48 |
| Input Devices for Physically Challenged Individuals | p. 49 |
| Output Devices | p. 49 |
| Monitors | p. 49 |
| Printers | p. 52 |
| Dig Deeper: How Inkjet and Laser Printers Work | p. 55 |
| Sound Output | p. 56 |
| The System Unit | p. 56 |
| On the Front Panel | p. 56 |
| On the Back | p. 60 |
| Inside the System Unit | p. 61 |
| Setting It All Up | p. 64 |
| Trends in It: Emerging Technologies: Tomorrow's Display-You Can Take It with You! | p. 66 |
| Technology in Focus: Careers in IT | p. 78 |
| Using the Internet: Making the Most of the Web's Resources | p. 92 |
| The Internet | p. 94 |
| Communicating Through the Internet: E-Mail and Other Technologies | p. 94 |
| Instant Messaging | p. 94 |
| Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) | p. 94 |
| Weblogs (blogs) and Video Logs (vlogs) | p. 95 |
| Podcasts | p. 96 |
| Webcasts | p. 97 |
| Wikis | p. 98 |
| p. 98 | |
| Chat Rooms | p. 100 |
| Newsgroups | p. 100 |
| Listservs | p. 101 |
| Web Entertainment: Multimedia and Beyond | p. 101 |
| Trends in It: Social Networking | p. 102 |
| Conducting Business over the Internet: E-Commerce | p. 104 |
| E-Commerce Safeguards | p. 105 |
| Managing Online Annoyances | p. 106 |
| Spam | p. 106 |
| Cookies | p. 107 |
| Adware | p. 108 |
| Spyware | p. 108 |
| Malware | p. 109 |
| Phishing and Internet Hoaxes | p. 109 |
| Navigating the Web: Web Browsers | p. 110 |
| Getting Around the Web: URLs, Hyperlinks, and Other Tools | p. 111 |
| URLs | p. 111 |
| Hyperlinks and Beyond | p. 113 |
| Favorites and Bookmarks | p. 113 |
| Tabbed Browsing | p. 114 |
| Trends in It: Ethics: What Can You Borrow from the Internet? | p. 115 |
| Searching the Web: Search Engines and Subject Directories | p. 116 |
| Search Engines | p. 116 |
| Dig Deeper: Refining Your Web Searches: Boolean Operators | p. 118 |
| Subject Directories | p. 120 |
| Evaluating Web Sites | p. 121 |
| Internet Basics | p. 121 |
| The Internet's Clients and Servers | p. 121 |
| Connecting to the Internet | p. 123 |
| Broadband Connections | p. 123 |
| Dial-Up Connections | p. 125 |
| Choosing the Right Internet Connection Option | p. 126 |
| Finding an Internet Service Provider | p. 126 |
| Choosing an ISP | p. 127 |
| The Origin of the Internet | p. 128 |
| The Web Versus the Internet | p. 128 |
| The Future of the Internet | p. 129 |
| Application Software: Programs That Let You Work and Play | p. 140 |
| The Nuts and Bolts of Software | p. 142 |
| More Productivity at Home | p. 142 |
| Word-Processing Software | p. 142 |
| Spreadsheet Software | p. 144 |
| Presentation Software | p. 146 |
| Database Software | p. 146 |
| Personal Information Manager (PIM) Software | p. 148 |
| Productivity Software Tools | p. 148 |
| Integrated Software Applications Versus Software Suites | p. 148 |
| Dig Deeper: Speech-Recognition Software | p. 152 |
| Personal Financial Software | p. 154 |
| More Media at Home | p. 155 |
| Digital Image-Editing Software | p. 155 |
| Digital Audio Software | p. 157 |
| Digital Video-Editing Software | p. 157 |
| Media Management Software | p. 158 |
| More Fun at Home | p. 159 |
| Gaming Software | p. 159 |
| Educational Software | p. 160 |
| Reference Software | p. 162 |
| Drawing Software | p. 162 |
| Business Software | p. 163 |
| Home Business Software | p. 163 |
| Large-Business Software | p. 165 |
| Trends in It: Emerging Technologies: Is It Real or Is It Virtual? | p. 166 |
| Specialized Business Software | p. 167 |
| Getting Help with Software | p. 167 |
| Buying Software | p. 168 |
| Standard Software | p. 168 |
| Web-Based Application Software | p. 168 |
| Discounted Software | p. 169 |
| Freeware and Shareware | p. 170 |
| Software Versions and Systems Requirements | p. 171 |
| Installing/Uninstalling and Opening Software | p. 172 |
