In addition, the QWERTY keyboard is the only keyboard layout that is available in various ergonomically-styled arrangements, that prevents the development of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Cumulative Trauma Disorders, Repetitive Motion Syndrome, Repetitive Strain Disorders and Repetitive Stress Injuries.
However, there some disadvantages to the QWERTY Keyboard. It might take a long time for a person to adapt to the keyboard and their rate at which they can type might vary as well. Some might find it easier and faster to type, others not so likely. Another problem is, since Boots Plc has branches worldwide, different countries require different keyboard layouts. For instance, in France, due to the frequent use of the letter “a”, the common keyboard layout is the AZERTY layout. Employees in France would most probably be accustomed to this layout, and so Boots must take this into account. Other countries that Boots Plc has spread to, but also have a varied keyboard layout is Germany, where the QWERTZ layout is widely used.
Mouse
Bill English invented the ball mouse in 1972. The ball-mouse replaced the external wheels (x and y axes) with a single ball that could rotate in any direction. Perpendicular chopper wheels housed inside the mouse's body chopped beams of light on the way to light sensors, thus detecting in their turn the motion of the ball. This variant of the mouse resembled an inverted trackball and became the predominant form used with personal computers throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
The ball mouse utilises two rollers rolling against two sides of the ball. One roller detects the horizontal motion of the mouse and other the vertical motion. The motion of these two rollers causes two disc-like encoder wheels to rotate, interrupting optical beams to generate electrical signals. The mouse sends these signals to the com puter system by means of connecting wires. The driver software in the system converts the signals into motion of the mouse pointer along X and Y axes on the screen.
Boots Plc employs the use of touch-screen navigation for their EFTPOS systems at the till. This is coupled with a QWERTY keyboard to provide a method of checking stock/conducting transactions with customers. Mice are only actually used in the managerial offices, where they need the mouse for navigating the computer in the conventional way. Boots need not spend money on touch-screen technology (since this is only used on the shop floor, for speed and efficiency and the convenience of customers), and so a TFT monitor is used in the offices. The speed of the mouse can be controlled using the computer’s settings; but depending on the hardware vendor, software may come with the mouse. For instance, a Logitech mouse would come with its standard SetPoint software, which enables the user to vary the pointer acceleration, and its overall speed. Functions such as SmartMove are available to the user, for the pointers to auto-move to nearby dialog-boxes and onto OK buttons, to increase speed. Wireless mice are also on the rise in the market today, and as with the wireless keyboard, provides much more freedom in terms of comfort; the user can sit and type/navigate from up to 2 metres away. The two wireless peripherals (keyboard and mouse) combined mean that the actual workstation can be moved to a place other than the desk, so more paper work , etc. can be placed around, making the desk look more organised. Wireless desktops also help ergonomically; users aren’t hampered by wires and so can adjust their posture with ease.
In the managerial offices, an optical mouse is used. Optical mice use a light-emitting diode (LED) and a photodiode to detect movement relative to the underlying surface, rather than moving some of its parts — as in a mechanical mouse. Modern surface-independent optical mice work by using an optoelectronic sensor to take consecutive pictures of the surface on which the mouse operates. Most of these mice use LEDs to illuminate the surface that is being tracked; LED optical mice are often misunderstood as "laser mice". Laser mice use a small infrared laser instead of an LED, which increases the resolution of the image taken by the mouse. This leads to around 20× more sensitivity to the surface features used for navigation compared to conventional optical mice, via interference effects. This increases precision significantly and also uses less power.
An advantage of the mouse would be in the R&D department of Boots. Surfing the web and generally controlling applications is ideal for the mouse, which works best when being used in a common OS such as Windows XP. When designing packages and branding for new products, the mouse is probably the best tool for tasks such as shaping vectors and using image-manipulating software applications - considering the pricing.
