Extra Credit- Austria, Caren I.

- AT2B- Financial Accounting Part 2)

INFORMATION SYSTEMS

COMPUTER HARDWARES (PHYSICAL EQUIPMENT)

 CENTRAL PROCEESING UNIT (CPU) - the principal hardware components used to fetch stored
instructions and data, decode the instructions, and carry out the instructions. The CPU is usually
composed of the following:
 ARITHMETIC/ LOGIC UNIT- performs mathematical operations and logical comparisons
 PRIMARY MEMORY (storage)- active data and program steps that are being processed by the
CPU. It may be divided into RAM (random access memory) and ROM (read only memory).
Application programs and data are stored in the RAM at execution time.
 CONTROL UNIT- interprets instructions and coordinate input, output, and storage devices.
 SECONDARY STORAGE
 MAGNETIC TAPE (or cartridge) - cheapest type of storage available. A primary medium for
backing up random-access disk files.
 MAGNETIC DISKS- those for microcomputers are referred to as “hard disks” or “hard drives”
 RAID (Redundant array of independent/ inexpensive disks) – a way of storing the same data
redundantly on multiple magnetic disks.
 COMPACT DISKS (CD) – small, easily transportable.
 FLOPPY DISKS- small, easily transportable disks commonly known as “diskettes”
 ZIP DISKS- similar to floppy diskettes, but with much greater storage capacity
 OPTICAL DISKS- use laser technology to store and read data.
 FLASH DISKS- use universal bus port (USB) to store and read data, with much greater capacity.
 INPUT DEVICES
 ONLINE ENTRY
1) VISUAL DISPLAY TERMINAL- uses keyboard to directly enter data into computer.
2) MOUSE, JOYSTICK, LIGHT PENS- familiar devices that allows data entry.
3) TOUCH-SENSITIVE SCREEN- allows user to enter data from a menu of items by touching
the surface of the monitor.
 TURNAROUND DOCUMENTS- documents that are sent to the customer and returned as inputs
(e.g., utility bills)
 AUTOMATED SOURCE DATA INPUT DEVICES
1) MAGNETIC TAPE READER- a device capable of sensing information recorded as magnetic
spots on magnetic tape.
2) MAGNETIC INK CHARACTER READER (MICR) - device that reads characters that have
been encoded with a magnetic ink (e.g., bank check readers.)
3) SCANNER- a device that reads characters on printed pages.
4) AUTOMATED TELLER MACHINE (ATM) – a machine used to execute and record
transactions with financial institutions.
5) RADIO- FREQUENCY DATA COMMUNICATION- using radio waves to directly input data.
6) POINT-OF-SALE (POS) RECORDERS- devices that read price and product code data.
7) VOICE RECOGNITION- understands spoken words and transmits them into a computer.
8) ELECTRONIC COMMERCE AND ELECTRONIC DATA INTERCHANGE- involves one
company’s computer communicating with one another’s computer. For example, a buyer is
sending via a computer purchase orders to a supplier.
 OUTPUT DEVICES
Many automated source data input devices and electronic commerce/ electronic data change devices are
capable of outputting data (“writing” in addition to “reading”) and therefore become output devices as well
as input devices.
 MONITORS- visually display output
 PRINTERS- produce paper output
 PLOTTERS- produce paper output graphs
 COMPUTER OUTPUT TO MICROFILM- makes use of photographic process to store output.
 Related terminologies
 ONLINE- equipment in direct communication with, and under the control of, the CPU
 OFF-LINE - equipment not in direct communication with the CPU
 CONSOLE- a terminal used for communication between the operator and the computer (e.g., the
operator of a mainframe computer.)
 BUFFER- a temporary storage unit used to hold data during computer operations
 MIPS- millions of instructions per second; a unit for measuring the execution speed of computers.

COMPUTER SOFTWARES (PROGRAMS THAT CONTROL HARDWARES)

 SYSTEM SOFTWARE
 OPERATING SYSTEMS- manage the input, output, processing, and storage devices and
operations of a computer (e.g., Windows Vista, Linux, Unix)
 UTILITY PROGRAMS- handle common file, data manipulation and “housekeeping” tasks.
 COMMUNICATING SOFTWARE- controls and supports transmission between computers,
computers and monitors, and accesses various databases.

Page 2 of 8 pages