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Microcomputers: software and applications
Curtin D. (ed), Porter L., Prentice-Hall, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ, 1986. Type: Book (9789780135802427)
Date Reviewed: Apr 1 1988

This is one of the best texts that I have read or used relating to microcomputers. It would be a useful book for teaching a beginning course in computers and microcomputers, but it does have certain failings, one of which is age. The book was published in 1986, prior to the introduction of the IBM PS/2 and OS/2. These two products promise to have a significant effect on the personal computer scene in the near future.

On the positive side, the book is well written and easy to read. It is replete with examples and its use of several of the standard packages in each application area is to be commended, because this is not a single package world.

With respect to these application areas, the text is complete, covering the most prevalent applications; and it does not restrict itself to a single vendor with respect to hardware. It even includes a brief discussion of the less well known applications such as project managers and expert systems. Unfortunately, it also lumps other applications programs into this category, namely, integrated software and desktop managers, both of which are rather widely used. I would like to see a separate chapter devoted to these special applications.

When reviewing a textbook, it is rather distressing to have only the book itself rather than the complete package. The success or failure of a text may depend heavily on the materials that are supplied with it in the form of laboratory manuals and, in the last few years, educational software. The text does not stand alone. The Microcomputer Resource Manual may be a disaster, but if the text is a good example of the authors’ work, I expect that this laboratory manual is also a superb document.

Publishing companies (including Prentice Hall) have recently started providing student versions of the more popular applications packages. These tend to give courses more credibility with students. While PC-Calc, for example, is considered a well-written software package, it is not as well known as LOTUS 1-2-3. Included in the list of available student software are versions of integrated packages such as FRAMEWORK. This again reflects the age of the text.

Overall, this is a good, but dated, text. It could serve as a useful reference for the computer information systems instructor.

Reviewer:  E. T. Dolan Review #: CR111602
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Business (J.1 ... )
 
 
Word Processing (H.4.1 ... )
 
 
Local and Wide-Area Networks (C.2.5 )
 
 
Microcomputers (C.5.3 )
 
 
Special-Purpose And Application-Based Systems (C.3 )
 
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