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Fundamentals of Computer Processing

Fundamentals of Computer Processing. Computer Sizes. Mainframes -- the first Supercomputers -- the largest Minicomputers -- the first effort to achieve reduced size Microcomputers -- made possible by microprocessor PC -- used by one person, or by a few people in the same area

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Fundamentals of Computer Processing

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  1. Fundamentals of Computer Processing

  2. Computer Sizes • Mainframes -- the first • Supercomputers -- the largest • Minicomputers -- the first effort to achieve reduced size • Microcomputers -- made possible by microprocessor PC -- used by one person, or by a few people in the same area Workstations, lap tops, notebooks, and palmtops

  3. The Computer Schematic • Processor = Control unit + ALU • The computer is a closed-loop system

  4. The Computer Schematic Central Processing Unit (CPU) Control Unit Primary Storage Unit Output Information Input Data Arithmetic and Logic Unit Secondary Storage Unit

  5. Computer History • Prior to 1950s • Keydriven machines • (some were called bookkeeping machines) • Punched card machines

  6. Computer History (continued) • 1951 -- first commercial computer (a UNIVAC I) installed at the Census Burea • 1954 -- first computer installed in a business (another UNIVAC I at GE) • Early 1970s -- minicomputers • Late 1970s -- microcomputers (TRS-80, Commodore PET) • 1982 -- IBM PC

  7. Primary Storage Evolution in storage media: • Magnetic drums • Magnetic cores • Integrated circuits (1964)

  8. Bits and Bytes (KB, MB) • RAM and ROM • Cache memory • One kilobyte (1KB) is 210 bytes (1,024) • One megabyte (1MB) is 220 bytes (1,048,576)

  9. Input Devices • Keyboard • Ergonomic considerations (human engineering, human factor considerations) • QWERTY keyboard vs. Dvorak keyboard

  10. Pointing Devices • Mouse • Trackball • Touch screen • Light pen • Remote control device

  11. Source Data Automation (SDA) • Input bottleneck • Optical character recognition (OCR) is big in retailing • Supermarket scanners • Point of sale (POS) terminals • Magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) was big for banks starting in the late 1950s

  12. Technologies used for POS Terminals • Mark readers • Barcode readers • Character readers • Handprint readers

  13. Speech Recognition • Speaker dependent • Speaker independent

  14. Output Devices • Displayed • CRT, VDT • Flat-panel • Printed • Speed • Quality • Speech (audio response unit) • digitized or playback

  15. Means of Producing Computer Output Displayed Output Devices Printers ABC123 Computer Speech Output Devices Plotters Microfilm

  16. Printers Impact Nonimpact Line Character Page Ink jet Laser Dot matrix Daisy wheel

  17. Output Devices (continued) • Plotters • Flatbed • Drum • Microform • Microfilm (roll) • Microfiche (sheet) • Tabular versus graphical versus narrative

  18. Software • Input and output devices communicate directly with the manager and are considered to have a direct role • Source data automation devices play an indirect role • Two main types of software -- system and application

  19. System Software • Three main types: • operating system • translators • utilities

  20. Operating System • Basic functions • Schedule jobs • Manage hardware and software resources • Maintain system security • Provide for multiprogramming • Handle interrupts • Maintain usage records

  21. Language TranslatorsSoftware Generations • First -- machine language • Second -- assemblers • Third -- compilers and interpreters • Procedure-oriented language • Problem-oriented language • Fourth -- natural language (4GL) • Nonprocedural • Types of 4GLs (example: FOCUS)

  22. The Program is Translated Before the Data is Processed Source Program 1 Translate 2 Object Program Input Data Output

  23. Fourth-generation Languages Offer Unique Combinations of Power and User Friendliness Report writers Much Very high-level languages Modeling languages Database Query Language DSS power Application generators Graph generators Little Friendly Unfriendly User friendliness

  24. FOCUS Instructions to Prepare a Report DEFINE FILE SALES REGION/A12=DECODE REGION(NE ‘NORTH EAST’ SE ‘SOUTH EAST’ MW ‘MID WEST’ MA ‘MID-ATLANTIC’); END TABLE FILE SALES HEADING CENTER “PRODUCT UNIT SALES ANALYSIS </1” SUM UNITS AND ROW-TOTAL AND COLUMN-TOTAL ACROSS REGION BY PRODNUM AS ‘PRODUCT NUMBER’ END

  25. Application Software • Custom programming versus prewritten packages • Four categories of prewritten packages 1. General business 2. Industry-specific 3. Organizational productivity GDSS, E-mail, project management, forecasting, stat packages

  26. Application Software (continued) 4. Personal productivity (or application development software) • Word processing • Spreadsheets • Graphics • desktop publishing, etc. Direct versus indirect roles of software

  27. Application Software C B I S Software Type DP MIS DSS OA ES General Business Industry-specific Organizational productivity Personal productivity

  28. User Friendliness • Guided dialog • Menus • Form-filling • Context sensitive help • Help screen or help messages • Graphic user interface (GUI) • Icons, buttons, toolbars, and others

  29. Error Control • Error prevention • Protected format • Error detection • Edit routines • Error correction • Edit commands

  30. Multimedia • Combines different forms of computer output, allows richer communication • Began in late 1980s • Multimedia in business • accounting information systems (documedia) • MIS and DSS via graphs, three-dimensional graphics and animation • office automation; workgroup computing, desktop video • knowledge-based systems

  31. The Multimedia System Development Process Communications Professionals Information Specialists User Step 1 Define the problem Step 2 Design the concept Step 3 Design the content Step 4 Write the script Step 5 Design the graphics Step 6 Produce the system Step 7 Conduct user tests Use the system Step 8 Step 9 Maintain the system

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