Database Project

Man, this was the hardest project yet. I had no idea what a database really was and what Microsoft Access really did. This opened my eyes to the Microsoft Office Suite that I own and how much it can do. I learned using Access how to import data and add to it with the ease of using a wizard. I also learned how to customize anything and everything on Access from the tables to the reports and forms. This was by far the most informative project yet.

The coolest thing I believe I did to this database was create the New Member Form. The New Member Form was really easy to make and had a lot of functionality to it. I think it's amazing that I can create a form with the information from the database and make it totally separate then use it to add new people. This made me realize how smart Access is and how easy it is to use for a business.

Week 11: Clear: What is an Excel Database?

An Excel Database is a set of data that is organized so it can be accessed, retrieved and used over and over again. In the database you enter data, which is the unprocessed items such as text, numbers, images, audio, and video. You can use any input on your computer to enter the data. For instance a microphone to enter audio or your web cam to enter a video.

The information of a database is the data that is processed. This means that the data is organized, meaningful, and useful. This is how companies keep records and store information. When a database is created it can be shared with anyone. It even can have a password to protect it to make sure unwanted viewers can't see.

A database can calculate many functions for the user. However, the computer saying that justifies this is "garbage in, garbage out." This means that in order for the computer to produce the correct information, the data that was entered must be correct. This is why a lot of people have trouble with databases because they don't understand how to fully use them.



The Business Environment

Excel Databases are used everywhere in the business world. It's the main way companies store their important information. It would be extremely difficult for huge companies to operate without an Excel Database. Once fully learned, using an Excel Database is one of the most powerful tools a company can use.

Related Article

This Article explains what an Excel Database is and how to create one. It was really helpful in understanding the cloudy parts. I would recommend this site to a friend if they needed help with creating and using an Excel Database.

Week 10: Clear: Differences Of client/server, peer-to-peer, and P2P networks

Client/Servers are basically as the name says, a client that connects to a server. Some examples are web browsers, email clients, and online chat clients. The Clients basically connect to the powerful server which sends them information so people can communicate on it. For instance, a common web browser would be Mozilla Firefox, a common email client would be Mozilla Thunderbird which is packaged with Firefox, and an example of an online chat client is Skype. All of these connect to a server which allows people to communicate with one another very easily.



A peer-to-peer network is when a computer connects directly to another computer over the internet to gather information from it. A typical peer-to-peer network doesn't have a client Some examples after FTP which is file transfer protocol and Limewire. These are generally the easiest to hack and are therefore, the most attack prone of all types of networks.

A p2p network is the abbreviation of the peer-to-peer network so it's the exact same thing. P2P networks are extremely popular and are often used for illegal purposes. For instance the most used networks are the limewire and bearshare network. These are commonly used for the illegal downloading of copyright material such as music and videos.

The Business Environment

These networks are vital for the business environment. The Client/Server networks are used for the company to communicate with the outer parts or to gather information from an external source. The peer-to-peer or p2p networks are used for the internal communication. If a boss wants to send a message to his/her employees he/she uses a p2p network to do so or an internal mail client. Without these businesses wouldn't be able to communicate at all.

Related Link

This link explains the similarities and the differences between peer-to-peer and client/server networks. It also describes the uses and which should be used with the goal desired. It was very helpful in understanding the cloudy parts of the subject.

Excel Project

In this excel project I took some raw data from a fitness center and calculated some functions with it. These functions include: max heartbeat, average heartbeat, and if they got to their target heartbeat or not. I then took this information and created a pivot table from it to show the owner the progress of his employees and their performance.

I had some trouble with the pivot table and creating some of the functions. For instance, I couldn't figure out how to get the data in the table when I used the titles for the column and row headings. However, the discussion boards helped me out a lot. The other students in this class had the same questions I did so it was easy to find an answer.

This excel project taught me a lot about organizing data and the capabilities of Excel. I learned how to organize data, fill in functions, use absolute and relative cell references, and how to make a pivot table from raw data. I use excel a lot but I never truly knew how to use it in depth.

