1. Accuracy of data input is important.What method of physical data input (i.e hardware device) would be best for each of the following situations and explain why:
Printed questionnaires
Telephone survey
Bank checks
Retail tags
Long documents
a. Printed Questionnaires - The best method for data input would be a keyboard. The reason the keyboard would be best is because it enables some one to create the needed test that makes the questionnaires.
b. Telephone Survey - The best method of data for this situation would be a voice input device. The reason this would be the best choice is because a voice input device can be programmed to recognized answers spoken into the phone. By doing this a live person does not have to conduct the survey, it can all be done my computer.
c. Bank Checks - The best input for bank checks would be MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition) a magnetic scanning input device. Because banks have to deal with large volume of checks they need a system that can read checks fast. This system reads the numbers at the bottom of the checks and will automatically make adjustments to the proper accounts. A MICR input system will magnetize the numbers at the bottom of the check so the system can read them.
d. Retail Tags - The best data input for retail tags would be a bar code scanner. This is called an optical scanning input device. By using a bar code scanner the user does not have to riley on manually inputting numbers into a keypad. They can use either a handheld or fixed scanner to do this. The tags must also have these bar codes on them for this to properly work. The bar codes have specific codes that apply to certain types of merchandise.
e. Long documents - The data system for this would also be a typewriter. But because this document is longer and often takes much more time to type and create and different type of keyboard is needed. An ergonomics keyboard would be the best choice. They key boards are made to make the users more comfortable and less fatigue. They are made specifically comfort, efficiency and to reduce the risk of injury. Convenience and quality of output are important.
2. Convenience and quality of output are important.Explain what physical method of output (i.e. hardware device) would be best for each of the following situations and explain why:
Hand held computer
Color photograph
Resume
Memorandum
Statistical report
Company annual report
a. Hand held Computer - The output device for device would be a USB connection to a desktop computer. I did not see this on the reading but felt this would be the best. By using a USD port (which happens to be one of fastest ways to transfer data to a PC) you can output all information to the PC to do with it as you will print, emailing�. etc.
b. Color photograph - The best output for would be a high-resolution CRT monitor and a plotter. For viewing the image on a computer the CRT would provide the best resolution over a flat. The image would look its best on one of these monitors. For printing a plotter would provide the best quality.
c. Resume - The best output would be a laser desktop printer. The reason for this is because most of the time resumes are created at home and printed from there. Many people do not have access to the printers found at out jobs. In addition the laser produces the best quality of document and a resume is an important document.
d. Memorandum - The best output for this would be a high volume printer. The reason for this selection is because of its ability to print out many copies. A memorandum usually needs to be passed out to many people in a company and the printer would be able to create these documents quickly.
e. Statistical repot - A dot matrix printer would be the best input selection for this report. Because statistical reports tend to long this printer would do a fine job and also not cost a lot of money.
f. Company annual report - The best output for this will also be a high volume printer. Because a company needs to make multiple copies and many people this printer would do the best job.
3. Different types of storage devices are optimal for different situations.Explain what situations are appropriate for the following devices and explain why:
Hard disk
Floppy disk
RAM
CD ROM
Tape
Hard disk
Hard disks have faster data access rate and are of high capacity. They are useful in areas where it is required to frequently read and write data to a secondary storage device like desktop PC's, Notebooks, palm pilots, servers, UNIX systems etc.
Floppy disk
Floppy disk is a removable storage medium. A Standard 3.5 inch floppy disk can store 1.4 MB of data. Floppies have been the most widely used removable storage medium since the mid-to-late 1980s. They are the most convenient way to transfer smaller size files between computers. Larger files (several MB's) can be zipped using zip utilities and copied to several floppies and transferred between computers. Floppies are generally used to transfer data between computers that are not networked.
RAM
RAM is the primary storage device of a computer. It is the working memory of a computer. It is a temporary memory which computer uses to store data like Operating system, application programs and data that are in the current use by the processor. The processor can read or write to a RAM much faster than any of the secondary storage devices. The contents of RAM are cleared when the computer is turned off. RAM is required in all computers. The more RAM a computer has, the more data a computer can manipulate and hence the speed of the computer.
CD ROM
CD ROM (Compact Disk read-only Memory), a firmware can store and read massive amounts of information (650 MB) on a removable disk. Unlike the data on hard drives and diskettes, data on CD-ROM's can only be read but not altered by the user. CD-ROM are useful where data once written are not altered like digital musical songs, games, system software's etc.
Tape
Magnetic Tape is inexpensive and relatively stable secondary storage medium. Large volumes of information can be stored sequentially by means of magnetized and non-magnetized spots on tape. Tapes can be used as a secondary storage device where large amount of data has to be backed up. Our company uses tapes to backup databases, shared network drives and server hard disk backups.
4. Explain the role of each of the following in determining the speed of a computer:
RAM
Clock speed
Data on hard disk
Data on CD ROM
Data on floppy disk
RAM - As a computer processes data and instructions, it temporarily stores information internally, usually on silicon random-access memory, or RAM, chips--often called semiconductor memory. Usually mounted on the main circuit board inside the computer or on peripheral cards that plug into the board, each RAM chip may consist of as many as 16 million switches, called flip-flop switches that respond to changes in electric current. Each switch can hold one bit of data: high voltage applied to a switch causes it to hold a 1; low voltage causes it to hold a 0. This kind of internal memory is also called read/write memory.
Every computer processor includes an oscillator that operates at a certain number of pulses per second. These pulses set the tempo for the processor; in most cases, a processor executes one or more instructions per clock cycle. Clock speeds are usually measured in millions of cycles per second (megahertz) or billions of cycles per second (gigahertz).
Average processor clock speeds have gone up quite a bit over the past 10 years. As recently as 1990, a high-performance IBM 8088 processor ran at less than 5MHz. Today, processors from Intel and other vendors routinely run well over 3GHz.
Computer data is frequently stored on a hard disk. Speed - 9 ms 100 MB/s 7200 RPM Capacity - 20-160 GB (for a 2001 computer).

The CD Rom has a speed of - 80-250 ms 8 MB/s (52 xs) variable Capacity - 700 MB

The Floppy Disk - Speed - 84 ms62 KB/s 300 RPM Capacity - 1.44 MB