w<br > An Introduction to<br > Small Compute， rs<br >Small computers are invading the business and professional world at a rapidly<br >increasing rate. Business and professional people working in many different<br >areas are finding that they can cut costs， increase productivity， relieve them-<br >selves and their associates of tedious chores and open up new avenues to pro-<br >fits. This is all the result of now having at their disposal the small computer--a<br >powerful tool which a few years ago only a large company could afford but<br >which has recently dropped in price to the point where even the smallest com-<br >pany can realistically consider its use. And the technology has by no means<br >reached its limit. Still more powerful machines are in the offing， indicating that<br >the role of computers will be increasing for some time to come.<br > What exactly is a small computer， what can you do with it， and， last but not<br >least， should you get one for your own business or professional use? These are<br >the questions we will be dealing with in this introductory chapter.<br >WHAT IS A SMALL COMPUTER?<br >Large computers used by big business and big institutions cost many hundreds<br >of thousands of dollars. They take up a lot of space， require a special computer<br >room， and trained operating personnel must be present at all times while they<br >are running. In contrast， a small computer costs in the range of $1，000 to $90，000，<br >with most computers of the type we will be discussing costing well under $20，000.<br >But cost is" not the only distinguishing feature of small computers. In addition，<br >they are designed to work right in an office without the need for special con-<br >struction， air conditioning or electrical facilities. They can be operated by office<br >personnel~managers， clerks and secretaries--after just a few hours training.<br >And programs， the list of instructions that tell the computer what to do， are being<br >mass marketed so that products of reasonable quality and low cost are becoming<br >available. Thus， there is a sharp distinction between large and small computers<br >that involves more than just size and cost.<br > You may have heard the terms minicomputers and microcomputers used in<br >connection with small business systems. These are the two types of computers<br >that together comprise what we will be calling small computers. In Chapter 4<br >