Operating Systems

1. An operating system is a type of software. 
True because it is part of the functions that allow the computer to work with the internet. It helps with the computer programming. You have to get it installed and updated. 

2. Operating systems control the loading of software applications onto a computer. 
True because the operating system controls priorities in tasks and can tell the computer to load or not load an application onto the computer. 

3. All operating systems offer user preferences allowing you to customize your computer. 
True because through the operating system you can change your background/screensaver, the size of text and images on your computer, and many other things that allow you to customize your computer.

4. An operating system prioritizes the tasks that a CPU does. 
True because the computer can only complete one task at a time, so the operating system prioritizes the tasks. This way the computer knows which tasks to do first and which tasks to wait on. 

5. The following devices have an operating system: an apple iPod, a Dell laptop, and a Nintendo Wii.
True because each of the following devices each have to do many tasks that would require prioritizing which is done by the operating system. Also they can be customized which is a feature provided by the operating system. They all require a base system which they operate from. 

Communicating On the Internet

Email Clients and Servers:
Anyone who has ever received an email in their lifetime has used an email client which can be either hardware or software based. The client is what lets you perform tasks like reading and sending email messages or downloading attachments. The email client also communicates with email servers which are responsible for getting the messages in emails to their destinations. Once the client has the information that it needs it can streamline processes.
How Email Is Delivered over the Internet
After hitting send the email client connects to a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server for your email domain. Your email domain is the part of your email address that comes after the @ symbol. the SMTP is a set of rules for handling outgoing email. The email client tells the server who the email is from and who the email needs to go to.Then the SMTP server looks at the domain of the address that the email is being sent to and has the Domain Name System (DNS) ask for the IP address of the domain. Once that information has been maintained the SMTP connects with that domain and passes the message to its SMTP server. The SMTP server then passes the email to the incoming-mail server for delivery. The two types of incoming-mail servers are POP3 and IMAP. When you get an incoming email from a POP3 server, you download it from the server onto the computer you are using, but if you get email from an IMAP server, the email stays on the server utnil you delete it. Some POP3 clients offer a way to leave the mail on the server. If you use a web-based system for email then your email is handled by a web server, because it is online. All emails are sent as text only. The attachments of emails are only converted back from text once they arrive at their destination.
How Instant Messaging Works
Instant Messaging (IM) has been around since about 1990. It was an alternative to chat rooms for those who wanted to talk in real time over the Internet. Today IM software can allow much more than chatting with other Internet users. You can send and receive files, create chat rooms, and send some messages to and from a cell phone. Before using IM a client software for whatever service you want to use must be downloaded. Once it is installed in your computer, you can run the client so it will connect to the server. After connecting to the server you may either log in or create a new account. Once logged in, the client sends the server your IP address, and the server checks your list against the list of users who are online. Then it sends your client the IP address and port information for any contacts of yours who are online. It also sends your information to any users that have you as a contact. The server then stays out of the IM process. The client has all of the information necessary. The next thing the server will do is end your session when you log off, and let others know that you have gone offline. Many types of IM software are free, and many websites have built-in IM applications.

How the Internet Works

1. What is the internet? 
The internet is the world's biggest wide area network (WAN). There are millions of smaller networks that make up the internet. Everything that you can find online comes through the internet. Today there are over 2 billion people who use the internet, and before the 1990's there was a very small amount of people that used the internet. 
2. What is a protocol?
Protocols can control or enable the connection, communication, and data transfer between two computing endpoints. ARPANET was the first network protocol that was established in 1969. 213 computers were connected to the network by 1981. TCP/IP became the new standard that networks used to exchange data in 1983. TCP stands for Transmission Control Protocol and IP stands for Internet Protocol. They both use sets of rules to exchange and recieve messages on the internet. 
3. What is DNS? 
Domain Name Service (DNS) is required to translate domain names. There would be no internet communication without DNS. DNS is the internet version of a phone book. It can look up a host name and return an IP address. Each part of the internet has DNS servers. Applications can send a request known as DNS lookup to the computer's DNS server.

Learning About Peripherals

Peripherals: devices used for computer input and output
Keyboard

• Computer keyboard reports each key press to a program that can interpret the keystrokes
• A keyboard gives commands to the operating system of a computer

Mice

• Mice can use either optical or laser technology (USB wireless optical mouse or trackball mouse)

Monitors

• Two types: LCD monitor and CRT monitor
• Many games and videos need a high-definition (HD) monitor
• HD monitors have a clearer picture because they have better resolution
• Pixels are the smallest colored dot that can be displayed on the computers screen
• The more pixels you have the more detail you can see

Printers and Scanners

• They add value by allowing a form of export

Drives

• Over the years drives have changed considerably
• External drives have more storage options for the users

Tower Cases

• Usually have one bay at least for an optical drive (DVD or Blu-ray drive)
• Different types and sizes of drives can all be loaded into the same tower case 

Peripherals Necessary For Dream Computer

• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Monitor
• Printer
• Scanner
• Storage drives
• Game controllers/joysticks

