Introduction to Computers by Peter Norton 6th Ed

Q e SPECIAL INDIAN EDITION [ J^ ^ S ix t l^ d it io n INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS PETER NORTON In te rn S n H T M l Office For Sale in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan only Uploaded By : M. Kamran Hanif E-mail : mk. [email  protected] com Website : www. kamran. hk. ms Information contained in this work has been obtained by Tata McGraw-Hill, from sources believed to be reli ­ able.However, neither Tata McGraw-Hill nor its authors guarantee the accuracy or com pleteness of any infor ­ mation published herein, and neither Tata McGraw-Hill nor Its authors shall be responsible for any errors, omissions, or damages arising out of use of this Infor* mation. This work is published with the understanding that Tata McGraw-Hill and its authors are supplying in ­ formation but are not attempting to render engineering or other professional services. If such services are re ­ quired. the assistance of an appropriate professional should be sought m Tata McGraw-HillPE T ER NORTON’S * INTRODUCTION TO CO M PUTERS Indian Adaptation done by arrangement with the McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.. NewYbrk Sales territories: India. Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan. Ninth reprint 2008 RYXDCDRXRB8YA Copyright (D 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written consent of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.. including, but not limited to, in any network or other electronic storage or transmission, or broadcast for distance learning.Some andllaries, including electronic and print components, may not be available to customers outside the United States. ISBN-13:97S4M>7-0S9374*9 ISBN-10:0-07-059374-4 Published by the Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Limited. 7 W est Patel Nagar, New Delhi 110 008. typeset m Tim es at Script Makers. 19, A1-B. DDA Market, Pashchim Vlhar, New D elhi 110 063 and printed at Pashupati Printers, 1/429/16, G ali No. 1, Friends Colony. G. T. Road, Shahdara, Delhi 110 095 Cover Printer: SD R Printers Cover Design: Kapil Gupta The M cG raw -H ill Contponies Ez& sscr PH M TPM TQ AT A Cl IWindows 7 Check Your UnderstandingChapter 1: Introducing Computer Systems Lesson 1A: Exploring Computers and Their Uses Lesson IB : Lookina Inside the Computer Svstem Chapter 2: Interaction with Your Computer Lesson 2A: Using the Kevboard and Mouse Lesson 2B: Inputting Data in Other Wavs Chapter 3: Secinq, Hearing, and Printin') Data l;ctnn 3A; Virfpo and Snunri Lesson 3B: Printinq Chanter 4: Processing Data Lesson 4A: Transfbrmina Data into Information Lesson 4B: Modem CPUs Chapter 5; Storina Data Lesson SA: Types of Storaqe Devices Lesson SB: Measurinq and Improving Drive Performance Chapter 6: Usina Ooeratinu Systems Lesson 6A: Oporatinq Svstem Basics lesson 6B: Survev of PC nd Network Operatino Systems Chanter 7: Networks Lesson 7A: Networkinq Basics 2 3 24 48 49 68 88 89 1 07 124 12S Ufi m m 107 Chapter 0: Working in the Online World Lesson 9A: Connectinq to the Internet Lesson 9B: Doinq Business in the Online World Chapter 10: Workinq with Application Software Lesson 10A: Productivity Software Lesson 10B: Graphics and Multimedia Chapter 11: Database Management Lesson 11A: Database Manaqement Systems Lesson 11B: Survey of Database Systems Chanter 12: Software Proaramminq and Development Lesson 12A: Creating Computer Proqrams Lesson 12B: Proaramminq Lanauaoes and the Proqramminq Process Chanter 13: Protectina Your Privacy. Your Computer, and Your Data 330 331 345 382 263 383 400 401 42Q 438 439 456 478 477 497 518 528 532 538 SS8Lesson 13A: Understanding the Need for Security Measures 204 Lesson 13B: Takina Protective Measures 205 Appendix A: Creating Your Own Web Paae 22k Appendix B: Buyinq Your First Computer 242 Appendix C: Computer Viruses Annendix D: History of Microcomputers 243 267 Appendix E: Self-Check Answers Ch apter ; Presenting the Internet Lesson 8A: The Internet and the World Lesson 8B: E-Mail and Other Internet Services 284 286 312 Urheberrechtlich geschutzies ^ aterial FEATURE ARTICLES At Issue Computerized Oisease Manaqement Computer Votinq—Is It a Good Thinq? 36 62 10? 134 192 228 252 316 336 372 414 450 490 Productivity Tig Choosinq the Riqht Tool for the Job Savinq Time with Keyboard Shortcuts The Care and Feedinq of Printers Do You Need M n RAM? ; Backino Up Your Data Do-It-Yourself Tech Support The Telecommuter's Checklist—————- — Evaluatino the Reliability of Search Results and Web Sites Sharinq an Internet Connection Automatinq Your Work with Macros 0atahaoard, mouse,and microphone are commonInputdevices. Microphone Keyboard Speakers Monitor Printer :: FIGURE 1B. 11 Themonitor, primer,and speakers are commonou? put devices. 30 Chapter 1 Some types of hardware can act as both input and output devices. A touch screen, for example , is a type of monitor that displays text or icons you can touch. When you touch the screen, special sensors detect the touch and the computer cal ­ culates the point on the screen where you placed your finger.Depending on the lo ­ cation of the touch, the computer determines what information to display or what action to take next. Communications devices are the most common types of devices that can per ­ form both input and output. These devices connect one computer 10 another—a process known as networking. The most common kinds of communications de ­ vices are modems, which enable computers to communicate through telephone lines or cable television systems, and network interface cards (NICs), which let users connect a group of computers to share data and devices. Storage Devices A computer can function with only processing, memory, input, and output de ­ vices.To be really useful, however; a computer also needs a place to keep program files and related data when t hey are not in use. The purpose of storage is to hold data permanently, even when the computer is turned off. You may think of storage as an electronic file cabinet and RAM as an elec ­ tronic worktable. When you need to work with a program or a set of data, the computer locates it in the file cabinet and puts a copy on the table. After you have finished working with the program or data, you put it back into the file cabinet. The changes you make to data while working on it replace the original data in the file cabinet (unless you store it in a different place). Novice computer users often confuse storage with memory.Although the func ­ tions of storage and memory arc similar; they work in different ways. There arc three major distinctions between storage and memory:  » There is more room in storage than in memory, just as there is more room in a file cabinet tlian there is on a tabletop.  » Contents are retained in storage when the computer is turned off, whereas programs o r the data in memory disappear when you shut down the computer.  » Storage devices operate much slower than memory chips, bur storage is much cheaper than memory. Nor Formore formation onsorage U V C 3 Visit 3S 8. http://www. mhhe. ccm/ petemorton There are two main types of computer storage: magnetic and optical. Both are covered in the following sections.Magnetic Storage There are many types of computer storage, but the most common is the magnetic disk. A disk is a round, flat object that spins around its center. (Magnetic disks are almost always housed inside a case of some kind, so you can’t see the disk itself unless you open the case. ) Read/write heads, which work in much the same way as the heads of a tape recorder or VCR, are used to read data from the disk or write data onto the disk. The device that holds a disk is called a disk drive. Some disks are built into die drive and are not meant to be removed; other kinds of drives enable you to remove and replace disks (see Figure IB. 12).Most personal computers have at least one nonremovable hard disk (or hard drive). In addition, there is also a diskette drive, which allows you to use removable diskettes (or floppy disks). The hard disk serves as the computer’s primary filing cabinet because it can store far more data than a diskette can contain. Diskettes are used to load data onto the hard disk, to trade data with other users, and to make backup copies of the data on the hard disk. Introducing Computer Systems sch :: FIGURE 1B. 12 Standard PCs haw a buB-in hart disk and a octette dim The hard dfck is bult into the computer's case. Diskettes can be inserted into and removed from the diskette drive. Optical StorageIn addition to magnetic storage, nearly every computer sold today includes at least one form of optical storage—devices that use lasers to read data from or w rite data to the reflective surface of an optical disc. The CD-ROM drive is the most common type of optical stor age device. Com ­ pact discs (CD s) arc a type of optical storage, identical to audio CDs. U ntil re ­ cently, a standard CD could store about 74 minutes of audio or 650 M B of data. A newer breed of CDs can hold 80 minutes of audio or 700 M B of data (see Fig ­ ure 1B. 13). The type used in computers is called Compact Disc Read-Only Mem ­ ory (CD -RO M ). As the name implies, you cannot change the inform ation on the disc, just as you cannot record over an audio CD.If you purchase a CD-Recordable (CD-R) drive, you have the option of creat* ing your own CDs. A CD-R drive can w rite data to and read data from a compact disc. To record data w ith a CD-R drive, you must use a special CD-R disc, which can be written on only once, or a CD-ReW ritable (CD-RW ) disc, which can be written to m ultiple times, like a floppy disk. An increasingly popular data storage technology is the Digital Video Disc (D V D ), which is revolutionizing home entertainment. Using sophisticated com ­ pression technologies, a single DVD (which is the same size as a standard compact disc) can store an entire full-length movie. DVDs can hold a minimum of 4. 7 G B of data and as much as 17 G B.Future D VD technologies promise much higher stor ­ age capacities on a single disc. DVD drives also can locate data on the disc much faster than standard CD-ROM drives. DVDs require a special player (see Figure IB . 14). M any DVD players, how ­ ever, can play audio, data, and DVD discs, freeing the user from purchasing dif ­ ferent players for each type of disc. D VD drives are now standard equipment on many new personal computers. Users not only can install programs and data from their standard CDs, but they also can watch movies on their personal computers by using a DVD. FIGURE 1B. 13 Software nakers commonly sel Oier productson CDbecauseof the dsc's high storage capaoty. Software Brings the Machine to LifeThe ingredient that enables a computer to perform a specific task is software , which consists of instructions. A set of instructions that drive a computer to per ­ form specific tasks is called a program. These instructions tell the machine’s phys ­ ical components what to do; without the instructions, a computer could not do anything at a ll. When a computer uses a particular program, it is said to be run ­ ning or executing that program. Although the array of available programs is vast and varied, most software falls into two major categories: system software and application software. ONLINE FormoreInformation on computersoftware, visit http://www. mhhe. com/ petemorton 32 Chapter 1 System SoftwareSystem software is any program (hat controls the computer’s hard ­ ware or that can be used to maintain the computer in some w ay so that it runs more efficiently. There are three basic types of system software:  » An operating system tells the computer how to use its own com* poncnts. Examples of operating systems include Windows, the Mac intosh Operating System, and Linux (see Figure IB . 15). An operating system is essential for any computet; because it acts as an interpreter between the hardware, application programs, and the usee When a program wants the hardware to do something, it communicates through the operating system. Sim ilarly, when you want the hardware to do something (such as copying or printing a file), your request is handled by the operating system. A network operating system allows omputers to communicate and share data across a network while controlling network op* erations and overseeing the network’s security. A u tility is a program that makes the computer system easier to use or performs highly specialized functions (see Figure IB . 