Fall 1998 Computers and Society
Tuesdays 6 - 9:40 PM in 113 Rackham: GST 2710, Section 990 and AGS 3360, Section 983
Mondays 5:30 - 9:10 PM at NWAC: GST 2710, Section 984

Last updated: 10/6/98
Link back to course Welcome...

First class: Agenda
Tuesday September 8 (Rackham) / Monday September 14 (NWAC)

1. Handouts, roster (sign the roster as soon as you arrive)
2. Course overview - Syllabus
3. Introduction to computers
   1. Data Vs Information Vs Knowledge
      1. Computer processes symbols
      2. Types of computer information
         1. Programs - computer commands in a form the computer understands
         2. Data
            1. Numerical data in binary format
            2. Text (includes numbers in text form). This form is used for input and output.
            3. Pictures and animations
            4. Sound
   2. Basic computer structure
      1. Central processing unit (CPU)
      2. Input devices - examples
      3. Output devices - examples
      4. Primary storage (RAM/ROM). Fast but "volatile" - stored information disappears when the power is turned off. This is "working memory"; the CPU uses the information from RAM/ROM
      5. Secondary storage (disks) or permanent storage -- does not disappear when the power is turned off, but must be loaded into primary storage to be used
         1. Hard drive/disk - C: or c:
         2. Floppy drive - A: or a:
            NOTE: In DOS, all drives are in uppercase. In Windows, all drives are in lowercase. Later on, this holds for directories and files also.
            NOTE: Taking care of your floppy diskette for this course: Keep your floppy diskette away from dirt or grime, heat, cold, and strong electric or magnetic fields. Do not carry it loose, especially if it can get bent or twisted. Label your floppy diskette. There is a specific indented area on the plastic case for the label. Keep the label within this area. Make sure the label is tight all around the edges. If the edges stick up, the diskette will get caught in the floppy drive, and most likely destroyed. Never let the label cover any part of the metal door on the diskette.
4. Counting and adding in decimal and binary
   1. For a computer, the first number is zero!
   2. How the decimal system works - humans use this because it is compact
      1. Symbols
      2. Counting
      3. Carry
      4. Place value
      5. Addition
   3. Binary number system - computers use this because it can be represented by switches - simple, fast and cheap on-off devices.
      1. Symbols
      2. Counting
      3. Carry
      4. Place value
      5. Addition
   4. Converting
      1. Powers of two in decimal and binary notation
   5. Numerals and numbers
      1. The number is the quantity
      2. A numeral is the symbol that represents the number, but the same number has different numerals in decimal and binary
5. Computer systems and software
   1. What the operating system does
   2. What applications do
   3. Primary applications -- the ones covered by this course
      1. Word processing
      2. Spreadsheet
      3. Database
      4. Graphics
      5. Communications
      6. Computer programming
   4. Files
      1. What is a file?
         1. Collection of related information
         2. Exists in permanent storage
         3. Has a name - filename and extension: filename.ext
         4. Wildcards -- ? stands for any one character. * stands for any number of characters (including zero characters). For example, *.exe stands for a file with any name and an extension of exe. In Microsoft Excel, there are several file types, whose extensions start with xl. This can be indicated by *.xl*
      2. Types of files
         1. Program
         2. Data
      3. Heirarchical file system
         1. Directories / folders. A directory can contain files and other directories (sub-directories)
         2. Root directory
         3. Examples:
            C:\
            C:\STUDENTS
            C:\STUDENTS\SECT571
         4. "Path" means directory to a file, including the directory and file name. Example:
            C:\STUDENTS\SECT571\PROSPECTUS.WPS
   5. Command Line Interface (example: DOS) Vs Graphical User Interface or GUI (example: Windows)
   6. Windows basics
      1. (Rackham) Turning these computers on -- the computer type is marked on the base unit (computer) in the upper left corner
         1. 7300/180: Turn these on with keyboard, key at upper-right corner marked with an arrowhead that points to the left. This key controls both the computer and the monitor (screen). The buttons on the base unit and computer work, but are not recommended.
         2. 6100/66: Turn these on off with the buttons on the computer, separately. The keyboard button does not work.
         3. When you turn these computers on, you may see a warning about the monitor configuration. If this warning appears, ignore it by clicking on the "Cancel" button. You may need to click on more than one Cancel button.
