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Computers & Elect. Engng Vol. 15, No. 3/4, pp. 131-142, 1989 0045-7906/89 $3.00 + 0.00 Printed in Great Britain. All rights reserved Copyright © 1989 Pergamon Press plc
A C C E L E R A T O R B O A R D S , M E M O R Y , P O W E R ,
C O P R O C E S S O R , A N D P R I C E I N A N A U T O M A T E D
A U D I T T R A I L A N D N E T W O R K E D M A T C H I N G
A L G O R I T H M O F N E E D S
A v I RUSHINEK 1 and SARA R. RUSHINEK 2
Department of Accounting and 2 Department of Management Science, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124, U.S.A.
(Received for publication 27 October 1989)
Abstract--Matching the user's needs to the available supply of Accelerator Boards can be methodically time-consuming and difficult. If it is not done it may be short of satisfactory. This paper presents a method of matching user needs with the available variety of Accelerator Boards (AS). It describes a method of developing and using a Product Evaluation and Selection System (PESS). PESS ranks AS products according to how well they match user's needs.
I N T R O D U C T I O N A N D T H E O R E T I C A L F O U N D A T I O N S
Information describing the specifications of AS can aid potential users in the selection of this product. Products have to be identified and their specifications (specs) clearly defined. User needs must also be defined. After this process is repeated for all relevant products, the best can be selected [1].
This process can be automated by an integrated Product Evaluation and Selection System (PESS) which correlates AS users' requirements and ratings with product specifications (specs). PESS helps consultants or users select any combination of hardware and/or software products. This may include the selection of an AS along with accounting (GL, AR, or AP) software and a compatible IBM PC (Appendix A). This paper focuses on matching AS product specs with user needs. Thus it describes only the AS module of PESS, which along with other modules creates a total evaluation system.
The present case describes the creation of a product and a user database, which is used by PESS. PESS correlates the user needs to the product specs and ranks the products in descending order of their correlation. Then PESS recommends to the user the highest ranking products. Indirectly, as a by-product, PESS educates consultants or users by explaining the specs, making their expectations more realistic, and preventing unpleasant "after the fact" surprises.
R E V I E W O F T H E L I T E R A T U R E
Choosing an appropriate AS and recognizing its limitations have been among the most difficult and confusing tasks for end users, consultants, and venders [2,3]. A formal automated and analytical method of meeting user needs can simplify these tasks.
When AS first came out, it was thought that it would take the place of the PC/XT and the PC/AT. Such has not been the case. The fact that AS is experiencing poor sales shows that it has not overtaken the PC/XT and the PC/AT in the market place entirely. Companies thought that they could purchase an AS package which would meet all their needs, but bugs in the beards made them reconsider that idea, The major complaint of users is that quality is being sacrificed for quantity. AS offers the capability to double and redouble the performance of a standard PC or XT. A PC represents a substantial investment, so tossing it out in favor of a more powerful machine is probably not an appealing idea. AS is the grand alternative that offers a way of getting more from the system a user has. Not everyone needs the increased processor speed of a turbo board, however. If a system relies on floppy-disk drives for its mass storage, the power of the AS is likely to be wasted. That's because AS does nothing to make floppy-disk drives work faster. Another
131
132 Avl RUSHINEK and SARA F. RUSHINEK
complaint regarding AS is that many new turbos have hidden bugs that can cause the program to crash [4].
The major manufacturers of AS have responded to user criticism by revising their systems, focusing on increasing universal software compatibility. Users accustomed to fast processing speeds can now find an AS that better suits their needs. Manufacturers have produced updated versions of AS to work out the bugs as soon as they are discovered.
In choosing an AS, one should consider which function(s) in the PC will be used most often [5]. Before purchasing an AS, users should consider whether the company will be using the PC for number-crunching applications or to compute intensive jobs [5].
AS D A T A B A S E C R E A T I O N AND O P E R A T I O N
The PESS interactively questions vendors about their specs (Appendix A2) and users about their needs (Appendix A +A1). Subsequently, the PESS generates the AS diagnostics audit trail (Appendix B). This report trials after the interactive questionnaire, providing the user with immediate feedback concerning the products and their vendors, in descending order of their correlations to this particular user's needs. The sequence reflects the degree to which individual or group needs in a given installation. The higher the rank, the higher the degree to which user needs are met.
A separate database is created (dBASE III) for each, one for vendors and another one for users. Responses from on-line questionnaires are entered into the databases (Appendix A1, A2). The responses are deliminted by colons, checked for validity, and stored. If a respondent does not understand a question, a "?" is entered for additional information. If the respondent is still unable to answer, more on-line help is provided by entering "??". If a respondent still needs help, a telephone number is provided by entering "???". As soon as the respondent enters the password, the system recognizes it as an authorized vendor, and only then does it display the product spec questionnaire.
