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.