Foundation of Information systems chap 3 summary

Flash (Jump) Drives (solid-state memory)

A now common, but still quite innovative, form of storage that uses semiconductor memory is the flash drive (sometimes referred to as a JumpDrive). Flash memory uses a small chip containing thousands of transistors that can be programmed to store data for virtually unlimited periods without power. The small drives can be easily transported in your pocket and are highly durable. Storage capacities currently range as high as 2 TeraBytes, but newer flash technologies are making even higher storage capacities a reality. The advent of credit-card-like memory cards and ever-smaller storage technologies puts more data into the user's pocket every day

ENIAC

(Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator) was the first electronic digital computer. It was completed in 1946 at the Moore School of Electrical Engineering of the University of Pennsylvania. With no moving parts, ENIAC was programmable and had the capability to store problem calculations using vacuum tubes (about 18,000).

What time-frame does he place on this? (related to point 73)

15 years

understanding the computer as a computer system is vital to the effective use and management of computers.

A computer is more than a high-powered collection of electronic devices performing a variety of information processing chores. A computer is a system, an interrelated combination of components that performs the basic system functions of input, processing, output, storage, and control, thus providing end-users with a powerful information processing tool. (check figure 2)

disadvantage of Distributed (grid) computing (related to point 21)

A disadvantage of this feature is that the computers that are actually performing the calculations might not be entirely trustworthy. The designers of the system must thus introduce measures to prevent malfunctions or malicious participants from producing false, misleading, or erroneous results, and from using the system as a platform for a hacking attempt. This often involves assigning work randomly to different nodes (presumably with different owners) and checking that at least two different nodes report the same answer for a given work unit. Discrepancies would identify malfunctioning and malicious nodes. Another challenge is that because of the lack of central control over the hardware, there is no way to guarantee that computers will not drop out of the network at random times. Some nodes (like laptops or dial-up Internet customers) may also be available for computation but not for network communications for unpredictable periods. These variations can be accommodated by assigning large work units (thus reducing the need for continuous network connectivity) and reassigning work units when a given node fails to report its results as expected.

Midrange Systems

Midrange systems are primarily high-end network servers and other types of servers that can handle the large-scale processing of many business applications. Although not as powerful as mainframe computers, they are less costly to buy, operate, and maintain than mainframe systems and thus meet the computing needs of many organizations. (although midrange systems are disappearing due to microcomputers being more powerful than before)

Why might this group have been overlooked by larger organizations providing similar services?

Technology is becoming more and more pervasive in all industries throughout the world. All companies that are either very large, large, or medium-sized are already greatly based on technology in one way or the other. On the consumer side of things, new products are introduced almost every day, from social media innovations to tablets to cloud-based music services. Many of these products are based on mobile platforms that come with cameras and GPS systems as defaults. But smaller companies have yet to fully embrace all of these developments.

Processing (related to point 24)

The central processing unit (CPU) is the main processing component of a computer system. (In microcomputers, it is the main microprocessor.) Conceptually, the circuitry of a CPU can be subdivided into two major subunits: 1- the arithmetic-logic unit 2- the control unit. The electronic circuits (known as registers) of the arithmetic-logic unit perform the arithmetic and logic functions required to execute software instructions. (check figure 2)

How has RFID technology helped with this? (related to point 68)

The company redesigned the process to start tracking these materials using real-time data. They began to chart progress against plans, and they also involved their retail operations employees, who are the ones in daily contact with the stores and chains.Now, on a day-to-day basis, managers know which stores have not executed the promotions as necessary, and they can then send people to make those promotions happen immediately. Timely execution of promotions went upto 75 percent afterwards, resulting also in increased sales. And all of this was possible thanks to the timely data afforded by their RFID deployment.

Control (related to point 24)

The control unit of a CPU is the control component of a computer system.Its registers and other circuits interpret software instructions and transmit directions that control the activities of the other components of the computer system. (check figure 2)

Optical scanning

devices read text or graphics and convert them into digital input for your computer. Thus, optical scanning enables the direct entry of data from source documents into a computer system.

1958

Integrated Circuit ("chip") was invented

MiniSupercomputers

Interconnecting microprocessors to create minisupercomputers is a reality, it is used by harnessing the virtually infinite amount of unused computing power that exists in the myriad of desktops and laptops within the boundaries of a modern organization.

