Skip to main content
Engineering LibreTexts

3.1: Chapter Introduction

  • Page ID
    94877
  • \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    Learning Objectives

    Upon successful completion of this chapter, you will be able to:

    • Define digital devices;
    • Identify the primary components of a computer system and the functions they perform;
    • Explain the factors distinguishing computing power of computers;
    • Describe the types of input, output, and memory devices;
    • Discuss hardware trends including: mobile computing, integrating computing;
    • Assess the impact of commoditization of computers; and
    • Summarize the problem of e-waste.

    Introduction

    As you learned in the first chapter, an information system is made up of three components: technology, people, and processes. In this chapter we will focus on the first element of technology-hardware. Computer hardware encompasses devices that you can physically touch including desktop computers, laptop computers, mobile phones, tablets, e-readers, storage devices, and input and output devices. Besides these more traditional computer hardware devices, many items that were once not considered digital devices are now becoming computerized themselves. Digital technologies are being integrated into many everyday objects so the days of a device being labeled categorically as computer hardware may be ending. In this chapter, you will also explore digital devices, beginning with defining what is meant by the term itself.

    Screenshot 2023-05-05 at 4.40.38 PM.png
    Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\):Information Systems Components: Technology

     

    Besides these more traditional computer hardware devices, many items that were once not considered digital devices are now becoming computerized themselves. Digital technologies are now being integrated into many everyday objects, so the days of a device being labeled categorically as computer hardware may be ending. Examples of these types of digital devices include automobiles, refrigerators, and even soft-drink dispensers. In this chapter, we will also explore digital devices, beginning with defining what we mean by the term itself.

    This page titled 3.1: Chapter Introduction is shared under a CC BY-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by David T. Bourgeois (Saylor Foundation) .

    • Was this article helpful?