16). U tilities arc used to manage disks, troubleshoot hard* ware problems, and perform other tasks that the operating sys ­ tem itself may not be able to do.  »  » FIG U RE 1B. 14 DVDplayersare now standardon many PCsand are foundin marryhome enterta inmentcentos. Application Software Application software tells the computer how to accomplish specific tasks, such as word processing or drawing, for the user.Thousands of applications are available for many purposes and for people o f all ages. Some of the major categories of these applications include  »  » Word processing software for creating text-based documents such as newsletters or brochures (see Figure IB . 17). Spreadsheets for creating numeric-based documents such as budgets or bal ­ ance sheets. FIG U RE 1B. 15 Windowsis Ihe mostpopular cf aS PC operatingsystems, runningonabout BagiEBEBBjBSi 90 percentof al personalcomputers. Introducing Computer Systems 33 Urheberrechtlich geschutzles M «  » Database management software for building and manipulating large sets of data, such as the names, addresses, and phone numbers in a telephone directory.Presentation programs for creating and presenting electronic slide shows (see Figure 1B. 18). Graphics programs for design ing illus ­ trations or manipulating photographs, movies, or animation. Multim edia authoring applications for building digital movies that incorporate sound, video, anim ation, and interactive features. Entertainment and education software, many of which are interactive multime ­ dia events.  »  »  »  » FIGURE 1B. 16  » Web design tools and Web browsers, and other Internet applications such as newsreaders and e-mail programs.  » Games, some o f which arc for a single player and many of which can be played by several people over a network or the Internet.Thereare hundreds of utility programs available forpersonal computers. This one. caled ParttlonMagic, helps you manage jour hard cfisKto getthe most from it Computer Data You have already seen that, to a computer, data is any piece of information or fact that, taken by itself, may not make sense to a person. For example, you might think of the letters of the alphabet as data. Taken individually, they do not mean a lo t. But when grouped into words and sentences, they make sense; that is, they become information (see Figure IB . 19). Sim ilarly, basic geometric shapes may not have much meaning by themselves, but when they arc grouped into a blueprint or a chart, they become useful information. n o * a  « ‘ – f o lflJJ e†¢ IS*H*M  »*a* n o t – * *†¢- t *-†¢* jlK  » z j* / u-*-ai-:. *— . ; – f t ir – V * ‘* – * n, i. 4r  »  ¦ ~ { _ k___ _ l l 1 I FIG U RE 1 B. 1 ? Word processing software s designed (or creating documentsthatconsistprimarily of text, but also lets youadd graphcs and sounds to your documents. It also provides layout features that letyou create brochures. newsletters,Web pages, and mom . 34 Chapter 1 M i 3 —  « I H w fcn  «h Haw*M**AH «a4 «M* M M ptflw W lM A to A M Ih m k B m V Dmm*mS. xa NvMrHtwMMk  ¦ M r itM m i l « h  » M ld  »  »  »  « * llh i » ^ f c n 1 ilfilw >  » à ¢â‚¬â€ n TW  « t iW * *  » lW fa m i w d p u l— n le y— d w t ‘t i i w l a Ml  ¦M l  ¦ ‘*  ¦ * -1________________________B lw f lja ! ______ ‘‘  ¦; ! .. C uitrom A K lM M T . U . ATTOOCTBATLAW 1002 AIMMBSB8ZT sunu;,iL4nw C i A Urheborrechtlich geschOtztes M FIGURE 1B. 18 :: T oil rtyt Sj ;fca f Presentation software is mostoften used torcreating sales presentations,aXtvxjgh I can be effectivetorany typeol electronicside show.  « H i n ^ X iM ; . i W h;i; :' V! J i 1 jwufinm :. ^  ¦ H o? drrnfi! ^Viis,-S* The Keyboard The Mouse Variants of the Mouse Ergonomics and Input Devices Lesson 2B: Inputting D ata In O ther W ays  »  »  » Devices for the Hand Optical Input Devices Audiovisual Input Devices LESSON v m Overview: T he K eyboard an d M ouseIf you think of the CPU as a computer’s brain, then you might think of the input devices as its sensory organs—the eyes, ears, and fingers. From the user’s point o f view, input devices are just as important as the CPU, perhaps even more important. After you buy and set up the com* putcr, you may take the CPU for granted because you interact directly with input devices and only indirectly with the CPU. But your ability to use input devices is critical to your overall success with the whole system. An input device docs exactly what its name suggests: it enables you to enter information and commands into the computer. The most com* monly used input devices arc the keyboard and the mouse.If you buy a new personal computer today, it w ill include a keyboard and mouse un ­ less you specify otherwise. Other types of input devices arc available as well, such as variations of the mouse and specialized †alternative† input devices such as microphones and scanners. This lesson introduces you to the keyboard and the mouse. You w ill learn the importance of these devices, the way the computer accepts input from them, and the many tasks they e nable you to perform on your PC. Using the Keyboard and Mouse OBJECTIVES :: > Identity the five key groups on a ; †¢ standard computer keyboard. > Name six special*purpose keys found on all standard computer keyboards.  » List the steps a computer follows when accepting input from a keyboard. Describe the purpose of a mouse and the rote it plays in computing.  » Identify the five essential techniques for using a mouse.  » Identify three common variants of the mouse.  » Describe five steps you can take to avoid repetitive stress injuries from computer use. Urheberrechtilch g eschutztes Material The Keyboard O N L IN E For mote information on computer-based keyboard tutooals, vs* http://wvrw. mhho. com/ petemortoa The keyboard was one of the first peripherals to be used with computers, and it is still the primary input device for entering text and numbers. A standard keyboard includes about 100 keys; each key sends a different signal to the CPU.If you have not used a comp uter keyboard or a typewriter, you w ill learn quickly that you can use a computer much more effectively if you know how to type. The skill of typing, or keyboarding, is the ability to enter text and numbers with skill and accuracy. Certainly, you can use a computer without having good typing skills. Some people claim that when computers can interpret handwriting and speech with 100 percent accuracy, typing w ill become unnecessary. But for now and the foreseeable future, keyboarding remains the most common way to enter text and other data into a computer: The Standard Keyboard Layout O N L IN E For more miormaiion on computer keyboards and keyboard manufacturers, visit http://www. mhhc. com/ petemortal Keyboards come in many styles.The various models differ in size, shape, and feel; except for a few special-purpose keys, most keyboards arc laid out almost identi ­ cally. Among IBM-compatible computers, the most common keyboard layout is the IBM Enhanced Keyboard. It has about 100 keys arranged in five groups, as shown in Figure 2A. 1. (The term IBM-compatible computer refers to any PC based on the first personal computers, which were made by IBM . Today, an IBMcompatible PC is any PC other than a Macintosh computer. ) The Alphanumeric Keys The alphanumeric keys—(he area of the keyboard that looks like a typewriter's keys—are arranged the same way on almost every keyboard.Sometimes this com ­ mon arrangement is called the Q W ERTY (pronounced KWER-tcc) layout be ­ cause the first six keys on the top row of letters are Q, W, E , R , T, and Y. Along with the keys that produce letters and numbers, the alphanumeric key group includes four keys having specific functions. The t a b , CAPS LOCK, ba c k  ­ spa c e , and e n t e r keys are described in Figure 2A. 2. FIGURE 2A . 1 Most BM com pattie PCs use a keyboard like M s one. Mar/ keyboards feature a number of specialized keys, am)keyboardscan vary in size and shape. But nearly e l standard P C keyboards include the keys shewn here. The Modifier Keys The SHIFT, ALT (Alternate), and CTRL (Control) keys are called modifier keys be ­ cause they modify the input of other keys.In other words, if you hold down a modifier key while pressing another key, then you are changing the second key's Alphanum keys eric 50 Chapter 2 Theto key m ovesyouto predefined tabstops In m applicationprogram any s (suchas wordprocessors). Thebackspace keyerases characters youhavejusttyped. Forexam ina ple, word processingprogramyoucan press baosmce to â€Å"backover† an Incorrect character anddelete it Thecaps lock keylets you†lock* the alphabetkeys sotheyproduceonly capital letters. The ehter key letsyou finalize dataentry inm typesof appBcatkmprogram any s. Ybualso can usewtw tocboosecom ands m andoptionsin m program and at any s various places in anoperatingsystem's Interface. FIGURE 2A . 2 nput in some way. For example, if you press the Jtkcy, you input a small letter/. ‘ B ut if you hold down the sh u t key while pressing the J key, you input a capital /. M odifier keys arc extremely useful bccausc they give all other keys multiple ca ­ pabilities. Figure 2A. 3 describes the modifier keys and their uses. Functionsofthe tab,catsloo. v o s ta , andtwin keys The Numeric Keypad The numeric keypad is usually located on the right side of the keyboard, as shown in Figure 2A. 1. The numeric keypad looks like a calculator's keypad, with its 10 digits and mathematical operators (+, -, *, and Whenpressedalong with analphanumerickey,smft forcesthe /).The numeric keypad also features a NUM computerto outputa capital letterorsymbol sun is also a LOCK key, which forces the numeric keys to in ­ m ocfifierkey in someprogram forexam youcan presssnft s; ple, put numbers. When NUM LOCK is deactivated, alongwtthcursor-m ovem keys toselect textforediting. ent the numeric keypad's keys perform cursormovement control and other functions. The Function Keys The function ke ys, which are labeled F l, f l, and so on (as shown in Figure 2A. 1), are usu ­ ally arranged in a row along the top of the key ­ board. They allow you to input commands without typing long strings of characters or navigating menus or dialog boxes. Each func ­ tion key's purpose depends on the program you are using. For example, in most programs, F l is the help key. When you press it, a special window appears to display information about = OnThecm (control) key producesdifferent results dependingonthe programyouare using. In m Windows-based program any s, cm-key combinationsprovideshortcuts for m com ands. Forexam the enu m ple, combinationcnuo enables youto open a newfile. n Them j (mjcmmu) keyoperates Skethectrl key,but producesa different set of results. In Windowsprogram Mi-key s. combinations enableyouto navigate m enus anddialog boxeswithoutusingthe m ouse. FIGURE 2A . 3 Fuvtionsoftheshft, emuanda lt keys. Interacting with Your Computer 51 the program you are using. Mos t IBM-compatible keyboards have 12 function keys. Many programs use function keys along with modifier keys to give the func ­ tion keys more capabilities. The Cursor-Movement KeysMost standard keyboards also include a set of cursor-movcmcnt keys, which let you move around the screen without using a mouse. In many programs and op* erating systems, a mark on the screen indicates where the characters you type w ill be entered. This mark, called the cursor or insertion point, appears on the screen as a blinking vertical line, a small box, or some other symbol to show your place in a document or command line. Figure 2A. 4 describes the cursor-movcmcnt keys and Figure 2A. 5 shows an insertion point in a document window. Special-Purpose Keys In addition to the five groups of keys described earlier, all IBM*compatible key ­ boards feature six special-purpose keys, each of which performs a unique func ­ tion. Figure 2A. describes these spccial-purposc keys. Since 1996, nearly all IBM-c ompatible keyboards have included two additional special-purpose key’s designed to work with the Windows operating systems (see Figure 2A. 7):  » start . This key, which features the Windows logo (and is sometimes called the Windows logo key), opens the Windows Start menu on most computers. Pressing this key is the same as clicking the Start button on the Windows taskbar. s h o r t c u t . This key, which features an image o f a menu, opens an on-screen shortcut menu in Windows-based application programs.  » One of the latest trends in keyboard technology is the addition of Internet and multimedia controls.Microsoft's Internet Keyboard and MultiMedia Keyboard, for example, feature buttons that you can program to perform any number of tasks. For example, you can use the buttons to launch a Web browser, check e-mail. Depending onme program,you maybe able to press nomcto movethe cursorto the beginning ofa line and br>to moveto the endof a line. The mccu and hm o o w keys let you â€Å"flip† p * through a document, screen by screen, Hto turning the pages of a book. Press m et w to lump to the previous screen; press m gedonn to jump to the next ___ I The arrow keys move the insertion point up or down a single line, or left or right one character space. FIGURE 2A . 4 The airsor-movement keys. FIGURE 2A . Thecursor, orinsertionpoW, shews wherethenextletter typedwit appear. 52 Chapter 2 The cursor, o r insertion point, in a document eberrechtlich M The(softkey's functiondependsonyour programoroperatingenvironment Typically, the csckeyis usedtoâ€Å"backup†onelevel in a multilevel environm ent. ThenmT scREBtkey sRom the user10 s capture whatever b shownon thescreen as anim Thiskeydoes notwork with al age. program s. In som programs,scrou. lockcauses the e cursorto remainstationary onthescreen, andthe document'scontentsm aroundIt. ove Thiskeydoesn'tfuncttonatal in som program e s. In som programs,themuse key can b e e usedtostopa co m In progres s. m and 1 5 M i I I I | ? :. a . 5 is  ¦Bill r I I* J†TheM keyBatches som programsfrom SEm e Insert m ode† (in wtiich textis inserted into thedocum at the cursor) toâ€Å"overtypem ent ode (in whichnewtextis typodover existingtext), andvice vena. m —N A 4 f I 6 ‘ m n ?  » 6 a [? | 3 i* J removesonecharacterat a time at thecursor's location, cam erases characterstothe right otthecursor. FIGURE 2A . 6 SpecU jwpose keysonm standard ost keyboards FIGURE 2A . 7 ThosafiT keyandtheatofiran toy appear frequencyontherwwer keytnordsthat are sdldwAhWndcMiS' basedcom puters. 2Z and start your most frequently used programs. Multimedia buttons let you control the computer’s CD-ROM or DVD drive and adjust the speaker volume. Many key* board makers offer such features on newer models (see Figure 2A. 8). How the Computer Accepts Input from the KeyboardYou might think the keyboard simply sends the letter of a pressed key to the computer—after all, that is what appears to happen. Actually, the process of ac ­ cepting input from the keyboard is more complex, as shown in Figure 2A. 9. When you press a key, a tiny chip called the keyboard controller notes that a key has been presxd. The keyboard controller places a code into pan of its memory. Interacting with Your Computer 53 B i f a ‘S Q ill FIGURE 2A. 8 called the keyboard buffer, to indicate which key was pressed. (A buffer is a tem ­ porary storage area that holds data until it can be processed. ) The keyboard con ­ commonplace on newer keyboards. roller then sends a signal to the computer's system software, notifying it that something has happened at the keyboard. Q A key is pressed onthe keyboard When the system software receives the signal, it determines the appropriate response. When a keystroke has occurred, the system reads the Q Thesystemsoftwareresponds to memory location in the keyboard He Interruptby reading thescan code fromthe keyboardbuffer. buffer that cont ains the code of the key that was pressed. The sys ­ K EYBO RD A SYSTEM tem software then passes that BUFFER SOFTWARE code to the CPU. 0 The keyboard controler e The keyboardcontroller The keyboard buffer can store Q The system software sends an interrupt sendsDiescan code passes the scan code many keystrokes at one time.This request to the forthe key tothe tothe CPU capability is necessary because keyboardbuffet system software. some time elapses between the pressing of a key and the com ­ FIGURE 2A. 9 puter’s reading of that key from the keyboard buffer. W ith the key ­ How Input is recawd from the keyboard strokes stored in a buffer, the program can react to them when it is convenient. O f course, this all happens very quickly. Unless the computer is very busy handling multiple tasks, you notice no delay between pressing keys and seeing the letters on your screen. In some computers, the keyboard controller handles input from the computer's keyboard and mouse and stor es the settings for both devices.One keyboard set ­ ting, the repeat rate, determines how long you must hold down an alphanumeric key before the keyboard w ill repeat the character and how rapidly the character is retyped while you press the key. You can set the repeat rate to suit your typing speed. (You w ill learn how to check your keyboard’s repeat rate in the lab exer ­ cises at the end of this chapter. ) internet and muftmeda features are The Mouse A personal computer that was purchased in the early 1980s probably included a keyboard as the only input device. Today, every new PC includes a pointing dcvicc as standard equipment, as shown in Figure 2A. 10. Full-size PCs usually include a mouse as the pointing dcvicc.A mouse is an input dcvicc that you can move around on a flat surface (usually on a desk or keyboard tray) and controls the pointer. The pointer (also called the mouse pointer) is an on-screen object, usually an arrow, that is used to select text; access m enus; and interact with programs, files, or data that appear on the screen. Figure 2A. 11 shows an example of a pointer in a program window. FIGURE 2A. 10 Most modern personal computers are eqlipped w ti a mctse. 54 Chapter 2 The mechanical mouse is the most common type of pointing de ­ vice. A mechanical mouse contains a small rubber ball that proW trades through a hole in the bottom of the mouse's. case (see Figure 2A. 12). The ball rolls inside the case when you move the mouse around on a flat surface.Inside the mouse, rollers and sensors send signals to the computer, telling it the distance, direction, and speed of the ball's motions (see Figure 2A. 13). The computer uses this data to position the mouse pointer on the screen. Another popular type of mouse, the optical mouse, is nonmechanical. This type of mouse emits a beam of light from its underside; it uses the light's reflection to judge the distance, direction, and speed of its travel (see Figure 2A. 14). The mouse offers two main benefits. First, the mouse lets you position the cur ­ sor anywhere on the screen quickly without using the cursor-movement keys. You simply move the pointer to the on ­ Rdlers screen position you want and press the mouse button; the cursor appears at that location.Second, instead of forcing you to type or issue commands from the key ­ board, the mouse and mouse-based operating systems let you choose com ­ mands from easy-to-use menus and dialog boxes (see Figure 2A. 15). The result is a much more intuitive way to use computers. Instead of remembering obscure command names, users can figure out rather easily where com ­ mands and options arc located. FIG U R E 2A. 11 Anexam ola pointeras it m ple ight appearona com puterscreen. ^ o r ^ f f c iN E For m Inform ore ationonm ice andm ousemanufacturers,vsil http://www. mhhe. com/ petemoiton. FIGURE 2 A . 1 2 Thepartsofa mechanical m ouse,seen fro Vieb m m otto . NortO N L IN E Formoreformation onoptical mice, visit h ttp://wvrw. mhhe. com/ petemorion Q Whenthe mouse mom†¦ ^ †¦ he rolling mouse bail spins me rollers Q Thertormafa i from the spinning roMereIs sent to the system software,wNcti controls the pointer. FIGURE 2A. 13 H them ow ousecontrolsthepointer. Interacting with Your Computer 55 1 Urheberrechtlich geschi i: FIGURE 2A. 14 The underside ol anoptical mouse. If you use a drawing program, you can use the mouse to crcatc graphics such as lines, curves, and freehand shapes on the scrccn. The mouse has helped establish the com* purer as a versatile tool for graphic designers, starting w hat has since bccome a revolution in the graphic de* sign field. Using th e Mouse For more MormaUcn on mouse techniques, w sl http://www. mhhe. com/ petemortonYou use a mouse to move the pointer to a location on the screen, a process called pointing. Everything you do with a mouse is accomplished by com bining point ­ ing w ith these techniques:  » Clicking  » Double-clicking  » Dragging à ‚ » Right-clicking :: FIGURE 2A. 15 Using the mouse to choose a command Irom a menu. r*e Cdt ym ?e «xh ? o fcsownarks Ctrl+N ( New U*vn)4lCir SVQctow N&† *I Ofwn Web Location†¦ CtrHSMt+l Qpen Fie†¦ 0 SM CblfO Qrl+W OrM-S CdtPaga Send Page†¦ OrUâ‚ ¬ Q rffP Print P is WoifcCffine _  » fe t Q jW } 1 Pointing means pushing the mouse across your desk. O n the scrccn, the pointer moves in relation to the mouse (see Figure 2A. 16).Push the mouse forward, and the pointer moves up. Push the mouse to the left, and the pointer moves to the left. To point to an ob ­ ject or location on the scrccn, you simply use the mouse to place the pointer on top of the object or location. The mice that come w ith IBM-compatible computers usually have two buttons, but tech ­ niques such as clicking, double-clicking, and dragging arc usually carried out w ith the left mouse button (see Figure 2A. 17). In m ulti ­ button mice, one button must be designated :: FIGURE 2A. 16 Usi ng the mouse to control the on-screen pointer. The pointer moves in relation tothe mouse's movements. 56 Chapter 2 Urheberrechthch geschutztes Ma s the â€Å"primary† button, re ­ InWindows and m any The left mouse button Windows programs, the ferred to as the mouse button. is usualy the primary right mouse button Some mice can have three or button. can be used in more buttons. The buttons' manyways, too. uses arc determined by the computer's operating system, application software, and mouse-control software. To click an item w ith the mouse, you move the pointer to the item on the scrccn. When the pointer touches the object, quickly press and release the primary mouse button once â€Å"d c k † {see Figure 2A. 18). Clicking— or single-clicking, as it is also called— is the most important mouse action. To select any object on the screen, such as a menu, com mand, or button, you click it.Double-clicking an item means pointing to the item with the mouse po inter and then pressing and releasing the mouse button twice in rapid succession (see Figure 2A. 19). Double-clicking is prim arily used with desktop objects such as icons. For example, you can double-click a pro ­ †¢click click† gram's icon to launch the program. Dragging an item means positioning the mouse pointer over the item, pressing the primary mouse button, and holding it down as you move the mouse. As you move the pointer, the item is â€Å"dragged† along with it across the scrccn (see Figure 2A. 20). You can then drop the item in a new position on the screen. This technique is also called drag-and-drop editing, or just drag and drop. Dragging is a very handy tool.In a wordprocessing program, for exam ­ -and release the button ple, you can drag text from one Hold down the when you finish dragging. primary button 4 location to another in a docu ­ a s you move ment. In a file-managemcnr th e m o u se.. program, you can drag a docu ­ ment's icon and d rop it onto a printer's icon to print the docu ­ ment. W indows and many W in ­ dows programs support rightclicking, which means pointing to an item on the screen, then pressing and releasing the right mouse button (see Figure 2A. 21). Right-clicking usually opens a shortcut menu that contains commands and options that pertain to the item to which you arc pointing.A wheel mouse has a small wheel nestled among its but ­ tons (see Figure 2A. 22). You can use the wheel for various purposes, one o f which is scrolling through long docu ­ ments. N ot all applications and operating systems support the use o f the wheel. FIGURE 2A. 17 Standardbutton configuration ona tw obuttonmouse. FIGURE 2A. 18 Clicking a mouse. FIGURE 2A. 19 DoUbie-dlcWnga mouse. FIG URE 2A. 20 Bragging with a mouse. FIG URE 2A. 21 RiQht-dictonga mouse. Interacting with Your Computer 57 U rheberrechtlich g esch u tz tes al Nor Mouse Button Configurations m IN E For m tatorm ore atJononthecare andusageofrrtce. v isit http://www. mhhe. com/ pctemorton FIGURE 2A. 22 Avrfieel mouse.The mouse usually sits to the right of the keyboard (for right-handed people), and the user maneuvers the mouse with the right hand, pressing the left button with the right forefinger. For this reason, the left mouse button is sometimes called the primary mouse button. If you are left-handed, you can configure the right mouse button as the primary button (as shown in Figure 2A. 23). This configuration lets you place the mouse to the