Computers and Data Processing

Book excerpt: Computers and Data Processing provides information pertinent to the advances in the computer field. This book covers a variety of topics, including the computer hardware, computer programs or software, and computer applications systems. Organized into five parts encompassing 19 chapters, this book begins with an overview of some of the fundamental computing concepts. This text then explores the evolution of modern computing systems from the earliest mechanical calculating devices to microchips. Other chapters consider how computers present their results and explain the storage and retrieval of massive amounts of computer-accessible information from secondary storage devices. This book discusses as well the development installation, evaluation, and control of computer systems. The final chapter discusses the use of computers in the transportation systems and the ways in which they make possible other innovations in transportation. This book is a valuable resource for computer scientists, systems analysts, computer programmers, mathematicians, and computer specialists.