| Trends in It: Ethics: Can I Borrow Software That I Don't Own? | p. 175 |
| Technology in Focus: Digital Entertainment | p. 186 |
| Using System Software: The Operating System, Utility Programs, and File Management | p. 202 |
| System Software Basics | p. 204 |
| Operating System Categories | p. 204 |
| Real-Time Operating Systems | p. 205 |
| Single-User Operating Systems | p. 205 |
| Multiuser Operating Systems | p. 206 |
| Desktop Operating Systems | p. 206 |
| Microsoft Windows | p. 207 |
| Mac OS | p. 208 |
| Unix | p. 208 |
| Linux | p. 208 |
| Trends in It: Emerging Technologies: Open-Source Software: Why Isn't Everyone Using Linux? | p. 209 |
| What the Operating System Does | p. 210 |
| The User Interface | p. 211 |
| Processor Management | p. 211 |
| Memory and Storage Management | p. 213 |
| Hardware and Peripheral Device Management | p. 214 |
| Software Application Coordination | p. 214 |
| The Boot Process: Starting Your Computer | p. 215 |
| Activating BIOS | p. 216 |
| Performing the Power-On Self-Test | p. 216 |
| Loading the Operating System | p. 217 |
| Checking Further Configurations and Customizations | p. 217 |
| Handling Errors in the Boot Process | p. 218 |
| The Desktop and Windows Features | p. 219 |
| Organizing Your Computer: File Management | p. 221 |
| Organizing Your Files | p. 221 |
| Viewing and Sorting Files and Folders | p. 223 |
| Naming Files | p. 224 |
| Working with Files | p. 226 |
| Utility Programs | p. 227 |
| Display Utilities | p. 227 |
| The Add or Remove Programs Utility | p. 229 |
| File Compression Utilities | p. 229 |
| System Maintenance Utilities | p. 230 |
| Dig Deeper: How Disk Defragmenter Utilities Work | p. 232 |
| System Restore and Backup Utilities | p. 232 |
| The Task Scheduler Utility | p. 234 |
| Accessibility Utilities | p. 235 |
| Understanding and Assessing Hardware: Evaluating Your System | p. 246 |
| Is It the Computer or Me? | p. 248 |
| What Is Your Ideal Computer? | p. 249 |
| Assessing Your Hardware: Evaluating Your System | p. 249 |
| Evaluating the CPU Subsystem | p. 251 |
| Analyzing Your CPU | p. 253 |
| Evaluating RAM: The Memory Subsystem | p. 254 |
| Virtual Memory | p. 256 |
| Adding RAM | p. 257 |
| Evaluating the Storage Subsystem | p. 258 |
| The Hard Disk Drive | p. 258 |
| Dig Deeper: How a Hard Disk Drive Works | p. 259 |
| Portable Storage Options: The Floppy and Beyond | p. 260 |
| Upgrading Your Storage Subsystem | p. 265 |
| Evaluating the Video Subsystem | p. 265 |
| Video Cards | p. 265 |
| Trends in It: Ethics: CD and DVD Technology: A Free Lunch-Or at Least a Free Copy | p. 266 |
| Monitors | p. 268 |
| Evaluating the Audio Subsystem | p. 269 |
| Speakers | p. 269 |
| Sound Cards | p. 269 |
| Evaluating Port Connectivity | p. 270 |
| Adding Ports: Expansion Cards and Hubs | p. 273 |
| Evaluating System Reliability | p. 274 |
| Trends in It: Computers in Society: How to Donate Your Old Computer Safely | p. 276 |
| Making the Final Decision | p. 277 |
| Technology in Focus: Computing Alternatives | p. 288 |
| Networking and Security: Connecting Computers and Keeping Them Safe from Hackers and Viruses 302 | |
| Networking Fundamentals | p. 304 |
| Network Architectures | p. 305 |
| Describing Networks Based on Network Control | p. 305 |
| Describing Networks Based on Distance | p. 306 |
| Network Components | p. 306 |
| Transmission Media | p. 307 |
| Network Adapters | p. 307 |
| Network Navigation Devices | p. 307 |
| Networking Software | p. 307 |
| Types of Peer-to-Peer Networks | p. 308 |
| Wired Ethernet Networks | p. 308 |
| Ethernet Switches | p. 309 |
| Ethernet Routers | p. 311 |
| Wireless Ethernet Networks | p. 311 |
| Power-Line Networks | p. 315 |
| Phoneline Networks | p. 315 |
