NETWORKS AND THE
INTERNET
NETWORK
• A collection of computers
and devices connected
together, often wirelessly,
via communications devices
and transmission media
• Allows computers to share
resources
INTERNET
• Worldwide connection of
networks that connects
millions of businesses,
government agencies,
educational institutions, and
individuals
INTERNET
• Exchange information with others around the
world
o e.g. Instant messaging, chatroom,
telephone call
World Wide Web/Web
• One of the more popular services on the internet
• Contains billions of documents -> Web page
• Web pages can contain text, graphics, animation,
audio and video.
• Web site is a collection of related web pages.
Web 2.0 sites
• Websites that provide a means for people to share information,
modify the Web site contents and have access to sites built by
software.
• Social Networking Website/Online social network – encourages
people to share their ideas, thoughts, stories, interests, photos, music
and videos.
Blog – informal website consisting of timestamped articles in a journal format
Microblog – ex. Twitter; allows people to publish short messages usually 100200 characters
Podcasts – recorded studio stored on a website that can be downloaded to a
computer
Web 2.0 sites
• Web Application – allows users to access and interact with software
from any computer
Computer Software
• Software – also called a program
- series of related instruction, organized for a common
person, that tells the computer what task(s) to perform
and how to perform them
- with graphical user interface
Software
• Icon – miniature image that
represents a program, an
instruction, or some other
object
• 2 categories of software:
 System software
 Application software
System Software
• Consists of programs that control or maintain the operations of the
computer and its devices
• Serves as interface between the user, application software and
computer’s hardware
• Operating system: set of programs that coordinates all the activities
among computer hardware devices
 Ex. Microsoft’s Windows, Mac OS
System Software
• Utility Software: allows a user to perform maintenance-type tasks
usually related to managing a computer or its programs
Application Software
-designed to make users more productive and/or assist them with personal tasks
Ex. Web browser
Installing and Running Programs
• Installing – process of
setting up a software to
work with computer,
printer, and other
hardware
Software Development
• Programmer – sometimes called
developer
- someone who
develops software or
writes instructions
that direct the
computer to process
data information
Categories of Computers