Research Paper on:
Personal Computers, Mainframes, and Business

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
there was no question whether a new business or one contemplating complete upgrade of its existing systems would choose between mainframes or PCs. Very large organizations with extensive records  needs such as large health care or insurance concerns might choose to use PCs for some of the daily business, but where data was extensive and many users needed to  have access to it the mainframe was the system of choice. PCs offered an attractive alternative, not the least of which was that  "the computer" would never be down. Individual members of the network might become inoperable at times, but the entire system never was inaccessible.  Today, the need for oversight and accountability, the very real threat of data-destroying viruses and the great expense of rebuilding lost data all serve to make the PC somewhat  less attractive. The newest generation of mainframes removes some of the bulkiness of the old systems, making them more attractive than in the past. The purpose here is  to examine some of those differences to determine which is best for business today. The Mainframe  This is the oldest form of commercially-viable computing, of course. These are the inhabitants of "the computer room," that mysterious place in many businesses that had the great  air conditioning systems and raised floor under which thousands of feet of cabling traveled. This is the form that in the early 1960s filled a large room with the  same computing power that 20 years later fit on a desktop. Evolution IBMs first business-use