This document discusses why becoming computer literate is important and how computers are used across many careers and industries. It notes that being computer literate means understanding computers' capabilities and limitations and knowing how to use them. It then provides examples of how computers are used in various fields like business, retail, arts, education, law enforcement, military, agriculture, automotive, medicine, science, sports and more. Computers are used for tasks like data mining, creating websites, digitizing art, video game design, distance education, database searches, predictive analysis, and more.

1. CSA150S/X For First year Programs
Department of Mechanical Eng.
Cape Peninsula University of
Technology
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CSA150S/X

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Chapter 1
Why Computers Matter to You:
Becoming Computer Literate

3. Why Should you Become Computer Literate?
• Being computer literate means: being
familiar enough with computers that you
understand their capabilities and limitations, and
you know how to use them

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• Avoid hackers and viruses
• Protecting your privacy
• Understanding the real risks.
• Using the Internet and the web wisely.
• Avoiding online annoyances.
• Being able to maintain, upgrade and troubleshoot
your computer.
• Preparation for Career.
Becoming a Smart Computer User

5. Information technology IT
• Computers are used in most occupations, and
one career that often comes to mind is
information technology.
• IT is the set of techniques used in Handling and
retrieving of information automatically.
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6. IT
IT involved
Managing
Information
Retrieving
Information
processing
Information

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Computers in Today’s Careers
• Let’s take a look at a whole range of industries and
examine how computers are a part of getting the
work done.
– Business.
– Retail.
– Arts .
– Video Game Designing .
– Education.
– Law Enforcement.
– Military Careers .
– Agriculture.
– Automotive Technology.
– Medicine.
– Science .
– Sports.
– Nanotechnology.

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Computers in
Business and Delivery
• Package tracking

9. - Data Mining:
Data mining is the process of searching huge
amounts of data with the hope of finding a
pattern from databases .
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Computers in Retail

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Computers in the Arts
• Create Web sites
• Digitize dance movements

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Computers in Gaming
• Get a job doing:
– Design
– Programming
– 3D animation
– EX: PC Man ,
playstation

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Computers in Education
• Instructional software
• Distance education

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Computers in Law Enforcement
• Search databases
• Predict criminal activity
• Employ computer
forensics( Forensic Tool Kit
(FTK) program)

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Computers in Military
•Soldiers are trained computer specialists
in areas such as:
1-sattellite transmissions.
2-radio controller .
3-electronic aviation.

15. Computers in Agriculture
• Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags
• Computerized sensors monitor
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16. Computers in
Automotive Technology
• Consumer demand for computer
subsystems like GPS navigation,
digital music systems, and voice-
controlled phones continues to
grow.
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Computers in Medicine
• Patient simulators
• surgical robots
• Identity chips

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Computers in the Sciences
• Used in simulations

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Computers in Sports
• Improved training
• Timing
• Data storage and
statistics
• Smart balls sense
when soccer goals
are scored
• Ex: wii

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Nanotechnology
• Nano: Prefix stands for one-billionth
• Nanotechnology: Science of the use of
nanostructures