Floppy Disks and Hard Disks

The data and information used in a computer needs to be stored for future use. The memory of
a computer only holds items temporarily while they are being processed. When not being
processed, these items must be stored in auxiliary storage devices. These devices include floppy
disks, hard disks, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM. When selecting a storage device it is important to
know that each device holds different amounts of information.

Although floppy disks once were available in two sizes, the 5.25-inch floppy disk rarely is used
today, and some believe it is destined for the same fate as the eight-track tape. Because of its
rigid plastic shell, it may be difficult to see the 3.5-inch disk as "floppy." The name is justified,
however, not only by the disk's ancestry but also by the flexible character of the disk itself. When
a floppy disk drive is reading from or writing to a floppy disk, a light turns on next to the drive.
Floppy disks never should be inserted into or removed from the drive when this light is on. Most
magnetic disks are read/write storage media. Some optical discs, such as CD-ROMs, usually can
be read from but not written to. Each track on a formatted floppy disk is very narrow. To see how
narrow, try to draw 80 lines in a 11/4-inch space (the approximate radius of the floppy disk
surface). Floppy disks are soft-sectored, meaning that the number of sectors is not
predetermined. Floppy disk access time depends on the time needed to locate the correct track,
the time required to rotate the disk to the proper sector, and the time necessary to transfer the
data into main memory.
Although personal computer hard disks usually are fixed (i.e., not removable), some portable
computers have removable hard disk drives. Unlike floppy disks, hard disks constantly are
spinning, at a rate 10 to 20 times faster than floppy disks. Therefore, access time for hard disks is
significantly less than access time for floppy disks. While a floppy disk read/write head rests on
the disk, the read/write head for a hard disk hovers about 10 millionths of an inch above the disk
surface. Contamination on the disk - a speck of dust (about 1550 millionths of an inch), a
fingerprint (about 600 millionths of an inch), or a particle of smoke (about 250 millionths of an
inch) - can cause a "head crash," destroying data and rendering the disk drive unusable. For this
reason, hard disk drives are sealed and manufactured in an environment that typically is cleaner
than a hospital operating room. Storage capacity can be increased on both hard disks and floppy
disks with compression programs such as Stacker, WinZip, or PKZIP.

Computer Software: System Software and Application Software

There are two categories of computer software: system software and application software.
System software serves as the interface between a user and the computer's hardware. An
example of system software would be an operating system such as Microsoft Windows.
Application software consists of programs designed to perform specific tasks. An example of
application software would be a spreadsheet program, such as Microsoft Excel.

A 3.5-inch floppy disk is computer hardware, but the programs stored on it are computer
software. Although there are two types of software, system software and application software
are designed to work hand-in-glove; that is, application software packages are designed to work
with specific kinds of system software. By telling the computer how to perform common
functions, the operating system frees application software to concentrate on producing
information. Popular operating systems include Windows, the Mac OS, OS/2, UNIX, Linux, DOS,
and NetWare. Operating systems that have a graphical user interface (GUI) often are called user-
friendly. Studies have found that GUI users generally complete tasks more accurately, work
faster, are more productive, and feel less fatigue.

To understand the relationship between application software and system software, draw four
concentric circles. Label the innermost circle CPU, the next operating system, the next application
software, and the last user. The resultant diagram illustrates how the operating system helps to
insulate the user and application program from computer hardware.

Types of Personal Computer Application Software

Many types of application software are available. The more popular application software includes
word processing software, electronic spreadsheet software, database software, presentation
graphics software, communications software, and electronic mail software. Knowing the function
of each type of application software is one of the most important ingredients of being computer
literate.

Several years ago, a survey of large and small businesses showed that the most often used
applications were:
• Word processing and spreadsheet (used by 100% of those surveyed)
• Communications, electronic mail, database, and presentation graphics (used by about
95%)
• Desktop publishing (used by about 85%)
• Project management (used by about 70%)
• Personal information management (used by about 50%)

In word processing, any work developed through the writing process is a document. Word
processing software makes it easier to create, edit, format, and print documents. Many word
processing packages include a spell checker, grammar checker, and thesaurus.