| Choosing a Peer-to-Peer Network | p. 316 |
| Configuring Software for Your Home Network | p. 317 |
| Trends in It: Emerging Technologies: Grid Computing: Aiding Scientific Research with Your Computer | p. 320 |
| Keeping Your Home Computer Safe | p. 321 |
| Computer Threats: Hackers | p. 321 |
| What Hackers Steal | p. 322 |
| Trojan Horses | p. 323 |
| Denial of Service Attacks | p. 323 |
| How Hackers Gain Access | p. 324 |
| Trends in It: Computers in Society: Identity Theft: Is There More Than One You Out There? | p. 325 |
| Computer Safeguards: Firewalls | p. 326 |
| Types of Firewalls | p. 326 |
| Is Your Computer Secure? | p. 327 |
| Securing Wireless Networks | p. 327 |
| Dig Deeper: How Firewalls Work | p. 328 |
| Computer Threats: Computer Viruses | p. 332 |
| Types of Viruses | p. 333 |
| Virus Classifications | p. 334 |
| Computer Safeguards: Antivirus Software | p. 334 |
| Other Security Measures | p. 336 |
| Trends in It: Careers: Cybercops on the Beat: Computer Security Careers | p. 337 |
| Mobile Computing: Keeping Your Data on Hand 348 | |
| Mobile Computing: Is It Right for You? | p. 350 |
| Mobile Device Limitations | p. 350 |
| Mobile Computing Devices | p. 352 |
| Cellular Phones | p. 353 |
| Cell Phone Hardware | p. 353 |
| How Cell Phones Work | p. 355 |
| Cell Phone Features: Text Messaging | p. 355 |
| Cell Phone Internet Connectivity | p. 357 |
| Portable Media Players | p. 358 |
| PMP Hardware | p. 360 |
| PMP Flash Memory and File Transfer | p. 360 |
| PMP Ethical Issues: Napster and Beyond | p. 361 |
| Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) | p. 362 |
| Trends in It: Emerging Technologies: Why Carry Your Data When You Can Wear It? | p. 363 |
| PDA Hardware | p. 363 |
| PDA Operating Systems | p. 365 |
| PDA Memory and Storage | p. 365 |
| PDA File Transfer and Synchronization | p. 366 |
| PDA Internet Connectivity | p. 367 |
| PDA Software and Accessories | p. 368 |
| PDA or Cell Phone? | p. 368 |
| Tablet PCs | p. 369 |
| Dig Deeper: The Power of GPS | p. 370 |
| Tablet PC Hardware | p. 371 |
| Tablet Software | p. 373 |
| Tablet or PDA? | p. 373 |
| Notebooks | p. 374 |
| Notebook Hardware | p. 374 |
| Trends in It: Ubiquitous Networking: Wherever You Go, There You Are | p. 374 |
| Notebook Operating Systems and Ports | p. 376 |
| Notebook Batteries and Accessories | p. 376 |
| Notebook or Desktop? | p. 379 |
| Trends in It: Emerging Technologies: Nanotubes: The Next Big Thing Is Pretty Darn Small! | p. 380 |
| Technology in Focus: Protecting Your Computer and Backing Up Your Data | p. 392 |
| Behind the Scenes: A Closer Look at System Hardware | p. 406 |
| Digital Data: Switches and Bits | p. 408 |
| Electrical Switches | p. 408 |
| The Binary Number System | p. 409 |
| Dig Deeper: Advanced Binary and Hexadecimal Notations | p. 410 |
| The CPU: Processing Digital Information | p. 413 |
| The CPU Machine Cycle | p. 415 |
| The Fetch Stage | p. 417 |
| The Decode Stage | p. 418 |
| The Execute Stage | p. 419 |
| The Store Stage | p. 419 |
| Trends in It: Emerging Technologies: Printable Processors: The Ultimate in Flexibility | p. 420 |
| RAM: The Next Level of Temporary Storage | p. 420 |
| Types of RAM | p. 421 |
| Buses: The CPU's Data Highway | p. 423 |
| Making Computers Even Faster: Advanced CPU Designs | p. 425 |
| Pipelining | p. 425 |
| Specialized Multimedia Instructions | p. 427 |
| Multiple Processing Efforts | p. 427 |
| Trends in It: Emerging Technologies: Computer Technology Changing the Face of Medicine | p. 428 |
| Technology in Focus: The History of the PC | p. 440 |
| Glossary | p. 453 |
| Index | p. 467 |
| Credits | p. 485 |
| Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved. |
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