EXPLTQEDING
`COMPUTER
`MYTH
`Discovering the IS Realities
`of High9 Performing
`Busmess Systems
`
`
`
`Glenn E.Weadock
`
`1
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`MPHJ 2007
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`MPHJ 2007
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`IX{PRI^'T OF OI-]!IR WIG}TT PUBLICATI(}NS, INC.
`85 Allefi ivtu tin Drirc
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`Copyright @ 1994by clenn E. Weadock
`
`Published by Oliver Wight Publications, Inc.
`
`All rights reserved. This book or any parts thereol may not
`be reproduced without permission from the publisher.
`
`Oliver Wight Publications books may be purchased for educational,
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`Library oI Congress Catalog Card Number: 94-61549
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`ISBN 0-919246-82- l
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`Printed on acid-free paper
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`Manufactured in the United Stares of America
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`ACI(NOWLEDGMENTS
`Lines from "'Choruses' from The Rock" by T.S. Eliot is irorrt Collected Poems
`1909-1962, by T.S. Eli(x. Reprinted by permission of Faber and Faber Limited,
`Publishers, London. Copyright l9l6 by Harcourt Brace & Company.
`Copyright 1964, 196) by T.S. Eliot, reprinted by permission of the publisher.
`Lines from "Look What You Did, Chfistopher!" by Ogden Nash is from ygr.ses
`from 1929 On @ l93j by Ogden Nash. Reprinted by permission of Lirrle,
`Brown and Company, BOston.
`
`Lines lrom "The Wood Pile" by Robert Frost is from The Poetry of Robert Frost,
`edited by Edward Connery Lathem. Reprinted by permission of Henry Holr
`& Company, New York.
`
`3
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`

`

`TH
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`
`COMPUTER ESSENTJALS FOR BUSINI]SS RLADERS
`
`43
`
`run either MS/DOS, OSi2. or UNIX (among others), each of
`which manage computer housekeeping operations in very dif-
`Ierent ways.
`Operating systems create organizcd data struclures on disks
`for storing information sttch as nanles, clates, al'rd dollar
`amounts; such structures are callcd data files. The programs
`themselves, whelher part of the operating systenl or applica-
`tions programs, are called code fles ol, more cot.lciscly, rode'
`Some computers use a hierarchical, trranchcd Iilc structtlre that
`allows dala arrd cocle files to Lre gronped ittlo directories: lor
`example, October transactiolls miglrt rcsidc in a different direc-
`ro,y ihu,t Novenrber transacliolls. Directories organize disks
`much as ntarlila foldcrs organizc {ilc drarvcls'
`Operaring systern soflware, nelworking and connlLlniLJtion
`soltware lwhich har.rdles data rnovemcrtt bttwecn connected
`compr.rters), and systel'n ulility programs (which hclp thc opera-
`tor managc tht comptlter's resotlrccs) collectively colrlprise s,yj-
`ten software.ln thc heyday of tnainlranles, tlle sanle company
`that built thr: colnputer (usually IBM) would writc and sell
`system software for it. Althorrgh many companies (lor example'
`Apple) still work lhat way, it's tltl lotlger gellerally truc with
`,rill .uapl,ta.t; ollc lnay truy a PC fron compaq btlt lhc
`operaling system lronl Microsoft Thc lrroccss that the conlputcr
`goes through at powcr-l,lp, whcn thc systcm softwere loads inttl
`iau, is called bootstr(lppit1ll, <>r baoting for shoru the machine
`frguratively pulls itsclf up by its bootstraps.
`
`APPLICATIoN- SoFTWAit).
`In contrast to systenl software, progralns that enable users ttl dtr
`specific and useful lasks with thc colllputer, such as word prtt-
`cesing and inventory managemc nl, are application soJiware'They
`use thi Iacilities provicled by the opcrating system behind thc
`scenes, but the uscr may not evcn know the operating system Is
`there. Activating application progranls is also done by reading
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`4
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