These databases can be accessed locally on a stand-alone or a networked microcomputer; alternatively, they can be reached from a dumb terminal connected to a multi-user microcomputer. Locally, the present system includes a 3COM Local Area Network (LAN), sharing a common removable cartridge drive (20/20 Iomega Bernouli Box). It contains the programs, the databases, and the electronic bulletin board.
Remotely, the interactive questionnaire portion of the data-base is running on a floppy diskette-drive portable computer. A batch of respondents is collected and processed in the portable and is later copied into a central database. It can be accessed through an electronic bulletin board, as a Remote Job Entry (RJE). It requires a video display terminal (VDT), or microcomputer, along with modem telephone communication software and knowledge of the bulletin board protocol, passwords, and telephone number. PESS identifies the operator by the password and classifies him or her as a vendor, user, consultant, or another miscellaneous category.
Data access/input controls include edit tests of the following types: numeric, alphabetic, alphanumeric field content, tests for valid codes (1 or 0), reasonableness, sequence, completeness (no omissions), and correct algebraic sign (i.e. price always positive). These tests are performed for the vendor and user databases.
As additional or new AS data becomes available, the data is updated, verified, and confirmed in writing by the respondent. Passwords ensure authorized access to the information. The database schema and programs are also maintained and updated, as additional AS specs become available or suggestions from database users are implemented.
O B J E C T I V E , P R O B L E M S AND H Y P O T H E S E S
The objective of this study is to demonstrate PESS operation. These data, collected in an extensive on-line survey, are used to analyze the specs of vendors' products and user ratings and store them in a database. Information in this data-base can be made available to prospective buyers, vendors, retailers, and consultants.
Accelerator boards, memory, power, coprocessor, and price 133
The five major objectives of this study are to:
(I) collect and evaluate vendor specs, user requirements, and ratings; (2) compute AS statistics and help educate users and vendors; (3) design the PESS for interface and respondent control; (4) update/retrieve the database through telecommunication networks; and (5) correlate user requirements and ratings with AS specs and ranking AS products.
D A T A B A S E L O A D I N G AND U P D A T E
AS product database
The PESS interactively elicits responses from vendors about the specs of their AS products. Data from vendors are collected via a bulletin board, to which vendors have a password access (Appendix A2). Vendors can update the database as specs change. Updates are followed by an examination of the product itself to verify the claims that the vendor inputs into the database. These claims are verified a second time by a mail/telephone survey to ensure that the AS specs are correctly described.
A total of 29 AS systems are currently represented in this vendor database. The data- base maintains statistics about the AS specs, both of which are updated on an on-going basis (Tables 1-7).
USER D A T A B A S E L O A D I N G AND U P D A T E
After completing the vendor database update, a user rates the AS specs according to his or her needs or enters the needed requirements (e.g. 640 K of memory) (Appendix A1). The most frequent measurement of consumer needs described in the literature is that taken by specifying consumer requirements concerning product characteristics and/or ratings of them. PESS adopts a 1-9 scale to represent users' attitudes concerning the importance of certain specs along with their requirements. Thus user needs can be measured [6-8].
Then PESS correlates the user's ratings to each of the product's specs and computes correlation coefficients. These products are ranked in descending order by their respective correlation coefficients (Appendix B).
Product correlations are stored in the user database, for future use. Spec ratings or requirements and product correlations can then be averaged across users, providing a summary of user preferences. Based on the ranking, PESS produces a diagnostic recommendation letter for the user (Appendix C). This letter lists the most appropriate AS and explains the underlying reasons for its selections (which are the unique features of an AS entered earlier by vendors, Appendix A2--item 99). Consultants or users are often unsure of their responses PESS reassures respondents by asking them to confirm their entries, providing on-line help or telephone help, and facilitating revisions as users change their minds or circumstances. Consultants or users can also enhance the report by adding graphics or additional illustrational computations and statistics (since it is a Lotus 1-2-3 program).
R E S U L T S AND D I S C U S S I O N OF S T A T I S T I C A L A N A L Y S I S
When analyzing AS, the specific features/functions can be grouped as power required, clock speed, tandem, replace, off-board memory, numeric coprocessor, reset switch, and additional memory, Regarding power required, one finds that the minimum power required by AS is 1.2 W with a standard deviation of 5.39. The range for power required is from 1.75 to 16.00 W. On clock speed, it will be noted that the average is 8.98 with a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 10 mHz. Of the 12 Accelerator Boards analyzed. 7, or 58%, were tandem type, while 5, or 42%, were replacement type.
