Technology In Action Introductory (Heftet (myke permer))

Three professors from Montgomery County Community College traveled with the Prentice Hall Information Technology team for over two years to uncover what students and professors today wanted and needed in an Intro to Computer Concepts text. After meeting with more than 1,000 students and instructors they developed Technology in Action. Due to overwhelming success, they recently published Technology in Action 9/e! Alan D. Evans, M.S., CPA Alan Evans is currently a faculty member at Moore College of Art and Design and Montgomery County Community College teaching a variety of computer science and business courses. He holds a B.S. in Accounting from Rider University and an M.S. in Information Systems from Drexel University, and he is a certified public accountant. After a successful career in business, Alan finally realized his true calling was education. He has been teaching at the college level since 2000. Alan enjoys giving presentations at technical conferences and meets regularly with computer science faculty and administrators from other colleges to discuss curriculum development and new methods of engaging students. Kendall E. Martin, Ph.D. Kendall has been teaching since 1988 at a number of institutions, including Villanova University, DeSales University, Arcadia University, Ursinus College, County College of Morris, and Montgomery County Community College, at both the undergraduate and master's degree level. Kendall's education includes a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Rochester and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. She has industrial experience in research and development environments (AT&T Bell Laboratories) as well as experience from several start-up technology firms. At Ursinus College, Kendall developed a successful faculty training program for distance education instructors, and she makes conference presentations during the year. Mary Anne Poatsy, MBA, CFP Mary Anne is an adjunct faculty member at Montgomery County Community College, teaching various computer application and concepts courses in face-to-face and online environments. Mary Anne holds a B.A. in Psychology and Elementary Education from Mount Holyoke College and an MBA in Finance from Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management. Mary Anne has more than nine years of educational experience, ranging from elementary and secondary education to Montgomery County Community College, Muhlenberg College, and Bucks County Community College, as well as training in the professional environment. Prior to teaching, Mary Anne was a vice president at Shearson Lehman Hutton in the Municipal Bond Investment Banking department.

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 covering topics in a progressive approach and providing rich companion media.

