Week Two Workshop

Accuracy of data input is important. What method of data input would be best for each of the following situations and explain why:

• Printed questionnaires: The best method for data input would be a keyboard, because it permits one to produce the required test that formulates the questionnaires. Aside from avoiding uncertainty from unclear handwriting or other methods, and because "...most input data consists of letters and numbers. In addition, people are usually familiar with how to use keyboards and with the layout of the keys. Thus, little training is required for users to become familiar with keyboards" (Nickerson, pg. 75 of view-text)

• Telephone survey: voice recognition is best because a voice input device can be programmed to distinguish answers spoken into the receiver allowing it to all be completed by computers. Touch-tone (keypad) input. Also considered a keyboard by the text, so the cite still applies here for reasoning.

• Bank checks: scanning devices that recognizes bar codes are called MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition) a magnetic scanning input device. This system reads the numbers at the bottom of the checks and will mechanically make modifications to the correct accounts. A MICR input system will magnetize the information at the bottom of the check for simple interpretation.

• Retail tags: The best data input for retail tags would be a bar code scanner. This is called an optical scanning input device. By using a bar code scanner manual input if numbers into a keypad is not necessary.

• Long documents: Scanner

Convenience and quality of output are important. Explain what method of output would be best for each of the following situation and explain why.

• Hand Held Computer: More commonly referred to as a PDA. The best method of output for PDAs would be a screen, because most people can easily read them, and their display can change quickly

• Color Photography: photo quality printer due to the high printing quality that a color photograph demand. High-end ink jet printers offer resolutions of up to 4800 by 1200 dots per inch, which makes them suitable for printing high quality graphics and photos.

• Resume: Laser or ink-jet would be best for printing resumes, because of their printing quality, and the reason for that is it would be treated as a business letter, therefore you need a letter quality print.

• Memorandum: a printer set on grey scale would be best for printing memorandums, using as little ink as possible. Memorandums don’t require much visual detail, generally consisting of simply text. Another output for a memorandum would be a screen as if sent through email.