One distinguishing feature of an AS is that it provides the capability to access off-board memory, also allowing the addition of more memory, a numeric coprocessor, and a reset switch that turns
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Accelera tor boards , memory , power, coprocessor , and price
Table 2. System specifications (specs)
135
Off-brd Numeric Reset Additional memory coproc, switch memory Price
Percentage 92% 67% 42% 116267% 131275% dcount 12.00 12.00 12.00 12.00 12.00
SUM 11.00 8,00 5.00 13952.00 15753.00 dAVG 0.92 0.67 0.42 1162.67 1312.75
MIN 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 645,00 dMAX 1.00 1.00 1.00 2560.00 2395,00
STD 0.28 0.47 0.49 768.81 534,16 dVAR 0.08 0.22 0.24 591075.56 285331.35 COV = STD/AVG 0.08 0.33 0.58 508.38 217.35 95% CI = 1.96*~STD/dSQRT(~3COUNT) 0.16 0.27 0.28 435.00 302.23
the PC to its regular processing speed. Almost all AS (92%) allow access to off-board memory. Up to 2.5 megabytes of additional memory may also be added to the AS. About half of the AS studied allow the installation of numeric coprocessors (67%) or reset switches (42%).
S U M M A R Y , C O N C L U S I O N S AND I M P L I C A T I O N S
In summary, the PESS product and users' database creation, update, and retrieval have been discussed. AS product characteristics have been summarized and analyzed, indicating some of their most salient features and possible future trends.
The conclusions of this study are mixed. Although PESS can be very efficient, human factor problems still exist. An RBBS (Remote Electronic Bulletin Board) based AS product database can be a very efficient and effective data collection/dissemination method. Correlating product characteristics (specs) to user ratings or requirements can be very helpful in selecting AS products that best meet user needs. However, users are often unsure of their changing needs. Therefore, the PESS has to reinforce and reassure users by providing them with helpful information, to increase their accuracy and confidence in defining their needs. It should also facilitate update procedures to accommodate users who have changed their minds or whose needs have changed. Vendors can use it to upgrade their products, introduce new ones, and retract old products.
The implications of the present study are many. The evaluation of user needs can be measured by rating product specs, and these results can be very useful in matching users' needs with the appropriate products. AS system buyers can compare different specs and thus, by being better informed, can find the products that would best meet their needs.
As the user database grows, AS vendors and designers can obtain user rating profiles. AS vendors can adopt and incorporate the highest rated specs into their products, thereby increasing overall user satisfaction and product sales. This could lead to better AS systems as well as increased research and development. Vendors could also use these data as a marketing tool for their products. If their AS systems had the features which were highly rated, then they could advertise them and attract additional customers. These kinds of studies could promote vendors who are concerned with meeting user needs, and give them an advantage over the competition.
Most importantly, the PESS provides the buyer or user with and effective tool for AS selection and upgrade. Buyers can evaluate potential AS systems (prior to purchasing) based on their needs and eventually choose an AS that will yield the highest correlation compared to other systems. Current users can assess their needs at their installation and compare their needs to what is available in the market place, identifying weaknesses and strengths. Moreover, they can refrain from purchasing products that do not meet their needs.
As more user profiles accumulate in the user database, PESS generates user statistics, which are similar to the product statistics, but which describe user profiles (SUM, AVG, STD) instead of product characteristics. This way, both product and user characteristics can be compared across time series indicating future trends.
This PESS decomposes the change in user needs and identifies the source of the change. With that information, planning can be facilitated and the capacity to meet user needs in the future can be enhanced. This is especially pertinent to a large Local Area Network (LAN) installation (Fig. 1). In such a LAN or a large organizational setting, the average correlation of all users rather than individual users can be used. This way, the entire organization is represented, rather than the
C.A,E.E, 15-3/4--D
136 Avl RUSHINEK and SARA F. RUSHINEK
LAN1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LAN2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LAN i
I l I I I I I o o I I o o I I o o I I \ / I I \ / I I \ I I I o - ( ) - o I <=====> I o - ( ) - o I <=====> I o - ( ) - o I I / \ I l / \ l I / \ I I o o I I o o I I o o I I I I I I I . . . . . . . . . . \ \ I I / / - -
\ \ I I / / \ \ I I / /
L A N i %\ LANi / / LAN i \ \ I I / I
I I \ \ l l / / I l I o o I \ \ I ( ) ( ) I / / I o o I I \ I I X \ \ I I I I \ I I I o - ( ) - o I , ' : ' : : : ) I ( ) - [ ] - ( ) I < ' : : ' ' ) I o - ( ) o I l / \ l I / \ I I / \ I I o o I / / ( ) ( 7 \ \ I o o I I I / / I I X \ I I
/ / . . . . . I I . . . . . \ \ I / I I \ \
/ / I I \ \ / / I I kk
LAN i / / LAN i \ \ LAN i I I I I \ \
I I I I I I I o o I f o o I I o o I I \ / I I \ / I I \ / I I o - ( ) - o I < : : : : : > I o - ( ) - o I < : : : : : > I o - ( ) - o I / \ I I / \ I I / \ I I o o I I o o I I o o I I I I I I I
SYMBOL LEGEND EXPLANATION
o = M i c r o c o m p u t e r i n s t a l l a t i o n ( M i c r o ) ( ) = M i n i c o m p u t e r i n s t a l l a t i o n ( M i n i ) [ ] = M a i n f r a m e i n s t a l l a t i o n (Ma> l i ) . . . . > C o a x / f i b e r o p t i c s c a b l e c o n n e c t i o n f o r LANs = = - = > T e r r e s t r i a l c o m m u n i c a t i o n n e t s : : : : > P a c k e t r a d i o / m i c r o w a v e c o m m u n i c a t i o n n e t s I I / / > S a t e l l i t e c o m m u n i c a t i o n n e t s
Fig. l. Tel~ommunicationnetworksconfigurationsample.
