b_book1.gif (162 bytes)Information technology
Computers | Fax (Facsimile) | Photocopier | Telecommunications
b_html1.gif (183 bytes)Printers | Video

Information Technology - Equipment

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 Information technology includes many different types of equipment including;
  • Computers, printers, faxs, photocopiers, video cameras, and the telecommunications equipment (telephones, modems)

"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons" - Popular mechanics 1949

Computers

[PC Workstation]
  • An electronic device capable of doing a variety of tasks at high speed including arithmetic and logical operations
  • Allow you to input, process, output and store data.

May be

  • micro, mid-range, mainframe or super computer
  • stand alone and network configurations,

[Cray Super computer]

Example uses

  • Word processing (letters, notes)
  • Spreadsheets (budgets)
  • Accounting (Debtors)
  • Drawing (Architecture)

[PC laptop][mainframe]

[Pen computer]

Fax (Facsimile)

[fax]

[comms]

A device which sends and receives images via telephone lines, printing these images to paper.

Usually single copies of documents sent.

[internal modem]

Example uses

  • contract documents
  • urgent letters - that may include drawings

Photocopier

[photocopier]
  • A device which reproduces an image from one piece of paper to another
  • Most often used to make multiple copies

Example uses

  • meeting documents
  • newsletters

Telecommunications

[comms]

[microwave][satellite]

 A term describing the communication of information, by electronic means, over long distances.

E.g. between towns, cities and countries.

Equipment used includes; modem, data terminals (eg. Eft-pos, lotto), wire (eg. Telephone), micro wave and satellite links

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Example uses

  • Connecting an organisation with geographically separate branches
  • Internet (email, user groups, World Wide Web)
  • Connecting two organisations
    • supplier and retailer (EDI)
    • bank and retailer (EFT-POS)

[Rev: 4/6/98] 10/1/98 © 1997-98 V/2-Com (Verhaart), P O Box 8415, Havelock North, New Zealand.