Introduction to Information Technology

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Introduction to Information Technology
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What is information?

• We all know thatbut what is it really?
• In the context of Information Technology, we
  often talk about data
• For a computer, data is always just a sequence of
  0s and 1s, like
• 00100101010101111010010110101101
• It is us as human beings, that interpret the data
  within some context
• By this interpretation, data becomes information

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What is information?

• In order to transform data to information, we
  need a context within which to interpret data
• In one context, 00101010 might mean the number
  42
• In a different context, 00101010 might mean the
  letter C
• Data Context Information

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Information and communication

• So what is the purpose of all this information we
  produce?
• Ultimately, the purpose of all this information
  is communication, in a broad sense
• Communication with yourself
• Communication with others
• Communication with a computer
• Communication over distance
• Communication with the future

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Humans like to communicate

• The ability and desire to com-municate is a
  very strong trait for humans beings
• Without communication, it is very hard to
• Cooperate in solving complex tasks
• Transfer knowledge to others
• Develop a culture
• At a certain stage we need tech-nology to
  communicate effectively

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Historical IT

• This is also IT generally speaking

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Historical IT

• The more advanced a civilisation becomes, the
  more it requires sophisticated IT
• Major milestones in pre-computer IT
• Language (where??, when??)
• Writing/alphabet (Middle East, ca 3000 b.c)
• Postal service (Roman Empire, China, ca 0)
• Printing (China, ca 600)
• Wire telegraph (Europe, ca 1800)
• Radio (Europe, ca år 1900)

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Who came first?

• So you may wonder
• Does our civilisation become more advanced,
  because we are becoming better to com-municate?
• Or
• Are we becoming better to communicate, because we
  need it to advance our civilisation?

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History of computers
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The computer way back

• First mechanical computers were built in ancient
  Greece around year 0.
• The Antikythera device was a mechanical device
  for predicting astronomical phenomena
• It was not a programmable device
• Similar machinces are built in the Middle East
  about 1,000 years later
• More complex machines do not really emerge before
  around year 1800

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The computer 19th century

• In 1801, Joseph Jaquard construcs a mechanical
  loom, which could be programmed using punch cards
• First programmable device
• Programmable You can change the behavior of the
  machine, without changing it physically

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The computer 19th century

• British Charles Babbage designs the first
  generally programmable device (called the
  Analytical Engine), in mid-19th century
• Would in principle work as a modern computer,
  even though it was a purely mechanical device
• Development was funded by the British gover-ment,
  but it was shut down

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The computer 19/20th century

• For administration of the 1890 US census, a
  machine based on punch cards is constructed
• Still a purely mechanical device
• The device is constructed by Tabulating Machine
  Company, which later becomes...IBM
• During the start of the 20th century, more
  advanced mechanical devices are constructed
• Technology for building electronic computers is
  emerging

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The computer 1940s

• First electronic computers emerge during the
  period 1940-1945
• Development highly driven by World War II
• British computer for breaking German codes
• American computer for calculation of misslie
  trajectories
• Shortly after the war, the architecture of a
  modern computer is designed (the von Neumann
  architecture)

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The computer 50/60/70s

• A market for computers is emerging in the
  business sector
• First to adopt computer technology are banks,
  insurance, and other computationally heavy
  businesses
• IBM initially has a very large market share, but
  other companies begin to emerge
• First home computers emerge in late 70s

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The Computer 80s

• Computers find their way into private homes
• Very little software initially primarily used
  for games
• IBM markets the IBM Personal Computer in 1981
• Is the basis for modern PCs
• Price was about 8000

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The computer 90s

• Number of PCs in private homes explodes
• Prices becomes reasonable
• Much easier to use (Windows, Mac)
• Much more software
• Internet / WWW takes off
• Also some transition in the industry from central
  machines (main-frames) to networks of PCs
• Internet euphoria in 1995-2000

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The Bubble
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The computer 00s

• Almost full penetration of PCs in homes, at
  least in the western world
• Internet more important than the computer itself
• Internet access spreads to other devices than
  traditional com-puters (phones, PDA,)
• User-driven content on the Web (web 2.0)

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The computer 10s

• Even more internet-enabled devices (tablets,
  Smart-TV,)
• Traditional PC platform stalling
• Web 3.0 (Intelligent Agents, web creates
  knowledge)
• and who knows what else?