Marlon Sanchez
The Hardrive:

In 1956, IBM created the first hardrive. Its design was composed of disks and two magnetic heads. The purpose of this device was to hold large amounts of information.

The following is a detailed description of the hardrive:
Located in the infrastructure of computers
Composed of multiple metallic disks that hold information
Each of these disks have heads that read and write their information
Stores settings, programs, and operating system

In comparison to the RAM device which can only hold 128MB to 1GB the hardrive holds 1GB to 400GB. Thus, the hardrive holds much more data. Moreover, the RAM temporarily holds data. The hardrive on the other hand holds information for a much longer time. Contents on RAM disappear once system is shut down. After the computer is shut down the hardrive continues to store data.

In terms of composition, the RAM device is composed of chips. Hardrives are composed of hard disks. In addition the RAM’s contents are stored electronically in bits off the chips. Hardrive contents are stored magnetically which are based on binary numbers.
Therefore, both the RAM and hardrive hold data. Their main difference is how they hold data.

Marlon Sanchez

Assignment 02-25-08

Marlon Sanchez

The Hardrive:

In 1956, IBM created the first hardrive. Its design was composed of disks and two magnetic heads. The purpose of this device was to hold large amounts of information.

The following is a detailed description of the hardrive:
Located in the infrastructure of computers
Composed of multiple metallic disks that hold information
Each of these disks have heads that read and write their information
Stores settings, programs, and operating system

In comparison to the RAM device which can only hold 128MB to 1GB the hardrive holds 1GB to 400GB. Thus, the hardrive holds much more data. Moreover, the RAM temporarily holds data. The hardrive on the other hand holds information for a much longer time. Contents on RAM disappear once system is shut down. After the computer is shut down the hardrive continues to store data.

In terms of composition, the RAM device is composed of chips. Hardrives are composed of hard disks. In addition the RAM’s contents are stored electronically in bits off the chips. Hardrive contents are stored magnetically which are based on binary numbers.
Therefore, both the RAM and hardrive hold data. Their main difference is how they hold data.

Marlon Sanchez

Assignment 1 part B

Marlon Sanchez

Assignment 1 part B: Using Google News, http://news.google.com, a news search engine, read a technology article that interests you. Then do some additional research using the conventional Google search engine to learn more about the topic of interest. Finally, post your findings in a three to six paragraph summary to your new blog address at blogger.com You will report on your blog posting at the start of next class.

Topic: Ipods and pacemakers

According to an article I found on techtree.com, Ipods have a significant relation to human hearts. As strange as this may sound, it’s true! Studies have shown that when in close proximity Ipods cause pacemakers to malfunction. The article, however, disproves this theory by stating the contrary. The article stated that the FDA conducted a study that tested how the magnetic fields of the pacemaker reacted to an ipod in close range. They concluded that there was no interference between the pacemaker and the ipod.

In another article on CBSnews.com, I came across more detailed information on this experiment. This article stated the name of the man that conducted the study, how he did the study, and what were the results of his experiment.

By reading another article on washingtonpost.com, I found out the source of this issue. According to the article, the incident occurred when an individual wearing a pacemaker became dizzy while using an ipod. And lo and behold the great ipod/pacemaker issue was born.

Marlon Sanchez

Assignment 1

Marlon Sanchez

Assignment 1: Write up a couple paragraphs of what you find interesting about this data. What does Comcast and Apple's Ipod have to do with the HD-DVD / Blue Ray war? Why is HD-DVD still fighting the war when most of the production companies are now solely supporting Blue Ray? What other points can you draw from this information?

Comcast and Apple are both instigators of the HD-DVD/ Blue Ray war. They serve as the advocates of the HD-DVDs while Sony and Toshiba support Blue Ray. One recent article stated that Comcast will, “quadruple its monthly movie inventory to more than 6,000 titles, with about half of those in HD. In the same article, Apple boasted that it will start letting customers download movies with HD versions at $3.99 per film. By the end of February, Apple will also broadcast 100 movies in HD.

On the other hand, Sony and Toshiba continue to push their Blue Ray product through several other flagship products like the PlayStation 3. Furthermore, Sony and Toshiba aggressively promote the fact that their Blue Ray holds much more data than it competitor.

Now, why is HD-DVD still fighting? Well, because they still have a chance to make profit. When HD-DVD received notice that Warner Bros. will not take their product but rather Blue Ray, they decided on a new plan of action—cut down their cost! Another recent article stated HD-DVD is having a huge sale on Amazon. The Amazon site shows that the HD-DVD player has been dropped down to only $129.99. In addition to that, it comes with free shipping and a mail-in rebate for 5 free HD DVD discs.

Marlon Sanchez