Assignment 1

IT for business and Beyond

Chapter 1

Learning Objectives

•define what an information system is by identifying its major components;

•describe the basic history of information systems; and

•describe the basic argument behind the article “Does IT Matter?” by Nicholas Carr.

Information Systems Constantly Changing

•IS Systems change daily

•Electronic components also change constantly

–Smartphones

–Laptops

–Personal computers

•Defining Information Systems

–A set of related components that collect, process, store, and distribute information to support decision making and control in an organization.

–Combine hardware, software, and networks to collect, create, and distribute data (used typically in an organization).

Components of Information Systems

•Technology

–Hardware

–Software

–Data

•Networking Communication

•People

•Process

The Role of Information Systems

•Based on Era

•The Main Frame Era

•The PC Revolution

•Client Server

•The Internet, World Wide Web and E-Commerce

•Web 2.0

•The Post-PC World

Information Systems and Competitive Advantage

Implementation of IS can bring a competitive advantage

–Efficiencies

–Effectiveness

•Nicholas Carr“I.T. Doesn’t Matter”

–IT is as common as electricity

–Something to be managed to reduce costs

•Read Sidebar: Walmart Uses Information Systems to BecometheWorld’s Leading Retailer

References

Bourgeous, D., Smith, J., Wang. S., Mortati, J. (2019). Information Systems for Business and Beyond. Retrieved from https://opentextbook.site/informationsystems2019/.

Chapter-2

Learning Objectives

•describe information systems hardware;

•identify the primary components of a computer and the functions they perform; and

•explain the effect of the commoditization of the personal computer.

Hardware

•desktop computers

•laptop computers

•mobile phones

•tablet computers

•e-readers

•storage devices, such as flash drives

•input devices, such as keyboards, mice, and scanners

•output devices such as printers and speakers.

Digital Devices

•Processes electronic signals into discrete values

•Binary values (1=on, 0= off)

•Each value (1 or 0) is a bit

–Eight bits = 1 byte

•PCs

–1stPCs could only process 8 bits of data at once

–Today PCs can process 64-bits of data at once

•Read Sidebar: Understanding Binary

Tour of a PC

•Processing data: The CPU

•CPU = Central Processing Unit

•The brains of the device

•Read: Sidebar: Moore’s Law and Huang’s Law

–The number of integrated circuits on a chip doubles every two years

–VS

–Speeds of GPUs are increasing faster.

Hardware Components

•Motherboard

–the main circuit board on the computer

–Other components (CPU, memory, and storage) connect into the motherboard, contain integrated components like network cards, video, etc.., contains the bus of the PC (which determines the computer’s speed)

•RAM

–Working Memory (Random Access Memory)

•Hard Disk

–Used for longer term storage

•Solid State Drives

•Removable Media

Connections, Input and Output

•Network Connections-digital network

•Input and Output

–Bluetooth –a method to connect via wireless technology

•Input Devices

–Scanners

–Microphones

–Keyboard/Mouse

–Webcams

•Output Devices

–Display/ Monitor

–Speakers

–Printer

Sidebar: Which Hardware Components Contribute….

•Many elements contribute to the speed of your computer

–Hardware = increase by giving electrons less distance to travel in completing a circuit

–Multi-core processors (CPUs)

Other Computing Devices

•Portable Computers

•Smartphones

•Tablet Computers

•Integrated Computing and Internet of Things (IoT)

References

•Bourgeous, D., Smith, J., Wang. S., Mortati, J. (2019). Information Systems for Business and Beyond. Retrieved from https://opentextbook.site/informationsystems2019/.