Ch 13 Huffman Study Questions 1. Major characteristics of each of the five generations of computers.

First: significant for computers being entirely electronic and able to store data & programs for reuse. Second: Development of transistors, vastly superior logic, magnetic core memory, & magnetic disk storage. Third: computer replaced magnetic core memory with integrated circuit/chip technology. Fourth: began with a clear-cut technological advance- largescale integration compressing many integrated circuits on a single chip & the microprocessor is being put into microwaves, artificial limbs, games, robots, etc. Fifth: Apple & IBMs entrance into the microcomputer market. 2. Define conceptual terms associated with data processing and systems analysis. Systems analysis is the structured approach to creating a computerized information system where none existed before. Although a data processing is comprised of many specialists, the systems analyst generally has the most interfaces with the user. The purpose is to ensure the users needs are met in the most efficient & effective manner in developing an information system. Theres traditional and structured analysis. 3. The steps in systems analysis and the techniques which may be used to aid each. Theres traditional and structured analysis techniques. The steps are: Organization/planning phase, initial/investigation/definition phase, feasibility phase, research phase, selection phase, design phase, implementation phase, and then evaluation phase. 4. Explain the three major types of computer configurations. Mainframe: refers to the one main computer in an organization, minicomputer is smaller than a large-scale computer, and microcomputer is an even smaller computer yet still fully functional. 5. The components of the central processing unit. The control unit, the arithmetic-logic unit, and primary storage unit, or memory. 6. Explain how the binary number system represents data and calculates storage requirements for given applications. The system of representing data in a computer via two states is called the binary number system. In the binary system, there are only two digits, usually represented as 0 and 1. 7. List & describe the major features of input, output, and storage devices used in HC facilities. Input devices feed data into the computer; scanners, punch card readers, keyboard, and mouses. An output device is any piece of computer hardware equipment used to communicate the results of data processing carried out by an information processing such as a printer or monitor. A data storage device is a device for recording (storing) information (data) such as magnetic tape units, magnetic disk units, optical disk units, etc. 8. Identify applications of data communications in the HC industry, especially networking. Source data collection, remote job entry, message switching, online inquiry, time sharing,

and networking (one of the most complex and important where several whole computer systems are linked together) 9. Distinguish between operating system software & application programs, and describe the features of the four levels of application programs. Operating system software is a group of programs that allows a computer to manage its operations. It causes data to be loaded from an input device and/or online storage into the CPU and application programs are specific to particular data processing applications. One application program processes data for one purpose. 10. Describe the importance of peopleware. Because even the there is a high tech world, people are still necessary to design and build computers (engineers), create systems (systems analysts), write programs (programmers), enter data (data entry techs), and use the info generated (users). Each person is a specialist and no one individual can operate alone.