How long did ROI (Return On Investment) take? (related to point 39)

The entire project, which cost Rs 90 lakh (about 200,000 dollars) was rolled out to more than 240 locations and more than 900 users, processing over 20,000 transactions a day. The simplicity of the solution was largely responsible for Gati Limited Achieving ROI *in less than six months*.

Why does this group need these services?

The goal is to take advantage of already built-in features of mobile phones to give these small businesses a leg up against larger operations.

ReadyBoost

The higher storage volumes provided by flash drives require new technologies intended to take advantage of it. Microsoft's ReadyBoost is one such example. ReadyBoost is a disk cache component, first introduced with Microsoft's Windows Vista in 2006 and bundled with Windows 7 in 2009. It works by using the flash drive, SD card, orany kind of portable flash mass-storage system as a cache

Input (related to point 24)

The input devices of a computer system include computer keyboards,touch screens, pens, electronic mice, and optical scanners. They convert data into electronic form for direct entry or through a telecommunications network into a computer system. (check figure 2)

RFID Privacy Issues

The use of RFID technology has caused considerable controversy and even product boycotts by consumer privacy advocates who refer to RFID tags as spy chips. The Two main privacy concerns regarding RFID are: 1- Because the owner of an item will not necessarily be aware of the presence of an RFID tag, and the tag can be read at a distance without the knowledge of the individual, it becomes possible to gather sensitive data about an individual without consent. 2- If a customer pays for a tagged item by credit card or in conjunction with a loyalty card, then it would be possible to deduce the identity of the purchaser indirectly by reading the globally unique ID of that item (contained in the RFID tag).

Storage Trade-Offs

Tradeoffs are Cost vs. speed vs. capacity, but all regularly increase in speed, cost and capacity

1950's

Transistors were invented and replaced tubes

What is the concern of consumers remotely depositing checks? (related to point 44)

When getting into thousands of consumers, the challenge for banks and credit unions is not only monitoring risk but monitoring for changes in transactions and transaction amounts which is a huge obstacle.

What are the strengths vs. risks of cabled vs. wireless PCs? (related to point 13)

With fewer cables to worry about, wireless networks, especially when combined with laptop PCs, contribute to the flexibility of the workplace and the simplicity of PC deployment.

What services does Work 7x24 provide?

Work 7324, provides a service that allows small businesses with employees out on the field to collaborate and keep everybody updated without the need to fill out paperwork. To make things easier for smaller businesses with more limited resources and technical expertise, the service is hosted remotely and can be accessed from any device with a connection to the Internet.

Blaise Pascal

a French mathematician, who invented what is believed to be the first mechanical adding machine in 1642

Corporate PC Criteria

for in-depth reading, check page 56 in the book

Gati Limited:Real-Time Delivery With Handheld Technology

for in-depth reading, check page 68 in the book

Forget the ATM: Deposit Checks Without Leaving Home

for in-depth reading, check page 72 in the book

Work 7x24: Collaboration Technology for Small Companies

for in-depth reading, check page 79 in the book

Kimberly-Clark: Secrets to RFID Success

for in-depth reading, check page 85 in the book

Computers Will Enable People to Live Forever

for in-depth reading, check page 86 in the book

How long did it take to return a POD? (related to point 39)

it took Gati (an Indian delivering company) about three days to send the PODs back to the original shippers.

Input Devices

keyboards, mice, light pens, trackballs, touch screens

TCO

means "total cost of ownership"

What percentage of K-C promotional materials arrived on time? (related to point 68)

only 55 percent of the time

graphical user interface

presents you with icons, menus, windows, buttons, and bars for your selection. (as opposed to a text-based interface) For example, pointing devices such as an electronic mouse, trackball, and touch pads allow you to choose easily from menu selections andicon displays using point-and-click or point-and-drag methods.

computers

all computers are systems of input, processing, output, storage, and control components.

Why is "Real-Time" important to Kimberly-Clark? (related to point 68)

being able to see how promotions are taking off, which products are moving moreor less than expected, and how production volumes are coming along allows Kimberly-Clark to keep its products always on the shelf in the right quantity—so they're are not too many and not too few.

Distributed (grid) computing

Distributed or grid computing, in general, is a special type of parallel computing that relies on complete computers (with onboard CPU, storage, power supply, network interface, and so forth) connected to a network (private, public, or the Internet) by a conventional network interface. This is in contrast to the traditional notion of a supercomputer, which has many processors connected together in a single machine. The grid could be formed by harnessing the unused CPU power in all of the desktops and laptops in a single division of a company (or in the entire company, for that matter).

