Computer Hardware & Software and
Emerging Trend & Technologies
Yong Choi
School of Business
CSU, 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
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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
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–
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
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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