Transcript CIS 110 tif03

© 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
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Technology in Action
Technology in Focus:
Computing Alternatives
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Application Software Alternatives
• Open-source software
– Freely distributed
– Contains the source code (the actual lines
of instructional code that make the program
work)
– Can be distributed to others
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Productivity Software Alternatives
• OpenOffice
– Comparable to MS Office
• Writer is like MS Word
• Calc is like MS Excel
• Impress is like MS PowerPoint
• Draw is a graphics program
• Math is an equation editor
• Base is a database program like Access
• Allows you to open files created in Office
applications
• Documents created with OpenOffice can be
opened by other programs
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Database Software Alternatives
• Base
– Part of
OpenOffice
• MySQL
– Comparable to
SQL Server and
Oracle
Database 10g
– Many books and
online tutorials
are available
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E-mail Client Alternatives
• Eudora
– Popular e-mail client
– Free, but feature-limited version
• Mozilla Thunderbird
– Open-source e-mail client
– Add-ons available:
• Calendar
• Calculator
• Search tools
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Drawing Software Alternatives
• OpenOffice
Draw
• DIA
– Comparable
to MS Visio
– Allows you
to create
diagrams,
graphs, and
charts
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Web Page Authoring
Software Alternatives
• NVU
– Comparable
to Adobe
Dreamweaver
– Don’t need to
know HTML
to generate a
Web page
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Image-Editing Software
Alternatives
• GIMP
– Comparable
to Adobe
PhotoShop
– Windows,
Mac OS X,
Linux, and
UNIX
versions
available
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Operating System Alternatives
• Linux
– Linux versions
called “distros”
– KNOPPIX and
PC Linux run
from a CD so do
not replace your
current OS
– Other distros
install Linux
permanently
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Operating System Alternatives
• 3D Linux:
Mandriva Linux
– 3D desktop
environment
– Includes
open-source
software
– Includes
security
features
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Hardware Alternatives
• Apple
– Mac OS X
– Intel platform
– Open-source
software for
Macs
– Special
software lets
you run
Windows-based
software on a
Mac
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Hardware Alternatives:
Do It Yourself
Processor
Video card
Hard Drive
Power Supply
Sound card
Case
RAM
Motherboard
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Hardware Alternatives:
Do It Yourself
• Advantages
– Exact configuration
desired
– Choice of quality
components
– Satisfaction
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• Disadvantages
– No technical support if
there is a problem
– Multiple considerations
in matching
components
– Often more expensive
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