However a disadvantage would be that some people are left handed – left handed mice are not as common, and would cost extra money for Boots. The hassle of buying these mice, then constantly having to plug them in and out when a left-handed user needs to use the computer is too much. This is why I’ve come to decide that, specifically for the R&D department, a graphics tablet (discussed later) should be utilised in this situation, as it usable by right and left-handed people, and provides a great deal more comfort e.g. in CAD, using software such as Photoshop, where brush sizes/opacity changing can be achieved with ease and pen-paper style emulation.
Touch-Screen
Touch-screen panels are display overlays which have the ability to display and receive information on the same screen. The effect of such overlays allows a display to be used as an input device, removing the keyboard and/or the mouse as the primary input device for interacting with the display's content. Such displays can be attached to computers or, as terminals, to networks. Touchscreens also have assisted in recent changes in the PDA and mobile-phone industries, making these devices more useable (e.g. the iPhone). There are various types of touch-screen technology; Boots Plc uses the Capacitive touch-screen in their shop floor EFTPOS machines. A capacitive touch screen panel is coated with a material, typically indium tin oxide that conducts a continuous electrical current across the sensor. When the sensor's reference state is altered by another capacitance field, i.e., someone's finger, electronic circuits located at each corner of the panel measure the resulting 'distortion' in the sine wave characteristics of the reference field and send the information about the event to the controller for mathematical processing. Capacitive sensors can either be touched with a bare finger or with a conductive device being held by a bare hand. Capacitive touch screens are not affected by outside elements and have high clarity. It is highly effective in carrying out transactions with speed (fast command selection); as the cashier needs only to look and touch the buttons she needs to. The EFTPOS application utilises bug buttons to provide and even easier touch-screen interface.
An advantage of touch-screen is that no training/previous ICT knowledge is needed. The operations are simplistic enough – literally pick the option you want, and touch it. Boots also have photo-printing kiosks – this involves a touch screen step-by-step tutorial on what to do. The SD card is inserted, and the instructions are on-screen, in the form of a capacitor touch screen pad. This system is implemented in this way because of its ease of use. A kiosk is meant for self-serving, and using this method, I feel anybody, from the age of 8 to elderly people who have no knowledge of technology would be able to operate it.
The other main advantage is that the input device is also the output device; what you touch on the screen is also displayed on the screen – this is much quicker than using a keyboard and mouse, as you are constantly looking at the screen.
A disadvantage of touch-screen technology is of its pricing. I think Boots would have to pay a great sum of money if each branch was to have touch screen systems on the shop floor. Perhaps Trackball mice could be used; where a ball is housed in a socket contained sensors to detect rotation of the ball about two axes. Although this solution would reduce pricing, it would significantly slow down command selection, and for both devices, the user must be within arm’s reach of the display; possibly leading to arm fatigue.
Barcodes/Barcode Readers
A barcode is a machine-readable depiction of information in a visual format on a surface. Originally barcodes stored data in the widths and spacings of printed parallel lines, but today they also come in patterns of dots, concentric circles, and hidden within images. Barcodes can be read by optical scanners called barcode readers or scanned from an image by special software. Barcodes are widely used to implement Auto ID Data Capture (AIDC) systems that improve the speed and accuracy of computer data entry. There are several types of barcode, heading under the categories of linear, stacked, and 2D barcodes. These all depend on the product at hand, so the type of barcode varies on the type of product.
A barcode reader (or barcode scanner) is a computer peripheral for reading barcodes printed on various surfaces. Like a flatbed scanner, it generally consists of a light source, a lens and a photo conductor translating optical impulses into electrical ones. Additionally, nearly all barcode readers currently produced contain decoder circuitry analyzing the barcode's image data provided by the photo conductor and sending the barcode's content to the scanner's output port.
Boots’ handheld barcode readers are housed in a handheld form factor. The actual scanner is one of many types; a CCD reader.
CCD readers (also referred to as LED scanner) use an arrangement of hundreds of tiny light sensors lined up in a row in the head of the reader. Each sensor can be thought of as a single photodiode that measures the intensity of the light immediately in front of it. Each individual light sensor in the CCD reader is extremely small and because there are hundreds of sensors lined up in a row, a voltage pattern identical to the pattern in a bar code is generated in the reader by sequentially measuring the voltages across each sensor in the row. The important difference between a CCD reader and a pen or laser scanner is that the CCD reader is measuring emitted ambient light from the bar code whereas pen or laser scanners are measuring reflected light of a specific frequency originating from the scanner itself.
