Computer Hardware
Most of this information is things I already know the basics of, but it's good to get a refresher. Especially for the components of the motherboard - for a lot of those, I knew they were present in the system, but didn't know exactly what they did.
Personally, I found it interesting that video game graphics are evolving faster than the video capabilities of computers. I always felt like I was one of only a few who couldn't play new games because of having an outdated computer, but reading this, it seems that I would have that problem, even if I always updated my computer. Also, I think it's interesting that the graphics cards must be made more advanced to catch up to the video games, rather than the makers of video games working within the limits of current graphic capabilities.
It was also interesting to me to see a mention of a Zip drive on here, because I used to have one. At the time, it seemed great because a zip disk could hold so much information. However, it rarely worked well. I hadn't thought about it for a long time until I saw the mention of it on this page. It really is fascinating how, while some technologies end up altering the way we do things (such as iPods or cell phones), some generate a lot of buzz for a while and then just sort of fade away.
Moore's Law (video)
Basically, this "law" says that the number of transistors that can be placed inexpensively on an integrated circuit doubles about every two years. What I find really interesting is how many other areas of technology this idea also applies to. It's also interesting how something that was first observed as a general trend has now become a goal.
The video that went with this gave an interesting perspective. By telling what an exponential increase would be in gas mileage or paper folds, it really shows how astounding it is that technology is able to maintain the steady exponential increase.
Computer History Museum
I wasn't quite sure what part of this site we were supposed to read through, so I looked through the section "The Silicon Engine." One thing often overlooked (by me, at least) is just how many people and companies contributed to computer technology over the years. You often hear about the big breakthroughs along the way, but don't think much about all the little steps that made those breakthroughs possible. Looking through the list of people here, I haven't heard of a majority of them, and yet they all contributed in some way.
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I found the computer hardware site helpful as well. The diagrams that were included on the page helped me to visualize where the parts are located in the computer and how they interact with other pieces of computer hardware. I think it's useful for anyone using a computer to understand how the internal components function.
ReplyDeleteZip drives were popular for a while because of the exact reasons you said. It was so much more space than a floppy drive. My brother was a tech-ed major in college in the early 2000's and he had to own one for his CAD class. Most of his projects were larger than 1.4MB (what isn't now-a-days) and I remember thinking "100MB! Why would anyone need that much space?!?!?!" Now I'm in the process of looking at 1-1.5 TB drives or in other words 10,000-15,00 Zip Drive disks. I think Bill Gates said something about a 256MB HD once claiming that there is no reason why any normal computer user should need more than that ever. Of course, Windows 7 requires at least 14 GB to install.
ReplyDeleteMy brothers Zip Drive didn't work that well either. It was poor plastic I assume.