Every day, people around the world rely on different types of computers for a variety of applications. To illustrate the range of uses for computers, this section takes you on narrative tour of five categories of users:
- Home user
- Small office/home office [SOHO] user
- Mobile user
- Power user
- Enterprise user
Home User
In an increasing number of homes, the computer no longer is a convenience. Instead, it is a basic necessity. Each family member, or home user, spends time on the computer for different reasons that include personal financial management, Web access, communications, and entertainment.
On the Internet, home users access a huge amount of information, conduct research, take college classes, pay bills, manage investments, shop, listen to the radio, watch movies, read books, file taxes, book airline reservations, make telephone calls, and play games. They also communicate with others around the world through e-mail, blogs, instant messages, and chat rooms using personal computers, smart phones, and other mobile devices. Home users share ideas, interests, photos, music, and videos on social networking Web sites. With a digital camera, home users take photos and then send the electronic images to others. Using a Web cam, home users easily have live video calls with friends, family members, and others.
Many home users have a portable media player, so that they can download music or podcast, and listen to the music and/or audio at a later time through earbuds attached to the player. They also usually have one or more game consoles to play video games individually or with friends and family members.
Today's homes also typically have one or more desktop computers. Many home users network multiple desktop computers throughout the house, often wirelessly. These small networks allow family members to share an Internet connection and a printer.
Home users have a variety of software. They type letters, homework assignments, and other documents with word processing software.
Personal finance software helps the home user with personal finances, investments, and family budgets. Other software assists with preparing taxes, keeping a household inventory, setting up maintenance schedules, and protecting home computers against threats and unauthorized intrusions.
Reference software, such as encyclopedias, medical dictionaries, or a road atlas, provides valuable information for everyone in the family. With entertainment software, the home user can play games, compose music, research genealogy, or create greeting cards. Educational software helps adults learn to speak a foreign language and youngsters to read, write, count, and spell.
Small Office/Home Office User
Computers assist small business and home office users in managing their resources effectively. A small office/home office [SOHO] includes any company with fewer than 50 employees, as well as the self-employed who work from home. Small offices include local law practices, accounting firms, travel agencies, and florists. SOHO users typically have a desktop computer to perform some or all of their duties. Many also have smart phones or other mobile devices to manage appointments and contact information.
SOHO users access the Internet – often wirelessly – to look up information such as addresses, directions, postal codes, flights and package shipping rates or to send and receive e-mail messages or make telephone calls.
Many have entered the e-commerce arena and conduct business on the Web. Their Web sites advertise products and services and may provide a means for taking orders. Small business Web sites sometimes use a Web cam to show the world a live view of some aspect of their business.
To save money on hardware and software, small offices often network their computers. For example, the small office connects one printer to a network for all employees to share.
SOHO users often work with basic business software such as word processing and spreadsheet programs that assist with document preparation and finances. They are likely to use other industry-specific types of software. An auto parts store, for example, will have software that allows for looking up parts, taking orders and payments, and updating inventory.
Mobile User
Today, business and schools are expanding to serve people across the country and around the world. Thus, increasingly more employees and students are mobile users, who work on a computer or mobile device while away from a main office, home office, or school. Examples of mobile users are sales representatives, real estate agents, insurance agents, meter readers, package delivery people, journalists, consultants, and students.
Mobile users often have mobile computers and/or mobile devices. With these computers and devices, the mobile user connects to other computers on a network or the Internet, often wirelessly accessing services such as e-mail and the Web. Mobile users can transfer information between their mobile device and another computer, such as one at the main office or school. For entertainment, the mobile user plays video games on a handled game console and listens to music or watches movies on a portable media player.
The mobile user works with basic business software such as word processing. With presentation software, the mobile user can create and deliver preparations to a large audience by connecting a mobile computer or device to a video projector that displays the preparation on a full screen. Many scaled-down programs are available for mobile devices such as smart phones.
Power User
Another category of user, called a power user, requires the capabilities of a workstation or other type of powerful computer. Examples of power users include engineers, scientists, architects, desktop publisher, and graphic artists.
Power users often work with multimedia, combining text, graphics, audio and video into one application. These users need computers with extremely fast processors because of the nature of their work.
The power user's workstation often contains industry-specific software; for example, engineers and architects use software to draft and design floor plans, mechanical assemblies, or vehicles. A desktop publisher uses software to prepare marketing literature. A graphic artist uses software to create sophisticated drawings. This software usually is expensive because of its specialized design.
Power user exist in all types of businesses.
Some work at home. Their computers typically have network connections and Internet access.
Enterprise User
An enterprise has hundreds or thousands of employees or customers that work in or do business with offices across a region, the country, or the world. Each employee or customer who uses a computer in the enterprise is an enterprise user.
Many large companies use the words, enterprise computing, to refer to the huge network of computers that meets their diverse computing needs. The network facilitates communications among employees at all locations. Users access the network of servers or mainframes through desktop computers, mobile computers, and mobile devices.
Enterprises use computers and the computer network to process high volumes of transactions in a single day. Although they may differ in size and in the products or services offered, all generally use computers for basic business activities. For example, they bill millions of customers, prepare payroll for thousands of employees, and manage thousands of items in inventory. Some enterprises use blogs to open communications among employees, customers and /or vendors.
Enterprises typically have e-commerce Web sites, allowing customers and vendors to conduct business online. The Web site also showcases products, services, and other company information.
The marketing department in an enterprise uses desktop publishing software to prepare marketing literature. The accounting department uses software fro accounts receivable, accounts payable, billing, general ledger, and payroll activities.
The employees in the information technology [IT] department keep the computers and the network running. They determine when the company requires new hardware or software.
Enterprise users work with word processing, spreadsheet, database, and presentation software. They also may use calendar programs to post their schedules on the network. And, they might use smart phones or mobile devices to maintain contact information. E-mail programs and Web browsers enable communications among employees, vendors, and customers.
Many employees of enterprises telecommute. Telecommuting is a work arrangement in which employees work away from a company's standard workplace and often communicate with the office through the computer. Employees who telecommute have flexible work schedules so that they can combine work and personal responsibilities, such as child care.