Magnetic Tape

Magnetic tape is still being used as a secondary storage medium in businessapplications. The read/write heads of magnetic tape drives record data in the form of magnetized spots on the iron oxide coating of the plastic tape. These Devices provide lower-cost storage to supplement magnetic disks to meet massive data warehouse and other online business storage requirements. Other major applications for magnetic tape include long-term archival storage and backup storage for PCs and other systems.

Herman Hollerith

He adapted Jacquard's concept of the punched card to record census data in the late 1880s. Census data were translated into a series of holes in a punched card to represent the digits and the letters of the alphabet. The card was then passed through a machine with a series of electrical contacts that were either turned off or on, depending on the existence of holes in the punched cards. These different combinations of off/on situations were recorded by the machine and represented a way of tabulating the result of the census. his company merged with its competitor to form International Business Machines (IBM).

What has the short-term payback been? (related to point 68)

the bigger payback in the short term has been reducing out-of-stocks on the shelf.

What does federal Check 21 Act allow? (related to point 44)

the federal Check 21 Act made a digital image of a check legally acceptable for payment.

source documents

the original record of the data, very important for auditing purposes; now accepted in both electronic or physical form Input technologies now provide a more natural user interface for computer users. You Can enter data and commands directly and easily into a computer system through pointing devices like electronic mice and touch pads and with technologies like optical scanning, handwriting recognition, and voice recognition. These developments have made it unnecessary to record data on paper source documents (e.g., sales order forms) and then keyboard the data into a computer in an additional data-entry step.

What does Kurzweil think will happen in the near future? (related to point 73)

we'll begin to see the merger of human and computer intelligence that ultimately will enable people to live forever.

Peripherals

Peripherals is the generic name given to all input, output, and secondary storage devices that are part of a computer system but are not part of the CPU. Peripherals Depend on direct connections or telecommunications links to the central processing unit of a computer system. Thus, all peripherals are online devices; that is, they are separate from, but can be electronically connected to and controlled by, a CPU. (This Is the opposite of off-line devices that are separate from and not under the control of the CPU.)

RAM, random-access memory.

Primary Storage (Random Access Memory): Semiconductor memory its properties are: 1- Volatile 2- fast 3- more expensive than secondary storage RAM, random-access memory. These memory chips are the most widely used primary storage medium. Each memory position can be both sensed (read) and changed (written), so it is also called read/write memory. This is a volatile memory

ROM, read-only memory.

ROM, read-only memory. Nonvolatile random-access memory chips are used for permanent storage; ROM can be read but not erased or overwritten. Frequently used control instructions in the control unit and programs in primary storage (such as parts of the operating system) can be permanently burned into the storage cells during manufacture, sometimes called firmware. Variations include: 1- PROM (programmable read-only memory) 2- EPROM (erasable programmable read-only memory), which can be permanently or temporarily programmed after manufacture.

RAID Storage

Disk arrays of interconnected microcomputer hard disk drives have replaced large-capacity mainframe disk drives to provide virtually unlimited online storage.Known as RAID (redundant arrays of independent disks), they combine from 6 to more than 100 small hard disk drives and their control microprocessors into a single unit. These RAID units provide large capacities with high access speeds because data are accessed in parallel over multiple paths from many disks. Also, RAID units provide a fault-tolerant capacity, in that their redundant design offers multiple copies of data on several disks. If one disk fails, data can be recovered from backup copies automatically stored on other disks. Storage area networks (SANs) are high-speed fiber channel local area networks that can interconnect many RAID units and thus share their combined capacity through network servers with many users.

What basic security is provided? What limits/restrictions are placed on the consumers? (related to point 44)

1- Customers must use their existing secure online banking log-in. 2- Customers can't transmit items more than twice a day. 3- Users have a time limit to scan and deposit the check online 4- Checks must meet specific requirements before they are deposited. 5- Post-dated, damaged, or lightly printed checks, for instance, will not scan properly and cannot be deposited.