         4. (You do not simply turn off the power on a Macintosh computer. We will go over how to shut these computers down, later on. When it does come time to turn the power off, the same switch(es) that turn the computer on will turn it off.)
      2. (Rackham) <Option><Return> to toggle (go back and forth) between Macintosh and Windows95
         1. If you see an apple in the upper left opf the screen, you are in the Macintosh system
      3. (NWAC) You have to log in to Windows NT, but this is just a dummy login. Tap the spacebar for the password and click Ok.
      4. Mouse actions (on a Windows mouse, use left button)
         1. Point. Place the mouse cursor over a feature on the screen by using the mouse. The active part of the cursor is the extreme point of the arrow.
         2. Click. Point the mouse and click the button once. Use this to actuate buttons and menu items, to select icons.
            1. "Click on" means to point at the feature named and click once. Example: "Click on the Netscape icon."
            2. (NWAC) With a two-button Windows mouse, use the left button unless the right button is explicitly mentioned.
         3. Double-click. Point the mouse and click the button twice, rapidly. Use this to open icons (can also select and tap <Return>).
            1. Double-click on Accessories to open it
            2. Double-click on Clock to open it
         4. Drag. Point the mouse at a screen feature, hold the button down and move the mouse with the button held down. Use this to move windows and icons, and to change the size of windows.
      5. Parts of a window
         1. Border - use it to resize -- mouse cursor changes shape
         2. Title bar - uses are see what the window is, to show if window is activated (blue for activated, grey for unactivated) and to move the window
         3. Menu bar - use is to make window do work for you
         4. Minimize / Maximize / Close boxes
         5. Minimize = reduce window back to an icon
         6. Maximize = make window take up whole screen
         7. Close = leave the application
         8. When a window is maximized, its maximize button turns into double overlapping boxes. Click this button to return the window to its original (smaller) size.
      6. Managing windows
         1. Open an icon into a window - double-click the icon
         2. Moving - drag on title bar
         3. Resizing - drag on border -- dragging on a corner can change height and width at once
         4. Closing
         5. Maximizing / minimizing
         6. Bring to front, same as activating -- single click on a window anywhere to do this
6. Microsoft Office - combines word processing, database, spreadsheet and graphics
   1. Parts of Office that we will be using
      1. Word - word processing
      2. Excel - spreadsheet
      3. Access - database
         You carry out the underlined items.
   2. Start Word by
      1. clicking on the Start button in the lower left corner of the screen
      2. then pointing to Programs
      3. then sliding the mouse cursor over horizontally, then down to Office97
      4. then sliding the mouse cursor over to Microsoft Word
      5. then single-clicking on Microsoft Works
   3. Insert the test floppy diskette into the diskette drive window.
      1. The writing ("CH") is on on the top of the diskette
      2. The metal door is on the front of the diskette - it goes into the computer first.
      3. Push firmly until the computer takes the disk in the rest of the way. If the diskette sticks, do not force it.
   4. Type something in Word -- anything.
   5. Save what you have written
      1.  
   6. Active elements -- these are common elements that appear in all Windows applications.
   1. Icon - a small picture indicating a file that can be started or run with a double-click
   2. Dialog: a collection of active elements to accomplish a multipart task. Dialogs are windows, so they have title bars. We will identify dialogs by their title -- the text on the title bar. When you start Works, the first thing you see is the Startup dialog.
   3. Button - a rectangular picture that looks like a button, often with a label, that takes an action when it is clicked.
   4. Menu - a list of options that drops down when you click on the text on the menu bar. Click on the option you you want to choose it.
      1. Click on the File menu item, release the mouse button, and then click on Save As...
         (In the future, we will call this the File / Save As... menu item.)
         This opens up the Save As... dialog. Take a close look. You will be using it many times. In order, check to make sure you save the file the way you want:
         1. Drive (A:, C: or other). Here, use the a: drive to save on the floppy diskette
         2. Directory on that drive. There will be no directories on this dkiskette.
         3. File in that directory. NOTE: most Windows programs have a default extension. Unless you have good reason, do not change this. changing the default directory on a file will cause difficulty when you want to go back and open it again. On the other hand, use a distinct file name that tells you something about the contents of the file.