left of the keyboard, control the mouse with your left hand, and use your left fore* finger for most mouse actions. Newer mice enable you to configure buttons to perform different tasks than clicking. You might configure a button to delete selected text, for ex ­ ample, or to open a program that lets you search for files.Such settings may lim it the usefulness of the mouse but can be helpful if you need to perform a certain task many times. m 3 MW^waau^MOUl Variants of the Mouse Althou gh the mouse is a handy tool, some people do : MMbi not like using a mouse or have difficulty maneuvering 1(0* one. For others, a mouse W D i W tfW w : requires too much desktop jo* space—a real problem when you are not working at a deskl Uw aJi | tM For these reasons and others, hardware makers have developed devices that Cm * k 1 m * 1  « duplicate the mouse's func ­ tionality but interact with the user in different ways. The primary goals or these â€Å" mouse variants'* are to provide case of use while taking up less space than a mouse.They all remain sta ­ tionary and can even be built into the keyboard. Trackballs A trackball is a pointing device that works like an upside-down mouse. You rest your index finger or thumb on an exposed ball, then place your other fingers on the buttons. To move the pointer around the screen, you roll the ball with your in ­ dex finger or thumb. Because you do not move the whole device, a trackball re ­ quires less space than a m ouse. Trackballs gained popularity with the advent of laptop computers, which typically are used on laps or on small work surfaces that have no room for a mouse. Trackballs come in different models, as shown in Figure 2A. 24.Some track ­ balls are large and heavy with a ball about the same size as a cue balL Others are much smaller. Most trackballs feature two buttons, although three-button models http://www. mhhe. com/ pctemorton 58 Chapter 2 Urheberrechlllch geschOtztes Ma SELF-CHECK :: Circle the correct answer for each question. 1. Themost com onkeyboard layout hasabout this manykeys. m a. 10 a. s t/ h i k e y h. 100 b. sh o rtc u t k e y c. 110 c. a lte rn a je key IB il 2. Wfochspecial keyboardkey has a picture of theWindows logoonit? 3. Most full-si2e PCs feature oneof these as the pointingdevice. a. Keyboard b. Mouse c. Scanner † p w | are also available. Trackball units also are available in right- and left-handed models. TrackpadsThe trackpad (also called a touchpa d) is a stationary pointing device that many people find less tiring to use than a mouse or trackball. The movement of a finger across a small touch-sensitive surface is translated into pointer movement on the computer screen. The touch-scnsitivc surface may be only 1. 5 or 2 inches square, so the finger never has to move far. The trackpad's size also makes it suitable for a notebook computer. Some notebook models feature a built-in trackpad rather than a mouse or trackball (sec Figure 2A. 25). Like mice, trackpads usually are separate from the keyboard in desktop com ­ puters and are attached to the computer through a cord.Some special keyboards feature built-in trackpads. This feature keeps the pad handy and frees a port that would otherwise be used by the trackpad. Trackpads include two or three buttons that perform the same functions as mouse buttons. Some trackpads arc also â€Å" strike sensitive,† meaning you can tap the pad with your fingertip instead of using its b uttons. FIGURE 2A. 24 Trackballscomeinm shapes and any sires. Form infcxm on ore ailon tracl; ad andintegrated p s porting devces. vis* http://www. mhhe. com/ petemorton Pointers in the Keyboard Many portable computers now fea ­ ture a small joystick positioned near the middle of the keyboard, typically between the G and H keys.The joy ­ stick is controlled with either fore ­ finger, and it controls the movement of the pointer on screen. Because users do not have to take their hands off the keyboard to use this device, they can save a great deal of time and effort. Two buttons that per ­ form the same function as mouse buttons are just beneath the space ­ bar and are pressed with the thumb. Several generic terms have emerged for this device; many manu ­ facturers refer to it as an integrated FIGURE 2A. 2S Trackpad Soma notebookcomputersanddesktop keyboardsfeatire a buiK-intraefcpod Interacting with Your Computer 59 M , I Pmdunthvily Tip Saving Tim e With Keyboard Shortcu tsIn the 1980s, as programmers began packing more features into PC software, they also developed ways for users to is ­ sue an ever-increasing number of commands. Software packages came with long lists of commands, all of which had to be entered at the keyboard. (This was before the mouse came into common use. ) As a result, the computer keyboard rapidly became a valuable tool. Programmers began devising keyboard shortcuts that allow users to issue commands quickly by typing a short combination of keystrokes. Keyboard shortcuts involve using a modifier key (such as aut or cm. ) along with one or more alphanumeric or function keys. To print a document in many applications, for example the user can press ctri+p.Function keys also became important The Fl key, for ex ­ ample, became the universal way to access online help. IBMcompatible computer keyboards originally had 10 function keys; eventually the number of function keys was expanded to 12. Another common type of keyboard short cut involves pressing the a u key to access a program's menu system. When running any Windows program, you can press alt to activate the menu bar, and then press a highlighted letter in a menu's name to open that menu. Stilt a keyboard can hold only so many keys, and the lists of keyboard shortcuts became unmanageable. A single program could use dozens of â€Å"hotkeys,† as these shortcuts were called. If you used several programs, you had to learn different shortcuts for each program.Finally, the Common User Access (CUA) standard led to the standardization of many commonly used hotkeys across different programs and environments. With this standard for commonly used hotkeys, users have fewer hotkeys to remember. Despite such standards, pointing devices (such as the mouse) came along none too soon for hotkey-weary com ­ puter users. Microsoft Windows and the Macintosh operating system gained popularity because of their easy-to-use, mouse-oriented graphical interfaces. By ope rating the mouse, users could make selections visually from menus and dialog boxes. Emphasis rapidly began shifting away from the keyboard to the screen; today, many users do not know the purpose of their function keys! pointing dcvicc, while others call it a 3-D point stick.On the IBM ThinkPad line of notebook computers, the pointing device is called the TrackPoint (see Figure 2A. 26). Ergonomics and Input Devices Any officc worker w ill tell you tliat working at a desk all day can be extremely uncomfortable (see Figure 2A. 27). Sitting all day and us ­ ing a computer can be even worse. Not only docs the user's body ache from being in a chair too long, but hand and wrist injuries can result from using a keyboard and mouse for long periods. Eyes can become strained from staring at a monitor for hours. Such injuries can be extreme, threatening the user’s general health and ability to work. Much is being done to make computers easier^ safer, and more comfortable to use.Ergono mics, which is the study of the physical relationship between people and their tools—such as computers— addresses these issues. Now more than ever before, people recognize the impor ­ tance of having ergonomically correct computer furniture and using proper posture and techniques while working with computers. (The term ergonomically correct means that a tool or a workplace is designed to work properly with the human body, and thus reduces the risk of strain and injuries. ) TrackPoint : FIG U RE 2A. 26 IBM's ThinkPad computers feature the TrackPoint pointing device, and smtar donees are found in many otter portable PCs. 60 Chapter 2 Press cm+a To Toggle bold character formatting on or off for the selected or inserted ext; make letters bold or unbold Toggle italic character formatting on or off for the selected or inserted text; make letters italic Toggle underline character formatting on or off for the selected or inserted text; underline letters Oecrease font size fo r the selected or inserted text Increase font size for the selected or inserted text Remove paragraph formatting for the selected paragraph or paragraphs Remove character formatting for the selected text Copy the selected text or object Cut the selected text or object Paste text or an object Undo the last action Redo the last action c tilh Pointing, however, can slow you down. As menus and di ­ alog boxes become increasingly crowded, commands can be hard to find and their locations can be as difficult to re ­ member as keyboard shortcuts. Many computer users over ­ come these problems by using a combination of keyboard shortcuts and a pointing device. You use one hand to issue many basic shortcuts (such as cnti+f and ctrl+s) or to launch macros. A macro is a series of commands that a pro ­ gram memorizes for you. Macros enable you to issue an en ­ tire set o t commands in just a few keystrokes.Using these techniques minimizes keystrokes and leaves a hand free to use a poin ting device. The following table lists some of the shortcut keys avail ­ able in Microsoft Word. ctri-hi ctm >shift*< ct «l+shih+> CTRi+o ctri+smcebar cm -K ctri+x ctri+y ctri+z ctrl+ y Repetitive Stress Injuries The field of ergonomics did not rcccivc much attention until a ccrtain class o f in ­ juries began appearing among clerical workers who spend most o f their time en ­ tering data on computer keyboards. These ailments are called repetitive stress injuries (RSIs) or repetitive strain injuries and result from continuously using the body in ways it was not designed to work.One type of RSI that is especially well documented among computer users is carpal tunnel syndrome, a wrist or hand in ­ jury caused by using a keyboard for long periods of time. W C IW E For moreinformationon ergonomics andavok&ig computer-relatedinjuries, v a i http://www. mhhe. conj/ petemorton FIGURE 2A. 27 Experience showslhat office worftcan pose speofc healti risks. Interacting with Your Compu ter 61 Urheberrechtlich geschulzles M Transverse Cross Section of NormalW rit! FlexorTendons and Sheath . † :â„ ¢ . Inflamed Inflamedtendon sheath presses against median nerve carpal?. : : * Bones FIGURE 2A . 2 8 Carpel tunnel syndrom affectsthe e nervesrunningthroughthe carpal tunnel of thewrist. The carpal tunnel is a passageway in the wrist through which nerves pass (see Figure 2A. 28).In carpal tunnel syndrome, tendons in the tunnel bccome inflamed because the victim has held his or her wrists stiffly for long periods, as people tend to do at a keyboard. When the tendons become inflamed, they press against the nerves, causing tingling, numbness, pain, or the inability to use the hands. Carpal tunnel syndrome is the best-known repetitive stress injury. It can become so de ­ bilitating that victims can miss weeks or months of work. In extreme cases, surgery is required. Avoiding Keyboard-Related Injuries If you use a computer frequently, you can avoid RSIs by adopting a few good work habits, and by making sure that your hardware and workspace are set up in an ergonomically friendly way. At Jssue Com puter Voting— Is It a Good Thing?The dispute over electronic voting is as heated as a debate between presidential candidates. The risks versus the bene ­ fits are discussed, investigated, and argued. But what are the facts that lie beneath the fuss? The key function of an electronic voting system is to ob ­ tain voter preferences and report them—reliably and accu ­ rately. Some assert that electronic systems are safer than other methods of voting because they implement security checks and audit trails, and are tougher to tamper with than paper ballots. One of the most widely used electronic voting systems. Diebold Election Systems (http://www. diebold. com/ dieboldes/accuvote_ts. tm), boasts some 33,000 voting stations in locations across the United States. Dieboltfs AccuVote-TS system is a voter-activated interactive touch ­ scre en system using an intelligent Voter Card as the voter interface. The interface allows voters to view and cast their votes by touching target areas on an electronically gener ­ ated ballot pad. Each unit provides a direct-entry computerized