Computer Parts

Hardware

• Motherboard
• CPU (Central Processing Unit)
• Fan
• Disk drive
• USB ports
• RAM (Random Access Memory)
• ROM (Read Only Memory)
• Graphic Card
• Video Card
• Sound Card
• All Cards
• Power Cables
• Monitor (95% of the time is considered hardware)
• Computer Case

Software

• OS (Operating System)
• Browser
• Business Application Software
• Drivers
• Anti-virus Software

Peripherals (something that enhances your experience; an add on to the computer that requires being plugged in to work)

• Headphones
• Mouse
• Keyboard
• CD (Compact Disk)
• Speakers
• Camera (videos, pictures,etc.)
• Printer
• Microphone
• USB
• External Hardrive
• Projector
• Anything that you need special access for 
• Scanner (ex. barcode scanner)

Functions

1. Storage
2. Research
3. Communication
4. Entertainment
5. Gaming
6. Computing Data
7. Shopping
8. Banking

Zapatopi

This website is not a valid website for people to use, unless for some reason you are passionate about making Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanies. No legitimate news has been added to the website since 2008 even though the copy write for the website is 1997-2013. In the frequently asked questions section of the website the author is talking to us from the year 2031, which can't be true. The author also does not provide any scientific data that supports mind control or how wearing an aluminum helmet will be able to protect you. Also on the website it shows an image of a head with tape wrapped around it, and the instructions said that you just use tape to secure the beanie to your head. Overall this website is not a very good valid source to use.

ID Theft Face Off

Question 4- One of the best ways to protect your identity is by using online passwords only you would know- like your mother's maiden name or the last four digits of your Social Security Number.
My Answer- True
Correct Answer- False
Why it is false- Crooks can often find out personal information about you by looking around on your computers or other personal items. It is better to use random numbers and letters, and then commit them to memory.
Question 5- The names of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies are Equinox, EperiCorps, and TransAmerica.
My Answer- True
Correct Answer- False
Why it is false- The actual names are Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

Trends and Factors

What 3 trends do you see in computer evolution? AND Why?

1. Computers keep getting smaller, but with a bigger memory capacity. They want people to buy them to bring places so they need to be portable, but they need to have more memory because there will be more things that people want to store. 

2. Computers all have ways of inputting information into them that get more efficient as time goes on. There is a need for putting information into a computer that gets bigger and bigger as time goes on, so the methods for doing so need to become more efficient. 

3. Computers have gained access to a lot more information as time has gone on. We have learned a lot more about everything there is to know (except we don't know everything yet) and since there is so much knowledge that has been gained the computers need to be able to keep up with it to allow other people to access that knowledge. 

Name 3 factors that drive technological innovation.

1. Popular demand of a product.

2. Competition among other companies.

3. Gaining an understanding of new information.

True or False

1. The first computer programmer was a woman- True

Ada Lovelace was the first computer programmer, and she was a woman. She lived in the middle of the 1800s in England. 

2. The first computer was built in 1975- False

The first computer was built in 1910 by Henry and Charles Babbage. Charles was the son of Henry. Henry started it and Charles finished it.

3. Apple made the world's first user friendly personal computer- True

Apple II is the first user friendly personal computer built. The computer was built by Steve Wozniak.

4. Binary numbers are counted by twos- False

They are counted by a combination of 0 and 1. The binary system is the simplest positional number system and was created by Gottfried Leibniz in 1679.

5. A notebook computer is the same as a laptop computer- True

They were both meant to be fully functioning and portable computers. They are both very similar in three things. 

6. Computers come in only three sizes desktop, notebook, and tablet- False

They come in four sizes: desktop, laptop/notebook, tablet, and mobile phones. 

7. All PC's use a Microsoft windows operating system- False

Linux, Ubuntu, VMware Fushion 6, and BlackBerry all are other operating systems.

8. People with a lot of data often own their own mainframe computer- False

Mainframe computers are typically big computers that are used for critical applications. 

9. Most modern supercomputers are made up of clusters of computers- True

A supercomputer is a very powerful version of a mainframe computer that can be hooked up to many smaller computers for more use. Mainframes are used for problems which are limited by data movement. Supercomputers are used for scientific and engineering problems. 

What is POIT?

POIT stands for Principles of Information Technology, and it is part of one of the required classes for AOIT. This class will teach us about different forms of information technology, such as a blog, that we can use later in our lives to benefit us technologically. We will learn about different ways that we can use the technology that we live in to gain information, hence the name information technology. We can learn to use things like blogs and other forms of information technology to share and learn information which is a big benefit for our generation. In this class we will learn how to use this benefit to help us later when getting a job or doing anything important in our lives.

Learning about POIT will be something that can be very helpful for many different aspects of our lives later, and there is a lot I am hoping to learn. The two main things I would like to learn from this class are: how to use information technology to gain and spread information, and what all the different types of information technologies are. I don't even know what the different forms of information technologies are, so far all I know of is a blog. It is important to me to learn about information technology because it surrounds my daily life a lot with the increase in use of technology that we have today. POIT should end up being a class that is very valuable for me.