Chapter 4 Margin Notes
General Note: This is an interesting chapter in that we look at something that all of you are familiar with---software--and categorize and break into down analytically.
Page 114, Application Software and System software. The two major categories of software are Application software (software that does something that a user would be interested in), and System Software (software that only geeks like me care about).
Page 115, Real World Case #1, Wolf Peak International. Check it out.
Page 117, Figure 4.2. This figure is a good illustration of the different kinds of Computer Software. You may have used most, if not all, of these major types. I know I have.
Page 117, Visa International: Implementing an e-Business suite. Check it out.
Page 119, Software Suites and Integrated Packages. Which, if any of these, do you use?
Page 120, Web Browsers and More. By all means, you should know what a Web Browser is, and be able identify several popular ones.
Page 120, Electronic Mail. I think just about everyone has used Electronic Mail (also called e-mail)
Page 120, Instant Messaging and Weblogs. This is a BIG business trend. Do you do any of this? Do you have a blog?
Page 122, Word Processing and Desktop Publishing. The difference between the two is that Desktop Publishing produced professional looking materials--not that you couldn't do this with a Word Processor, but it wouldn't be as easy, nor would it be as polished.
Page 123, Electronic Spreadsheets. By all means, you should know what an Electronic Spreadsheet does. Have you used one?
Page 124, Presentation Graphics and Multimedia. Have you ever used PowerPoint? Can you tell me what the name of the leading Graphics Package was prior to PowerPoint?
Page 125, Personal Information Managers. The term PIM never caught on---you should know what a PDA does.
Page 125, Groupware. Groupware is one of the reasons cited for the outsourcing of United States jobs to overseas countries.
Page 126, Software Alternatives. Be sure to check these out--you may have to make a decision on these sometime in the future. Be sure to know what an ASP is.
Page 127, Premiere Technologies Sidebar. Check it out---I will.
Page 128, Software Licensing. Interesting, isn't it? Did you know that you rarely own your software.
Page 129, System Software. System software is the software that runs the computer---can be pretty boring stuff, unless you are interested in what goes on 'under the hood' of the computer.
Page 129, Operating Systems. Every computer has one--it's the traffic cop of the computer, and without it, your Application software won't do a thing.
Page 129, Operating System Functions. Pretty standard stuff. The user interface, in modern Operating Systems, is a GUI (pronounced GOO-EY). It's the Win2ows (or Macintosh) look and feel.
Page 130, Real World Case #2, Google, Microsoft and Others. Be sure to read this--even if you are not assigned it. As you can see, I spend a great deal of time reading the Cases and discussing them in class. Are you prepared to answer the questions that I pose in class on the midterm?
Page 132, Resource Management. Geek stuff--but very important. Memory Management, Registers, etc.
Page 132, File Management. Still Geek stuff--but perhaps you can relate to it more. In a nutshell, when you put a file on a hard drive, File Management ensures that you will be able to find it again.
Page 133, Task Management. Modern computers are multitasking--they can run multiple programs (or task :) simultaneously. This feature of the Operating System permits that.
Page 133-136 Popular Operating Systems. This is great, but please don't memorize it. What's so great about Linux?
Page 134, Figure 4.16. Again, don't memorize it. Do realize, however, that some Operating Systems are better suited to 'Servers' and not to Personal Computers.
Page 138, Middleware. I love that term :) Look for it in the middle of the page.
Page 138, Programming Languages. Now we get to the fun part (well, as far as I'm concerned...you may disagree.).
Page 138, Machine Languages. Hardly anyone writes in this anymore--but if you can, you can make lots of money.
Page 138, Assembler Languages. Not many programmers write Assembler anymore--again, if you can, you can make lots of money.
Page 139, High Level Languages. If you become a programmer, you are likely to write in a High Level Language.
Page 141, HTML. This is the scripting language used to display web pages.
Page 142, XML The latest and greatest.
Page 142, Java and .Net. One of several object oriented programming languages.
Page 143, Web Services. One of latest buzz terms--be sure to use it at your next party.
Page 144, Wells Fargo Co. Check it out--it's very interesting.
Page 145, Programming Software. I found this pretty interesting---but it's not terribly important for you.
Page 146, CASE Tools Sidebar. Again, pretty interesting--but you don't need to concern yourself with it too much.
Page 151, Real World Case #3. Microsoft and Others. Great stuff.