An advantage of the handheld reader over a stationary scanner is that large items which are hard to manoeuvre can be easily scanned by moving the reader to the barcode, rather than the barcode to the reader. Nowadays, handheld readers are usually wireless (instead of having a PS/2 or USB connection), and provide even more dexterity.
Advantages of barcodes are that they are an efficient way of cataloguing the sales for the day and also to identify how fast an item is being sold. Fast-selling items can be reordered automatically through a preset inventory number; when the number is reached, a message is sent to the Purchasing department to re-order stock. Likewise, slow-selling items can be identified; preventing build up of unwanted stock. A further advantage, for instance, is that effects of repositioning a product within a store can be monitored, allowing fast-moving, more profitable items to occupy the best space.
Bar code scanners are also relatively low costing and extremely accurate – only about 1/100,000 entries will be wrong. They are of a security benefit, as we all know; if the barcode has not been scanned, scanning nodes at the entrance and exit of the shop will
EAS (Electronic Article Surveillance) systems are placed at the entrances/exits of Boots’ branches as an anti-shoplifting technological method (aside from CCTV). Three types of EAS systems dominate the retail industry. In each case, an EAS tag or label (usually with the barcode on it) is attached to an item. The tag is then deactivated, or taken from an active state where it will alarm an EAS system to an inactive state where it will not flag the alarm. If the tag is a hard, reusable tag, a detacher is used to remove it when a customer purchases the item it's attached to. If it's a disposable, paper tag, it can be deactivated by swiping it over a pad or with a handheld scanner that "tells" the tag it's been authorized to leave the store. If the item has not been deactivated or detached by the clerk, when it is carried through the gates, an alarm will sound.
A major concern and disadvantage with these systems is when false alarms occur. A false alarm is when the alarms go off when a person passes through the gate without having stolen any merchandise. This most often is due to tags on merchandise not being properly deactivated. In some older systems electronic devices have been known to set off alarms. False alarms are embarrassing not only for honest customers who accidentally set off an alarm, but for the business as well - who now have an upset customer on their hands. Therefore, I can say that the barcode readers do give the business a substantial benefit, but aren’t totally efficient, and could lose potential customers due to dud scan.
Main Processing Unit
MPU: Vital parts of the computer
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
This is a programmable logic device that performs all the instruction, logic, and mathematical processing in a computer. In terms of computing power, it is the most important element of a computer system, also being the heart of the Processing stage in the INPUT > PROCESS > OUTPUT sequence of a computer.
After microprocessors were introduced in 1970, giants such as Intel and AMD now lead the microprocessor industry. Nowadays, Dual-Core microprocessors (A single chip with to cores on it – components such as the L2 cache and the bus interface may be shared between them) are widely used after its release in 2005. Because the cores are physically very close they interface at much faster clock speeds compared to discrete multiprocessor systems, improving overall system performance. Quad cores (initially for servers) are being released currently; AMD’s being 40% faster than arch-rival Intel’s. In a single-core or traditional processor the CPU is fed strings of instructions it must order, execute, then selectively store in its cache for quick retrieval. When data outside the cache is required, it is retrieved through the system bus from random access memory (RAM) or from storage devices. Accessing these slows down performance to the maximum speed the bus, RAM or storage device will allow, which is far slower than the speed of the CPU. The situation is compounded when multi-tasking. In this case the processor must switch back and forth between two or more sets of data streams and programs.
In a dual core processor each core handles incoming data strings simultaneously to improve efficiency. Just as two heads are better than one, so are two hands. Now when one is executing the other can be accessing the system bus or executing its own code. Adding to this favourable scenario, both AMD and Intel's dual-core flagships are 64-bit.
