BKINTRCM.RVW   950310
 
"Introducing Computers", Robert Blissmer, 1995, 0-471-11360-3, U$29.95
%A   Robert H. Blissmer
%C   605 Third Avenue, New York, NY   10158-0012
%D   1995
%G   0-471-11360-3
%I   John Wiley
%O   U$29.95 800-CALL-WILEY 212-850-6630 Fax: 212-850-6799 jdemarra@jwiley.com
%P   322
%T   "Introducing Computers"
 
This is the usual style for a computer literacy text:  fairly simplistic
content, lots of pictures, questions (simple ones) at the end of each chapter. 
A quick flip through is heartening.  Unlike the usual pictorial fare of
Sixties' outfits and hairdos, these illustrations seem to be quite recent. 
Appearances, however, can be deceptive.
 
The curriculum follows outlines from ten and twenty years ago.  This does cover
the basics, but says very little to current uses and emerging technologies. 
There is some new material, such as a rather good outline of object
orientation.  The newer 28,800 bps modems, however, are said to obtain their
speed through data compression.  (The section on viral programs is completely
useless.)
 
There are resources listed at the end of each chapter.  Sometimes individual
articles, always books, often magazines.  Most of these citations are dated and
not of significant importance or quality.  Sometimes, the choice of a
particular reference is very odd, given the topic of the chapter.
 
The questions at the end of the chapter concentrate heavily on vocabulary
(matching terms to definitions), true and false, and multiple choice--and then
jump into some very heavy essay questions and projects.  I suspect that little
of any consequence will come from the projects, since their scope is quite
simply beyond the average student at this level.  Those who are being taught
that registers are some vague part of the CPU are unlikely to be able to assess
the comparative strengths of CISC and RISC architectures, even when you phrase
the question in terms of Pentium and PowerPC.
 
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1995   BKINTRCM.RVW   950310

======================
ROBERTS@decus.ca, RSlade@sfu.ca, Rob Slade at 1:153/733 RSlade@cyberstore.ca
The Internet interprets censorship as damage and routes around it - J. Gilmore
Author "Robert Slade's Guide to Computer Viruses" 0-387-94311-0/3-540-94311-0