5.1) Two Basic Software Types
  
  System Software - the basic software needed to make your hardware useful.
  Includes the Operating System and the BIOS.
	
  Applications Software - software designed to satisfy the users needs.  
  Examples include: Word, Excel, Web Browsers.
  
  When purchasing a computer, you should decide what types of applications
  software you will need.  Make sure you select a computer that has that
  type of applications software available to it.
  
5.2) Software Components
  
  BIOS- Basic Input/Output System.  Boots up the computer and manages
  essential peripherals such the keyboard, screen, disk drives, and ports.
  
  When you turn on the computer, the first thing it does is perform a POST
  or Power On Self Test.  Then the BIOS takes over.  On a PC, the BIOS
  first checks the hard drive, then it tests the keyboard and monitor.
  Finally it checks the hard drive for an Operating System.  At this point
  the OS takes over most of your system resources, but the BIOS is still running
  in the background.
  
  Multitasking - executes more than one program simultaneously.  Windows is
  based on this concept and represents programs in windows.
  
  Multiprogramming - multitasking but with multiple users.
  
  Time Sharing - a computer that is being used by several users divides its 
  processing time among them.  Usually not perceptible to the users.

  Multiprocessing - two or more computers work together to carry out the same
  task.  Can be done two ways:
    1) The main processor works together with coprocessors to carry out a task.
	2) Two separate CPU work together in parallel with another CPU giving them
	   each instructions.  This is done in supercomputers.
	   
Utility Programs

  1) Backup.  A backup utility will automatically back up all of the important
     data on your hard drive at specified time intervals.  It reserves part of 
	 your hard drive for this purpose, called a segment.  It is possible for
	 one segment of a hard drive to become damaged and another to continue to
	 operate.
	 
  2) Data Recovery Utility.  If your data becomes damaged or corrupted, this
  	 can help you recover your data.  If your data is completely lost, these 
	 utilities will not help and you better have used you already used a backup
	 utility.
	 
  3) Virus Protection.  Scans your computer for viruses and attempts to block
     them or eliminate them before they become active.  Virus protection
	 software must be updated with the latest virus definitions to be truly
	 useful.  Virus protection software will come with a free subscription
	 to their updating service, and can usually be done via a modem.
	 
  4) Data compression.  Allows you to fit more data in less space.  The 
     disadvantage is that it takes take to decompress the data to make it usable
     again.
	 
	 There are two types of data compression, lossless and lossy.
	 
	 Lossy data compression means some of the original information is lost
	 in an attempt to make the file size much smaller.
	 
	 Lossless data compression means that all of the original information is
	 maintained, but is encoded in a way so as to make it take less space.
	 
	 Lossy examples - jpg images and mpeg files, including mp3.
	 
	 Lossless examples - winzip, stuffit.
	 
  5) Defragmentation.  Files may not always be stored in consecutive sectors.
     Assembling the file pieces back into one file is called defragmentation.
	 
	 
  Language Translators - turn a programming language into machine code.
  Includes compilers and interpreters.
  
  User Interface - how a user interacts with a computer.  These days, it is 
  almost always a Graphics User Interface or GUI (pronounced gooey)
  for short.
  
5.3) Operating Systems: Platforms

  1) DOS and Windows 3.x - DOS stands for Disk Operating System.  There is
     MS-DOS and PC-DOS.  It is a command based operating system, which
	 means it is all typing and there is no GUI.
	 Windows 3.x is a GUI that enhances the usability and functionality of DOS.
	 
  2) Windows 9x - the most popular operating system due to its intuitive GUI
     and the powerful marketing of Microsoft.  Major difference between 
	 Windows '95 and '98 is the fact that '98 has combined the Internet 
	 explorer and windows explorer into essentially the same tool, allowing to
	 easily move files from you local computer to the network and back.
	 
  3) Windows NT & 2000 - NT is very similar to 98 in its look, but is
     business oriented instead of consumer oriented.  Windows 2000 is supposed
	 to be a combination of NT and 98 and is the world's first attempt at a
	 universal operating system.
	 
	 note: There is a considerable amount of hardware and peripherals that are
	 available for Windows '98 but NOT for Windows NT.  Do some research
	 before choosing your OS.
	 
  4) OS/2 Warp - and IBM OS that is basically out of commission due to poor 
     marketing and management.  If you do run into this beast, keep in mind that
	 it is based on the EBCDIC character code, not the ASCII character code.
	 
  5) UNIX - developed by AT&T, it is the oldest OS still in use.  Claims to
     be the best OS for networking and the Internet.
	 
  6) Linux - a version of UNIX that is rapidly increasing in popularity.  This
     is primarily due to the fact that it is very stable, has very few bugs or
	 security holes, and is very small in terms of disk space and memory usage.
	 The main thing holding it back form the main stream is the difficulty in
	 installing it, but that is quickly changing.  
	 
  7) MAC OS - the one and only OS available for Mac computers, and only 
     available for Mac computers.  The main advantage of the Mac is its superior
	 graphics handling capability.  
	 
	 It is also possible to run Windows and Windows software on a Mac using
	 a program called Virtual PC.  This creates an artificial PC environment
	 that is capable of running PC software on a Mac machine.  This software is
	 not entire emulate all aspects of a PC and so some features of the PC 
	 software may be unusable when used this way.
	 
  8) NetWare - the best OS for networks.  It is possible to set up your network
     using NetWare but still have your own OS, such as Windows, on your local
	 computer.
	 
5.4) the future

  It is possible that in the future, people will not purchase fancy PCs.  They
  will instead purchase a "hollow" computer called a thin-client.  The 
  thin client will be capable of little more than connecting to the Internet.
  You may rent diskspace, even software, over the Internet rather than buying
  them for your own permanent use.
  
  The Jolt from Java
  
  The Internet is changing the world computers drastically.  It started with
  HTML (HyperText Markup Language).  This allowed people to share information
  in a standard format via the World Wide Web.
  
  Then came the Web Browser, which introduced a GUI for "surfing" the web.
  The first browser was Mosiac.  This also introduced images to the web,
  before the browser everything was just text.  
  At first, websites did not have domain names.  They would instead have to type
  in their 7-10 digit IP address to find the site they wanted.
  
  Then came Java - a platform independent language that combined web data
  with moving pictures, making the web a much more interactive experience.
  
  
	
	
		

Homework 5:
in Interactive computing book
EX 1.1 - 1.28 
EX 1.34 #1 will be turned in via e-mail.
   e-mail your tables and charts attached Word doc to Mike Kolta.
   Due date: 2/20 at midnight.