Written in the same style as computer literacy textbooks, this textbook provides an introduction to the material and topics that will be covered in greater detail throughout a 4-year IT program. The text primarily emphasizes operating systems from the perspective of both a user and system administrator, with a focus on Windows 7 and RedHat Linux. It offers breadth and depth of coverage of the topics, but not enough depth to make later courses unnecessary. In most chapters, examples are provided, such as example Linux and DOS instructions, and example program code.