The following readings are required unless otherwise noted. The PC Webopedia links are optional, but highly recommended.
| SES # | TOPICS | READINGS |
|---|---|---|
| The Basics: Hardware, OS, and Software | ||
| 1 | Introduction: Course Overview; Inside the CPU | Madnick, Stuart. Little Man Computer. |
| 2 | Computer Architecture: Processing, Memory and I/O | Optional: How Computers Work. Parts 1-5. PC Webopedia - Hardware Category Page PC Webopedia - PC Definition and Links |
| 3 | Computer Representations; Compression | Optional: Blelloch, Guy E. Introduction to Data Compression. Carnegie Mellon University, 2001. Available online at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science. PC Webopedia - Data Formats Category Page Terms to look up: binary, floating-point numbers, character set, ASCII, HTML, bitmap, Postscript, PDF, data compression, MPEG |
| 4 | Operating Systems | Optional: Introduction to Operating Systems. Part of: Mohr, James. The Linux Tutorial, 2003. PC Webopedia - Operating Systems Category Page Terms to look up: operating systems, multitasking, virtual memory, file management system, file allocation table, Windows, Linux |
| 5 | Software Development | Gibbs, W. W. Software's Chronic Crisis. In Scientific American. September 1994, pp. 86-95. PC Webopedia - Programming Languages Category Page Terms to look up: programming language, compiler, interpreter, Java |
| Databases | ||
| 6 | Relational Databases; Database Queries Using SQL | Elmasri, and Navathe. Fundamentals of Database Systems. Benjamin/Cummings, 1989, Chapter 7 (plus pp. 143-144). PC Webopedia - Databases Category Page |
| 7 | An Introduction to Microsoft Access | Recommended Textbook: Viescas, John L. Running Microsoft Access 2000. Microsoft Press, 1999. |
| 8 | Relational Database Design | Watterson, Karen. Visual Basic Database Programming. Addison-Wesley, 1994, pp. 12-43. |
| 9 | Introduction to User Interface Building with Access Examples | Recommended Textbook: Viescas, John L. Running Microsoft Access 2000. Microsoft Press, 1999. |
| Networks and Telecommunications | ||
| 10 | Telecommunication Concepts; Data Transmission | Fitzgerald, and Dennis. Business Data Communications and Networking. 6th ed. Wiley, 1999, pp. 83-92, 107-129. Optional: Dodd, Annabel Z. Basic Telecom Concepts. Chapter 1 in The Essential Guide to Telecommunications. Prentice Hall, 1999. PC Webopedia - Networks Category Page |
| 11 | Local Area Networks; Ethernet; Packet-switched Networks | Fitzgerald, and Dennis. Business Data Communications and Networking. 6th ed. Wiley, 1999, pp. 192-216. |
| 12 | Midterm Exam - In Class | |
| 13 | Wide Area Networks; The Internet | Fitzgerald, and Dennis. Business Data Communications and Networking. 6th ed. Wiley, 1999, pp. 30-33, 164-189. Optional: An introductory (but fun!) tutorial on how the Internet works is available: Tyson, Jeff. How Internet Infrastructure Works at HowStuffWorks. The same site contains lots of interesting tutorials on related concepts as well. |
| 14 | Wireless Network Technologies | Noll, A. Michael. Wireless Telephone Service. Chapter 9 in Introduction to Telephones and Telephone Systems (Third Edition). Artech House Telecommunications Library, 1999. |
| Distributed Computing and Web Technologies | ||
| 15 | Client/Server, Peer-to-Peer and the WWW | Orfali, R., et. al. Client/Server Survival Guide. 3rd ed. Wiley, 1999, Chapters 2-3. Sadoski, Darleen. Client/Server Software Architectures--An Overview. Carnegie Mellon University, 2004. Optional: Milojicic, Dejan S., et. al. Peer-to-Peer Computing. Hewlett-Packard Laboratories Palo Alto, 2002. Paper No. HPL-2002-57. Available at the HP Labs web site. PC Webopedia - Client/Server Computing Category Page Terms to look up: client/server architecture, fat client, thin client, two-tier, three-tier, middleware |
| 16 | Security I: Public Key Cryptography | Zimmerman, Phil. An Introduction to Cryptography. Included in freeware documentation to Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) software program, which is downloadable. Behar, R. Who's Reading Your E-Mail. Fortune. February 3, 1997, 57-70. PC Webopedia - Security Category Page Terms to look up: biometrics, virus, macro virus, antivirus program PC Webopedia - Encryption Category Page Terms to look up: symmetric-key cryptography, DES, public-key encryption, RSA, Pretty Good Privacy |
| 17 | Security II: Digital Signatures; Network Security | Zimmerman, Phil. An Introduction to Cryptography. Included in freeware documentation to Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) software program, which is downloadable. pp. 11-36 (also skim Part 2). Introduction to SSL. Available on the Web. PC Webopedia - Encryption Category Page Terms to look up: authentication, digital signature, digital certificate, PKI, SSL, digital cash, smart card |
| 18 | Evolution of Web Technologies | Orfali, R., et. al. Client/Server Survival Guide. 3rd ed. Wiley, 1999. Chapters 26-27. Optional: Wright, R. The Man Who Invented the Web. Time, May 19, 1997. Optional: Technology Forecast. pp. 545-592. PC Webopedia - World Wide Web Category Page |
| eBusiness Applications | ||
| 19 | Under the Hood of a Commercial Web Site | Davis, Jeffrey. How it Works. Business 2.0. February 2000, pp. 112-140. Optional: Technology Forecast. Pp. 357-472. |
| 20 | Data Mining, Data Warehousing | Two Crows Corporation. Introduction to Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery. Optional: Technology Forecast. pp. 253-310. |
| 21 | Software Agent | |
| 22 | Student Presentations I | |
| 23 | Student Presentations II | |
| 24 | Trends in eBusiness Technology; Course Wrap-up | |
| 25 | Final Exam - In Class | |