voting station that automatically records and stores ballot infor ­ mation and results. While classified as a direct record entry (ORE) device, the AccuVote-TS system has additional capa ­ bilities. The tabulator is a multifunctional interface that counts and abulates the ballots at precincts on election day and communicates with the host computer at Election Central for accurate and timely jurisdictionwide results. However, electronic voting systems have generated con ­ cern because their work is not readily accessible for inspec ­ tion; what goes on behind the screen is a mystery to the general public and therefore causes uneasiness. With com ­ puter voting, voter records are intangibly stored on a hard drive, with voting results re corded in electronic memory. Indeed, a July 2003 analysis of the Diebold touch screen by computer researchers from Johns Hopkins and Rice uni ­ versities (found at http://www. newscientist. oin) showed that the software was riddled with errors and open to fraud. However, even with the possibility of fraud, electronic 62 Chapter 2 Urheberrechllich oesch When setting up your computing workspace, make it a prior ­ ity to choose a comfortable, ergonomically designed chair (sec Figure 2A. 29). Your office chair should  »  »  » Allow you to adjust its height. Provide good lower-back support. Have adjustable armrests. Your desk also should be well-suited to computer use, like the one shown in Figure 2A. 30. The desk should hold your key ­ board and mouse at the proper height, so that your hands are at the same height as your elbows (or a few inches lower) when you hold them over the keyboard.Here arc some other tips that can help you avoid RSIs while working with your keyboard and mouse:  » Use an Ergonomic Keyboard. Traditional, flat keyboards arc not well-suited to the shape of human hands. An ergonomic keyboard allows you to hold your hands in a more natural position (with wrists straight, rather than angled outward) while typing (see Figure 2A. 31).  » Use a Padded Wrist Support. If you type a lot, a wrist support can be helpful by allowing you to rest your hands comfortably when you are not actually typ ­ ing. Remember; however, that FIGURE 2A. 29 Anergonom ically designedcom puter chairanddesk. FIGURE 2A. 30 A propertydesignedcom puterdesk featuresa Udl-insfieB or traytohoWffw keyteard andm ouse. ystems may still be safer than prior methods of voting be ­ cause they implement redundant security checks and audits and may be more difficult to tamper with because of the size and nature of their tabulating components. Another argument in favor of paper ballots, or at least paper receipts, is that in order to verify an election, all you need to d o is gather up the ballots and tabulate them a sec ­ ond (or third, as the case may be) time. However, auditing paper ballot systems is not always as easy as it sounds. Bal ­ lots, particularly punch-cards, sometimes provide ambigu ­ ous results, as seen in a recent presidential election. They are easily forged and they must be physically handled and transported, which provides the opportunity for substitu ­ tion or loss.Whether computerized or traditional, no election system is infallible, and in truth, perhaps it doesn't need to be. As some have said, every safe has the capability to be cracked. The same is true for voting systems. The issue is not whether they are 100 percent secure, but whether they pre ­ sent adequate safeguards to give us faith in the integrity of our elections. n Interacting with Your Computer 63  »  »  »  » you should never rest your wrists on anything—even a comfortable wrist support—while you type. Use the support only when your fingers are not moving over the keyboard. Keep Your Wrists Straight. When typing, your hands should be in a straight line with your forearms, when viewed either from above or from the side (see Figure 2A. 32).Keeping the wrists bent in cither direction can cause mus de fatigue. Sit Up Straight. Avoid slouching as you type, and keep your feet flat on the floor in front of you. Avoid crossing your legs in front of you or under your chair for long periods. Learn to Type. You w ill use the keyboard more efficiently and naturally if you know how to type. If you M hunt and peek,† you are more likely to slouch and keep your head down while looking at rite keyboard. This tech ­ nique not only slows you down, but it leads to fatigue and stiffness. Take Frequent Breaks. Get up and move around for a few minutes each hour, and stretch occasionally throughout the day. FIGURE 2A. 31Anexam ol anergonom keyboard. ple ic FIGURE 2A. 32 Whent> in . your handsshouldbein pg & eWin yourforea rm al all tonesand n s whenviewedfromanyantfe. 64 Chapter 2 Urheberrechlllch geschutzte Review Summary ::  » A standard computer keyboard has about 100 keys.  » Most keyboards follow a similar layout, with their keys arranged in five groups. Those groups include the alphanumeric keys, numeric keypad, function keys, mod ­ ifier keys, and cursor-movement keys.  » When you press a key, the keyboard controller places a code in the keyboard buffer to indicate which key was pressed. The keyboard sends the computer a signal, which tells the CPU to accept the keystroke. The mouse is a pointing device that lets you control the position of a graphical pointer on the screen without using the keyboard.  » Using the mouse involves five techniques: pointing, clicking, double-clicking, drag ­ ging, and right-clicking.  » A trackball is like a mouse turned upside-down. It provides the functionality of a mouse but takes less space on the desktop.  » A trackpad is a touch-sensitive pa d that provides the same functionality as a mouse. To use a trackpad, you glide your finger across its surface.  » Many notebook computers provide a joystick-like pointing device built into the keyboard. You control the pointer by moving the joystick.On IBM systems, this de ­ vice is called a TrackPoint Generically, it is called an integrated pointing device.  » Continuous use of a keyboard and pointing device can lead to repetitive stress injuries.  » The field of ergonomics studies the way people use took. This study leads to bet ­ ter product designs and techniques that help people avoid injuries at work.  » Ergonomically designed keyboards are available to help users prevent repetitive stress injuries to the wrists and hands. Key Terms :: alphanumeric key, 60 buffer, 54 carpal tunnel syndrome, 61 click, 57 cursor, 52 cursor-movement key, 52 double-clicking, 57 drag and drop, 57 drag-and-drop editing, 57 dragging, 57 ergonomics, 60 function key. 51 insertion point 52 integrated pointing device. 9 keyboard buffer, 54 keyboard controller, 53 keyboarding, 50 mechanical mouse, 55 modifier key, 50 numeric keypad, 51 optical mouse, 55 pointer, 54 pointing, 56 pointing device. 54 repeat rate, 54 repetitive stress injury (RSI), 61 right-dicking, 57 trackpad, 59 TrackPoint 60 wheel mouse, 57 Interacting with Your Computer 65 Urheberrechtlich g esch u tztes M « | tLg §g @ 8 0 K ey Term Quiz :i Review Complete each statement by writing one of the terms listed under Key Terms in each blank. 1. In computer use, the skill of typing is often referred to as 2. IBM -com patible PCs have 10 or 1 2______________ keys. . 3. In many programs, an on-screen symbol called a(n )___________ or a(n )____________ shows you where you are in a document 4.A(n) is a temporary storage area that holds data until the CPU is ready for it. 5. In addition to pointing, the four primary mouse techniques are and___________ _ 6. You use a mouse (or one of its variants) to position a (n )_____ 7. In many Windows applications, you can open a shortcut menu by. on the screen. ______ the mouse. 8. Many laptop computers feature a small joystick between the c and k keys, which is called a(n) a(n )———-9. is the study of the way people work with tools. 10. _____ is a common type of repetitive stress injury among computer users. Multiple Choice is Circle the word or phrase that best completes each statement. 1.Some people claim that when computers can interpret handwriting and speech with 100 percent accuracy, this will become unnecessary. a. mice a. special-purpose keys b. typing b. function keys c. pointing device c. typing keys †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ – – layout. d. special-purpose keys d. alphanumeric keys d. QWERYT d. iadsmce 2. These keys make up the part of the keyboard that looks like a typewriter's keys, 3. The common keyboard arrangement is called the a. QWERTY b. QEWTYR 4. Which of the following is not a modifier key? a. shift b. cm c. ait 5. In most programs, you can press this key to get help, a. csc a. keyboard a. C C S b. r l b. keyboard buffer b. f1 c . alt c . keyboard controller C. SM CEBAR d . no d. keyboard CPU d.S O T U H RCT 6. When you press a key, this device notifies the system software, 7. In many Windows applications, you can use this key as an alternative to the right mouse button. c. QYWERT 66 Chapter 2 Urheberrechtlich geschutztes Material | 8. This type of mouse uses reflected light to measure its movements. c. mechanical a. optical b. laser 9. In a multi-button mouse, one button must be designated as the c. primary a. first b. left 10. You can__ a. point to a program's icon to launch the program. b. double-click C. right-click button. d. user d. drag Review d. wheel Review Questions :: In your own words, briefly answer the following questions. 1.Host standard keyboards include five major groups of keys. List them. 2. Why are most standard keyboards called â€Å"QWERTY† keyboard s? 3. What does the ctrl key do? 4. What is the purpose of the start key, which appears on many IBM-compatible keyboards? 5. What happens when you press a key on the computer's keyboard? 6. What is the purpose of the mouse pointer? 7. How does a mechanical mouse work? 8. Describe two benefits of using a mouse. 9. What does the term dragging mean and how do you do it? 10. Describe the cause and effect of carpal tunnel syndrome. Lesson Labs :: Complete the following exercises as directed by your instructor. 1. Test your typing skills in Notepad.Click the start button, point to All Programs, click Accessories, and then dick Notepad to open the Notepad text-editing program. Notepad opens in a window. Have a classmate time you as you type a paragraph of text. The paragraph should be at least five lines long and should make sense. (For example, you could type a paragraph of text from any page in this book. ) Do not stop to correct mistakes; keep typing until you are finished typing the se lection. 2. Inspect your system's mouse settings. (Do not change any settings without your instructor's permission. ) Use the following steps: a. Click the start button to open the Start menu; then click Control Panel.The Control Panel window opens. b. Double-dick the Mouse icon to open the Mouse Properties dialog box. Click the tabs in this dialog box and inspect your settings. c. Experiment with the Pointer Speed and Show Pointer Trails tools. How do they affect your mouse's performance. When you are finished, dick Cancel Interacting with Your Computer 67 M U R B Overview: O ptions for Every N eed a n d P referen c e Although the keyboard and the mouse arc the input dcviccs that people use most often, there are many other ways to input data into a com ­ puter. Sometimes the tool is simply a matter of choice. Some users jusr prefer the feel of a trackball over a mouse.In many cases, however, an ordinary input device may nor be the best choice. In a dusty factory or warehouse, for example, a standard keyboard or mouse can be dam* aged if it becomes clogged with dirt. Grocery checkout lines would slow down dramatically if cashiers had to manually input product codes and prices. In these environments, specialized input devices tolerate extreme conditions and reduce the risk of input errors. Alternative input devices are important parts of some specialpurpose computers. Tapping a handheld computer's scrccn with a pen is a much faster way to input commands than typing on a miniature key ­ board. On the other hand, a specialized device can give new purpose to a standard system.If you want to play action-packed games on your home PC, for example, you w ill have more fun if you use a joystick or game controller than a standard keyboard or mouse. This lesson examines several categories of alternative input devices and discusses the special uses of each. You may be surprised at how of ­ ten you see these devices, and yo

