Week 2 Assignment

Information Systems for Business and Beyond Questions

Chapter 2 – study questions 1-10, Exercise 2
1. Write your own description of what the term information
systems hardware means.
By information systems hardware we mean the tangible components of a computer system:
hardware, data storage devices, data processing equipment, and so on that users can feel by
touching. Computer hardware is like a intuitive and practical phrase.
2. What has led to the shift toward mobility in computing?
Movement to mobility computing was sparked by the extensive usage of mobile devices such as
smartphones and tablet for shopping, banking and entertainment. For this purpose, they are
easily-carried on-the-go gadgets. Another advantage of mobile applications integrated with cloud
services is that it makes joint operations and data access very easy regardless of the location.
3. What is the impact of Moore’s Law on the various hardware
components described in this chapter?
Moore’s Law predicts a trend of doubling the amount of transistor on a chip in about two year
cycles. This leads to the situation where computers' processing power will double for the same
price and that computing power will be more inexpensive when it took place previously. These
incremental increments and cost-reduction have ultimately had far reaching consequences on
everything from the development of very expensive hardware components.
4. Write a one-page summary of one of the items linked to in
the “Integrated Computing” section.

We can observe computers integrated into various gadgets so that their apps can function in a
more user-friendly manner as a result. To illustrate, smart home systems bridge all household
appliances under one digital umbrella that can engage and respond to our needs with the help of
technology. This system has a sensor that automatically orders a new bag when full. Other
examples in this system are a refrigerator that gives you a list of recipes that you can cook using
the ingredients available. And washers and dryer that will notify when the washing or drying is
completed. The device manages the lights that guide you to get the things you want at night and
smart locks where you can lock or unlock your doors remotely. Smartphones emerged as the
ultra mobile computers with wireless inter connection which in turn provide the link between
human beings and smart devices. Hardware and software scenarios are commonly needed to be
conjuncted with smart homes which consequently tells us that tech and our daily lives are
becoming a whole.
5. Explain why the personal computer is now considered a
commodity.
PC as the commodity is because of a bit of difference between different models in the market and
price has become a major factor to increase sales. There are different manufacturers who work
with similar components. Meanwhile, there are also many companies that assemble the
components by using the same suppliers. Consequently, only a small portion of the revenue is
left for the profit. But companies like Apple, making distinctive, top-level products, not easily
counterfacted by the other firms are the only ones that are priced higher.
6. The CPU can also be thought of as the_brains_of the computer.
7. List the units of measure for data storage in increasing
order from smallest to largest, kilobyte to yottabyte.
Kilobyte (KB): 1,000 bytes
Megabyte (MB): 1,000^2 bytes
Gigabyte (GB): 1,000^3 bytes
Terabyte (TB): 1,000^4 bytes
Petabyte (PB): 1,000^5 bytes
Exabyte (EB): 1,000^6 bytes
Zettabyte (ZB): 1,000^7 bytes
Yottabyte (YB): 1,000^8 bytes
8. What is the bus of a computer?
A bus, in the area of computer architecture, is an implementation capable of communicating data
between distinct hardware components inside a computer or between computers. That makes the
case of a bus, which is a medium of transportation for data from the CPU to memory over
motherboard, too. A bus consists of two parts: through the use of the address bus, which is
holding the address of the data, and the data bus, which is transmitting the actual data. Whether
the circuit is connects in sequence (serial), parallel, or internal and external, buses have different
classification.
9. Name two differences between RAM and a hard disk.
RAM (Random Access Memory):
Accompanied by central processing unit (CPU), it provides data & programs that can be
accessed within a few seconds. Characterized by the limited internal storage of about 1G. B to
8G. B.
Hard Disk:
It will be used for storing user data and permanent allocation. A typical case has a larger memory
size, varying between 500 GB to 4 TB.
10. What are the advantages of solid-state drives over hard
disks?
Given by its order of magnitude, SSDs is 100 times faster than the hard disk, which leads to the
faster software boot up process and faster file transferring. They are also inexpensive than hard
drives hence enterprise managers can make savings with the technology. Apart from this, SSDs
are more power—efficient since there are no moving parts and data storage is done using flash
memory, consequently making them more reliable.
Exercise
2. Re-read the section on IoT, then find at least two scholarly articles about IoT. Prepare a
minimum of three slides that address issues related to IoT. Be sure to give attribution to
your sources.
Information Technology and Organizational Learning Questions
Chapter 2 – Note why the IT organizational structure is an important concept to
understand. Also, note the role of IT in the overall business strategy.
Comprehending the structure of IT is very important because it is exactly this thing that
determines the competitive, proactive, and survival abilities of a company. A comprehensive IT
strategy functions as a schema that establishes the path on which technological advancements
facilitate and contribute to the business strategy. This strategy thus leads to the fact that giving all
responsibility to IT often lets business goals derive directly from the IT initiatives and
consequently results in more efficiency and novelty. Along with the others, proper information
technology infrastructure aims at pleasing different customers groups, such as employees,
customers, and business partners, and as a result, drives collaboration and raises satisfaction.
Corporate IT shall then become a strategic ally for the management enabling companies to
timely react to competition shifts, streamline internal processes, and achieve target growth. It, in
the end, IT integration in business strategy becomes an imperative significance to competence
and the extent of success in the business.