Computers and Information Processing
Different methods of data input are appropriate for different situations. For example, the best way to input printed questionnaires is by keying in the data, because scanning it in is likely to result in errors due to the fact that OCD reader software does not always interpret the characters that it sees correctly. The word ôtheö might scan in as ôtne,ö for example. The drawback of keying the data is that it must be done by humans rather than by machines. A telephone survey could be input electronically by having people respond via telephone, pressing one button for ôyesö and a different button for ôno.ö The drawback of this method is that for questions with an answer other than yes/no or true/false, it would be difficult to input by telephone. Bank checks are best scanned electronically, because banks are set up to read the scans to obtain account number, routing number, and amount. The drawback of this method is that scans are only images and cannot be used as data in themselves. Retail tags can be scanned by hand scanner or register scanner, because the bar codes on them translate into inventory information in the computer, removing the need to keep track of inventory separately. The drawback of this method is that information that is not captured in the bar code is not input. Another drawback is that items that come to the cash register with the bar code missing must either be looked up in a reference book or a duplicate item found to capture the bar code from. Long documents are best scanned in, to alleviate the need to type them in. Like other scans, these are only images and cannot be used as data, so they cannot be searched.
The best method of output for a specific situation can also vary depending on what type of output is needed. For a handheld computer, a portable printer would be best; both the handheld and the printer are portable and could be used anywhere. ...