Examples of Computer Usage

Everyday, people around the world rely on different types of computers for a variety of applications. To illustrate the range of uses computers, this section takes you on a visual and narrative tour of five categories of user, a small office/home office user, a mobile user, a power user, and an enterprise user.

Home User

In an increasing number of homes, the computer is a basic necessity. Each family member, or home user, spends time on the computer for different reasons. These include personal financial management, Web access, communications, and entertainment.
On the internet, home user 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 communication with others around the world through email, blogs, instant messages, and chat rooms. Home users share ideas, interests, photos, music, and videos on social networking Web sites.

Small Office/Home Office User

Computer assist small business and home office users in managing their resources effectively. A small office/home office includes any computer 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 use a desktop computer. Many also use smart phones.
SOHO users access the Internet-often wirelessly-to look up information such as addresses, e-mail massage, or make telephone calls. Many have entered the e-commerce arena and conduct business on the Web.

Mobile User

Today, businesses 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 mobile computer or device while away from a main office, home office, or school. Some examples of mobile users are sales representatives, real estate agents, insurance agents, meter readers, package delivery people, journalists, and students.

Power User

Another category of user, called a power user, requires the capabilities of a powerful desktop computer, called a workstation. Examples of power users include engineers, scientists, architects, desktop publishers, and graphic artists. Power users typically 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.

Enterprise User

An enterprise 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.