Page 204 - Business Principles and Management

Chapter 8 • Technology and Information Management

COMPUTERS
A computer is a machine that processes and stores
data according to instructions stored in it. The
machine parts and anything attached to it are called
hardware. The instructions that tell the computer
what to do are called software.
As illustrated in Figure 8-1, computers have
three basic elements: a way to enter data, a central
processing unit to act on the data, and a way to
output the results. Users can enter data through
such devices as keyboards, voice-recognition
systems, and scanners. The central processing
unit receives and processes the data as directed
by the software stored permanently or temporar-
ily in the computer. Users can view data entered PHOTO : © GETTY IMAGES/PHOTODISC.
and processed on monitors or can print or store
the data on disks, such as hard drives, floppy
disks, CDs (compact discs), and DVDs (digital
video discs).

How have new technologies
changed the traditional
FIGURE 8-1 Computers contain three basic elements—input devices,
the central processing unit, and output devices. business office?

Input Data Devices Central Processing Unit Output Devices
(examples) (examples)

KEYBOARD

MONITOR

MOUSE
STORAGE:
Floppy
CD/DVD
USB Flash Drive
MEMORY
SCANNER AND
PROCESSING

HARD DRIVE

VOICE-
RECOGNITION
SYSTEM

PRINTER

DIGITAL CAMERA

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