NCJ Number
80170
Date Published
1976
Length
18 pages
Annotation
The report includes a nontechnical description of microcomputer capabilities, a discussion of potential criminal justice applications, and an outline of some of the implications of this technology.
Abstract
A general purpose microcomputer system complete with memory and a basic input/output capability costs as little as $1,500, and that cost should decline by at least 50 percent over the next 2 or 3 years. A microcomputer is smaller, cheaper, slower, and capable of less complex processing than a full-size computer, but it shares basic operating characteristics with it. In comparison with larger machines, micros have processor limitations in the area of word length and instruction set. Three basic kinds of memory chips are used in microcomputer systems: Read-Only Memory, Programmable Read-Only Memory, and Random Access Memory. The input and output devices available to users of micros are those associated with minicomputers; the most common device is the teletype. Microcomputer software, not as sophisticated as macrocomputer devices, often provide only low-level assembly language. Support programs, such as editors, loaders, sorts, etc., have not generally been available for micros. Microprocessors are often used as components of larger computer systems and are also found in noncomputer applications, such as in calculators, traffic lights, and medical electronics. The criminal justice community should benefit from the increased performance and relatively lower prices resulting from applying microcomputer technology in newer computer systems of all sizes. Recent developments in the field are outlined. Nine references are appended.