What other advances does he see in the near future? (related to point 73)

1- Doctors will be doing a backup of our memories by the late 2030s. 2- By the late 2020s, doctors will be sending intelligent bots, or nanobots, into our bloodstreams to keep us healthy, and into our brains to keep us young. 3- In 15 years, human longevity will be greatly extended. By the 2020s, we'll be adding a year of longevity or more for every year that passes. 4- In the same time frame, we'll routinely be in virtual reality environments.Instead of making a call on a cell phone, we will "meet" someone in a virtual world, take a walk on a virtual beach, and chat. Business meetings and conference calls will be held in calming or inspiring virtual locations. 5- When you're walking down the street and see someone you've met before,background information about that person will pop up on your glasses orin the periphery of your vision. 6- Instead of spending hours in front of a desktop machine, computers will be more ingrained in our environment. For instance, computer monitors could be replaced by projections onto our retinas or on a virtual screen hovering in the air. 7- Scientists will be able to rejuvenate all of someone's body tissues and organs by transforming his or her skin cells into youthful versions of other cell types. 8- Got heart trouble? No problem, says Kurzweil. "We'll be able to create new heart cells from your skin cells and introduce them into your system through the bloodstream. Over time, your heart cells get replaced with these new cells, and the result is a rejuvenated, young heart with your own DNA." 9- One trick we'll have to master is staying ahead of the game. Kurzweil Warns that terrorists could obviously use this same technology against us.For example, they could build and spread a bioengineered biological virus that's highly powerful and stealthy.

Computer Processing Speeds

1- Early computer processing speeds were measured in milliseconds (thousandths of a second) and microseconds (millionths of a second). 2- Now, Computers operate in the nanosecond (billionth of a second) range, with picosecond(trillionth of a second) speed being attained by some computers. 3- Teraflops: trillion floating point operations per second 4- most computers can now process program instructions at million instructions per second (MIPS) speeds 5- Another measure of processing speed is megahertz (MHz), or millions of cycles per second, and gigahertz (GHz), or billions of cycles per second (This rating is commonly called the clock speed of a microprocessor because it is used to rate microprocessors by the speed of their timing circuits or internal clock rather than by the number of specific instructions they can process in one second). However, such ratings can be misleading indicators of the effective processing speed of microprocessors and their throughput, or ability to perform useful computational data processing assignments during a given period. That's because processing speed depends on a variety of factors, including the size of circuitry paths, or buses, that interconnect microprocessor components; the capacity of instruction-processing registers;the use of high-speed cache memory; and the use of specialized microprocessors such as a math co-processor to do arithmetic calculations faster.

1970's - 1980's

1- Further miniaturization of circuits 2- ALTAIR 8800 - the first programmable microcomputer 3- Apple Computer and IBM PC

Secondary Storage

1- Hard drives 2- Magnetic Disks 3- Optical Disks 4- Magnetic Tape its properties are: 1- Non-Volatile 2- slow 3- cheaper than primary memory

Other Input Technologies

1- Magnetic stripe technology is a familiar form of data entry that helps computers read credit cards. The coating of the magnetic stripe on the back of such cards can hold about 200 bytes of information. Customer account numbers can be recorded on the magnetic stripe so that it can be read by bank ATMs, credit card authorization terminals, and many other types of magnetic stripe readers. 2- Smart cards that embed a microprocessor chip and several kilobytes of memory into debit, credit, and other cards. Smart debit cards enable you to store a cash balance on the card and electronically transfer some of it to others to pay for small items and services. The balance on the card can be replenished in ATMs or other terminals. 3- Digital cameras 4- Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR): The computer systems of the banking industry can magnetically read checks and deposit slips using magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) technology. Computers can thus sort and post checks to the proper checking accounts. Such processing is possible because the identification numbers of the bank and the customer's account are preprinted on the bottom of the checks with an iron oxide-based ink. The first bank receiving a check after it has been written must encode the amount of the check in magnetic ink on the check's lower righthand corner.