RepLace (44.7%)
Tandem ( 56.;5 "/.)
Fig. 2. Pie-chart of vendors offering. Tandem and replacement boards.
Accelerator boards, memory, power, coprocessor, and price 137
100
90
80
70
~ 6o
5O
40
• 3O
2O
10
0
Off-boord memory~ coprocessor, reset SW
Fig. 3. Stacked bar of vendors with off-board memory, coprocessor, reset SW.
needs of a single user. This analysis is current ly under deve lopment and will be r epor ted in more detai l as results are ob ta ined .
In the future, add i t iona l PESS modules will be added to handle the selection o f o ther sof tware and ha rdware products . Al l o f these will be in tegra ted into one to ta l system, in an a t t empt no t only to op t imize the selection of ind iv idua l p roduc ts , bu t also to maximize the compa tab i l i t y a m o n g them.
R E F E R E N C E S
1. C. P. Bilbrey and W. C. House, Mini-computer selection. J systems Mgmt, pp. 36-39, July (1981). 2. A. Bates, Choosing a Micro? Here's a cautionary tale. Accountancy, pp. 98-101, Feb. (1982). 3. J. R. Holmes, Microcomputer limitations. J. Accountancy, pp. 48-50, Dec. (1979). 4. W. Rosch, Accelerator boards: revving up can change PC clunkers to hotrods. PC Week, 24 Sept. (1985). 5. Perrone (1986). 6. R. E. Anderson, Consumer dissatisfaction: the effect of disconfirmed expectancy on perceived product performance.
J. Marketing Res. v. 10, 38-44 (1982). 7. Olshavsky (1972). 8. Olson and Dover (1979). 9. E. Brown, Performance ratings. Business Computer Rev. pp. 96-98, Jan. (1986).
10. P. Jones, Coprocessor boards. Computer Add-ons, pp. 68-70, guide No. 1 (1986). 11. Byte, p. 410, Jan (1986).
(Appendix A - D overleaf)
138 Avl RUSHINEK and SARA F. RUSHINEK
APPENDIX A MAIN PESS MENU FOR MODULE SEQUENCE Screen 1
Welcome to PRODUCT EVALUATION AND SELECTION SYSTEM (PESS). Which o f the f o l l o w i n g op t ions would you l i k e to se lect? Press a " f o r he lp .
I . Data Base Management Systems (DB) 29. E>:pert System She l ls (ES) 2. Acce le ra to r Boards (AS) 30. Fixed Disk (FD> 3. Selected Tra in ing Software (TS) 31. Hard Disk and Tape 4. Data-Encrypt ion Devices (DE) Backup Systems (DT) 5. Password/Fi le Access Devices (PA) 32. Removable Car t r i dge Disks (RC> 6. Micro to Mainframe Links (MM) 7. Copy P ro tec t i on Devices (CP) 8. In fo rmat ion Managers (IM) 9. Decision - Support Systems (DS)
10. Manufacturing Resource-Planning 11. Job Shop Systems (JS) 12. CAD/CAM - E l ec t r on i c Design (CE) 13. CAD/CAM - Mechanical Design (CM) 14. P ro jec t - Management (PM)
33. Selected Asynchronous Modems 34. Selected Synchronous Modems 35. Furn i ture/Desks (FD) 36. Fu rn i t u re /Cha i r s (FC) 37. F u r n i t u r e / P r i n t e r Stands (FR) 38. Local Area Networks (AN) 39. Por tab le Computers (PC) 40. 3 1/2 Inch Floppy Disks (FD) 41. 5 1/4 Inch Floppy Disks (FD)
15. T ra in ing &Education Seminars (TE) 42. Leasing Arrangement (LA) 16. Freehand Graphics Software (FG) 17. Business Graphic Packages (BG) 18. Dec VT Emulation (DV) 19. 3270 Emulation (3E) 20. Modula-2 Compilers (M2) 21. Pascal Compilers (PC> 22. FORTRAN Compilers (FC) 23. Program Generators/
Developers (PG) 24. FORTH Compilers and
I n t e r p r e t e r s (FC) 25. BASIC Compilers (BC) 26. APL Compilers (AC> 27. C Compilers (CC) 28. Desktop Organizers (DO)
43. IBM PC Compatibles Floppy-Disk Desktop (CD)
44. IBM PC Compatible Por tab les Luggable (CL)
45. IBM PC Compatible Personal Computers (CC)
46. IBM PC Compatible Laps ize/ Br ie fcase Por tab les (CL)
47. IBM PC Compatible Hard-disk Desktops (CH)
48. Tape Backup Systems (TB) 49. PC AT Clones Test Results 50. Physical Lock ing/Aud i t Thft
Devices (LD) 51. Accounting Packages (AP) 52. S t a t i s t i c a l Packages (SP)
53. Ex i t to Operat ing System
Please enter your choice numbers separated by "commas" ( 1 , 2 , 3 ) , and then press the "Enter" key [ < - ' ] :2
APPENDIX AI: SAMPLE USER SCREEN PROMPTS AND RESPONSES DISPLAY
WELCOME TO THE INTERACTIVE END-USER NEED EVALUATION SYSTEM FOR ACCELERATOR BOARDS (AS)
The o b j e c t i v e of t h i s ques t i onna i re i s to i d e n t i f y and your needs and best match the app rop r i a te product requ i red s p e c i f i c a t i o n s . You w i l l rece ive a p r i n t o u t p r i o r i t i e s and the products tha t meet your needs.
