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Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Information Technology
Information Technology
in Business Hardware
in Business Hardware
Management Information Systems, Second Edition
Effy Oz
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Learning Objectives
When you finish this chapter, you will:

Recognize major components of an
electronic computer.

Understand how the different components
work.

Know the functions of peripheral
equipment.


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Learning Objectives
Be able to classify computers into major categories,
and identify their strengths and weaknesses.

Be able to identify and evaluate key criteria when
deciding what computers to purchase.

Know the controversy regarding the health hazards
of computers.

Recognize how to evaluate hardware so that you can
harness it to improve managerial processes.

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The Central Tool of Modern
Information Systems
Four Basic Functions of Computers

Accept data

Process data

Store data and instructions

Output data

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The Central Tool of Modern
Information Systems
Figure 4.1 All computers have the same basic components.
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The Central Tool of Modern
Information Systems

Figure 4.2 Organizations have moved from using large
mainframes to using networked PCs.
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The Central Tool of Modern
Information Systems

Figure 4.3 A timeline of computing
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The Central Tool of Modern
Information Systems

Figure 4.3 (continued) A timeline of computing
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Computers Communicating:
Bits And Bytes
Computer recognizes two states: on or off
Each on or off signal represents a bit (binary digit)

Encoding Schemes
Representation of symbols by unique strings of bits

Counting Bases
Decimal system is base 10
Binary system is base 2
Used by computers

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Computers Communicating:
Bits And Bytes
Figure 4.4 Binary encoding
schemes
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A Peek Inside the Computer

Figure 4.5 A look inside a computer
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A Peek Inside the Computer
The Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The brain of the computer

Microprocessor
Carries signals that execute all processing

Two Components:
Control unit
Arithmetic logic unit (ALU)
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A Peek Inside the Computer
Microprocessor

Silicon chip embedded with transistors, or
semiconductors

Figure 4.6 Schematic of how circuits on a chip would be
open and closed to represent the letter D in EBCDIC
(11000100)
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A Peek Inside the Computer

Figure 4.7 What happens inside the CPU in one machine
cycle executing the operation 7 + 5
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A Peek Inside the Computer
Machine Cycle
CPUs execution of four functions:
Fetch
Decode
Execute
Store

Functions measured in small fractions of a
second

Figure 4.8 Computer time
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A Peek Inside the Computer
Memory

CPU Registers

Internal Memory
Random access memory (RAM)
Read-only memory (ROM)

External Memory
Magnetic disks, magnetic tapes, optical discs
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A Peek Inside the Computer
Computer Power

Clock rate (measured in cycles per second)

Amount of information the CPU can process
per second

Speed determined only by combination of
both factors
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Input Devices
Keyboard

Mouse, Trackball, and Track Pad

Touch Screen

Source Data Input Devices

Imaging

Speech Recognition
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Input Devices

Figure 4.9 Banks use magnetic-ink character recognition
(MICR) to automate their input procedures.
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Output Devices
Soft-Copy Output Devices

Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT) Monitor
Flat-Panel Monitor
Speech Output

Hardcopy Output Devices

Nonimpact Printers (most common)
Impact Printers
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Output Devices

Figure 4.10 In an RGB monitor, the electron gun creates
many different colors and hues from three primary colors:
red, green, and blue.
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External Storage Media
Important Properties to Consider

Capacity

Speed

Cost
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External Storage Media
Magnetic Tapes

Magnetic Disks

Optical Discs (Compact Discs)

Optical Tapes
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External Storage Media
Business Considerations of Storage
Media

Trade-offs

Modes of Access
Sequential Access
Direct Access
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External Storage Media

Figure 4.11 Characteristics of storage media for business
consideration
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External Storage Media

Figure 4.12 Sequential and random data organization
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Classification of Computers
Supercomputers

The largest, most powerful, and most expensive
Used by universities, research institutions, and large
corporations

Mainframe Computers

Less powerful and less expensive than
supercomputers
Used by businesses with large amounts of data that
need to be stored in a central computer
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Classification of Computers
Minicomputers

Often used as the host computer in a
network of smaller computers

Priced in the tens of thousands to a few
hundred thousand dollars

Manufacturers: DEC (VAX), IBM
(AS/400), and Hewlett-Packard
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Figure 4.13 PC sales continue to grow.
Classification of Computers
The Microcomputer Revolution

Computers on the Go: Laptop and
Handheld Computers

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Classification of Computers

Figure 4.14 Market shares of PC manufacturers
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Classification of Computers

Figure 4.15 Shipments of PCs, past and future (in millions of
units)
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Classification of Computers

Figure 4.16 A PDAs operating system is intelligent enough
to turn rough drawings into neat ones or handwriting into
text.
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Classification of Computers
Compatibility
Software and peripheral devices from one
computer can be used with another
computer.

In a networked environment, computers
need to communicate to share databases
and other computing resources.

In addition to power and cost, compatibility
is an extremely important factor in
purchasing decisions.
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Considerations in
Purchasing Hardware
What should you consider when buying
hardware?
Power -- speed, size of memory, storage
capacity
Expansion and upgrade capability
Ports for external devices like printers,
hard disks, communication devices
Ergonomics: Keyboard, Monitor
Vendor reliability, warranty policy, vendor
support

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Considerations in the
Purchase of Hardware
Factor What to Look For
Power Greater frequency and word size, larger

Expandability Greater number of board slots for additional RAM

Ports Greater number of ports for printer, external hard
disk, communication devices and other peripherals

Ergonomics Greater comfort and safety

Compatability Compatability with many other computers and
peripheral devices, as swell as software packages

Footprint Smaller area

Support Availability of telephone and on-line support for
troubleshooting

Warranty Longer warranty period

Cost Lower cost
Figure 4.17 Example of a hardware evaluation form
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Ethical and Societal Issues
Computers May Be Hazardous to Your Health
Physical and Emotional Stress

General physical and emotional stress

Muscular-skeletal problems
Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI)

Vision problems