To utilise a dual core processor, the operating system must be able to recognize multi-threading and the software must have Simultaneous Multi-threading Technology (SMT) written into its code. SMT enables parallel multi-threading wherein the cores are served multi-threaded instructions in parallel. Without SMT the software will only recognize one core. Adobe Photoshop is an example of SMT-aware software.
An attractive value of dual core processors is that they do not need a new motherboard, but can be used in existing boards that feature the correct socket (the slot that the CPU is placed in, connecting it to the motherboard). For the average user the difference in performance will be most noticeable in multi-tasking until more software is SMT aware.
Boots’ servers and office workstations use an Intel Pentium 4 560 3.2GHz Dual Core processor with Hyper-Threading. Although this is easily surpassed by an AMB Athlon64 3400+ 2.0GHz Dual Core; Intel are much cheaper and sufficient enough for the uses of the managerial offices, as they do not use the computers for much multi-tasking/intense video-gaming/video-editing or 3d rendering.
However, the R&D Department could benefit from a more powerful processing chip – since they would be multi-tasking, producing 3d rendered video/images, image-manipulating and various other CAD activities at one time, I surmise that perhaps a 3.6GHZ (Intel – equivalent of a 2.4GHz AMD) would be better suited for this type of use.
Motherboard
A motherboard, also known as a mainboard, system board, or logic boards on Apple computers, and sometimes abbreviated as “mobo” is the central or primary circuit board making up a complex electronic system, such as a modern computer.
A typical computer is built with the microprocessor, main memory, and other basic components on the motherboard. Other components of the computer such as external storage, control circuits for video display and sound, and peripheral devices are typically attached to the motherboard via ribbon cables, other cables, and power connectors.
Boots use the MSI G965 in all their workstations. This is a mediocre mobo to today’s standards. It obviously supports only Intel chips, can support up to 4Gb RAM, has 4 PCI slots, a 10/100 Ethernet Broadcom Gigabit Network Adapter and has a SATA-II RAID controller.
Output Devices
Monitor (TFT)
A monitor is a screen that is the interface between the computer and its operator – the main link that usually uses a CRT or TFT monitor. This screen is set in a grid of tiny squares called pixels. When an image is displayed, each individual pixel will illuminate a specific colour, and regarding that this is done to thousands of pixels on the monitor, it ultimately forms images that we can see before our eyes. These pixels react to electronic signals from the computer, ”telling” it to display whatever image is required of the operator. TFT-LCD (Thin Film Transistor-Liquid Crystal Display) uses highly sophisticated technology to create sharper and brighter images and is capable of projecting images from flat panel displays. Boots is gradually using the latter, because it takes less physical space and produces better quality images. This is especially popular with the staff on the shop floor which uses a touch panel variation to sell the products.
The most common liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) in use today rely on picture elements, or pixels, formed by liquid-crystal (LC) cells that change the polarisation direction of light passing through them in response to an electrical voltage.
As the polarisation direction chang es, more or less of the light is able to pass through a polarising layer on the face of the display. Change the voltage, and the amount of light is changed.
There are two ways to produce a liquid-crystal image with such cells: the segment driving method and the matrix driving method. The segment driving method displays characters and pictures with cells defined by patterned electrodes.
A monitor is beneficial to Boots because when designing a product, they can be presented with expert diagrams which could be nearly impossible to create by hand and furthermore it is the vital connection that allows the operator to be in control of where the computer is leading them, where the mouse is moving and what is being typed by the keyboard.
As information changes, the monitor can show it to the operator and the monitor is effective at displaying images from a computer. It is also vital to Boots because it adjustable tilt options can ensure a safe working environment for the member of staff and furthermore they need les components. Finally, because they are thinner and take less desk space, Boots can feel free to purchase smaller desks increasing the number of units they can fit into a department, increasing efficiency.
However, they take up a lot more energy than standard monitors are not aiding the problem of our natural resources being exhausted – in fact, they are speeding up the date at which this happens.
To conclude, Monitors are helpful to Boots because they can provide visual aid when managing the business using a computer, it helps suppliers because they can see an easy-to-read document stating the product inventory that they need and it also helps the staff when selling the products at the shop floor because they can insure that what they are inputting into the computer is correct. Finally monitors help the customers because they can see what new products are out in the store and can be persuaded by the promotions on offer visually.
