Browsers, Information Managers, and System Software

1
Browsers, Information Managers, and System
Software

• Lecture 4

2
Competencies

• Describe how browsers are used to navigate, find
  information, and communicate.
• Discuss the functionality of information
  managers.
• Describe the four kinds of system software.
• Describe the most widely used microcomputer
  operating systems.
• Describe the five essential utility programs.

3
Specialized tools for computer users

• Browsers - Used to surf the Web.
• Personal Information Managers - Used to maintain
  electronic organizers.
• Operating Systems Used to control computer
  operations.
• Utilities Used to maximize the efficiency of
  computers.

4
Browsers

• A browser is an application program that will
  help you to
• connect to the Web,
• search for information,
• communicate with others, and
• create Web pages.

5
Browsers

• The two most widely used browsers are
• Microsoft Internet Explorer
• Netscape Navigator

6
Browsers

• Communicating - e-mail and newsgroups

7
Browsers

• Searching - finding information by category,
  topic or key word(s)

8
Navigating

• Navigating the Web means to move from one Web
  site to another.
• Other names for navigating are surfing the Web
  and browsing the Web.
• Two ways of navigating
• Directly enter a Web site address.
• Hypertext link connection to a Web site address.

9
Personal Information Managers (PIM)

• A Personal Information Manager is a program that
• helps you get organized,
• keeps you organized, and
• helps you communicate with others.

10
Personal Information Managers (PIM)

• Provide electronic alternatives for
• Calendars
• Contact tools such as Rolodex files, address
  books, index cards
• Task organizers such as wall charts, notepads,
  binders, and post-it notes
• Examples
• Microsoft Outlook
• Lotus Organizer

11
PIM or Desktop Managers
E-Mail, calendar, contacts, and journal
12
Calendars

• The most important feature of a PIM.
• It operates like an electronic appointment book.
• It keeps track of events, holidays, assignments,
  and project schedules.
• It provides assistance in scheduling meetings and
  organizing projects.

13
Contacts

• The electronic contacts or address book is an
  essential feature for all PIMs.
• It is used to record names, addresses, and
  telephone numbers.
• The electronic address book can be linked to
  other parts of a PIM.

14
Tasks

• A basic feature of all PIMs is a task organizer,
  or to-do list.
• The task organizer provides two basic functions
• Records, displays, and reminds you of tasks you
  need to complete.
• Records, displays, coordinates, and communicates
  tasks assigned to a group.

15
Task Organization
Basic reminders, tasks, coordinate, and update
16
Computer Software

• Essential Firmware (software stored in chips)
• E.g. BIOS (Basic Input/Output System)
• Makes hardware accessible to software
• The intelligence in otherwise dumb hardware

17
System Software

• System software is the background software that
  helps you interact with the computer.
• It consists of four kinds of programs
• Operating systems
• Utilities
• Device drivers
• Language translators

18
Operating Systems

• Operating systems (OS) are programs that operate
  your microcomputer.
• They coordinate computer resources.
• They provide an interface between users and the
  computer.
• They run applications.

19
OS Managing Resources

• keyboard,
• mouse,
• printer,
• monitor,
• storage devices, and
• memory.

20
OS Provide a User Interface

• users interact with application programs and
  computer hardware through a windows-like
  graphical user interface (GUI)
• GUI uses graphic objects called icons to
  represent commonly used features.

21
OS Running Applications

• the OS loads and runs application programs, such
  as word processors and spreadsheets, and
• support multitasking, which is the ability to run
  more than one application at a time.

22
The bootstrap process

• To start the OS requires files but access to
  files requires the OS.
• Getting a computer started is like lifting
  yourself by pulling up on your bootstraps
  (laces), hence booting
• Computer has enough support in BIOS To run a
  small bootstrap program Which can load enough
  of the OS .. To run the rest.

23
Some Important Operating Systems

• Microsofts Windows
• Mac OS
• UNIX
• Linux

24
Windows

• The most popular microcomputer operating system
  (used on over 90 of the computers in use today).
• Versions of Windows include
• Windows 95, 98, Me (home/small business)
• Windows NT, 2000 (Networked business)
• Windows XP
• newest family (Home and Professional versions)
• convergence of 95/98/Me and NT/2000

25
Windows - multitasking

• You can work with different programs
  simultaneously with this operating system. This
  is called multitasking.
• The user interface of Windows is called the
  desktop.

26
Windows 98 Desktop
27
Windows Start Menu

• The Start Menu of Windows displays a list of
  commands used to
• Gain access to information
• Change hardware settings
• Find information
• Get online help
• Run programs
• Log off a network
• Shut down the computer

28
Mac OS

• Mac OS is an operating system designed to run
  only on Macintosh computers.
• It is a very powerful and easy to use operating
  system and comes in a variety of versions.
• Its market share is much less than Windows.
• Mac OS includes an innovative search feature for
  locating information on the Web or hard drive
  called Sherlock.
• Used especially in multimedia, collaboration,
  art, design, architecture. More user friendly,
  stylish.

29
Unix

• The Unix operating system was originally designed
  to run on minicomputers in network environments.
• Now it is a powerful operating system for
  microcomputers and servers on the Web.
• There are a large number of different versions of
  Unix.

30
Linux

• One important version of Unix is called Linux.
• Linux is not a proprietary operating system (it
  is not owned and licensed by a company).
• It was developed in 1991 by Linus Torvalds, a
  graduate student at the University of Helsinki.
• Torvalds provided the operating system free to
  others.

31
Unix (Linux)

• Significant alternative to Microsoft Windows
• Older than Windows (lt 70s)
• Beloved of Computer Scientists and technical
  specialists (gurus)
• Extremely powerful tools and features
• Associated windowing system called X Windows
• Now entered mainstream with more support

32
Utilities

• Utilities are specialized programs designed to
  assist users with tasks that will help run their
  computers without problems.
• There are hundreds of different utility programs
  that can be used on the computer.
• Most operating system programs provide some
  utility programs.
• More powerful utility programs can be purchased.

33
Most Essential Utilities

• Troubleshooting
• Anti-virus programs
• Uninstall programs
• Backup programs
• File compression programs

34
Windows Utilities

• Backup
• Disk cleanup
• Disk defragmenter

35
Utility Suites

• Two best-known utility suites are
• Norton System Works
• McAfee Office

36
Device Drivers

• A program that controls a device (like a printer,
  disk drive, or keyboard).
• Many drivers, such as the keyboard driver, come
  with the operating system.
• For other devices, you may need to load a new
  driver when you connect the device to your
  computer.
• In Windows environments, drivers often have a
  .DRV extension.

37
Device Drivers

• A driver acts like a translator between the
  device and programs that use the device.
• Each device has its own set of specialized
  commands that only its driver knows.
• Most programs access devices by using generic
  commands.
• The driver, therefore, accepts generic commands
  from a program and then translates them into
  specialized commands for the device.

38
A Look to the Future

• Better support, simpler installations, greater
  ease of use
• Windows is dominant in
• users
• small to medium-size businesses
• Linux Unix are finding being implemented when
  there are advantages