quan t i f y to your of your
ENTER YOUR RESPONSES ABOUT YOUR AS NEEDS WITHIN THE COLON MARKS : : (Enter the number 1 - 9 matching your des i res . The number 9 f o r ext remely d e s i r a b l e , 5 f o r i n d i f f e r e n t and 1 f o r extremely undes i rab le . Enter a "?" when a d d i t i o n a l i n fo rmat ion i s needed, "??" f o r an example, and "???" For a d d i t i o n a l help c a l l (305)-b66-7890.)
PERSONNEL CONSULTANT PASSWORD . . . . . . . . :XXXXXXXXXX: NAME :Mateo P. Aquino 3r . : COMPANY :Ar thur M i t c h e l l Co. ADDRESS :1200 Ave. o f the Americas : CITY,ST,ZIP :NY, NY 100~0
END-USER PASSWORD :XXXXXXXXX: :Mateo A. Aquino I I I :AIS Corporat ion :1205 Mariposa Ave. :Coral Gables, F1 33146
Accelerator boards, memory, power, coprocessor, and price 139
SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS 1. How much e l e c t r i c a l power a re you w i l l i n g to spend? . . . . . . . : 16: 2 . What c l o c k speed do you need? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : 10: 3. Do you want a tandem board? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : 8: 4 . Do you want a r ep lacemen t board? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : 3:
ADDITIONAL SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS 5 . Do you want access to o f f - b o a r d memory? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : 7: 6 . Do you want a numer ic coprocessor board? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : b: 7 . Do you want a r e s e t sw i t ch? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : 9: 8 . Do you need a d d i t i o n a l memory? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : 8:
PRICE 9. How much are you w i l l i n g to pay f o r t h i s package? . . . . . . :$ 400:
P lease e n t e r a d d i t i o n a l comments, and press two c a r r i a g e r e t u r n s : I need h e l p , the e d u c a t i o n / t r a i n i n g has been p o o r . L e a r n i n g on my own i s v e r y f r u s t r a t i n g ! On d i s k t u t o r i a l s shou ld be made more i n t e r a c t i v e .
Would you l i k e a P r i n t o u t , D i s p l a y , o r Both (P/S/B)? :P: O . K . , i s your p r i n t e r o n l i n e and ready to p r i n t (Y/N)? :Y:
* * * * THE DIAGNOSTICS AS AUDIT REPORT IS NOW BEING PRINTED * * * *
APPENDIX A2: SAMPLE VENDOR SCREEN PROMPTS AND RESPONSES DISPLAY
WELCOME TO THE INTERACTIVE ON-LINE VENDOR EVALUATION SYSTEM FOR ACCELERATOR BOARDS (AS~
The o b j e c t i v e o f t h i s q u e s t i o n n a i r e i s t o i d e n t i f y your AS c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s . Your responses a long w i t h o t h e r p roduc t vendors w i l l be ana lyzed and p laced i n a da ta base. The r e s u l t s w i l l be used to c o n s t r u c t a p roduc t s e l e c t i o n system.
ENTER YOUR RESPONSES ABOUT YOUR AS PRODUCT WITHIN THE COLON MARKS : : ( I f t he q u e s t i o n r e q u i r e s a yes /no response, p l e a s e e n t e r a 1 f o r yes and a 0 f o r . no. En ter a "7" f o r h e l p , "??" f o r an e)~ample, and "777" f o r t h i s he lp t e l e p h o n e s e r v i c e f rom S o f t r a n ( 3 0 5 ) - 6 6 6 - 7 8 9 0 ) .