The first spreadsheet software, VisiCalc, was introduced in 1979. By immediately displaying the
results of changes, electronic spreadsheet packages provide a capability called what-if analysis.
Another powerful capability, called goal-seek, finds what value is needed to reach a specified
goal.

A database file is a collection of related data called records, each of which consists of a group of
related facts called fields. The data can be manipulated, or a report, called a query, can be created
based on user-specified criteria. Although most spreadsheet packages can manage data tables of
a few thousand records, database software can efficiently handle much larger data tables.

Word processing and spreadsheet software came out around 1980. Presentation graphics
software was not introduced until the mid to late 1980s. Nevertheless, it can be argued that
presentation graphics software has had almost as great an impact on business, and on how
people do business, as either of the older applications. Presentation graphics packages include
libraries of clip art that can be inserted into slides and a slide sorter that can be used to organize
the order effectively in which slides are presented.

Computer Communications Channels and Equipment and the

Internet and World Wide Web

Communicating with a computer is becoming the standard today for both business and personal
use. The communications channels are constantly being upgraded in order to send information
faster. Communications technologies have changed the way people interact through the use of
e-mail, videoconferencing, and the Internet.
Many vendors sell network versions of their software. The network version resides on the
network server and can be accessed by each computer on the network. When a network version
is purchased, a site license is obtained from the vendor. The fee for the site license, usually based
on the number of computers on the network, is less than the purchase of individual packages for
each computer.

The number of people using the Internet is growing by 5% each month. Paul Moritz, a vice
president at Microsoft, maintains that, "In the long run, it's hard to exaggerate the importance
of the Internet." The Web, an innovation of Tim Berners-Lee, debuted in 1989. Since then, the
Web has experienced astounding growth. Some experts claim that the size of the Web doubles
every 60 days. Using links to move from one document to another often is called surfing the Web.
Two popular Web browsers are Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer.

How to Purchase, Install, and Maintain a Computer

At some point in your life, you will probably decide to purchase a computer. Aside from
understanding the components discussed earlier, it also is important to be able to find the
computer that best fits your needs. For example, most new computers come with application
software already installed. If you do not use this software, then it is of no value even though you
got it for "free." There are several things to look for when purchasing a new computer. If possible,
speak to someone who is familiar with the purchasing process and can guide you along.

For most people, buying a computer is an expensive experience. Despite this, many people are
woefully uninformed when they set out to purchase a computer. Although desktop computer
systems remain popular, since 1993 sales of laptop, notebook, and smaller computers have
rivalled sales of larger systems, partly because of their enhanced capabilities and increased use
by field sales forces. Be careful when setting up a computer system. Failure to follow health
guidelines can lead to painful, and even permanent, disabilities. Government studies indicate
repetitive stress disorder (RSI) and cumulative trauma disorder (CTD), the most commonly
reported problems associated with prolonged keyboard use, are responsible for half of work-
related illnesses. Computer security is an increasingly important issue. A survey of American
companies with more than 200 personal computers showed that over 60% had suffered at least
one virus attack. Two of the major sources of viruses, free software and illegally copied software,
more commonly are used by small companies and private individuals, so the percentage of PC
users affected by viruses may be much higher. E-mail attachments have been the carriers of
several recent virus attacks that have infected both business and home computer users.

E-Commerce
Conducting business online is known as electronic commerce, or e-commerce, and includes such
commercial activities as shopping and investing. The three types of e-commerce that exist today
are business to consumer (B2C), consumer to consumer (C2C), and business to business (B2B).

If you have access to a computer, an Internet connection, and a means to pay for products or
services, you can participate in e-commerce. Today, users can participate in e-commerce not only
through desktop computers, but also through mobile devices such as laptop and handheld
computers, pagers, and cellular phones. M-commerce (mobile commerce) is the term some
people use to describe e-commerce activities that take place using mobile devices.

The more popular uses of e-commerce include shopping and investing. On the Web, you can buy
and sell stocks, order flowers, purchase groceries and airline tickets, and even buy a car!

Three types of e-commerce exist: business to consumer (B2C), consumer to consumer (C2C), and
business to business (B2B). Of the three, most e-commerce takes place between businesses,
making B2B e-commerce transactions the most common.