         When you have the drive, directory and filename reading the way you want, click the Ok button to save your file.

         NOTE: In "Save As..." the ellipsis (three dots at the end) indicates that you will need to supply furhter information to carry out the action. This is standard Windows usage. For one thing, it means that if you try it and don't like it, you will be able to cancel the action.

   5. Close your file.
      1. In the upper right corner of the Word window, there are two sets of controls. Click on the lower "X" to close your file.
   6. Reopen your file.
      1. Choose the menu item File / Open
      2. Select the drive (a:) and either (both do the same thing)
         1. double click on the file name
            OR
         2. single-click on the file name and click on Ok
   7. Pull-down list - a line of text with a down-pointing arrowhead to the right. When you click the arrowhead, a list of options drop down. Click on the option you want to choose it.
      1. On the Save As... dialog, you used the pull-down drive list to choose drive a:
   8. List box - a list of choices inside a box, with the chosen item shown above the list.
      1. On the Open dialog, you used the list box of file names
   9. Scroll bars - bars at the right side and/or bottom of the screen with up and down arrowheads and an "elevator box." These are for moving ("scrolling") through a long text or graphics file. The elevator box shows your location within the file. Click on the arrowheads for small movements. Click on the bar near the arrowhead to move one full screen at a time. Drag the elevator box for large movements.
      Try all three.
7. Turning these computers off
   1. Go to Macintosh system
   2. Choose "Special" menu
   3. Choose Shut down
   4. Wait for OK to shut power off, then turn off the power on both the computer (base unit) and the monitor.

Be sure to turn the test diskette back in.

Assignment 1

1. Read Chapter 1, parts A and B, in Computers in Your Future 98. Turn in answers for the following questions: Pg 1-21 and 1-22, Matching (all), Multiple Choice 1 - 10. Pg 1-46, Completion 1 -10.
2. In Microsoft Office Professional 97 Step by Step, read Part I, Lessons 1 and 2, and be prepared to carry them out in lab.
3. Write the numbers after the following numbers (binary):
   1. 100
   2. 110
   3. 111
   4. 1001
   5. 10111001101
4. Add the following binary numbers:
   1. 10 + 11
   2. 1010 + 1101
   3. 11 + 1
   4. 11 + 10
   5. 110011 + 1101
5. Convert the following binary numbers to decimal: A)1 B)101 C)1011 D)0110 E)10011 F)111011 G)111011001
6. Convert the following decimal numbers to binary: A)0 B)7 C)13 D)16 E)25 F)67 G)125
7. Why do computers use the binary system?
8. Why do humans use the decimal system?
9. What does the term "bit" refer to?
10. What does the term "byte" refer to?
11. What does the term "kilobyte" refer to?
12. What does the term "megabyte" refer to?

Quiz 1

Quiz 1 at the start of class next week will cover:

• Counting and adding binary numbers
• Mouse actions: list and describe the mouse actions, and describe the active part of the mouse icon
• Parts of windows: list and describe their use(s)
• Files: Describe the meaning of
  • filename
  • extension
  • full file name
  • directory
  • drive
  • path
• Given an example of one of the "Files" items, identify its parts (e.g. for globwarm.wps, globwarm is the filename and wps is the extension)
• List the parts of a window and describe their use(s).
• Given a picture of a window, identify its parts.
• List the active elements that can appear in windows and describe their use(s).
• Given a picture with active elements, identify the elements.
• Starting with the computer off, open a file in Word.

Next week in class I will take individual pictures for the course Web Site. This is not a required part of the course; if you do not want your picture taken, let me know. The course Web Site is http://www.cll.wayne.edu/isp/drbowen/casf98.