PASSWORD . . . . . . . . . . . :XXXXXXXXXX: PRODUCT..:ASP/PC286 VENDOR... :American Systems Tech. SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS 1. Power r e q u i r e d ? . . . . . . . . . . . : 16: 2 . Clock Speed? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : lO: 3 . Tandem? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1: 4 . Replacement? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : O:
ADDITIONAL SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS 5. O f f - b o a r d memory? . . . . . . . . . : 1: 6. Numeric Coprocessor? . . . . . . . 1: 7. Reset Swi tch? . . . . . . . . . . . . . : O: 8. A d d i t i o n a l Memory? . . . . . . . . . 1024:
9 . R e t a i l p r i c e ? . . . , : $1995.00 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
99. P lease comp le te the sentence (3 l i n e s matt) . . . . Our p r o d u c t i s un ique f rom i t s c o m p e t i t o r s by : be ing tandem t y p e , i t accesses o f f - b o a r d memory, and a l l o w s the a d d i t i o n o f a numer ic cop rocesso r boa rd .
140 Avx RUSHINEK and SARA F. RUSHINEK
APPENDIX A3: AS ON-SCREEN CONTEXT SENSITIVE HELP FILE MESSAGES
USER HELP DISPLAY INFORMATION OVERLAY PROMPTED BY AS ENTRY IN RESPONSE TO USER ENTRY OF " ? " , "?? " , OR "???"
?77
?
?.9
? ?
? ?
? ?
? ?
?
??
??
?
??
? ?9
For more h e l p , p l e a s e c a l l S o f t r a n a t (305) 888-7890
POWER REQUIRED d e s c r i b e s the amount o f e l e c t r i c i t y ( i n wa t t s ) used by the a c c e l e r a t o r board . A h igh power r e q u i r e d r e s u l t s i n b i g g e r e l e c t r i c b i l l s . For example , a good power r e q u i r e d range would be a n y t h i n g be low 20 w a t t s .
CLOCK SPEED i s the speed a t which the m ic rop rocesso r o p e r a t e s . M i c r o p r o c e s s o r s work a t a s teady pace se t by a s o l i d - s t a t e c r y s t a l b u i l t i n t o t he computer . The c r y s t a l ac ts l i k e a metronome, t i m i n g each i n s t r u c t i o n c a r r i e d ou t by the m i c r o p r o - cesso r . The t i m i n g i s expressed i n megaHertz, a b b r e v i a t e d MHz. One MHz i s one m i l l i o n c y c l e s per second. The h i g h e r the c l o c k speed the f a s t e r the m ic rop rocessso r can pe r fo rm i t s c a l c u l a t i o n s . For example , i f t he c l o c k speed o f one a c c e l e r a t o r board i s 8 MHz and ano the r i s 10 MHz, the board w i t h t he 10 MHz c l ock speed i s the f a s t e r machine.
TANDEM i s one o f the types o f a c c e l e r a t o r boards a v a i l a b l e in the marke t . Th is t ype o f board i s i n s t a l l e d w i t h o u t removing the e x i s t i n g m i c rop rocesso r i n your PC. Th is i s d e s i r a b l e i f you want to r e s t o r e your machine to i t s o r i g i n a l speed. For example , the Quadspr in t i s a tandem board , t h e r e f o r e you shou ld c o n s i d e r i t as a p l u s f o r t h i s board when you make your c h o i c e .
REPLACEMENT i s the o t h e r t ype o f a c c e l e r a t o r board . This t ype o f board i s i n s t a l l e d by removing the e x i s t i n g m ic rop rocesso r in your PC and r e p l a c i n g i t w i t h a new m i c r o p r o c e s s o r . Th is i s a d i s a d v a n t - age s i nce you cannot r e s t o r e your machine to i t s o l d speed. For example, the Supercharger i s a rep lacement t ype board t h e r e f o r e you should c o n s i d e r t h i s a minus f a c t o r when you make your c h o i c e .
OFF-BOARD MEMORY r e f e r s to a c c e l e r a t o r boards which addresses the n a t i v e memory o f your PC in a d d i t i o n to i t s own on-board memory. Boards t h a t do t h i s i nc reases the p rocess ing c a p a c i t y o f your PC. Key in 1 i f t he speed-up board a l l o w s addresss ing o f o f f - b o a r d memory, o t h e r w i s e key in O. For example , I f you are work ing w i t h programs or a p p l i c a t i o n s t h a t uses o r works b e t t e r w i t h more memory you should look f o r boards t h a t has o f f - b o a r d memory access c a p a b i l i t y .
NUMERIC COPROCESSOR or the 8087 c h i p , can s i g n i f i c a n t l y speed up c a l c u l a t i o n s . For example~ I f you are work ing w i t h a p p l i c a t i o n s t h a t processes a huge amount o f numbers and does a l o t o f c a l c u l a t i o n s then a a board w i t h a numeric coprocessor w i l l p r o v i d e more speed.
