Over the course of the past few decades, technology has become an increasingly important element in the various lifestyles of which we partake. One can remember the days of old when we had to actually type in code on the old Commodore 64 before we could actually enjoy a game. Also, the painstaking effort it took to type up a ten-page paper on the electric typewriter the night before it was due. During the course of this paper, we will discuss the advances in technology that have aided in the efficiency of areas such as data input, data output, data storage, and computer speed.
Data input is an important area of emphasis. Without the accurate input of data, there is no way to receive the proper results. Thus, finding the most effective and accurate means of inserting data is paramount. There are countless ways to efficiently negotiate the input of data.
English: Image of an ASUS CD-Rom Drive CD-S520/A4
English: 8-inch, 5,25-inch, and 3,5-inch floppy di...
English: Square hole punch used for 5 1/4 inch flo...For example, in the case of printed questionnaires, one could possibly just scan the printed results directly into the computer system, and sort the responses into a spreadsheet format. This type of input worked well for me when doing a survey on baggage service procedures and recommendations. I first attempted to gather the information via email; however, not all agents were computer literate. Thus, it became necessary to present a hardcopy of the survey to those particular agents. After the surveys were collected, the sheets were scanned into the system, and I was able to place the answers for each individual question in a spreadsheet and run the necessary statistics.
Another example would be the electronic processing of bank checks. When Wal-mart first promoted this new technology, I was awe stricken! There is no longer a need to actually take the paper check! They just scan them through the...