ABSTRACT
The introduction of low-cost microcomputers has added an entirely new perspective to the field. The cost of computer equipment has been reduced to the point that almost any laboratory can have access to a computer and, indeed, many laboratories already do. This chapter explore some other uses developed for microcomputers in clinical microbiology. One area of use that is just beginning to be investigated is storage and analysis of quality control data. The general configuration for microcomputers is one main chip which contains the three essential components of the central processing unit (CPU), the control unit, the arithmetic and logic unitand registers; this is called a microprocessor. The CPU is the heart of the computer, but other hardware items are necessary for complete function. The basic difference between a microcomputer and a minicomputer or so-called mainframe is simply that the circuitry for the microcomputer CPU is on one chip as a result of large scale integration.