types of computers

1- Mainframes 2- Midrange (obsolete due to powerful microcomputers) 3- Microcomputers Today's computer systems come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and computing capabilities. Rapid hardware and software developments and changing end-user needs continue to drive the emergence of new models of computers, from the smallest handheld personal digital assistant/cell phone combinations to the largest multiple-CPU mainframes for enterprises. (see figure 1)

types of microcomputer systems

1- Some microcomputers are powerful workstation computers (technical workstations) that support applications with heavy mathematical computing and graphics display demands, such as computer-aided design (CAD) in engineering or investment and portfolio analysis in the securities industry. 2- Other microcomputers are used as network servers. These are usually more powerful microcomputers that coordinate telecommunications and resource sharing in small local area networks (LANs) and in Internet and intranet Web sites. 3- Computer terminals, essentially any device that allows access to a computer, are undergoing a major conversion to networked computing devices. 5- Network computers (NCs) are a microcomputer category designed primarily for use with the Internet and corporate intranets by clerical workers, operational employees, and knowledge workers with specialized or limited computing applications. theses NCs are low-cost, sealed microcomputers with no or minimal disk storage that are linked to the network. 6- PCs aren't the only option: A host of smart gadgets and information appliances—from cellular phones and pagers to handheld PCs and Web-based game machines—promise Internet access and the ability to perform basic computational chores. Handheld microcomputer devices known as personal digital assistants (PDAs) are some of the most popular devices in the information appliance category.

Output Technologies

1- Video displays are the most common type of computer output. 2- printed documents is one of the most common forms of output from computer systems and still required for some legal purposes.

Why would a change in OS be disruptive? (related to point 13)

A change in the operating system of a computer is the most disruptive upgrade an enterprise has to face. That's why many corporate buyers want their machines to be able to handle current operating systems and anticipate new ones. Primarily, that demand means deciding what hard disk space and RAM will be sufficient.

Computer Storage Fundamentals

Data are processed and stored in a computer system through the presence or absence of electronic or magnetic signals in the computer's circuitry or in the media its uses. This character is called "two-state" or binary representation of data because the computer and the media can exhibit only two possible states or conditions, similar to a common light switch: "on" or "off." The smallest element of data is called a bit, short for binary digit, which can have a value of either 0 or 1. The capacity of memory chips is usually expressed in terms of bits. A byte is a basic grouping of bits that the computer operates as a single unit. Typically, it consists of eight bits and represents one character of data in most computer coding schemes. Thus, the capacity of a computer's memory and secondary storage devices is usually expressed in terms of bytes. Computer codes such as ASCII(American Standard Code for Information Interchange) use various arrangements of bits to form bytes that represent the numbers 0 through 9, the letters of the alphabet, and many other characters. Storage capacities are frequently measured in kilobytes (KB), megabytes (MB), gigabytes (GB), or terabytes (TB). Although kilo means 1,000 in the metric system, the computer industry uses K to represent 1,024 (or 210) storage positions. For example, a capacity of 10 megabytes is really 10,485,760 storage positions, rather than 10 million positions. However, such differences are frequently disregarded to simplify descriptions of storage capacity. Thus, a megabyte is roughly 1 million bytes of storage, a gigabyte is roughly 1 billion bytes, and a terabyte represents about 1 trillion bytes, while a petabyte is more than 1 quadrillion bytes

Speech recognition

Early speech recognition products used discrete speech recognition, for which you had to pause between each spoken word. New continuous speech recognition software recognizes continuous, conversationally paced speech. Speech recognition systems digitize, analyze, and classify your speech and its sound patterns. The software compares your speech patterns to a database of sound patterns in its vocabulary and passes recognized words to your application software.Typically, speech recognition systems require training the computer to recognize your voice and its unique sound patterns to achieve a high degree of accuracy. Training such systems involves repeating a variety of words and phrases in a training session, as well as using the system extensively. Speaker-independent voice recognition systems, which allow a computer to understand a few words from a voice it has never heard before, are being built into products and used in a growing number of applications.

Why and How does this (Real-Time Delivery with Handheld Technology) help Gati? (related to point 39)

Gati opted for inexpensive handheld devices with GPRS (General Packet Radio Service, a 2G/3G robust packet mobile data service that supports Internet Protocols ) and image-capturing functionality. As deliveries are made, the driver captures an image of the signed POD document and other package information and transmits it to a central database. Many benefits accrued to Gati out of this simple design. For example, Gati no longer needs an army of data entry operators who would type details in the physical PODs to update the data stores of the company. Delivery information is now available almost in real time, and the costs of tracking and shipping physical PODs have largely disappeared. Although sometimes GPRS connectivity would be a challenge in rural areas, the company also developed a way to work around this issue: Custom software would capture the image and delivery information and then transmit it when it detected that connectivity had been established again. This way drivers could continue their routes without worrying about any of these issues.

