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Specific Objective 10: identify tools used in the entry, retrieval, processing, storage, presentation,
transmission and dissemination of information;
Content: Examples of hardware, software, and communication tools. Tools associated with
the Internet including on- line services; search engines; Usenet, Internet Relay Chat (IRC),
telnet, ftp, newsgroups, message board, mailing list, Internet telephony.
Computer fan
Firmware
Storage Controllers
Media Devices
Devices such as CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs are some of the
popular removable storage media that can store digital data. USB
flash drives are a relatively recent development. Tape drives and zip
drives are less commonly used while the floppy disks are obsolete.
Hard discs and solid-state drives are used for internal storage. Here is
a brief introduction to each of these storage media. Know all about the
hard drives.
It manages physical disc drives and brings them to the form of logical
units. It provides a disc cache and implements hardware RAID.
Tape drive is a data storage device that reads and writes data stored
on a magnetic tape. Tape drives have storage capacities ranging from
a few megabytes to multiple gigabytes. They are mainly used for
archival storage of data.
Solid-state Drive
Blu ray disc is an optical disc storage media format. It obtains its name
from the blue laser that is used to read and write this type of disc.
Owing to its shorter wavelength, blu-ray discs can store large amounts
of data. BD-ROM drive is used for reading data from a blu-ray disc
and a BD writer can be used for both reading from and writing to a blu-
ray disc.
Zip Drive
Network Card
Routers are not exactly pieces of hardware. Rather, they are devices
that are used to join multiple wired or wireless computer networks.
Computer Peripherals
System Software
System software coordinates the complete system hardware and
provides an environment or platform for all the other types of software
to work in. It is the most basic type of software in any computer
system, which is essential for other programs, applications and indeed
for the whole computer system to function.
(System software examples - Microsoft Windows XP, Mac OS, Linux,
Windows Vista, Ubuntu, device drivers, etc.)
Application Software
Application software are those that help the user perform the tasks of
his/her choice. They are non-essential software which are installed
and run depending upon the requirements, in the environment
provided by the system software.
(Application software examples - MS Office, OpenOffice, Media
Players, MS Access, educational software, media development
software, Antivirus software, etc. )
Programming Software
Programming software are used to write, test, debug and develop
other software programs and applications. The various programming
language editors such as Eclipse- a Java language editor, come under
this category. They are used for creating both the system as well as
application software.
(Programming software examples - Turbo C, Xilinx, Kiel, compilers,
debuggers, Integrated Development Environment (IDE), etc.)
Apart from the above major types of software, there are many other
sub-types such as the ones mentioned below.
Utility Software- They are usually small programs that help in the
management of the hardware and the application software, installed
on a computer.
(Example- Disk defragmenters, Disk cleaners, etc.)
Browsers- Browsers are software that let you surf or browse the
Communication Tools
Types of Communication
External and Internal Communication
Mail
Even with all the modern methods of communication, regular postal
mail is still one of the most powerful tools for a business. It adds a
personal touch, it's used for delivering secure documents, contracts,
and shipping items. A convenient way to handle mail from your own
home or office is through a Stamps.com account, which allows you to
print postage from your own computer.
Landline Telephones
There are many types of telephones, and only you can decide which
type(s) or combinations of types are right for you. Even the standard
telephone (landline) that is installed in your office has many options.
You should start with at least one line that is unique to your business.
This line should have the capability to take messages in case it is not
answered personally. Here are some telephone tips:
Smartphones
Growth in demand for advanced mobile devices boasting powerful
memory, larger screens, and open operating systems has outpaced
the rest of the mobile phone market for several years. A smartphone is
a cell phone offering advanced capabilities with computer-like
functionality. A smartphone incorporates advanced features like e-
mail, Internet, and e-book reader capabilities and include a full
keyboard or an external keyboard. In other words, a smartphone is a
miniature computer that has phone capability.
Fax Machines
The decision must be made as to whether to buy a stand alone fax
machine or an "all-in-one" model. All-in-ones function as a printer,
scanner, copier and fax. (Not all models have the fax or scanner
capability). If you plan on sending and receiving lots of faxes you
might consider the stand-alone. For less frequent use the all-in-one
Some phone vendors can provide you with a fax number that works
with your e-mail system. Receiving a fax works just like it does when
the fax is being received by another machine but you receive it as an
attachment to an e-mail. This can be very handy for those who travel
on a frequent basis and are not always near a fax machine. Here are
tips:
Computers
A computer is so affordable that it should be included as a key tool in
your business. Computers can be purchased for a wide range of
prices. For basic word processing, e-mail, accounting, and
spreadsheet work, you will not require a top-of-the-line computer.
While what you buy today may soon become obsolete, this does not
mean that the computer you purchase will not meet your business
requirements for a much longer period of time. The following
Desktop
Laptop
Notebook (or netbook)
Tablet
Handheld
Desktops
This is the most common type of computer: one that is set up to
operate in your office. The computer system should include:
Laptops
A laptop computer offers portability with many of the features offered
by a desktop which make it ideal for meetings or if you travel
frequently. Drawbacks for laptops include: they are higher in price
than desktops, have smaller keyboards and monitors and are subject
to theft. Traditional and wireless printers, keyboards and even the
traditional mouse are options available for laptops. If you travel and
need computing capability, it is worth the extra expense.
Tablet Computers
A tablet computer is equipped with a touch screen or stylus rather
than a keyboard to operate the computer. The advantages include
using when it is not convenient to use a keyboard and mouse,
recording diagrams and symbols, and easier navigation than a
keyboard and mouse or touch pad. Disadvantages include higher
cost, slower input speed, and risk of damage to the tablet screen.
