WHY COMPUTERS MATTER COMPUTER HISTORY
Dec 29, 2015
You have just decided to download a new program. Based on the system requirements should you download the program to your computer?
Play a 3D ball bouncing game and save the world from the evil
doctor.
System Requirements: Windows® XP/Vista® (latest service packs)/Windows 7® 1 GB RAM (2 GB for Vista/7), 15 GB available HD space
Intel Pentium® 4 2.2 GHz or AMD Athlon XP 1500+ Broadband Internet connection
Race Driver: GRID arcade/tarmac racing simulator with 43 cars Recommended Sys Req: Intel Core 2 Duo @ 2.66Ghz or Athlon
X2 3800+ GeForce FX/ATI or Radeon 9600 or better; 2 GB RAM; 12.5 GB Hard Drive Space; Windows 7/XP/Vista. (If running Windows Vista, SP1 is recommended)
What is this stuff?
2
COURSE OVERVIEW
Individual Computers
Social Implications
Networked Computers
Understanding Computers
Computer Fluency
Using Computers
Avoid Protect Understand Use Maintain MakeIntegrate the latest technology
BEING A FLUENT COMPUTER – LIFE IMPROVING
Understanding capabilities and limitations of computersKnowing how to use computers safely and efficiently
COMPUTER LITERATEUNDERSTANDING CAPABILITIES AND LIMITATIONS OF COMPUTERSKNOWING HOW TO USE COMPUTERS SAFELY AND EFFICIENTLY
COMPUTERS IN YOUR CAREER?SEVEN FASTEST-GROWING OCCUPATIONS ARE COMPUTER RELATED Business Retail Shipping Arts Education
• Law Enforcement• Legal System• Agriculture• Medicine• Sciences
COMPUTER HISTORY
Ada Byron, Countess of Lovelace
Analytical Engine, 1833, add, subtract, repeat, compare #s
20
INTERNET EXPLOSION
Part of our daily lives
Four factors Standard protocols Ability to link from site to site Graphical browser Growth of PCs and networks
GROUP DISCUSSION – THE FUTURE HTTP://WWW.COMPUTER.ORG/PORTAL/WEB/MEMBERSHIP/TOP-10-TECH-TRENDS-IN-2014
Self-driving cars use precision sensors to see 360 degrees. They navigate on their own with no human driver or remote control. The car uses roof-mounted laser rangefinders, radars, cameras, and a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver to sense its environment and maneuver in traffic. It is now legal in CA & Nevada to put a self-driving car on the highway.
3-D printers use digital blueprints to create physical objects. About the size of a microwave, a few years ago, 3-D printers were as big as industrial refrigerators and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Researchers and early adopters have made everything from cute figurines and jewelry to working bicycles. A lot of iPhone cases are being custom-made on 3-D printers.
Group Discussion:
1. Who is legally responsible for (a self-driving car, or for the devices you create)?
2. Should minors be allowed (to travel alone in self-driving cars; unlimited access to 3-D printers)?
3. What are the cons/dangers associated with self-driving cars and 3-D printing?
REMEMBER
• Being Computer Fluent will save you money, make you more productive, help you protect your identity, and your computer
• Charles Babbage, Ada Lovelace, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, Tim Berners-Lee, Marc Andreessen, Bill Gates a few of those that created our computer history
• ENIAC, Altair, Mosaic - some firsts in computer history
• 5 Generations, 4 switches in computer history
• The Military, Apple, Microsoft, the Internet helped change our daily lives
• Computers of today are tomorrow’s history
COURSE SPECIFICS
http://faculty.winthrop.edu/garrisonc
SyllabusAvailable at my websiteRead prior to next class
Class distribution test message
Class objective is computer fluency
COURSE SPECIFICS
• Read the Chapters
• Weekly quizzes
• Help Desk Exercises
• Homework
• MyITLab and Blackboard
REVIEW
1. Before the advent of electronic digital computers, a computer was a. a profession b. a slide ruler c. dream d. a calculator
2. The fundamental requirement for building a computer is a a. vacuum tube b. processor c. transistor d. switch
3. The first person to try to build a computer was a. Charles Babbage b. Bill Gates c. Steve Jobs d. Alan Turing
4. The first computer programmer was a woman. a. True b. False
Named? a. Charles Babbage b. Bill Gates c. Steve Jobs d. Ada Lovelace
6. Computers of the 1950's a. were very large b. often broken c. were based on vacuum tube technology d. used lots of power e. all of the above
7. In the 1940's, computers were used primarily by a. industry b. consumers c. business d. government
8. Apple Computer was started by a. IBM b. Bill Gates c. Michael Dell d. Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs
9. Bill Gates wrote a good part of this language, originally marketed by Microsoft. A. BASIC B. Altair C. DOS D. QDOS