Information Management CH2

Question 1

Write your own description of what the term information systems hardware means

Answer 1

information systems hardware consisting of the physical parts of computing devices that can actually be touched

Question 2

What is the impact of Moore’s Law on the various hardware components described in this chapter?

Answer 2

discuss the impact of the fact that computing doubles in speed every two years. Most devices are getting smaller, faster, cheaper, and this should be indicated in the answer.

Question 3

Explain why the personal computer is now considered a commodity.

Answer 3

The PC has become a commodity in the sense that there is very little differentiation between computers, and the primary factor that controls their sale is their price.

Question 4

The CPU can also be thought of as the _____________ of the computer.

Answer 4

brain (it carries out demands sent to it by software)

Question 5

List the following in increasing order (slowest to fastest): megahertz, kilohertz, gigahertz.

Answer 5

kilohertz, megahertz, gigahertz

Question 6

What is the bus of a computer?

Answer 6

The bus is the electrical connection between different computer components.

Question 7

Name two differences between RAM and a hard disk.

Answer 7

RAM is volatile; the hard disk is non-volatile. Data access in RAM is faster than on the hard disk.

Question 8

What are the advantages of solid-state drives over hard disks?

Answer 8

The main advantage is speed: an SSD has much faster data-access speeds than a traditional hard disk.

Question 9

What are consequences of the rapid evolution of computing devices

Answer 9

1. Commoditization

2. Electronic waste

Question 10

What influences the speed of a PC

Answer 10

CPU, Motherboard, RAM, Hard- drive.

Question 11

Why is Moore’s Law important for IM?

Answer 11

Causes: Self-fulfilling prophecy (it became a goal of chipmakers + the market demands this), Network effect (exponentially more nodes)
Effects: Autonomous (and predictable) growth, Unpredictability of the effects (chessboard metaphor)

Question 12

What is the mean idea of the article: The missing IS Research Agenda?

Answer 12

You shouldn’t change the infrastructure every year, because several applications run on it.
The infrastructure is stable when it can change, to keep up with innovations

Question 13

What are the 5 components of which a PC consists?

Answer 13

Motherboard, CPU, Memory, Storage, Input/output device