Handheld Devices
Handheld computers, or Personal Digital Assistants, are still popular
despite the growing sales of smartphones. There are basically two
versions of these units: 1) those using the Palm Pilot operating system
and 2) those using the Microsoft Windows Mobile operating system.
These units allow synchronizing your key organizational elements with
Software
The software you purchase is key to making your computer
productive. The operating system, whether it is a PC or a Macintosh,
should be preloaded onto the system. Many software packages are
often bundled with the system at the time of purchase and some in the
form of trial software. At the bare minimum, you should have the
capability to do word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations.
Auxiliary Products
Many products can be used in conjunction with your computer to
enhance the functionality and image of your business. These also
require software specifically designed to facilitate its usage.
Internet
The Internet an essential marketing and communication tool.
yelp: https://biz.yelp.com/
taken from: https://www.scu.edu/mobi/business-courses/starting-a-business/session-8-
communication-tools/, on July 7, 2016
can communicate with one another, either by exchanging e-mail messages or by participating in
online conferences (forums). In addition, the service can connect users with an almost unlimited
number of third-party information providers. Subscribers can get up-to-date stock quotes, news
stories hot off the wire, articles from many magazines and journals, in fact, almost any
information that has been put in electronic form. Of course, accessing all this data carries a
price.
The difference between an online service and a bulletin board service is one of scale and
profits. Online services provide a variety of information and services, whereas BBS's normally
concentrate on a single theme. In addition, BBS's are often operated on a non-profit basis
whereas online services are always for profit. Three of the largest online services are America
One online service that defies classification is the Internet. In terms of users, it is the largest
service, but it is not centrally controlled by any one organization, nor is it operated for profit.
the documents where the keywords were found. A search engine is really a general class of
programs, however, the term is often used to specifically describe systems like Google, Bing
and Yahoo! Search that enable users to search for documents on the World Wide Web.
possible. Another program, called an indexer, then reads these documents and creates
an index based on the words contained in each document. Each search engine uses
a proprietary algorithm to create its indices such that, ideally, only meaningful results are
returned for each query.
As many website owners rely on search engines to send traffic to their website, and entire
industry has grown around the idea of optimizing Web content to improve your placement in
search engine results. Learn more about search engine optimization (SEO) in this Webopedia'
definition.
USENET
A worldwide bulletin board system that can be accessed through the Internet or through
many online services. The USENET contains more than 14,000 forums, called newsgroups, that
cover every imaginable interest group. It is used daily by millions of people around the world.
1980s. IRC has become very popular as more people get connected to the Internet because it
enables people connected anywhere on the Internet to join in live discussions. Unlike older chat
To join an IRC discussion, you need an IRC client and Internet access. The IRC client is
a program that runs on your computer and sends and receives messages to and from an
IRC server. The IRC server, in turn, is responsible for making sure that all messages are
Telnet
Telnet is a terminal emulation program for TCP/IPnetworks such as the Internet. The Telnet
program runs on your computer and connects your PC to a server on the network. You can then
enter commands through the Telnet program and they will be executed as if you were entering
them directly on the server console. This enables you to control the server and communicate
with other servers on the network. To start a Telnet session, you must log in to a server by
entering a valid username and password. Telnet is a common way to remotely control Web
servers.
communications facility to allow for a a standard method of interfacing terminal devices and
processes.
the Internet. FTP uses the Internet's TCP/IP protocols to enable data transfer. FTP uses a
client-server architecture, often secured with SSL/TLS. FTP promotes sharing of files via remote
browser and SMTP for transferring electronic mail across the Internet in that, like these
technologies.
FTP uses a client-server architecture. Users provide authentication using a sign-in protocol,
usually a username and password, however some FTP servers may be configured to
accept anonymous FTP logins where you don't need to identify yourself before accessing files.
Newsgroup
Same as forum, an on-line discussion group. On the Internet, there are literally thousands of
newsgroups covering every conceivable interest. To view and post messages to a newsgroup,
you need a news reader, a program that runs on your computer and connects you to a news
Message Board
A message board (known also by various other names such as discussion
group, discussion forum, and online forum) is a general term for any online
"bulletin board" where you can leave and expect to see responses to
messages you have left. Or you can just read the board. The first discussion
boards were available on bulletin board systems. On the
Many websites offer discussion boards so that users can share and discuss
information and opinions. Special software is available that provides
discussion board capability for a website.
Source: http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/discussion-board-
discussion-group-message-board-online-forum, retrieved on July 7, 2016
Mailing List
A list of e-mail addresses identified by a single name, such as mail-list@sandybay.com. When
an e-mail message is sent to the mailing list name, it is automatically forwarded to all the
addresses in the list.
Most e-mail clients support mailing lists, which enables you to broadcast e-mail messages to
groups that you define. In addition, there are mailing list servers that manage centralized mailing
Internet Telephony
A category of hardware and software that enables people to use the Internet as the
transmission medium for telephone calls. For users who have free, or fixed-price Internet
access, Internet telephony software essentially provides free telephone calls anywhere in the
world. To date, however, Internet telephony does not offer the same quality of telephone service
There are many Internet telephony applications available. Some, like CoolTalk and NetMeeting,
come bundled with popular Web browsers. Others are stand-alone products. Internet telephony
products are sometimes called IP telephony, Voice over the Internet (VOI) or Voice over IP
(VOIP)products.