Word Processors—Looking Outside
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb057396 |
| Published date | 01 March 1985 |
| Date | 01 March 1985 |
| Pages | 18-19 |
| Author | David Brophy |
| Subject Matter | Economics,Information & knowledge management,Management science & operations |
Word
Processors-
Looking Outside
by David Brophy
Managing Director, CPT (UK) Ltd
Once a word processing system has been installed and has
been operating
well,
it is easy to underrate its potential. For
many, it seldom progresses beyond standard letters and
documentation. Word processors can be equipped with the
power to communicate, a facility which can be of enormous
benefit in your business.
Communications fall into two main categories: local and
remote. The first of these applies to the immediate area
around the word processor console or in the same building,
while the second applies to communications on a country
or worldwide basis.
Local Communications
Once word processing has developed past the stand-alone
stage,
i e one word processor used in isolation from all other
resources and services within an organisation, there is scope
for providing a communications service within, say, a
building.
Think of the traditional way of sending a written
message to an individual or group. Even if the message is
prepared on a word processor, the paper copies still have
to be printed and posted manually. "Electronic
mail",
as it
has been termed, cuts out the printing and posting When
two or more word processor consoles are linked to the same
network and equipped with the necessary software.
messages can be composed in minutes and transmitted in
seconds to one or more users on the network
Some word processors offer a multi-window display feature,
in which an incoming message, or a warning that a message
has been received, is displayed separately from the work
in progress. As a result, time-wasting written notes can be
eliminated and the interruption to work is minimised
Sometimes there will be a need to draw information from
other sources, such as a database held in a mainframe or
mini computer Some systems have built-in communications
hardware as standard, whereas others require an ap-
propriate communications board (a purpose-built electronic
module which plugs into sockets inside the console) to be
added
There may also be a need to communicate with other, nor-
mally incompatible, word processors or microcomputers in
the same building Using the appropriate communications
software, it is usually possible to overcome the incompatibili-
ty barriers.
A word processor console need not be restricted to dot-
matrix and print-wheel printers as text output devices only
The communications link makes it possible to reproduce text
on other types of printer, such as ink jet and laser printers,
as well as on phototypesetting equipment.
Worldwide Communications
Once a word processor console has been equipped with
the means to communicate on a local basis, i.e. through an
in-house network, it is a simple matter to add long-distance
communications. The public telephone line provides access
to a worldwide communications network but it can only
cope with audible signals, such as speech. It is therefore
necessary to convert the digital pulses from the word pro-
cessor into audible tones that can be transmitted down the
telephone line at a fairly low speed ( a thousand or so bytes
of data a second compared with a million or more a second
on an in-house network).
...time-wasting written notes can
be eliminated
The conversion of data pulses to tones (and vice versa,
when data is being received) is done by a device called a
modem (modulator-demodulator), which can be a built-in
option for some word processors. One popular form of
modem is an acoustic coupler, which enables the standard
telephone handset to be inserted into rubber sockets and
makes an acoustic, rather than electrical, link to the
telephone line.
A telephone link provides a word processor with access to
a variety of data and information services, including Telecom
Gold,
Prestel, telex and private videotex services The
Telecom Gold service, for instance, can be used to send
18 IMDS • MARCH/APRIL • 1985
To continue reading
Request your trial