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Chapter
1
Introduction
Use of Technology
Statistics is a field that deals with sets of data. After the data is collected it needs to be organized
and interpreted. There is a limit to how much of the work can be done effectively without the
help of some type of technology. The use of technology, such as a calculator with enhanced
statistical functions can take care of most of the details of our work so that we can spend more
time focusing on what we are doing and how to interpret the results.
Technology can help us not only to store and manipulate data, but also to visualize what the data
is trying to tell us. As we work with a calculator, we will be able to:
• Enter, revise, and store data.
• Perform statistical computations on stored data or entered statistics.
• Draw pictures, based on the data to help us to understand what useful information can be
inferred from that data.
Advantages of Using a Calculator
There are many good statistical software packages available, such as MINITAB, SAS, and
SPSS. Excel also contains many statistical built-in functions as well as supporting plug-in’s for
statistical work. Still, for the student starting to learn statistics, it’s hard to beat the advantages of
using a powerful hand-held calculator.
• It is portable and easy to use in many different work environments.
• It has battery power that lasts far longer than that of a laptop computer.
• It is less expensive than a computer.
• It is less expensive than a statistical software package.
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