V~CTUR
GRAPHIC,
INC.
IV-2
2.
Then
the
telephone companyrs machines arrange the transfer, matching
up
the
number you
entered
with
the
right wires and cables to connect you
with your party.
3.
They
do
PtogessiDi'
by
keeping track of
how
long you spend on the phone.
4.
When you hang up, the phone company permanently stores information
on
your call.
With
your
phone, you never see
all
the
complicated switching
that
goes
on
in
Step 2, when you want
to
make a call across
the
country.
All
that
affects
you is the conversation.
The
same
is
true
of
the
computer:
you
will
never
have
to
program
the
microprocessor, or
know
Which
cirCuits should open
for
how long
to
get
your
job done. The
operating system manages all
that
for you.
The
operating system even handles "wrong numbers." If you accidentally press
the
wrong key, and the operating system cannot find a command
to
match your
input,
it
just
displays what you entered, followed by a question mark.
It
is the operatiD8' system of a computer which must decide:
• what command you have input.
• what action is required
to
carry out
that
command.
Only
then
can
the
computer
do
its
work.
Then
the
operating
system
determines:
• what to do with the results of
the
command.
• where
to
store these results for the future.
PIN
7100-0001
9-01-82 - Rev. A
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