Data Versus Information

This paper is a discussion to "distinguish between computer data represented by the state of a computer's electrical switches and the meaningful information that is displayed to the user" (CIS/105.2011). A brief explanation describing the distinctions of data and information and the process a computer uses to convert data into information.

Data versus Information

Your average computer user does not decode data; it is a world of numbers for every letter the user reads is a code of numbers in the computer system. Numbers, characters, letters, pictures, and more are all data in, which is in codes with the use of binary numbers. Information is considered the on and off switches of data which consist of the numbers either a zero called the off switch or a one preferred to as the on switch each number is a bit and eight bits is one byte. So data is the number codes and information is what we see when the codes are converted into photos, letters, numbers, and even sounds.

According to computing fundamentals (6th ed.) "Two components handle processing in a computer: the central processing unit, or CPU, and the memory. Both are located on the computer's motherboard"(p.188). The brain of the computer is the central processing unit (CPU) this is where the manipulation of data occurs.

References

Axia College. (2011). CIS/105: Survey of computer information systems. Retrieved from

https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/portal/portal/public/login.aspx

Norton, P. (2006). Computing fundamentals (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Technology

Education.