Unit Three Reading Notes

Linux:

The story of Linux started along with the early years of the computer and computing. One of big problems in the early days was not only that a computer would fill up a whole room but also that there were so many diffent operating systems for the computers. The modern Linux system, as we know it, resulted from Unix. This was the first attempt to create an operating system that all computers would run. As computers became powerful enough, over the decades, that they could run full blown Unix people started to wonder if there could be a free academic version of Unix. This is the idea that brought about Linux, this attempt to come up will a free version of Unix. In the beginning years Linux was mainly for programmers, there was a need to be a computer expert to operate the system. Eventually there was a desire to have a version of Linux for users that are not as experience with computers. The main advantage of Linux is that is free and open source, anyone is able to view the code that Linux is based on and attempt to impove the system.

Mac OS:

The Mac Os platfrom is one of the other main operating systems that computers use to run their software. Mac OS X is the latest version of the operating sytem for Macintosh systems. The Mac OS X platform is also based upon Unix like the Linux platform. OS X like Linux is also based upon a free and open source core. Machintosh's OS is based upon on Darwin another operating sytem. To add to this so as to make it proprietary and closed source Apple added on a numer of components to complete the Fraphical User Interface.

Windows:

The Windows platform is the most common Graphical User Interface that is found in computers around the world. Since it by far the most preverlent operating system this means that it has to be constanly improving. The latest incarnation of the Windows operating system is Windows Vista. This version of windowns was realesed serveral year after the release of the previous incarnation Windows XP. As Pall Thorrutt suggest Vista has advantages for those buying Windows based PCs for the home and office. This incarnation conained many advantage like advanced security and lower cost of ownership to support the latest generation of hardware. There wee also improvments in audio and video experiences.

Response to Week Two Muddiest Point

Here is my response to a muddiest point for Week2:

http://preservingtim.blogspot.com/2009/09/week-2-muddiest-point.html?showComment=1252756302655#c1087978190649040463

Unit 2 Reading Notes

Computer Hardware: The page on Wikipedia that discusses the computer that is a nice entry for people that are unfimilar with how a computer looks like inside and how the different components of a computer works together for the overall funtioning of the computer.

Moore’s Law is a way to explain the pace that computers will improve over the years. This law can be a guide to go by as to determine how often computer technology needs to be replaced.

Computer History Museum: The computer history museum offers and understanding of how computers affected society. Specific exhibits describe things like selling the computer revolution, the timeline of the history of the Internet, the timeline of the computer revolution, and many other issues dealing with computers. Viewing the pages on the different exhibits in the computer history museum shows just how important the understand of the history of the computer is to the general.

Muddiest Point: When it comes to the discussion of the bus, the forum that parts of the computer use to communicate with each other, is this bus built in the structure of the motherboard or it the cables, like SATA, that the bus is referring to.

Unit 1: Thoughts on Readings

OCLC Report Information Trends:

The winds of change are coming and if libraries and similar institutions want to prosper they will have to change also. There has been a shift over the past decade, quickly speeding up over the past few years of the way content is received. Generally an individual would get the information they needed from books, journals, newspaper, and other physical media.

That dynamic has shifted fairly recently, getting away from these sorts of physical media to formats that are more and more digital. The amount of emails sent throughout the world everyday has continued to increase at a staggering rate. There has also be a boom in the market for smart phones, devices that are much more then a regular cell phone, that allows people to get the internet and digital information delivered to them anywhere.

Specifically when it comes to libraries there has been a shift away from physical publishing of books to that of digital publishing of electronic books. There is also a new market for micro information with such things as digital music downloads, ring tones, downloads to wireless devices etc.; a market that will surely grow over the coming years. The key will be how will libraries respond to these trends so they can continue to prosper.

Information Literacy and Information Technology Literacy:

Information Technology literacy is the understanding of the technological structures and applications that enable information to be delivered. This can entail an understanding of the way that the web works. Information technology literacy also deals with an understanding of the economic and public policy issues that deal with these forms of technology.

Information literacy deals more with the content and the way it is communicated. Information literacy involves the necessary skills to use technology for gathering information. Specific examples involve finding information and analyzing the information. Information literacy also involves an understating the multitude of forms information can take.

Lied Library:

The fever pace at which technology continues to improve, ever increasingly coming close to giving exactly what the user want poses problems to institutions that want to keep up with this change. The case study of Lied library at the campus of UNLV illustrates nicely the unique challenges that occur. Because of the pace that computers continue to get better and better, computers becomes obsolute in a fairly quick span of time. Instutions which wish to keep up this technological change will have to repace computers and other technological infrustructure. This is a problem, because changing these forms of infrustructure can be quite costly and these sorts of institutions will be hard press to come up with the money needed. Not only does computer hardware become better over time so does computure software, which must be replaced regularly at a cost also. Probably the biggest challange is responding to the needs of users, who will constantly demand new ways to find the information they need. These questions including the problem of space challange the staff of these instutuins and will for many years to come.

Muddiest Point:

This week I do not have a muddiest point since there was introductory information this week.