Printer
The most common printer that Boots use is the laser printer (for documents in and around the R&D Department) and the dot matrix printer (at the checkouts in the store that provide customers with a receipt). Boots need to on occasions provide a hard copy (touchable document) of information processed on the computer. A printout is almost always produced on paper, from which ink is affixed from a mechanical device that receives electronic prompts from the computer itself.
Furthermore, many modern day printers can directly connec t to media such as memory sticks or memory cards, or to image capture devices such as digital cameras. Some printers are combined with a scanners and/or fax machines in a single unit, these are called all-in-one printers and can also operate as photocopiers if necessary. Printers print out the exact document on a computer monitor screen by blasting out miniscule droplets of ink from minute holes on an ink cartridge, which then swing back and forth across an entire sheet of paper, releasing the ink when necessary to follow the exact image on a computer screen. The printout is a perfectly identical copy therefore, except it is physically touchable.
Boots use printers in the R&D Department to specifically handle documents and the necessary filing that needs to be done on a day to day basis. Furthermore, they use printers to provide leaflets to the customers on the shop floor promoting their own brand products as a form of media.
Finally, Boots uses printers to distribute receipts to the customers as proof of purchases which uses the dot matrix printer. A dot matrix printer or impact matrix printer refers to a type of computer printer with a print head that runs back and forth on the page and prints by impact, striking an ink-soaked cloth ribbon against the paper, much like a typewriter. Boots may have to use printers for their cash flow forecasts when discussing important meetings with the head shareholders. It is also used as back up, for the event that a computer ‘crashes’.
A disadvantage to printers for Boots is that it is rather slow, considering today’s standards. Only 10 pages are considered fast when considering rate per minute. Furthermore, a high quality printer costs a lot of money and Boots needs to provide thousands of these over the world in their numerous stores which can be troublesome to pay for.
Printers help Boots as a company because they can keep track of file records in neat fonts, it helps the suppliers because their individual sector in the warehouse can visually see what they need (rather than begin shown a monitor to their face, or having to read terrible handwriting which could lead to errors). Printers also help the staff because they do not need to handwrite the receipts for customers, and as a result it helps customers because they can be given leaflets to ponder upon and also have a neat and easy to read receipt if ever they need to return an item for example.
Speaker
Speakers are vital for Boots in order to advertise on the television effectively and to also to provide notices around the R&D Department and also on the shop floor, where it can be additionally used to play music in order to heighten the customers experience at the store.
Speakers can produce sound via electronic messages form a computer. These are passed through a device that transforms the electrical energy to sound energy. They are mainly external devices and are equipped with a common audio connector for computer sound cards. Speakers range in quality to size and price and additional options such as subwoofers which specialize in bass tones.
Boots takes full advantage of speakers for advertisement where they can have a person speak special offers around the store. However, more importantly, Boo ts utilize this in the production facility and R&D Department where orders are fired off form over head speakers in assembly lines, for example, to inform the workers of key thing, such as the next stage in the process or when there’s an alert because of a fire. Boots also use speakers on the shop floor to play music or again to advertise and have special offers presented to the customers.
A few disadvantages are that high quality speakers cost a lot of money and Boots invest thousands to install them in all their stores. Also, that a speaker cannot be placed anywhere you like – it is limited to the length of wire available to you.
Speakers are helpful for Boots as a company because it allows for information to be presented to numerous workers at once audibly. It helps their suppliers because if the email or internet is down, the company can phone the suppliers directly to pass over the order in this way. It helps the workers because they can communicate with each other via intercom and improves the moral and chemistry between the staff team. Finally speakers help the customer because they can hear advertisements and/or promotions on the shop floor. It helps the company meet the need for high customer service and good communication throughout the organisation.
Ports
These are places on a computer from which external cables leading from components can be connected to the Main Processing Unit (effectively the motherboard). Ports can be found at the front or the back of a computer and arrive in numerous shapes and sizes to adjust to the power input necessary for the component device.