RESET SWITCH i s an o p t i o n a l f e a t u r e on tandem boards t h a t a l l o w s you to sw i t ch o f f the a c c e l e r a t o r board . Th is i s a n i c e f e a t u r e to have s ince t h e r e a re some programs t h a t cannot o p e r a t e w i t h a c c e l e r a t o r boards . In t h i s case~ you can me re l y h i t the r e s e t sw i t ch and c o n t i n u e to run your program on your o l d PC. For example , t h i s f e a t u r e i s v e r y d e s i r a b l e i f you have programs t h a t do no t work w i t h a c c e l e r a t o r boards .
ADDITIONAL MEMORY - an o p t i o n a l f e a t u r e on some a c c e l e r a t o r boards . A d d i t i o n a l memory i nc reases the p rocess ing c a p a b i l i t i e s o f your PC. For example , d o u b l i n g the memory o f your PC w i l l doub le the amount o f da ta or doub le the s i z e o f program t h a t your PC can accommodate. PRICE i s the . suggested r e t a i l p r i c e to e n d - u s e r s , l i s t p r i c e . For e>:ample, t h i s p r i c e does no t i n c l u d e d i s c o u n t s .
Accelerator boards, memory, power, coprocessor, and price 141
SOURCES FOR DEFINITIONS AND EXPLANATIONS
American Nat ional D i c t i ona ry f o r In fo rmat ion Processing AMERICAN NATIONAL STANDARDS COMMITTEE X3 INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEMS, Dow Jones- I rw in , 1984 (refQA?6.15.A42 1984)
Deik, M.H., STANDARD DICTIONARY OF COMPUTERS AND INFORMATION PROCESSING, Hayden Book Co., Rochel le Park, New Jersey, 1977
Freedman, A. , THE COMPUTER GLOSSARY FOR EVERYONE, 3RD EDITION (REFQAT&.15.F?34 1983)
Parker, S. , MCGRAW HILL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ELECTRONICS AND COMPUTERS, McGraw H i l l , 1984 (refTK?804.m43 1984)
Rosenberg, J.M. DICTIONARY OF COMPUTERS DATA PROCESSING AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS, Wiley 1984 (refQA?6.15.r67 1984)
S i p p l , C . J . , COMPUTER DICTIONARY, H. W. Samf, I n d i a n a p o l i s , Indiana, 1980
S i p p l , C . J . , COMPUTER DICTIONARY AND HANDBOOK, H. W. Samf, I n d i a n a p o l i s , Indiana, 1980
APPENDIX B: END-USER PESS DIAGNOSTIC AS AUDIT TRAIL REPORT*
AI : 'PRODUCT EVALUATION SELECTION SYSTEM (PESS) AS OF Dec 12, 1985 MENU Worksheet Range Copy Move F i l e P r i n t Graph Data Quit G loba l , I n s e r t , De le te , Column-Width, Erase, T i t l e s , Window, Status
A B C D 1 PRODUCT VENDOR CORRELATION RANK 2 NAME NAME COEFFICIENT** ORDER
4 ASP/PC286 AMERICAN SYSTEMS TECH. 0.999 i 5 PC-ELEVATOR APPLIED REASONING CORP. 0.975 2 6 TURBO EXCEL 286 EARTH COMPUTERS 0.951 3 ? SUPERCHARGER EMULEX CORP. 0.92? 4 8 SUPERFLIGHT KAMMERMAN LABS 0.903 5 9 PERFORMER MA SYSTEMS 0.8?9 6 10 NUMBER SMASHER MICROWAY INC. 0.855 ? 11 TURBO-186 ORCHID TECHNOLOGY 0.831 8 12 PFASTER286 PHOENIX COMP. PROD. CORP. 0.80? 9 13 QUADSPRINT QUADRAM 0.783 10 14 PC-286 SEATTLE TELECOMDATA INC. 0.?59 11 15 ACCELERATOR PC TITAN TECHNOLOGIES 0.?35 12
*Th is program was developed using Lotus 123 (c)Lotus Development Corp.
