Computer Hardware & Software and Emerging Trend & Technologies

Yong ChoiSchool of BusinessCSU, Bakersfield

Computer Hardware

• Comprehensive term for all the physical parts of a computer

• Tangible: things that you can actually touch and feel– disks, monitors, keyboards, printers, boards, speaker, and chips.

• Falling price of HW– Technical driving force of the Information Age

Computing Power

• Faster• Cheaper (PC: less than $500)• Smaller• Shorter computer product life cycle

Storage

• Price of 1 MB hard drive space• 1983: $300

– ** First PC in 1981– ** Early IBM PCs have 20 - 30 MB

• 1989: $ 2• 1997: $ .07 • Today: minimal

Transmission

• One hour teleconferencing– 1985: $100– 1998: less than $10– Today: minimal (i.e., skype)

• Internet dial-up service– 1997: AVG. $40 – DSL: less than $15

Hardware Trend • More Multimedia Oriented….

– graphics, picture, sound, voice, video clip– DMB

• Smaller, Smarter….– Tablet PC (ipad), smart phone….

• More powerful – Traditional: single CPU vs. all tasks– Parallel: multiple CPUs vs. many tasks– Massive parallel (process many tasks simultaneously)

• many networked CPUs vs. many tasks

Computer Software• Intangible: untouchable

– Written in various computer program languages – C++, Java, VB.NET....

• Set of instructions that hardware executes to carry out a specific task for you

• Changing of SW price• Availability of various SW tools

– Technical driving force of the Information Age• More important than HW

– Y2K – WorldCom (now MCI)

Two Major Categories of Software

1. Application software – enables you to solve specific problems or perform specific tasks

Two Major Categories of Software

2. System software – handles tasks specific to technology management and coordinates the interaction of all technology devices

• Two main types of system software– Operating system software – controls application software and

manages hardware devices– Utility software – provides additional functionality to your

operating system: Anti-virus, Screen saver….

GUI vs. Command Driven

• DOS vs. Windows (i.e., 98, 2000, XP, Windows 7..)• End-user acceptance • End-user training• Productivity• Technical Compatibility

– no DOS market after 2002

Demo of Command Driven

• Start programs accessories command prompt• Try to delete “sylmis300.ppt” PowerPoint file

– dir– cd my documents (not case sensitive but space)– dir (to see available files)– del sylmis300.ppt (don’t forget the file extension)– dir

Popular Operating Systems

The Evolution of Programming Languages

The instruction “ADD 2 and 5 and assign the result to variable y” written in different programming languages

JAVA• Developed and introduced in 1995 (the newest) by Sun

Microsystems• Platform independent

– JAVA program can be run on Windows, Unix, Linux, OS/2, and System 7

• Very robust– If necessary, JAVA can handle text, data, sound, and video within

one program.• ONLY language for the Internet-based EC

– Young, hidden problems, and slow execution speed

SW Considerations

• Compatibility with existing software• Outsourcing• Off-the-shelf software