PS/2 Port
This port is used to connect keyboards and mice to a computer system. Their ports are similar in shape and size; however if placed in each others allocations, the motherboard would be rendered oblivious to its presence and would not recognize either. As a result, the tips of the cable connection and the Port on the computers are colour coded for easy connection.
It is essential for Boots that they can plug in their keyboards and mice into the PS/2 port otherwise their computer would not be functional to the operator. The components all fit together easily and Boots is aware, that without a computer, mouse and keyboard (even one is missing) the rest of the components would be practically useless to operate on.
The PS/2 port is advantageous to Boots PLC because it is small and can be obtained with longer wires, in order to reach the operator when many components are used in unison. Also, it can be removed and swapped while the computer is operating without the risk of damaging it.
However, the small, round plug could get irritating for Boots as it is rather difficult to plug in. Considering the whole computer is present and is up against a wall with the port on the rear end, it is a lot easier and more comfortable to plug in the socket to the port without looking directly at it. However, because the plug has a specific design, it could be forced in upside down which would result in the I/O lines bending due to the motion of being forced other than into its designated position. This ultimately destroys the plug at the end and renders it un-pluggable – therefore breaking the mouse and forcing Boots to buy a new one which will have equal chances of being destroyed. However Boots surpasses this problem as I will mention with the use of mice with USB ports.
All in all, the PS/2 port is helpful to Boots as it allows the keyboard and mice components to be plugged into the computer, making it functional to the operator, this is turn helps the staff as they can then move around in a computer, therefore being able to functionally create emails and send them to their suppliers who can then supply the products needed, and this ultimately helps the customer, because they now have products they can buy of the shelves on the shop floor of a Boots PLC store.
USB Port
This allows any hardware component to be plugged into the computer as long as it is USB compatible – a trait which is becoming increasingly dominant in hardware port connection ends. Universal Serial Bus is a cable bus that allows data exchange between a hos t computer and a wide range of hardware. The bus allows hardware to be attached, configured, used and detached while the host computer is running. Although primarily intended for computers, technology has adapted to allow the exchange of data with many other devices, such as MP3 players, mobile phones, video game consoles and so forth.
A USB is highly advantageous to Boots because it provides a quick and easy way of data exchange between computers and this is highly effective in the R&D department where computers are continually running. Furthermore the lead ends are rectangular and simple to insert (unlike the PS/2 port where visual aid is necessary) without even looking. In addition, it’s designed with durability in mind and it is terribly difficult to damage and destroy the lead ends because there no loose I/O pins that could be bent and consequently damaged. Boots uses USB ports to its fullest extent, connecting via the ports many useful components e.g. printers, scanners, mice, scientific data acquisition devices, modems, speakers, telephones and so forth.
However, the USB port can be hassle some because it allows up to 127 components to be connected to a computer simultaneously which means there will be an astonishing amount of loose cables lying around that could be tripped upon and cause harm to the R&D scientists. The sheer quantity of connectable devices that the USB port allows means that the computer workplace could look very messy and could lead to lower morale in the case of workers.
USB in the end are beneficial to Boots as it allows the R&D Department to do their research and print and fax and scan documents that need to be filed with ease. It is beneficial for suppliers because it allows them to print off the delivery list for their individual workers, and it helps the staff at Boots because it means there is limited ways of damaging their component devices when removing them from their computers. Finally, it helps the customers because it is the back bone of the R&D department who provide the products they desire.
Cables
Fibre Optic Cable
Fibre optics is very long and thin strands of highly pure glass that are as thin as a human hair. Thousands of these are then bundled together to form a wire with a protective casing on its outside. This flexible wire is used to transmit flashing light signals in the form of data which is astoundingly fast and accurate.
These cables are used in Boots in the LAN lines (Local Area Network). As touched upon in report 2A, these run from each cash register or other component in a Boots store all the way to its Headquarters where the master computer handles all data exchange and transmits data back to the individual cash register. Fibre optics is very fast because, as light is used, the data effectively transmits at the speed of light. The headquarters need to analyse data in hyper speed as not to disrupt the flow of time between a shoppers experience at a store.
