What have I learned that will be helpful in the future?

What have I learned in this course that will be helpful to me in the future?  In this course I learned more about the “workings” of a computer than I’ve ever known.  Prior to this course I had heard of words like RAM, MB, video cards, memory cards, and more.  Some of these terms I knew more about than others.  I found the research projects and the Under the Hood assignments useful in learning more about the computer components.  I especially found the printers and digital cameras useful since I am or will be in the market for both very soon.  I learned it’s important to know what I already have when looking to add components.    

Prior to this course I only knew about Windows and Mac operating systems.  I had no idea there were other OS and that they are free.  To be honest at this time I have no intention of using those again (I had problems with the one of the systems “invading” my PC), but it’s good to know there are options.  It’s amazing how much free stuff is available.  At least today it’s free; I have to wonder how long before that changes.  When the Internet first came about almost everything was free, now there’s plenty that is still free, but there’s plenty that has a cost.  

One of my favorite assignments was watching the Triumph of the Nerds recording.  I found it to be a very interesting recording and I learned so much.  It filled in the holes of what I knew and then some.  It was interesting to learn how things came about and to think about how different things could have been.  Take Xerox and Apple for example, if either had done things differently both could have completely changed the computer world as we know it.  I’m not sure how I’ll use this information in the future, but it sure was interesting and enlightening.

Now I’m working on my perfect computer.  I don’t do a lot on my computer today, but slowly that’s changing.  Today I don’t have a digital camera and I don’t download music.  I use my computer for work, school, and email.  In my previous career I spent all day on the computer and it got old.  Now I use it for what I need to do, and while I’m grateful to have it, I don’t care to spend any more time on it than I need to.  As things change (I’m looking at digital cameras for wildlife pictures) I may need to find the “perfect computer.” As I do it will be great to have all this knowledge that I have gained in this course.  

What's all this to me?

What is all of this to me?  To me it means making changes in the way I do business everyday.  In addition learning things I wouldn't have taken the time to do before, I'm being forced to make changes in my everyday life.  So far the biggest change I've made is upgrading from dial-up internet to high speed internet.  I use high speed internet everyday - at school, at places around town (especially for classwork), at family and friend's houses - pretty much every where except at home.  The only reason for not making the change sooner was solely cost and just having one more bill to pay.  So am I glad that I made the change?  Absolutely.

What's next?  Do I think that I will change operating systems?  No, not likely.  I like Windows and I'm getting used my Mac's operating system.  As a matter of fact, I'm scared of the other operating systems wiping out my installed operating systems on my PC and Mac.  I wouldn't consider myself tech savvy, although I can find my way around what I need and I like to learn and use new technology.  Until this course I wasn't aware of any other operating systems.  I find it interesting that Windows and Macs operating systems aren't as common throughout the world as they are here in the United States.  Until last week I thought those were the only operating systems.

The project I'm really excited about is the research component project.  I'm currently in the market for a new printer, mine is 12-13 years old, and a wireless router.  I'd also like to invest in a nice digital camera next year.  It can be daunting to research when purchasing especially when I'm not always up to speed on the technology lingo.  The research I'm doing for my project will come in handy when I buy a new printer this year, hopefully very soon.  Some of the information that I would have considered important before I've learned isn't as important as I thought.  Sometimes it's difficult to keep up with the constant change of technology, especially the cost.  I'm looking forward to learning more about the computer components.