BOOK REVIEW

Book Reviewed by

Engr. Muhammad Ayub

Registration No. 52
Agricultural Engineering Wing
Department of Agriculture
Government of the Punjab

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 BOOK PROFILE

Name of Book: Computers

And
Information Systems

Author: Marvin R.Gore

John W. Stubbe

Year of Publication 1984

Edition 2nd

Publisher: McGraw-Hill Book Company

Total No of Units: 6

Total Chapters: 19

Total Pages 504

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INTRODUCTION
This book is series of publications published by the same company
after computers and data processing. An extra feature in this book is the addition
of four supplements; those have attracted and attributed towards an additional use
of the book. The computer has become an essential tool for our business/office
and to learn its different features the book is a vital collection for the reader.

The goal of this book is to help the readers to learn about computer
and computer related information systems. The readers can apply this knowledge
to the world of business, and increase their general awareness of the impact of
computers upon individuals and upon the society. The book is designed to provide
the back ground knowledge required for the study of computers, data processing,
and computer information system.
The book contains supplementary material to expand on the coverage
of programming languages and to discuss number system. It also gives an idea of
character codes. The book explains regarding computer languages like COBAL.
The binary system of configurations has been discussed for the readers in an easy
way to acquire the knowledge of computer. The book is valuable reference and
serves as a periodical guideline to the persons dealing with the subject.
BOOK REVIEW
The unit wise/chapter wise review of the book is given here under for
a glimpse into the book.
The unit 1 comprises of four chapters. The important aspects of each
chapter are discussed in the following paragraphs.
Chapter1: Data Processing Concepts.
This chapter encircles the following important information besides
other vital and important aspects.
 The meaning of and need for computer literacy.
 The definitions of data, data processing, and data processing system.
 The descriptions of the five basic data processing operations.
 The relationship between data elements, records, and files.

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Chapter2: The Information Society.
The chapter includes following basic information’s.
 The principle elements of computer data processing systems
 The differences between systems and applications software’s
 Four advantages of computer data processing systems
 The origins and importance of the knowledge industries
 A method for classifying computers systems and measure of their growth
 The reasons for the convergence of the computer related computer
technologies and importance of information resource management
Chapter3 we learn from this chapter regarding system characteristics of business
as under.
 Why a business is a “system of systems”.
 The difference between product flow and information flow.
 The four levels of information system and their uses.
 The four life cycle phases of computerized business systems.
 The role of the systems analyst in developing effective computer data
processing systems.

Chapter4: Computer Systems: An Overview:

This chapter surrounds different types of computers and functions
performed by them as under.
 The three different types of computers.
 The relationship between hardware, software, and firmware.
 How data and instructions are stored in primary and secondary storage.
 The major functions performed by the control unit, the arithmetic logic
unit, and the input and output units.
The unit 2 consists of 4 chapters. The delinquent issues therein are discussed
for deliberations.
Chapter5: Storage and Processing.
This chapter describes the principal devices that perform the storing,
processing functions as under.

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  The business data processing cycle.
 How storage media are classified by cast and access time.
 The characteristics of primary storage media.
 The characteristics of electromechanical storage media.
 Uses of emerging new electronic storage media.
 How electronic circuit cast and performance trends are affecting the
processing units.
Chapter 6.This chapter gives information regarding input/output devices as under.
 The choices in magnetic i/o media and data recorders.
 The characteristics of the three types of printers.
 The most common types of key board devices.
 The characters of the most common types of scanners.
Chapter 7
This chapter provides the information of computer communication as
under.
 The four elements of data commutations.
 The three data transmission modes.
 The concept and definition of distributed data processing.
 Te three major classes of distributed data processing systems.
 How commutation systems and distributed data processing are leading us
toward the automated office.
Chapter 8
The chapter provides the knowledge to the reader about the personal
commuters.
 Identifying the features of personal computer.
 A useful micro computer vocabulary
 How to distinguish among microcomputer systems.
 Six major categories of applications of personal computers.
 A three step procedure for selecting a personal computer.

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 This unit 3 includes chapter 9, 10, 11, which provides the information to the
reader for the system analysis. The system includes study, design and development,
operation phase.

The unit 4 is titled as computer programming. This unit consists of chapter

12,13,14,15. Computer programming involves planning, languges and running the
computer program.

The chapter 16and 17 are included in this unit 5 which gives the knowledge
to the reader for programming in BASIC.

The chapter 18and 19 are included in this unit 6 .Chapter 18 describes trends
inland describes carriers opportunities for computer information systems. Where the
chapter 19 includes prospects about the knowledge industries and their
socioeconomics impact also concludes with some specifications about 60 bots and
artificial intelligence.

The Supplements includes for the information on the topics of COBAL.

From this supplement the reader learns about the logical steps of our program in
COBAL. In the second supplement the reader are acquitted with the process of
coding a program by using Report Program Generator. In the third supplement the
reader learns about number system used in computer memory dumps. In the last
supplement the binary coded decimal inter change code (BCDIC), extended …….
(BCDIC),packed decimal number format, American Slandered Code for information
interchange(ASCII).

The book is indeed very useful reference for the professional of the
information technology field. Its language and representation of the vital issues with
the diagrams and graphs has made it easy to understand. I had found this book a
useful collection.