Furthermore, as opposed to standard copper wires, fibre optical cables have a wider bandwidth meaning it can transmit more data at once. Also, several miles of these cables are cheaper than an equivalent length of copper wires. Therefore, for Boots it is a cheaper, albeit much better quality method for transmitting data between its stores. Finally, fibre optic cables are much less susceptible to interference.
However, the problem it causes for Boots is that although cheap to buy, it is quite expensive to install, because it is more fragile and easier to break and harder to join upon doing so.
All in all, fibre optic cables are helpful for Boots because it allows quicker data exchange, it is helpful for workers as credit card transactions happen at a quicker pace, and it is helpful for the suppliers because allows for better communication between business and supplier. Finally it helps the customer because they can have a fast and enjoyable shopping experience at Boots.
Storage Devices
USB Flash Drives (Data keys)
This is a small, lightweight compact removable storage device that can hold up to 16GB of data is necessary. A small flash drive is made up of a small printed circuit board encompassed it either sturdy plastic or metal, making it durable. It is small enough to be put in your pocket which is why it is sometimes referred to as a “pocket drive”, or, “pen drive”. Furthermore, a USB port connection juts out from one side usually protected by removable cap and once again, makes excellent use of the USB ports I mentioned earlier.
This is highly effective for Boots in the R&D department because they can easily save and transfer files between computers with exceptional ease and efficiency. They can also if they wanted to recommence their work when they go home as a result.
A USB has many pros, such as its lightweight durability and large storage capacity. Also it doesn’t require any battery or power source as it is powered by the computer itself that it is plugged into. Finally, it can survive casual abuse such as being dropped for example.
However, the USB Flash Drive does have its disadvantages. For example it has to be authorised by the computer to be released from the USB port because, if its capacity is nearly full, simple removing the device from a computer without warning could corrupt all the data in it meaning it has to be carefully used during data exchange. Secondly, because it is so small it is highly susceptible to loss or misplacement and as a result would be very difficult to find. Finally, some of the larger capacity devices have heavy price tags for the privilege.
To summarise, USB flash drives are helpful for Boots because it allows easy data exchange in its R&D Department, it is helpful for customers as it allows the steady flow of new products to be released regularly at acceptable speeds.
CD-ROM
CD ROMs are also storage devices; however, they operate in a different way to a USB flash drive device. Compact Disc Read-Only Memory is compact discs that contain data that can be read from a computer. They are mainly used as program installation devices. However, they are increasingly used as simple data storage devices and audio music devices that can be played from a CD player. Through computers, you place the CD, label side up on a disc tray that then rewinds into the computer where it is read by a CD Drive.
Boots also use CD ROMs in the R&D department as storage devices, however once data is burned onto a CD, it can not be replaced, unless you buy more expensive CD-RW discs that can be rewritten as the name implies meaning it can be used as a storage device repeatedly rather than just once. Anyway, Boots use it a storage device in exactly the same fashion as a USB flash drive in that it can have files read from different computers and transferred also.
The advantage of CD ROMs for Boots is that they are larger than USB flash drives and are much harder to lose as they can be placed on CD holders (a rack or case where multiple CD’s can be placed in pockets and stored together). This also allows for easy verification of what is in the CD as the label side can be written on, stating what is on it, while a stray USB will have to be opened into a computer to verify what is on it.
However, the main disadvantage of CD ROMs is that they have a limited capacity and can not hold as much data as some of the more advanced USB flash drives. A standard CD ROM has an average capacity of 650MB. Also, a disadvantage to Boots is that it takes while to burn and then to read off it from another computer as the CD drive will have to read it for 10 seconds at least before showing the data on it. This slows down Boots’ quick efficiency of research as a result. Also the CD-R only has one chance of being written. CD-ROMs help Boots as it allows data exchange between computers.
