Required reading
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	Textbook	Laudon & Laudon 1995 Ch. 4
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Overview

The whole of this chapter has been set as required reading. Students often complain about learning material such as that contained in this module and the next two modules.

They say that the learning of the many new terms takes considerable time and some say that it is difficult. It is necessary, however, to learn the basics about computer hardware and software. If you are buying computer equipment, you need to know the terms used to describe the features of the hardware. If you are working in an environment that is installing computer equipment you need to know about the different options available.

Try reading through the chapter to get a general understanding, then write out definitions for each of the key terms on pages 137-138.

Review questions

REVIEW QUESTION 2-1	Textbook	Laudon & Laudon 1995 pp. 138-139, Discussion questions 1, 2.
REVIEW QUESTION 2-2	Textbook	Laudon & Laudon 1995 p. 139, Exercise 2.
REVIEW QUESTION 2-3	Textbook	Laudon & Laudon 1995 pp. 139-141, Downsizing case study, Questions 1 to 5.

Quiz

Mark the correct answer.

QUESTION 1

Raw data are manipulated into another form in the:
(a) ROM
(b) CPU
(c) disk drive
(d) modem
(e) compiler.

QUESTION 2

Secondary storage is needed in addition to RAM because RAM:
(a) is not fast enough
(b) uses only ASCII
(c) is volatile
(d) cannot be changed
(e) is not very useful.

QUESTION 3

A microsecond is:
(a) one tenth of a second
(b) one thousandth of a second
(c) one millionth of a second
(d) one billionth of a second
(e) one trillionth of a second.

QUESTION 4

The numbering system that uses only a zero or a one is called:
(a) ASCII
(b) EBCDIC
(c) decimal
(d) binary
(e) hexadecimal.

QUESTION 5

Each decade has seen computing power increase by a factor of:
(a) 2
(b) 10
(c) 100
(d) 1000
(e) 10 000.

Put a tick in the appropriate box.	True	False
QUESTION 6
The control unit adds, subtracts, multiplies, divides and compares.
QUESTION 7
The most basic and fundamental CPU operational unit is called a machine cycle.
QUESTION 8
Random access memory (RAM) is volatile.
QUESTION 9
An extra bit position, called a parity bit, is often used to detect errors in transmission of data.
QUESTION 10
The speed of a computer is measured in millions of cycles per second called megahertz.
Write the most appropriate word on the line.
QUESTION 11
When a bit is automatically set to zero or one to make all the bits in the byte add up to an even or odd number, you are using ___________________.
QUESTION 12
Parity bits are used to determine errors in ___________________.
QUESTION 13
Distributed processing is NOT generally associated with ___________________.
QUESTION 14
Desktop machines with very powerful graphics and mathematical processing capabilities are called ___________________.
QUESTION 15
Most experts agree that an important function of the mainframe in the future will be ___________________.

Answers to quiz

Question 1.	(b)
Question 2.	(c)
Question 3.	(c)
Question 4.	(d)
Question 5.	(c)
Question 6.	F
Question 7.	T
Question 8.	T
Question 9.	T
Question 10.	T
Question 11.	parity
Question 12.	transmission
Question 13.	mainframes
Question 14.	workstations
Question 15.	data storage

Answer pointers to Review questions

Taken from Simmons (1995)

REVIEW QUESTION 2-1

1. A mainframe is the largest computer and typically has a huge memory (50 to over 500 megabytes of RAM) and extremely rapid processing power. Mainframes are usually used for solving very large commercial, scientific, or military problems which require the handling of massive amounts of data or many complicated processes. A minicomputer is a mid-size computer (10 to 100 megabytes of RAM), about as large as an office desk, often used in universities,factories, and research laboratories. A microcomputer has the smallest memory (256 kilobytes to 16 megabytes of RAM) and can be placed on a desktop or carried from room to room. Microcomputers are widely used as personal machines having originally been designed for nontechnical specialists.

   A supercomputer is an especially sophisticated and powerful type of computer used for problems requiring extremely rapid and complex computations with hundreds or thousands of variable factors. Supercomputers are extremely expensive and are used mainly for military and scientific applications.

   Both microcomputers and workstations are desktop machines. However, workstations have more powerful graphics and mathematical processing capabilities and have the ability to perform several tasks at once. Workstations can also integrate text and graphics more easily than a microcomputer. Workstations are typically used by scientists, engineers, designers, and other knowledge workers.

   Distinctions between these classifications are disappearing because the capacity of computer hardware is constantly increasing. For example, today's microcomputers can handle much of the work that mainframes did in the 1970s and are starting to offer multitasking, intensive graphics, and other features of workstations. This makes the distinction between various classifications of computers less important.

2. Some changes include:
   • more computer use implies the need for more professionals to be familiar with computers
   • work in many professions will become less tedious as computers take care of the details.

REVIEW QUESTION 2-2

The choice of microcomputer will depend on several factors: the nature of work in college for which the computer will be used; cost, standard at the school or within major availability of desired software, size, and ability to tie into the campus network. Students in very cramped dormitory rooms may want a portable notebook or laptop computer but may be concerned about theft of a computer that is easy to lift.

REVIEW QUESTION 2-3

1. Advantages: Potential cost savings related to information systems operations, better alignment of information technology with corporate business and computing needs, greater computing flexibility, reduced number of employees required to support information systems, ability to take advantage of more current computing applications since old ones are phased out or redesigned for networks and decentralized functions.

   Disadvantages: Employee resistance to change, unwillingness to part with old systems because of the significant economic investments in them (although these costs could be argued as sunk costs for the firm), potential employee lay-offs due to reduced information systems support staff needs, substantial employee retraining and education requirements, and the actual economic costs of purchasing new hardware, software, and networking equipment.

2. People: The people directly affected by downsizing are the employees and management of the organization, particularly information systems professionals.

   Organization: For an organization that has not had many changes to its information systems, the drastic change that downsizing can trigger should be assessed. It may mean the basic way the business is structured may change.

   Technology: The business must compare the costs and benefits of its existing technology to the potential offered by the downsized environment. There may be many old systems and applications that will require conversion, so the switch to new technology will require careful planning and implementation.

3. Before any of the hardware is actually changed, the business's management needs to analyze the business in terms of its strategic and competitive position, and then assess where information technology fits into the picture. The technical change process should result from a careful analysis of the business itself, its structure, its markets, employees, customers, suppliers, and other business relationships as well as economic cost/benefit considerations.

4. A firm that has typically relied upon a centralized, mainframe data processing shop may find that its business has changed to where employees need and use data and information at remote sites, bypassing the services provided by the mainframe. A business that is changing from a centralized to a decentralized structure to be more responsive to changes in its business environment may also find downsizing appropriate for its data and information handling needs.

5. Opinions may vary. The use of mainframes as the backbone of distributed systems and as the manager of the data repository can be discussed.