INVESTIGATING OPTIONS
Entering the world

of the computers

To a newcomer, the world
of the computer is both
fascinating and dazzling, and
perhaps a little frightening as
well. With strange words like
bit and byte, hardware and
software, RAM and ROM, to
attempt to master the com
puter can be like learning a
new skill in a
language

Many people are deterred
from exploring all that a
computer can offer both
at home and 1n the office -
because of the unfamiliarity
of te all) But, their attitudes
change when they have an
opportunity to sit back and
realize that the computer is
one of the major techno.
logical contributions of the
20th: century, making possi
ble space flaghts, C AT scans
and many other “‘miractes”’
of the past 20 years

It's) awesome. especially
when you consider that a chip
scarcely larger in size than a
fingernail can hold more
than 1OO) pages of double
spaced manuscript, and that
a computer that 2% years age
sprawled over a good sized
room, today sits comfortably
on a desktop, with room to
spare And, that computer
has a mynad of uses in both
personal and business ap
plications from keeping
financial records to playing
video games

If youre thinking about

foreign

investing in a computer, you
will need several pieces of
hardware to get maximum
use of st. These are:

© The computer itself, the
‘‘brains’’ of the unit, which
contains the memory and cir-
cultry mecessary (oO process
data, and a keyboard which
has many familiar and un-
famihar characters - not on-
ly the English = alphabet,
numbers and necessary punc-
tuation, but keys which
facilitate commands,

*Kaher a disk drive or a
tape player, used to take pro
grams and data off the disk
or tape on which tt is stored,
and enter it in the computer's
memory. While a disk drive ts
the more expensive option, tt
is a far quicker, more effh
qient prece of equipment that
the tape player

*A monitor, on which to
display the information call
ced up. to play videogames,
and to calculate information
Special monitors are made,
both in black and white and
color, for use with com
puters However a TV can be
adapted for the purpose

*A printer which, though
not essential to the running
of the computer, expands
many of the computer's
capabilittes A printer
enables the computer use to
keep hard copies of programs
and data, and makes possible
such computer applcatians

as word processing

Dot matrix and letter
quality printers are two im-
portant types, though others
exist to meet specific needs.
A dot matrix printer ts con-
siderably faster that a letter
quality printer, and allows
the computer user greater
freedom by making possible
the printing graphics, as well
as a variety of different type
styles and sizes A letter
quality printer provides
typewriter quality printing,
important in business letters,
manuscripts, ctc

An important option 15 a
modem, which attaches to a
telephone or telephone line
and allows the computer user
to tie into databases, enor
mous computers which offer
a wide range of information
and scrvices, including news,
electrons mail, home bank-
ing. home shopping and elec
tronk bulletin boards for
communicating with other
computer enthusiasts

As fat as software is con
cerned) you can «create your
Own programs. storing Chen
on blank discs of tapes (the
manual that comes with the
computer will start you out
on this endeavon) oof buy
programs made for your
spectfie computes

Business can opt for
spreadsheet analysis pro
peama whieh provide hey
business graphics

AlS - Wednesday, September 19, 1984 - North Shore News

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