Gordon Moore (Moore's Law 1965)

Gordon Moore, cofounder of Intel Corporation, made his famous observation in 1965, just four years after the first integrated circuit was commercialized. The press called it "Moore's law," and the name has stuck. In its form, Moore observed an exponential growth (doubling every 18 to 24 months) in the number of transistors per integrated circuit and predicted that this trend would continue. Through a number of advances in technology, Moore's law, the doubling of transistors every couple of years, has been maintained and still holds true today. (figure 3) illustrates Moore's law as it relates to the evolution of computing power. one common corollary of Moore's law is that the price of a given level of computing power will be cut in half about every 18 to 24 months. Recent statistics indicate this time has decreased from 18-to-24 months to just 12 months

Joseph Jacquard's loom

In 1801, Joseph Jacquard, a Frenchman who invented the "mechanical loom", with the use of cards punched with holes, it was possible for the Jacquard loom to weave fabrics in a variety of patterns. Jacquard's loom was controlled by a program encoded into the punched cards. The operator created the program once and was able to duplicate it many times over with consistency and accuracy.`

Mainframe Systems

Mainframe systems are large, fast, and powerful computer systems. For example, mainframes can process thousands of million instructions per second (MIPS).Mainframes can also have large primary storage capacities. Their main memory capacity can range from hundreds of gigabytes to many terabytes of primary storage. Mainframes have slimmed down drastically in the last few years, dramatically reducing their air-conditioning needs, electrical power consumption, and floorspace requirements—and thus their acquisition and operating costs. Most of these improvements are the result of a move from cumbersome water-cooled mainframe to a newer air-cooled technology for mainframe systems. Thus, mainframe computers continue to handle the information processing needs of major corporations and government agencies with high transaction processing volumes or complex computational problems.

Why laptops instead of desktops? (related to point 13)

Many organizations are adopting a laptop, rather than desktop, strategy. Using This approach, the employee uses his or her laptop while in the office and out in the field. With the proliferation of wireless Internet access, this strategy allows employees to take the desktop with them wherever they may be—at their desk, in a conference room, at a meeting off-site, or in a hotel room in another country.

Microcomputer Systems

Microcomputers are the most important category of computer systems for both businesspeople and consumers. Although usually called a personal computer, orPC, a microcomputer is much more than a small computer for use by an individual as a communication device. The computing power of microcomputers now exceeds that of the mainframes of previous computer generations, at a fraction of their cost. Thus, they have become powerful networked *professional workstations* for business professionals.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

One of the newest and most rapidly growing storage technologies is radiofrequency identification (RFID), a system for tagging and identifying mobile objects such as store merchandise, postal packages, and sometimes even living organisms (like pets). Using a special device called an RFID reader, RFID allows objects to be labeled and tracked as they move from place to place. The RFID technology works using small (sometimes smaller than a grain of sand)pieces of hardware called RFID chips. These chips feature an antenna to transmit and receive radio signals. Currently, there are two general types of RFID chips: 1- passive RFID Passive RFID chips do not have a power source and must derive their power from the signal sent from the reader. 2- active RFID Active RFID chips are self-powered and do not need to be close to the reader to transmit their signal. Any RFID chips may be attached to objects or, in the case of some passive RFID systems, injected into objects. A recent use for RFID chips is the identification of pets, such as dogs or cats. By having a tiny RFID chip injected just under their skin, they can be easily identified if they become lost. The RFID chip contains contact information about the owner of the pet. Taking this a step further, the Transportation Security Administration is considering using RFID tags embedded in airline boarding passes to keep track of passengers.

Optical disks

Optical disks, a fast-growing type of storage media, use several major alternative technologies. types of Optical disks are: 1- CD-ROM: A CD-ROM drive provides a low-cost way to read data files and load software onto your computer, as well as play music CDs. 2- CD-RWA: CD-RW drive allows you to easily create your own custom data CDs for data backup or data transfer purposes. It will also allow you to store and share video files, large data files, digital photos, and other large files with other people that have access to a CD-ROM drive. This drive will do anything your CD-ROM drive will do; it reads all of your existing CD-ROMs, audio CDs, and CDs that you have created with your CD burner. 3- CD-RW/DVD: A CD-RW/DVD combination drive brings all of the advantages of CD-RW, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM to a single drive. With a CD-RW/DVD combo drive, you can read DVD-ROMand CD-ROM disks, as well as create your own custom CDs. 4- DVD-ROM A DVD-ROM drive allows you to enjoy the crystal-clear color, picture, and sound clarity of DVD video on your PC. It will also prepare you for future software and large data files that will be released on DVD-ROM. A DVD-ROM drive can also read CD-ROM disks, effectively providing users with full optical read capability in one device 5- DVD1RW/1R with CD-RW A DVD1RW/1R with CD-RW drive is a great all-in-one drive, allowing you to burnDVD1RW or DVD1R disks, burn CDs, and read DVDs and CDs. It enables you to create DVDs to back up and archive up to 4.7GB of data files (that's up to 7 times the capacity of a standard 650MB CD) and store up to 2 hours of MPEG2 digital video.