Hard Drive
This is the primary storage device on a computer. Any document, program, file or web browser that is available on a computer, is either saved or installed into the hard drive which has the greatest storage capacity over the storage devices. Formerly known as Hard Disk, the Hard Drive a non-volatile storage device is essentially the computer memory. The me mory is stored as digitally encoded data. Typical data capacity is between 10 and 40GB.
However, in the Boots R&D Department, their computers have a minimum of 60GB memory in their hard drives. It is essential that Boots have a large memory capacity as the research they put into he business is staggering and requires a lot of data. Some of the data is so large they are stored in multiple hard drives, running simultaneously on a single computer, increasing the memory capacity by double if necessary.
However, the cons of hard drives is that files are continually being stored in different locations, meaning the more files that are continually saved and deleted on the computer, the longer it takes to load it because it effectively ‘lost’ in the hard drive. As a result, Boots ensures that in the R&D Department, regular time is scheduled to defragment the hard drives, which cleans up the storage by removing all the gaps in storage and neatly arranging its bytes of data, therefore making retrieval of files and loading of files smoother and quicker once more.
Software Applications
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Office Word is Microsoft's flagship word processing software.
The Boots R&D Department frequently use the Microsoft Word Software to type up formal letter, documents and detailed research data regarding new products. The actual Boot store will also use this software to type up mail merged documents for its staff regarding Boots policy or manager overview of the times ahead. Microsoft Word is software that allows a person to create documents or worded essays and practically anything they want that is written. It is easy to use and has a simple learning curve.
The Boots R&D Department uses this software in a variety of ways. For example, a research scientist may need to make notes on a product they are researching, or they may need to make detailed reports on a product they are thinking of producing, stating its purposes, target market, price and so forth. It is highly advantageous because it is much faster, neater and formal than handwritten reports and can be done with ease.
The only drawback that could be associated with this is that it makes staff less optimistic to jot down notes and makes them lazier (not even needing to move around as everything they need is on their computer and desk. However, Boots is not interested in this because the staff is not complaining.
All in all, Microsoft Word helps Boot’s because it allows for the paper work for the R&D Department to be handled easily. It helps the staff because they can receive the store ‘news letters’ from the manager and it helps suppliers as it allows for deliveries to be made for them. Finally, it helps the customers because they can receive leaflets on the store as a result of the written production under this software.
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel (full name Microsoft Office Excel) is a spreadsheet program written and distributed by Microsoft for computers using the Microsoft Windows operating system and for Apple Macintosh computers. It features an intuitive interface and capable calculation and graphing tools which, along with aggressive marketing, have made Excel one of the most popular microcomputer applications to date. It is overwhelmingly the dominant spreadsheet application available for these platforms and has been so since version 5 in 1993 and its bundling as part of Microsoft Office.
Boots also uses the software Microsoft Excel in order to handle the financial aspects of the organization. It primarily involves handling employee wages and salaries because working hours and pay rate and other important information is processed through this software, where complex formulas calculate the wages and salaries in less than a second.
Microsoft Excel is spreadsheet software from which one can create tables and cash flow forecasts and with complex formulas that the software calculates itself and then produces figures for the operator. It can effectively be used for anything regarding numbers and math.
The store managers would use this software for the cash flow forecasts, predicting the sales the company will make by deducting it form total expenses and so forth. This software can handle intense financial numerology and Boots use this to handle all minor share calculations on their behalf and it is highly appreciated.
It is helpful for Boots because without it, all the calculations would have to be done by hand form which errors would be easy to make and could cause financial nightmares. However, it has the disadvantage of having to input primary figures and large formulas by hand before the system can work appropriately. Also, sometimes it is susceptible to making errors and not responding from which it would be disastrous if the operator did not save his progress because it would that they would have to start all over again.
To start of a spreadsheet initially, it takes hours and even days of intense effort before the rest is smooth sailing as the formulas are all up and running correctly and minor adjustments can fall into place easily.
Microsoft Excel helps Boots because it handles a lot of the financial aspect with ease, it helps the staff because they can get their deserved wages and it helps suppliers because they organize what products are needed by Boots neatly in a table.