Week 9: Clear: Relative Cell References vs. Absolute Cell References

A Cell Reference is technically the name of a cell. A cell is made up of where a row and a column meet. Rows are defined by numbers and cells are defined by letters. For instance, the first cell in the top left-hand corner is named A1 because it is the intersection between column A and row 1. There are two types of references to these cells, they are absolute and relative.

A relative cell reference is one that changes with movement of the data. For instance, if you type a function in a cell and fill it to another cell then the new cell's function changes. For example, if in cell B1 there was the function =A1+4 and then you filled that function to C1, C1 would have =B1+4. It adjusts to each cell.

An absolute cell reference is one that doesn't change when it is moved. Absolute cell references are labeled with the money ($) symbol. For instance if you have $A1 then the column A will never change in the reference but the 1 will or if you have $A$1 then the cell will stay constant through each formula in the entire page if it is filled.

The Business Environment

This is very useful in the business world because using cell references makes keeping track of records a lot faster and easier. Also the ability to use the functions in excel and use absolute and relative cell references allows for filling functions throughout the spreadsheet so you don't have to type over and over again. Huge corporations are definitely greatly affected and helped with this ability to do this with Excel.

Related Link

This link on Ongrid.com tells about relative and absolute cell references. It also informs about the usefulness of them and how they should be used. This is a good site to look at if this subject is kind of cloudy to you.

Week 7: Clear: System Software vs. Application Software

Application Software is a program that helps a user to perform a certain task such as creating a word document or sending an email. Examples of application software are Microsoft Word and Mozilla Thunderbird. These programs allow the user to use simpler instructions in order to complete a task.



System Software is a program that is designed to control computer hardware and maintain a platform for running application software. The system software is broken down into three categories: The Bios and Device Firmware, the operating system, and utility software. The bios and firmware provide basic functionality of the hardware connected to the computer. The operating system allows for the computers software to run together smoothly and the utility software maintains and fixes the computer and it's problems.

The system software is a must have for computing while application software is not. Although it is not needed it is necessary because it makes using a computer much easier and without it not many people would be able to use one. If application software didn't exist then users would have to learn computer programming and commands to use a computer which is extremely difficult.

The Business World

The business environment needs application software and system software because without it what good is a computer unless everyone in the company knows programming. In addition, in order for everyone to know programming a company would have to provide the education to do so which would raise the overall cost, therefore, raising prices. The software keeps the prices down in companies due to it allowing the not so intelligent users to use.

Related Link

Techterms.com has a great site that explains what system software is and how it is used. The site also has a link to application software. This makes it a great tool to use for learning because is distinguishes the two and is very easy to understand.

Week 6: Clear: The Convenience of Flash Drives

A flash drive is a storage device that has no moving parts. It is used to store data such as media files, programs, or just regular documents. Flash drives are also known as USB drives because they connect to a computer through the USB port. The data of a USB drive travels much faster than an optical drive or a magnetic drive.

Over the years flash drives, like everything else, have become smaller in size but larger in capacity. For instance flash drives started at 8 MBs and now can support up to 256 GBs. New technology has allowed companies to create flash drives that are disguised as something else. For instance you can order a flash drive online that looks like a lipstick case or one that looks like a cracker.


Flash drives have unlimited potential in their capabilities. For instance, in the future they will have many shapes and sizes and be able to hold a ton of information. They are very durable and very reliable compared to the other drives. Flash drives don't lose their information and are very hard to break. This is why they are much better than optical and magnetic drives.

The Business World
Flash Drives are very useful in the business environment because they are a convenient way of traveling with data. Flash drives can be easily taken on planes and stored in a suitcase. Unlike other forms of media if a flash drive gets scratched it wont matter because the data is stored on the memory. This is why business use flash media instead of disks.

Related Site
PC Support explains what a flash drive is and how it can be used. Also it explains the various types there are and what they're capable of. This is a good site to learn what a flash drive is if not understood.