What is a POD? And why is it important? (related to point 39)

POD, or proof-of-delivery, document. This piece of paper, when signed by the recipient acknowledging the time and completeness of the delivery, provides evidence to all involved in the transaction that some party (one end of any agreement/bargain ) has fulfilled its part of the bargain. This document, however, needs to find its way back to the sender to be of any use.

Direct and Sequential Access

Primary storage media such as semiconductor memory chips are called direct access memory or random-access memory (RAM). Magnetic disk devices are frequently called direct access storage devices (DASDs). In contrast, media such as magnetic tape cartridges are known as sequential access devices. The terms of direct access and random access describe the same concept. They mean that an element of data or instructions (such as a byte or word) can be directly stored and retrieved by selecting and using any of the locations on the storage media. They also mean that each storage position: 1- has a unique address and 2- can be individually accessed in about the same length of time without having to search through other storage positions. Sequential access storage media such as magnetic tape do not have unique storage addresses that can be directly addressed. Instead, data must be stored and retrieved using a sequential or serial process. Data are recorded one after another in a predetermined sequence (e.g., numeric order) on a storage medium. Locating an individual item of data requires searching the recorded data on the tape until the desired item is located (see figures 4 and 5)

Solid-State Drive (SSD)

Semiconductor memory has also allowed for the successful development of the solid state drive. A solid-state drive (SSD) is a data storage device that uses semiconductor memory to store persistent data with the intention of providing access in the same manner as that of a hard disk drive. SSDs are distinguished from traditional hard disk drives (HDDs), which are electromechanical magnetic storage devices containingspinning disks and movable read/write heads. SSDs, in contrast, use microchips which retain data in nonvolatile memory chips and contain no moving parts. Compared to electromechanical HDDs, SSDs are typically less susceptible to physical shock, are silent, and have lower access times and latency. SSDs use the same connector interfaces hard disk drives, thus making them easy to add to an existing computer

Output (related to point 24)

The output devices of a computer system include video display units, printers, and audio response units. They convert electronic information produced by the computer system into a human-intelligible form for presentation to end-users. (check figure 2)

advantage of Distributed (grid) computing (related to point 21)

The primary advantage of distributed computing is that each node can be purchased as commodity hardware; when combined, it can produce similar computing resources toa multiprocessor supercomputer, but at a significantly lower cost. This is due to the economies of scale of producing desktops and laptops, compared with the lower efficiency of designing and constructing a small number of custom supercomputers. One feature of distributed grids is that they can be formed from computing resources belonging to multiple individuals or organizations (known as multiple administrative domains). This can facilitate commercial transactions or make it easier to assemble volunteer computing networks.

What group do they focus on?

The service is targeted to organizations where a large portion of their workforce does not work at an office all day, but is rather out in the field and, most often, out of touch with headquarters for hours at a time.

Storage (related to point 24)

The storage function of a computer system takes place in the storage circuits of the computer's primary storage unit(memory) supported by secondary storage devices such as magnetic disk and optical disk drives. These devices store data and software instructions needed for processing. Computer processors may also include storage circuitry called cache memory for high-speed, temporary storage of instruction and data elements. (check figure 2)

Supercomputers

The term supercomputer describes a category of extremely powerful computer systems specifically designed for scientific, engineering, and business applications requiring extremely high speeds for massive numeric computations. The market for supercomputers includes government research agencies, large universities, and major corporations. They use supercomputers for applications such as global weather forecasting,military defense systems, computational cosmology and astronomy, microprocessor research and design, and large-scale data mining. Purchase prices for large supercomputers are in the $5 million to $50 million range.

self-based questions (related to point 73)

Which of these advances do you think might be the most important? How might these affect Business in the future? How might you capitalize on this for business purposes?