Why is it important to differentiate the computer systems according to its purpose or use?
Answers
Answer:
An operating system is the most important software that runs on a computer. It manages the computer's memory and processes, as well as all of its software and hardware. It also allows you to communicate with the computer without knowing how to speak the computer's language. Without an operating system, a computer is useless.
A computer is a programmable device that can automatically perform a sequence of calculations or other operations on data once programmed for the task. It can store, retrieve, and process data according to internal instructions. A computer may be either digital, analog, or hybrid, although most in operation today are digital. Digital computers express variables as numbers, usually in the binary system. They are used for general purposes, whereas analog computers are built for specific tasks, typically scientific or technical. The term "computer" is usually synonymous with digital computer, and computers for business are exclusively digital.
ELEMENTS OF THE COMPUTER SYSTEM
The core, computing part of a computer is its central processing unit (CPU), or processor. It comprises an arithmetic-logic unit to carry out calculations, main memory to temporarily store data for processing, and a control unit to control the transfer of data between memory, input and output sources, and the arithmetic-logic unit. A computer is not fully functional without various peripheral devices, however. These are typically connected to a computer through cables, although some may be built into the same unit with the CPU. These include devices for the input of data, such as keyboards, mice, trackballs, scanners, light pens, modems, magnetic strip card readers, and microphones, as well as items for the output of data, such as monitors, printers, plotters, loudspeakers, earphones, and modems. In addition to these input/output devices, other types of peripherals include computer data storage devices for auxiliary memory storage, where data is saved even when the computer is turned off. These devices most often are magnetic tape drives, magnetic disk drives, or optical disk drives.
Finally, for a digital computer to function automatically, it requires programs, or sets of instructions written in computer-readable code. To be distinguished from the physical or hardware components of a computer, programs are collectively referred to as software
Explanation:
Given today's fast-changing business environment, then, system upgrades are a fact of life. As Joel Dreyfuss noted in Fortune, "if you don't have the latest and (always) greatest software and hardware on your business computers, your vendors and employees can make you feel that you're just one step away from quill pens and parchment." But upgrade initiatives should not be approved impulsively. Instead, business owners and managers should conduct appropriate cost-benefit analysis, weighing such issues as installation and training costs, compatibility with other systems, usefulness of new features, and current ability to meet business needs, before investing in major computer system upgrades.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Codkind, Alan. "Automating The Business Process." CMA—The Management Accounting Magazine. October 1993.
Dreyfuss, Joel. "FSB/Small Businesses." Fortune. 13 November 2000.
Hensley, Richard. "Owner Quandary: How Much to Spend on New Technology?" Cincinnati Business Courier. 3 March 1997.
Page, Heather. "What Price PC?" Entrepreneur. October 1997.
"Small Firm's Usage Patterns." Nation's Business. August 1993.
Smith, Sandi. "The Smart Way to Invest in Computers." Journal of Accountancy. May 1997.