3.10. Summary

Key Takeaways

Hardware consists of the components of digital technology that you can touch.
A personal computer is made up of many components, most importantly the CPU, motherboard, RAM, hard disk, removable media, and input/output devices.
Moore’s Law states that computing power will double every two years for the same price point.
The CPU, motherboard, RAM and Hard Disk all contribute to the speed of your computer.
Personal computing is trending towards more portability, mobility and interconnected devices.
Advances in personal computing have made the personal computer a commodity as well as contributed to the problem of e-waste.

What is a computer?
What are the main hardware components of a personal computer?
What is the difference between RAM and a hard drive?
Name the two components of the CPU?
How have computers changed over time?
What is the best secondary storage option and why?
How are input and output devices changing?
Why is mobile computing popular?
Explain why the personal computer is now considered a commodity.
Name one company that does not fit with the theory of computer commoditization.
What is the impact of Moore’s Law on the various hardware components described in this chapter?
Do some research on Shenzhen, China and discuss what is unique about this area. Why are many tech companies flourishing here?

This assignment is designed to help you identify and understand emerging topics in computer hardware.

In this assignment, you will explore different emerging topics related to computer hardware. Complete the following questions in a separate document.

Choose a topic from the following list: wearable technology, IoT, 3D printing, brain-computer interface, supercomputers, e-waste, hardware commoditization, biometrics or choose a topic of your choice related to emerging topics in computer hardware.
Write a short description of your topic and outline how this technology can provide positive and negative impacts for a business. Share your research with the class.

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Information Systems for Business and Beyond Copyright © 2022 by Shauna Roch; James Fowler; Barbara Smith; and David Bourgeois is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.