Chapter 1: Using Technology to Change the World... 2 More Than Just a Job...4 Technology on the World Stage...4 Political Issues... 4 Human Rights... 6 The Environment... 6 The Digital Divide... 6 ETHICS IN IT: The Digital Divide and the Mobile Bridge... 8 Technology and Our Society... 9 Technology Impacts How We Think... 9 How We Connect... 10 How We Consume... 12 Technology and Your Life... 13 Boost Your Productivity... 13 Be a Savvy Computer User... 14 Prepare for Your Career... 16 Dig Deeper: Making Reality Even More Real... 22 Technology In focus: The History of the PC... 38 Chapter 2: Looking at Computers: Understanding the Parts... 50 Understanding Your Computer...52 Computers Are Data Processing Devices... 52 Bits and Bytes: The Language of Computers... 52 Types of Computers... 54 Input Devices...55 Keyboards... 55 Mice and Other Pointing Devices... 58 Touch Screens... 60 Image Input... 61 Sound Input... 62 Ethics in It: What Is Ethical Computing?... 62 Output Devices...63 Monitors... 64 Printers... 66 Dig Deeper: How Touch Screens Work... 67 Sound Output... 70 Processing and Memory on the Motherboard...71 Memory... 71 Processing... 72 Storing Data and Information...73 Hard Drives... 73 Flash Storage... 73 Optical Storage... 74 Connecting Peripherals to the Computer...75 High-Speed and Data Transfer Ports... 75 Connectivity and Multimedia Ports... 77 Adding Ports: Expansion Cards and Hubs... 77 Power Controls...78 Setting It All Up...79 Trends In It: Innovations in Printing... 82 Chapter 3: Using the Internet: Making the Most of the Web's Resources... 94 The Origin of the Internet...96 The Internet and How It Works...97 Communicating and Collaborating Through the Internet...98 Social Networking... 98 E-Mail... 100 Instant Messaging... 101 Weblogs (Blogs) and Video Logs (Vlogs)... 102 Wikis... 103 Podcasts and Webcasts... 104 Web Entertainment...106 Trends In It: The Internet Makes Business Startups Affordable... 106 Conducting Business over the Internet: E-Commerce...110 E-Commerce Safeguards... 110 Accessing the Web: Web Browsers...112 Getting Around the Web: URLs, Hyperlinks, and Other Tools... 113 URLs... 113 Hyperlinks and Beyond... 115 Favorites, Live Bookmarks, and Tagging... 116 Searching the Web Effectively...117 Search Engines... 117 Evaluating Web Sites... 120 ETHICS IN IT: Plagiarism and Copyright Violation: What Can You Borrow from the Internet?... 121 Dig Deeper: Discovering the Semantic Web... 122 Technology In focus: Information Technology Ethics... 134 Chapter 4: Application Software: Programs That Let You Work and Play... 156 The Nuts and Bolts of Software...158 Web-Based Applications...158 Productivity Software for Home and Office...160 Word Processing Software... 160 Spreadsheet Software... 161 Presentation Software... 163 Database Software... 165 Note Taking Software... 166 Personal Information Manager (PIM) Software... 166 Productivity Software Features... 167 Software Suites... 168 Personal Financial Software... 169 Business Software for Home and Office...170 Home Business Software... 170 Large Business Software... 171 Specialized Business Software... 173 Media Software for Home...174 Digital Image Editing Software... 174 Digital Audio Software... 176 Dig Deeper: How Cloud Computing Works... 176 Digital Video Editing Software... 178 Media Management Software... 179 Software for Home...179 Gaming Software... 180 Educational Software... 180 Drawing Software... 182 Trends In IT: "There's an App for That!"... 182 Buying Software...183 Software Licenses... 183 Ethics in It: Can I Borrow Software That I Don't Own?... 184 Pre-Installed Software... 185 Discounted Software... 186 Freeware and Shareware... 186 Software Versions and System Requirements... 188 Installing, Uninstalling, and Starting Software...189 Getting Help with Software...191 Chapter 5: Using System Software: The Operating System, Utility Programs, and File Management...202 System Software Basics...204 Types of Operating Systems...205 Real-Time Operating Systems... 205 Operating Systems for Networks, Servers, and Mainframes... 205 Operating Systems for Mobile Devices... 206 Operating Systems for Personal Computers... 207 What the Operating System Does...210 The User Interface... 210 Trends In It: Open Source Software: Why Isn't Everyone Using Linux?... 210 Processor Management... 212 Ethics in It: Sugar: The Sweet OS for Every Child... 212 Memory and Storage Management... 214 Hardware and Peripheral Device Management... 215 Software Application Coordination... 216 The Boot Process: Starting Your Computer...217 Step 1: Activating BIOS... 218 Step 2: Performing the Power-On Self-Test... 218 Step 3: Loading the Operating System... 218 Step 4: Checking Further Configurations and Customizations... 218 Handling Errors in the Boot Process... 219 The Desktop and Window Features...220 Organizing Your Computer: File Management...222 Organizing Your Files... 223 Viewing and Sorting Files and Folders... 224 Naming Files... 226 Working with Files... 228 Utility Programs...229 Display Utilities... 229 The Programs and Features Utility... 230 File Compression Utilities... 230 System Maintenance Utilities... 231 System Restore and Backup Utilities... 233 Dig Deeper: How Disk Defragmenter Utilities Work... 234 The Task Scheduler Utility... 236 Accessibility Utilities... 237 Technology In focus: Computing Alternatives... 248 Chapter 6: Understanding and Assessing Hardware: Evaluating Your System... 262 Your Ideal Computer...264 Evaluating the CPU Subsystem...268 Evaluating the Memory Subsystem: RAM...272 Adding RAM... 274 Evaluating the Storage Subsystem...275 Hard Drive... 276 Optical Storage... 278 Dig Deeper: How a Mechanical Hard Drive Works... 280 Evaluating the Video Subsystem...281 Video Cards... 282 Evaluating the Audio Subsystem...285 Sound Card... 285 Evaluating System Reliability...287 Ethics in It: Free (as in Speech, not Beer)... 287 Making the Final Decision...289 Trends In It: Thunderbolt... 291 Chapter 7: Networking: Connecting Computing Devices... 302 Networking Fundamentals...304 Network Architectures...306 Describing Networks Based on Network Administration... 306 Describing Networks Based on Distance... 308 Network Components...308 Transmission Media... 309 Network Adapters... 309 Ethics in It: Sharing Your Internet Connection with Your Neighbors: Legal? Ethical? Safe?... 310 Network Navigation Devices... 311 Networking Software... 311 Connecting to the Internet...311 Broadband Connections... 312 Dial-Up Connections... 314 Choosing the Right Internet Connection Option... 315 Home Networks...315 Ethernet Home Networks... 315 Home Network Cabling... 317 Wired and Wireless on One Network... 318 Configuring Home Network Equipment...319 Routers and Switches: Moving Data Around Your Network... 319 Connecting Devices to Routers... 321 Securing Wireless Networks...322 Connecting Devices to Networks...324 Connecting Computers... 325 Network-Ready Devices... 325 Digital Entertainment Devices on a Network... 326 Specialized Home Networking Devices... 327 Configuring Software for Your Home Network...329 Windows Configuration... 329 Trends in It: Where Should You Stone Your Files? The Cloud is Calling ... 332 Wireless Node Configuration and Testing... 333 Troubleshooting Network Problems... 333 Technology In focus: Under the Hood... 346 Chapter 8: Digital Lifestyle: Managing Digital Data and Devices...358 A Digital Lifestyle...360 Digital Telephony...362 Cell Phones and Smartphones... 362 How Cellular Works... 362 Cell Phone Components... 363 Synchronizing... 366 Text Messaging... 368 Mobile Internet... 368 Cell Phone/Smartphone Security... 370 Voice over Internet Protocol... 371 Digital Media and Information...372 Digital Publishing... 373 Digital Music... 375 Digital Photography... 379 Digital Video... 383 Ethics in It: Managing Your Copyrights: Copyleft Might Simplify Your Life... 386 Digital Navigation... 388 Digital Convergence... 390 Trends in It: Near Field Communication... 393 Chapter 9: Securing Your System: Protecting Your Digital Data and Devices... 404 Cybercrime...406 Computer Threats: Computer Viruses...407 Types of Viruses... 409 Virus Classifications... 410 Computer Safeguard: Antivirus Software and Software Updates...411 Computer Threats: Hackers...413 Restricting Access to Your Digital Assets...417 Dig Deeper: Computer Forensics: How It Works... 418 Managing Online Annoyances...427 Protecting Yourself ... from Yourself!...431 Protecting Your Physical Computing Assets...440 Technology In focus: Careers in IT... 248 Glossary Index Credits