K+12 Curriculum

A Brief Overview of Progressive Education During most of the twentieth century, the term â€Å"progressive education† has been used to describe ideas and practices that aim to make schools more effective agencies of a democratic society. Although there are numerous differences of style and emphasis among progressive educators, they share the conviction that democracy means active participation by all citizens in social, political and economic decisions that will affect their lives. The education of engaged citizens, according to this perspective, involves two essential elements: (1). Respect for diversity, meaning that each individual should be recognized for his or her own abilities, interests, ideas, needs, and cultural identity, and (2). the development of critical, socially engaged intelligence, which enables individuals to understand and participate effectively in the affairs of their community in a collaborative effort to achieve a common good. These elements of progressive education have been termed â€Å"child-centered† and â€Å"social reconstructionist† approaches, and while in extreme forms they have sometimes been separated, in the thought of John Dewey and other major theorists they are seen as being necessarily related to each other. These progressive principles have never been the predominant philosophy in American education. From their inception in the 1830s, state systems of common or public schooling have primarily attempted to achieve cultural uniformity, not diversity, and to educate dutiful, not critical citizens. Furthermore, schooling has been under constant pressure to support the ever-expanding industrial economy by establishing a competitive meritocracy and preparing workers for their vocational roles. The term â€Å"progressive† arose from a period (roughly 1890-1920) during which many Americans took a more careful look at the political and social effects of vast concentrations of corporate power and private wealth. Dewey, in particular, saw that with the decline of local community life and small scale enterprise, young people were losing valuable opportunities to learn the arts of democratic participation, and he concluded that education would need to make up for this loss. In his Laboratory School at the University of Chicago, where he worked between 1896 and 1904, Dewey tested ideas he shared with leading school reformers such as Francis W. Parker and Ella Flagg Young. Between 1899 and 1916 he circulated his ideas in works such as The School and Society, The Child and the Curriculum, Schools of Tomorrow, and Democracy and Education, and through numerous lectures and articles. During these years other experimental schools were established around the country, and in 1919 the Progressive Education Association was founded, aiming at â€Å"reforming the entire school system of America. â€Å" Led by Dewey, progressive educators opposed a growing national movement that sought to separate academic education for the few and narrow vocational training for the masses. During the 1920s, when education turned increasingly to â€Å"scientific† techniques such as intelligence testing and cost-benefit management, progressive educators insisted on the importance of the emotional, artistic, and creative aspects of human development–â€Å"the most living and essential parts of our natures,† as Margaret Naumburg put it in The Child and the World. After the Depression began, a group of politically oriented progressive educators, led by George Counts, dared schools to â€Å"build a new social order† and published a provocative journal called The Social Frontier to advance their â€Å"reconstructionist† critique of laissez faire capitalism. At Teachers College, Columbia University, William H. Kilpatrick and other students of Dewey taught the principles of progressive education to thousands of teachers and school leaders, and in the middle part of the century, books such as Dewey's Experience and Education (1938) Boyd Bode's Progressive Education at the Crossroads (1938), Caroline Pratt's I Learn from Children (1948), and Carlton Washburne's What is Progressive Education? 1952) among others, continued to provide a progressive critique of conventional assumptions about teaching, learning and schooling. A major research endeavor, the â€Å"eight-year study,† demonstrated that students from progressive high schools were capable, adaptable learners and excelled even in the finest universities. Nevertheless, in the 1950s, during a time of cold war anxiety and cultural conservatism, progressive education was widely repudiated, and it disintegrated as an identifiable movement. However, in the years since, various groups of educators have rediscovered the ideas of Dewey and his associates, and revised them to address the changing needs of schools, children, and society in the late twentieth century. Open classrooms, schools without walls, cooperative learning, multiage approaches, whole language, the social curriculum, experiential education, and numerous forms of alternative schools all have important philosophical roots in progressive education. John Goodlad's notion of â€Å"nongraded† schools (introduced in the late 1950s), Theodore Sizer's network of â€Å"essential† schools, Elliott Wigginton's Foxfire project, and Deborah Meier's student-centered Central Park East schools are some well known examples of progressive reforms in public education; in the 1960s, critics like Paul Goodman and George Dennison took Dewey's ideas in a more radical direction, helping give rise to the free school movement. In recent years, activist educators in inner cities have advocated greater equity, justice, diversity and other democratic values through the publication Rethinking Schools and the National Coalition of Education Activists. Today, scholars, educators and activists are rediscovering Dewey's work and exploring its relevance to a â€Å"postmodern† age, an age of global capitalism and breathtaking cultural change, and an age in which the ecological health of the planet itself is seriously threatened. We are finding that although Dewey wrote a century ago, his insights into democratic culture and meaningful education suggest hopeful alternatives to the regime of standardization and mechanization that more than ever dominate our schools.

Cross-cultural Communication Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Cross-cultural Communication - Research Paper Example .......................................3 2.0 Literature Review ..........................................................................................5 2.1 Cross cultural communication and conflicts............................................ 6 2.2 Types of communication styles................................................................ 7 2.2.1. Direct v indirect communication style............................................. 7 2.2.2 Attached v detached communication style ........................................7 2.2.3 Concrete v abstract communication style......................................... 8 2.3 Other aspects of communication................................................................ 8 2.4. Conflicts in the workplaces .......................................................................8 3.0 Research methodology ......................................................................................11 4.0 Research findings and discussions....................... .............................................. 12 5.0 Recommendations and conclusion..................................................................... 14 References ................................................................................................................15 1.0 Introduction Cross-cultural communication is a relatively new phrase that has gained global attention because of increased interaction of people from different cultural backgrounds. In the recent past globalization has produced better and faster methods of transportation that have improved movement of people across different regions in the world. In addition, fast and more efficient methods of communication through electronic and information technology has opened wider avenues for interaction between people of different cultures without the need of physical movement. Currently, most workplaces are multicultural, and this has created the need for establishing a favourable environment to promote good wo rking relations between the employees. In this respect, cross-cultural communication is important in order to develop, nurture, and improve relationships between employees from diverse cultural backgrounds (Tung, 1993: 357). However, Adler (1997: 31) notes that all communication is cultural irrespective of the background of the communicators. Cultural diversity in any organization could be both beneficial and detrimental to its performance. One of the major benefits of diversity in workplaces is that it provides an organization with a wide range of skills and human resources; however, it could cause conflicts that jeopardize the spirit of teamwork in an organization. This research paper investigated conflict and violence among employees in Ovine Medical centre, medium multicultural and imaginary healthcare facility in Singapore. 1.1 Objectives of the study The objective of this paper was to investigate i. Conflict and violence between employees at Ovine medical centre ii. Determine the effects of conflicts and violence on their performance and productivity iii. Establish the effect of cross-cultural communication on the customer satisfaction and retention in the medical facility. 1.2 Research questions i. Is cultural diversity responsible for conflict and violence in the facility? ii. Does conflict affect performance at the medical facility? iii. Is declining client satisfaction and retention caused by the conflict between the employees? 1.3 Organization background Ovine Medical Centre was started by a British Neurologist, Dr Gordon Cook

Brazil exchange rates regime history and analysis from 1960 to 1975 Essay

Brazil exchange rates regime history and analysis from 1960 to 1975 (economics paper) - Essay Example This period was also characterised by import substitution strategy that was aimed at improving balance of trade, however the policy maker later realised that the adjustments would be even more effectively managed using the exchange rate system. During the period Brazil exports become more competitive and there was slow inflation in the economy and it seized to be termed as a developing country, there are various reasons that led to the resistant of the policy makers to change the exchange rate regime. There are three types of exchange regimes and they include fixed exchange rate, float exchange rate and pegged exchange rate regime, the fixed exchange rate regime is that which the currency of a country has direct convertibility to another currency. The float rates is a regime that involves letting the supply and demand in the market to determine exchange rate but the economy can intervene in order to avoid depreciation, finally the pegged float is a regime where the currency is pegged to some value which is periodically adjusted or fixed. In 1968 pol Brazil exchange rate regime: In 1968 policy makers introduced a crawling peg system which was based on frequent and small adjustment in the exchange rate, the frequent adjustments were made to signify the changes in inflation and prices in Brazil, this exchange rate regime led to long term stability in the Brazilian currency the real and for this reason the policy makers did not find any reason to change the exchange rate regime at the time. The pegged exchange system reduced uncertainty in exchange rates of the currency, this is because the individuals would have the knowledge that the currency would not devalue or revalue by a large margin and for this reason future production was made easier regarding production. This system that Brazil adopted also reduced speculative attacks associated with other forms of exchange systems, however the economy could not get speculative gains from this type of exchange rate system. During this period also Brazil experienced slow inflation and prices become more competitive in the international market, this system also allowed the country to improve its balance of payment and therefore policy makers did not have the need to change the exchange rate regime due to the high growth experienced. During this period the policy makers believed that the balance of trade was best managed through trade policies such as tariffs, subsidies and import control, for this reason therefore there was increased industrial expansion to undertake import substitution and this ed to spectacular growth in brazil, Brazil exports become more competitive in the international due to slow inflation in the economy and Brazil seized to be termed as a developing country. Due to this strategy therefore the policy makers did not concentrate much on the significance of the exchange regime to manage balance of trade. However the policy maker later realised that the adjustments would be even more effectively managed using the exchange rate system. Before 1971 the US had not floated its currency and because

BlackBoard Online Learning Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

BlackBoard Online Learning Environment - Essay Example I find flimsy the argument that we need the upgrade because "upgrades" can improve the system. If a system is already efficient and reliable, then there is no need to change the system. It is said that other universities have already implemented it making it necessary for us to follow suit. I say that this matter should not take on a fashionable nature. You don't just go on changing an online learning environment because others are doing so. I believe that we are free to decide for ourselves what course of action we should take. If, however, the administration still pushes thru with the project then they must charge it to the students at a lower price tag. I personally think that the $150 tag is way beyond what we expect of the price of an upgrade. One must remember that even upgrades for legitimately acquired software can be downloaded freely from the manufacturer's website. How come that the upgrade could cost so much Furthermore, considering the number of students availing of Blackboard, we find that the price tag is quite high leading us to speculate that it is becoming more of an income generating measure. Since I am talking about costs and the inappropriateness of the additional fee, let us discuss on the costs that the school will incur in availing of the upgrade.

What is the relationship between drug use and crime Essay

What is the relationship between drug use and crime - Essay Example Trade in illegal drugs and use of the same substances fosters crime in the society. Increased proliferation and usage of the illegal drugs lead to a proportionate increase in crime in the society as the discussion below portrays. The relationship between drugs and crime is three tiers given the nature of drug use and the trade in drugs. The three types of crime that have a close relationship with drugs use and trade are economic related crimes, use related crime and system related crime (Adint, 1997). Use related crimes are the types of crimes that drug users commit because of the ingestion of the drugs. Drug users are unstable individuals since the drugs affect the functionality of the nervous system. They are likely to behave violently and commit a number of other crimes. System related crimes refer to the crimes that arise from the manufacture, sale and distribution of drugs. Economic related crimes, on the other hand, refer to the crimes that drug users commit in their attempt to fund their addictions. Firstly, the use of such drugs is a crime in the country. The drugs cause immense biological and psychological injuries to the populace. The government therefore banned the use of such drugs. In order to ensure that the country is free from such drugs, it formed an arm of law enforcement agency to curb the proliferation of such drugs in the country. The fact that the use of such drugs is a crime makes the linkage between drug use and crime proportional. Additionally, trade in drugs and drug use cause immense social disorder given the fact that both activities are illegal. Drug users are likely to act violently owing to the fact that the drugs impair their judgments. As such, they are likely to initiate various types of aggressive attacks all of which amount to criminal activities in the country (Galizio & Maisto, 1985). Trade in drugs is illegal in the country with the government forming a

