LESSON 3
COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS
Section I. DATA PROCESSING
3-1.
LESSON OVERVIEW
The preceding lesson helped you form a general idea of basic computer
components and their functions. In this lesson you will gain a broader perspective. You
will find out about data processing, the fundamental operation of the computer, how it is
accomplished, and why it is needed. You will learn about the three major categories of
computer systems (mainframe, mini-, and microcomputer), and the benefits of smaller,
faster, and more efficient computers and the programs that support them. You will also
learn about different teleprocessing systems that make feedback quicker and more
responsive. You will find out about the computer services offered by service business
and time-sharing companies and finally get a feel for future trends in the computer field.
3-2.
EVOLUTION OF DATA PROCESSING
As stated in Lesson 1, data processing (the collecting, manipulating, and
distributing of data) has been practiced since earliest recorded history. The methods of
data processing have gone through an evolutionary process: from manual (data
processing), to electromechanical (automatic data processing), to electronic or
computerized. Electronic data processing is often referred to simply as data
processing.
3-3.
PURPOSE OF DATA PROCESSING
Whether manual, electromechanical, or electronic, the purpose of data
processing remains the same: to organize raw data into meaningful information needed
for decision-making. In common parlance, data and information are used
interchangeably. But strictly speaking, they are distinct and separate. A list of the day's
checks and deposit slips (the data) means very little to a bank manager until they have
been manipulated into summary report form (information), giving the total number and
dollar value of deposit and withdrawals. Information, then, is data that has been
organized and processed. The purpose of data processing is to evaluate and organize
data, to produce meaningful information that can be used in decision-making. To be of
value, information must be delivered to the right person at the right time, and in the right
place. It must be accurate, timely, complete, concise, and relevant.
MD0057
3-2