* * C o r r e l a t i o n c o e f f i c i e n t ( r ) i s computed (Nie, 1975) as f o l l o w s :
r =
n { S x [ ( i ) ] [ y ( i ) ] } - { [ S x ( i > ] [ S y ( i ) ] }
S R { n S [ > : ( i ) * * 2 ] - [ S x ( i ) ] * * 2 } S R { n S y ( i ) * * 2 - [ S y ( i ) ] * * 2 }
where: n = number o f user responses or vendor r e p l i e s , S = sum o f user responses or vendor r e p l i e s , x = value o f user response to the prompted i quest ion, i = sequen t ia l number (1 th ru n) of the responses / rep l i es , y = value o f vendor r ep l y to the i th f e a t u r e quest ion, SR = square roo t o f user responses or vendor r e p l i e s ,
Accord lng ly : Sy (1 ) ] * *2 =sum of squares o f vendor r e p l i e s . nSy(1)**2 =observat ions t imes sum squares of vendor r e p l i e s . n [ S x ( i ) y ( i ) ] =observat ions t imes sum of responses t imes r e p l i e s . £ S x ( 1 ) ] [ S y ( i ) ] =sum users responses t imes sum of vendor r e p l i e s . For a d d i t i o n a l help please c a l l Sof t ran at (305)-666-7890
142 Avl RUSHINEK and SARA F. RUSHINEK
APPENDIX C: SAMPLE PRINTOUT AS DIAGNOSTIC AUDIT RECOMMENDATION LETTER
Dec 12, 1985
Mateo A. Aquino I I I , CEO A & A C o r p o r a t i o n 9680 S W 152nd Ave. Miami~ Fl 33193
Dear Mr. Aquino:
I am p leased to r e p o r t to you t h a t I have j u s t completed t h i s assignment. Th is t ime I have eva lua ted your needs r e g a r d i n g A c c e l e r a t o r Boards (AS) and matched them w i t h c u r r e n t l y a v a i l a b l e p roduc ts (Appendix A & B) . F o l l o w i n g are the th ree p roduc ts , which most c l o s e l y match your needs:
1. ASP/PC286, by American Systems Technology, which i s a tandem board w i t h a c lock speed o f 10 MHz and can access the memory on your c u r r e n t PC in a d d i t i o n to i t s n a t i v e memory o f 1 megabyte. I t a lso p r o v i d e s an o p t i o n a l numeric coprocessor .
2. PC-ELEVATOR, by App l i ed Reasoning Corp . , which i s another tandem board w i t h a c lock speed o f 10 MHz and can add up to 2 megabytes o f i t s own memory. I t a lso p r o v i d e s an o p t i o n a l numeric coprocessor .
3. TURBO EXCEL 286, by Ear th computers, which has a r e s e t swi tch and can add up to 2 megabytes o f i t s own memory.
We have indeed cons idered a very l a r g e number o f AS, but se lec ted on ly those which very c l o s e l y match your own needs. you have any ques t i ons about them p lease l e t me know.
I f
Mr. Aquinop to i n t e g r a t e e f f e c t i v e l y the new products~ master p lan c a l l s f o r expanding your system f u r t h e r i n t o a Local Area Network (F igu re 1)p as an a d d i t i o n a l phase. This phase can be f a c i l i t a t e d by an i n t e r a c t i v e sess ion w i t h our Product E v a l u a t i o n and S e l e c t i o n System (PESS)~ much l i k e in the p rev ious phase. A l though, t h i s t ime I a lso wish to i n t e r v i e w the LAN u s e r s .
Thank you f o r being so coopera t i ve~ Mr. Aquino. I am l ook ing fo reward to work ing w i t h you on our next phase.
S i n c e r e l y yours ,
Mateo P. Aquino J r . , C.P.A. Computer Consu l t i ng D i v i s i o n A r thu r M i t c h e l l e and Company C e r t i f i e d Pub l i c Accountants
o u r
APPENDIX D: PRODUCT/VENDOR LIST
Product, Vendor, Address, City, State, Zip, Phone Quadsprint, Quadram Corporation, 4355 International Blvd, Norcross, GA 30093, U.S.A. (404) 923-6666. Superflight, Kamerman Labs, 8054 S.W. Nimbus Ave., Beaverton, OR 97005, U.S.A. (503) 626--6877. Turbo-186, Orchid Technology, 47790 Westinghouse Drive, Fremont, CA 94539, U.S.A. (415) 490--8586. PC-Elevator, Applied Reasoning Corp., 84 Sherman St., Cambridge, MA 02140, U.S.A. (617) 492-0700. ASP[PC286, American Systems Products Inc., P.O. Box 1620, Casselberry, FL 32707, U.S.A. (305) 432-1234. Turbo Excel 286, Earth Computers, 9531 Slater, 6, Fountain Valley, CA 92708, U.S.A. (714) 964-5784. Supercharger, Emulex Corp., 3545 Harbor Blvd, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, U.S.A. (714) 662-5600. Performer, MA Systems Inc., 2015 O'Toole Ave., San Jose, CA 95131, U.S.A., (408) 943-0596. Number Smasher, Microway Inc., P.O. Box 79, Norwood, MA 02364, U.S.A. (617) 746-7341. Pfaster 286, Phoenix Computer Products Corp., 320 Norwood Park South, Norwood, MA 02062, U.S.A. (617) 769-7020. Accelerator PC, Titan Technologies, 310 West Ann St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104, U.S.A. (313) 662-8542. PC = 286, Seattle Telecom & Data Inc., 2637 151st Place N.E., Redmond, WA 98052, U.S.A. (206) 883-8440.