Justification Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Justification Report - Essay Example It is my hope and faith that this report will be useful in your decision making and that it will lead to useful development. Wal-Mart should invest in the African market and make an early entry. This will help the firm to establish itself in the market which will facilitate its future growth strategies. The African market is growing at a much higher rate than most developed economies around the world. It has also shown a thirst for retail outlets, as indicated by the massive growth of world class shopping malls. Africa is becoming the next hub of business in the global market. Although most of the countries in Africa are still underdeveloped, the rate of economic growth as well as the economic potential that these nations have are commendable (Westen, 2014). At the rate at which the African and the global economy are growing, Africa will be the next big market in the global economy (Larsen et al, 2010). The BRICS provide a good market and an opportunity for firms to grow and expand their business, unfortunately there is high competition there and they may not provide enough market for global development. Looking at most African cities indicate that there is a boom in the retail sector. For instance, many Cities in the African nations such as Nairobi are seeing massive grown in the construction of retail centers such as shopping malls. Nairobi for instance has witnessed the construction of over ten new shopping malls in the last five years. Being a retail organization, this is a massive opportunity for Wal-Mart and it should take it in time not to lose to competitors. African economies are growing at a commendable rate. Most African economies such as Kenya, Rwanda and Nigeria are growing at a rate that is much higher than most European nations. Soon, these nations will provide the best opportunity for multinationals like Wal-Mart. Getting in the market as early as possible will be a great advantage for the firm. Those firms which will be able to enter

Business Case of Curtin Hospital Research Paper

Business Case of Curtin Hospital - Research Paper Example To adapt to the substantial growth of the business, Curtin hospital needs to take technological help to reduce the workload of its employees. The business case study deals with the implementation of a clinical terminology system which will work in the background of the EDIS. The product will also feature ICD-10-AM mapping including the full details of the coding rules. The case study focuses on the feasibility of the above mentioned system. The procedures applied for the case study underwent the option evaluation and came out with results favoring the implementation against the hiring of new personnel to reduce the workload and increase the effectiveness of the operation. The advantages and the disadvantages both in respect of the patients and the hospital authority were considered. Though the cost factor was significant enough and proved to be a major concern for the hospital authority but the preferred option which evaluated from the comparative analysis was significantly in favor of the ICD-10- AM encoder. The favorability of the project led to the devising of the project management strategy. Various areas relating to the implementations of the project were considered and their planning was done accordingly. Areas like manpower requirement, Funding of the project, operational policies and other social implications were considered and results rai sed concern for the future funding to be required for careful maintenance of the project, while other areas had satisfactory management control. Based on the plans for implementation, the milestones and stages of implementation were chalked out and the project was scheduled to be in full fledged operation in three months from the date of installation. In the stages of implementation much focus was given on the review stage and the benefit realization plan to access the benefits arising out of the project. T was noted that the benefits and the time taken to achieve them were satisfactory. The case study also focused on the risks to be associated with the project and clearly identified them along with their mitigation strategy. Every aspect of successful implementation were carefully analyzed in the case study. Introduction Curtin hospital is a leading emergency and the elective specialty hospital known for providing the best service to the community of Western Australia. It covers a community of people living in rural and remote area. The recent projects undertaken by the hospital includes research and the teaching activities. The popularity of the health service provided has become immensely popular over the years and most of the people choose Curtin hospital as their favorable destination for treatment. Curtin hospital has to deal with a large number of patients each day and they were looking for the automation in the business. In the process of the automation building they are looking to install a clinical coding system which carries out its performance with the help of ICD-10-AM which are used to interpret the correct code and looks to minimize the errors and cutoff the overtimes. The hospital will also provide morbidity data in a timely manner and carry out its work with the objective of the Health Information Centre. Background: ICD-10-AM encoder is designed to provide the full coding rules and application relating to the clinical communication and retain s all the data stored along with the concepts. The clinical data under the implementation of the system will consist of all the minute details of the

Course of Conduct Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Course of Conduct - Essay Example an who acts voluntarily does so at his own peril and is liable for the consequences of the actions voluntarily undertaken, whether intended or as a result of failure to obey the duty of care he owes to other parties. Using the cases of Lynch v. Fisher and Palsgraf v. Long Island Rail Road, the paper also investigates which of the two theories is more compelling. Contrary to the view advanced by the criminalist theory by Austin, the mental anticipation of risk must never be required as an element for the imputation of the tort liability. This is because such a legal dimension would permit the incorporation of several unjustified assumptions. These assumptions would more often than not lead to high level miscarriage of justice. â€Å"It might be assumed that trespass is founded on the defendant having caused damage by his act without regard to negligence† (Lynch v. Fisher 2). Secondly, it is very difficult for the jury to determine with certainty, the mental intentions of the act, which was done sometime in the past and damages incurred by another party. Oliver Wendell Holmes points that every man assumes the risk of his acts, be it the consequences are intended, or not, since the acts are voluntary, as demonstrated in the case of Lynch v. Fisher. In ordering, the restatement of the Law of tort’s section 435, the Louisiana appellate court upheld an earlier ruling in which the defendant, Gunter was charged with and convicted for negligence that resulted in physical injury of the plaintiff. This was done on three major grounds; the claim that the defendant was delirious at the time he shot the plaintiff and that he was out of his mind and suffering from temporary derangement of intellect, was rejected on the grounds that because of the defendant’s own negligence, he temporarily lost his power to reason. Additionally, all the rescue efforts had been made and that the actions by the plaintiff were just before the shooting, given that he was giving comfort to the

Media Communications Feedback Essay Example for Free

Media Communications Feedback Essay Well, after a careful review of your plan, I noted the following issues. You need to address them before implementing the plan. The target population of your message is predominantly African-American women aged 20-49. The statistics you are using do not include other groups who could be a contributing factor to the high levels of infections and deaths. For instance, what are the figures for infected males in the community? For you to achieve better results, you should consider including men in your campaign. At the same time, you did not identify the major causes of infection. Why, for instance, are other groups not affected? If the causes are related to socio-economic and cultural factors such as poverty and unemployment, then your goal would be to pressure service providers such as as Non-Governmental organizations and the government to address those issues. The age difference of your target group means that members could have different interests. Therefore, you should have specified different programs that appeals to each age group. The T. V and radio stations you chose appeals mostly to the youth; what about those aged over forty? Similarly, the presenters you have in mind are not appropriate for this particular campaign. You need role models who could be a good example to the audience. In this regard, it is useful to involve community members who know how to relate with your target group (Galea et al, 2002, 297). Therefore, look for somebody who has been involved before in community projects, and not music celebrities: this category of people may have negative influences due to their lifestyles. Your slogan will not achieve the desired behavioral changes. Texting and talking about HIV/Aids helps in networking: however, you need an approach that will change their lifestyles, such as through participation in education seminars. Your challenge, therefore, is to â€Å"market changes in behavior by using strategic communication† (Siegel and Doner, 2004, 42). How will you determine if you are achieving your goals? The Academy for Educational Development identifies evaluation as one aspect of determining whether stated goals are being realized (AED, 2010). Thus, you should identify the instruments you will use to assess whether your target group is responding positively to the program. Consider conducting a survey after three months to collect data about their sexual activities. Lastly, I think you should conduct a primary research yourself before taking action. The data you got from the surveillance report should act as secondary information to guide your own research. In fact, a primary research is necessary when planning to implement any project. Nevertheless, your overall plan identifies a marginalized group that requires help. However, to achieve the best results, have the best plan. Success. References Academy for Educational Development. (2007). Health Communication Partnership. Accessed May, 08, 2010 http://www. globalhealthcommunication. org/projects/health_communication_partnership Doner M. , Siegel L. (2004). Marketing public health: strategies to promote social change. New York: Jones Bartlett Learning’ Galea, S. , et al. (2002). Access to resources for substance users in Harlem, New York City: Service provider and client perspectives. Journal for Health Education and Behavior. New York: Society for Public Health Education

Effectiveness Of Electronic Medication Administration Record System Information Technology Essay

Effectiveness Of Electronic Medication Administration Record System Information Technology Essay The report will highlight that to enhance technology in clinical setting is not easy. It required lot of support and resources. In-addition technology cannot be successful without well organized plan. It requires long term planning. This report will provide the overview of pilot implementation of electronic medication administration record (eMAR) system. Health care providers need to understand the importance of eMAR its role in improving patient care safety. This system will help to increase patient safety and have extremely positive impact on hospital reputation. It also helps to decrease medication errors and adverse drug reaction via safe medication administration. It also helps to save printing cost. Pilot implementation of the system assist in identifying issues related to medication administration error in hospital setting. Thus, help to understand how IT processes help to enhance safety. It further helps to understand analyze benefits of the system and how IT facilitates can reduce the chances of error by having robust computerized system. This paper helps to identify users anxiety to accept the IT systems and little modification in programming helps to get positive outcome. This paper investigates why IT systems are unsuccessful and suggest computer literacy and simple modification and technical support to users will help to expedite the process to achieve everlasting solutions to provide quality and safe care to the patients Introduction: The quality of patient care and safety is one of the most significant aspects of health care sector. Nursing and medical professionals face increased need of using information technology in day to day operations with an overall aim of improving the quality of care by increasing patients safety. Currently, hospitals facing patient safety issue related to medication administration. Numerous studies conducted to identify number of medication administration error. Stoppler (2006) pointed it as Approximately 1.3 million people are injured annually in the United States following so-called medication errors. Chiang (2008) supported this issue as Medication errors have been a major concern of patient safety initiatives for all health care systems of the world. Internationally health care facilities are struggling hard to increase patient safety via safe medication administration, because existing paper base medication administration record process is not safe and presented with large number of errors. Russo, (2007) stated that, current paper based medication administration record (MAR) is an inefficient process with no decisive workflow, that places needless stress on nursing staff and lead to illegible entries can resulted in medication administration errors. Therefore, to maintain the quality of drug dose administration and to prevent medication administration errors, electronic medication administration record (eMAR) system, is found to be significant. Few studies suggested that eMAR is a bedside medication administration recording tool providing new levels of recording medication administration activities by dropping error rates and making the administration of medications safer for patients. This report aims to outline the background to implement eMAR system, process of implementation, strength weakness of newly developed system and potential benefits on complete implementation to develop insights about newly developed electronic system for medication administrat ion record. Background: At my institution in 2006 during Joint Commission International Accreditation (JCIA) survey, auditors were not able to find out the administration record of one of the drug of a patient. This generated a thought to have electronic records for all the care provides to the patients. Malloch (2007) highlighted the need of electronic record as: Three specific applications within the electronic record-computerized physician order entry (CPOE), electronic medication administration records (eMAR), and clinical documentation-are impacting patient safety in numerous ways by decreasing incorrect and unnecessary treatments and medications, as well as improving the timeliness of careà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.The benefits from these 3 applications vary, depending on the implementation sequence; some organizations implement each application as separate initiatives, while other organizations have implemented all 3 applications simultaneously. (p. 159) Consequently our organization decided to initiate each application separately. CPOE for medication prescription, dispensation and medication order review had already been implemented in July 2005. Therefore higher management decided to design and develop in-house system of eMAR for safe medication administration as an initial step towards electronic patient record. The purpose was to eradicate manual MAR and replace with eMAR since current paper based MAR sheets had following subsequent issues: Manual administration record are more prone to error Prone to being lost as difficult to manage paper Utilizes large amount of paper Not meeting the JCIA requirement Administration record not available after discharge Data retrieval is difficult from paper based MAR Sheet Paper records are frequently lost unorganized Sloppily written record lead to legibility issues Mekhjian et al (2002) found that manual medication administration charting resulted in a transcription error rate of 11.3 percent whereas transcription errors were completely eliminated via eMAR. Further literature supports that the most common errors reported were administering drugs at the wrong time or neglecting to administer drugs at all. eMAR provided the framework for improvements in patient safety and in the timeliness of care. (Mekhjian, 2002). Bates Cullen (1995) suggested that 78% of errors leading to drug errors are due to inadequate information management system of eMAR. Furthermore, eMAR has gained a foothold in inpatient settings to support medication administration safety. It prevents paper records prone to being lost, incomplete, or misread. California Institute for Health Systems Performance report highlighted that upto 38% of inpatient medication errors occur at the administration stage (Miller et.al, 2001) Solution: Electronic Medication Administration Record System Safe medication administration is one of the most important elements of care. During hospitalization nurses are responsible to administered medication safely to the patients. This activity is performed multiple times in a day for an individual patient. It is a complex process therefore accurate documentation of the medication administration is extremely important. Jylha Saranto (2008) cited: The complexity of the medication management process exposes it to errors, and medication errors can occur at any point in the medication management process. A survey recently conducted in a Finnish hospital showed that more than half of reported adverse events (66%) were medication errors, most of them relating to documentation (33.6%) However, manual MAR had lot of issues related to patient safety and could lead to adverse drug events. Thus, organization decided implement for eMAR because it allows nurses to manage medication administration efficiently as it has the potential to make the administration of medication safer for the patients by reducing error rates (Westbrook, 2007). Therefore following steps were taken: eMAR task force developed to explore the need of technology including hardware software Group reviewed current medication administration process and developed flow diagram for expected system Visited different hospitals in USA to develop understanding of the system and its flow Conducted regular meeting with ISD for system design and development After having vigorous exercise team identified that eMAR could not be implemented completely without right patient identification and right drug identification. This system is heavily dependent on admission and pharmacy system. Therefore bar-coded wrist band bar-coding unit dose system would be pre- requisite. Consequently sub-group was developed to explore bar-coding system for different applications. The purpose to incorporating bar-coding in health care setting is to improve the quality of care by reducing medical error and by decreasing the cost of care for the patient. Thus, admission and pharmacy departments had been involved for bar-coding implementation. After multiple sitting and cost analysis, group decided to break eMAR implementation in 3 different phases Phase 1) Implementation of Barcodes: Patients Armbands for right patient identification for all the inpatients on arrival from admission department Bar-coded medication labels for identification of 5 rights include right patient, right drug, right time, right dose right route. Further pharmacy system generates medication administration schedule; this schedule will be foundation stone for eMAR. Phase 2) Medication Trolley Purchase new medication trolleys with Laptop having wireless connectivity barcode reader to view active drug list due at specific time, to follow 5 rights Phase 3) Online MAR Develop software of eMAR to eliminate manual MAR and initiate online entry after administration in computer to eradicate paper How this will work Nurse will identify the patient by scanning wrist band Nurse will then scan the Medication Cassette Bin of respective patient First RIGHT will be identified at this point Right Patient Nurse will then scan the Medication Labels Remaining four RIGHTS will be identified at this point Right Drug Right Dose Right Time Right Route Nurse Administer the Dose to the Patient After Administration, Nurse will put her Signature electronically into the system Thus above requirements were communicated to the senior management. Consequently due to lack of resources implementation of all above requirement were not possible at once because huge amount of money is required for barcode implantation in admission and pharmacy department and sophisticated medication trolley with laptop barcode reader. Therefore, team determined to implement eMAR successfully, with good outcome and within the resources provided, all above phases need to be implemented step by step. Thats why 3 sub-groups have been developed to initiate the work for each activity. Group 1 will work on Bar-coding planning and implementation. Group 2 will be responsible for purchasing of sophisticated medication trolley and group 3 will work on software development for electronic administration entry for medication. However, phase 3 of aforementioned plan was to be implemented first as it only required in-house software developments with no extra cost involvement and further built on existing CPOE system. Therefore, group 3 comprises of nursing and information system department (ISD) team work together to design and develop the system. ISD developed first template of eMAR in December 2006 and presented to nursing management team for feedback, they suggested few modifications. Modified version presented to them again for re-evaluation in February 2007. Afterward, pilot implementation was done in 5 beded cardiac step down unit in April 2007. Same was replicated in other cardiac stopdown units. Subsequently it was replicated in other units depending upon the availability of computers. Therefore, 06 desktop computers, 20 wall mounted computers in intensive care units, 2 mobile trolleys without medication bins 2 laptop mounted medication trolleys were provided in nursing units to cover 153 beds out of 520 beds. This covers 30% of total admitting patients. This phase will help to overcome issues of legibility, decrease chances of data lost as not need to manage paper since no paper is required. It helps to meet the JCIA requirement as data retrieval is easy and able to find out administration record. In-addition this will help to have ontime administration record and nurse need to sign the medication after administration and system will capture administration time which will further help to indentify wrong time administration, delayed administration and miss dose administration. Through this phase patient safety issue is still not resolved as identification of 5 rights is achieved manually because bar-coding is yet to be implemented. However, further implementation discontinued after July 2008 due to resource limitation for computerized laptop based eMAR trolley barcode implementation. In-addition few reservation for further implementation related to multiple frequent system breakdown and users resistance for further implementation was also highlighted. Therefore, eMAR task force re-collected to discuss and resolve above concerns to promote further. They identified following issues: Issues related to system functionality System performance/ shutdown issue. Issues related to limited hardware availability Training issue and computer literacy issues Users resistance as system force them for ontime documentation whereas paper base MAR have provision to sign the administration record as per their own accord On other hand group 1, barcode team implemented bar-coded armbands for all the inpatient. Now only medication label to be bar-coded is pending, for that label has been designed and approval has been taken from nursing users and pharmacy. Bar-coded label printer is to be purchased and pilot testing of barcode label needs to be carried out. Group 2 representatives explored different eMAR trolleys available in the market to identify the most suitable for our working environment. Our requirement is light weighted small trolley with 10 medication bin as 1 nurse is assign to 10 patients. Finally it was decided to purchase Atromick Medication Trolley. Purchase order was generated to have sample trolley to pilot. Trolley has been piloted successfully and received positive feedback from nursing users. Therefore, it was decided to purchase 72 more trolleys as required by nursing units. 46 trolleys will be purchase by October 2010 and remaining will be purchased in 2011. System feedback after pilot implementation Information technology seems to be more proficient and provide transparent alternative to manage issues/concerns smoothly. After pilot implementation of in-house developed eMAR software and Atromick medication trolley few strength and weaknesses were identified. We identified that most of the users in our hospital are not well computer literate. This lead to increase resistance and they prefer to use manual system. Another most important issue is lack of interest from some of the nursing managers. They even not agreed to initiate the pilot project and the main reasons were lack of staff, lack of computer literacy, lack of hardware availability on nursing floor and they felt it would increase staff workload. Their concerns were well taken and computer training had been provided to nursing staff before initiation and on regular basis as well. Moreover, extra computers have been provided on nursing floor before pilot implementation. Nursing director is working hard to increase number of staff but its difficult as currently nurses turnover rate in our organization is 17%. Lastly management group was explained that it definitely increase some workload initially but it save nurses time currently utilize on maintaining paper record and data retrieval as it will be more transparent. It also increases safety of the patient and their record and have ontime documentation of drug administration. Thus, pilot project has been put into practice for 30% of hospital beds. The pilot project helped us to be acquainted with the weaknesses of the system which includes: Lack of material resources human resources Gaps in software programming i.e. initially all the stat orders and single dose order automatically disappeared from the screen with drug stop time. This created frustration among users as they were not able to mark administration for pre post transfusion drugs, chemo therapy drug, pre post operative drugs. Another gap is related to infusion screen as nurses have to sign infusion record every hourly which increase their workload. Multiple time system got stuck/ slowdown/ non functional endorse resentence of users as they feel whole process is very slow Users highlighted that system is not user friendly On multiple occasion users identified that same drug appears twice on the screen. On investigation it was find out that its because physician enter new order for same drug without discontinuing the previous one. Therefore, modification is required in CPOE system. Unsatisfactory technical support Lack of training System usually found to be slow which lead to increase administration recording time Beside, this one of the most important issues is resistance from users side as it increases their workload as well as their accountability, because paper base system has provision to sign the administration record as per their own accord. Whereas, electronic system increase obligation for ontime documentation. Another most important weakness is related to patient safety issue as bar-coding system has not been initiated yet and users relays on manual identification of 5 rights. However, in conjunction with above resistance, users satisfaction survey conducted in July 2008 showed 79.9% satisfaction of users with the system. The results appear with positive feedback but they highlighted area for improvement. Their feedback enclosed request for multiple modification, for instance separate screen for cyctotoxic drug administration as this required to mark start and stop administration time with comments as these drugs administration time last for hour. Demand to generate multiple reports to view administration record, miss dose administration record, administration record of discharge patient, administration report of particular drug etc. Primarily system starts with single screen for all type of administration i.e. intravenous infusion, PRN and routine medication which overcrowd administration screen and create confusion. Therefore, requested to develop separate option for each. In-addition modification was requested for infusion screen as current option requi res to sign infusion every hourly. Survey also highlighted some of the strength of the system pointed out by users which include: System helps users to easily identify numbers of doses administered to particular patient for specific drug as data retrial is extremely easy, though sometimes it takes time due to slowness of the system but its faster than manual process as data retrieval is difficult with paper base system. In addition it helps users to identify miss doses, delayed administration and skipped administration. It decreases utilization of paper and save printing cost. It helps to identify reason for delayed miss dose administration Administration screen appears with current drug only i.e. due for administration for next dose time. System frequently update with changes in CPOE system and has good interface with pharmacy and admission system System is easy to operate and output (Administration reports) data from system is reliable and accessible System appears with detail information regarding drug including drug name, ID, required dose, dose time, route, frequency, star time and stop time, drug comments if any for safe administration. System is provided with dictionary based comments column for nurses to enter administration comments if any, in case of delayed, missed early administration. Paper base system utilizes nurses time to print medication label on drug review and then need to paste them in MAR sheet. This system omits all above and reviewed order in CPOE system automatically appears on eMAR screen for administration. Thus, many nurses found this system very effective the only concern is related to more time required at entry level. We identified that nurses with good computer skills are more positive towards IT systems. Chiang (2008) cited that Studies have shown that, for instance, nurses found that the IT system was good in aiding prevention of medication errorsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.but required a lot of time in operating the system. Potential benefits of the system after complete implementation eMAR system can improve the administration record and will able to provide accurate administration time of the drug. It advances patient safety by right patient and right drug identification via bar-coding system. To elevate further safety option has been developed in a manner to mark administration after actual drug administration to the patient as system is not provided with any go back to your old ways option, which will help to increase reliability. System has been provided with mandatory option to enter comments for delayed administration or miss administration which will help later to identify causes and corrective action can be taken to improve business. Besides the safety of patient and its data, other supplementary benefits are cost and saving of storage space. Currently our hospital utilize huge amount ($15857/annum) of money for storage space. Although, these potential benefits are currently not very visible but it will be apparent with complete computerization of patients record. In addition an electronic system gathers all at one wave length and has standardized practice. This will provide opportunity to have good interface with national and international systems later. To get most out of it nurses suggested to provide medication order review screen drug formulary on eMAR system to save nurses time for multiple login. Kuperman Gibson (2003) cited This technology can yield many significant benefits and is an important platform for future changes to the health care system. Conclusions Patient safety is our main objective while working in clinical setting. Therefore, technology needs to be adopted to enhance safety. This will help to progress further. We all need to work continue to enhance computerization and involve information communication technology in hospital setting. Our organization actually works hard to achieve eMAR to increase patient safety and by 2011 we will certainly achieve our target to reduce medication administration error. Above report shows that eMAR system helps to increase safety, decrease medication administration error and safe printing cost. On top of it system will avoid wrong time error and have ontime documentation.