Personal Computers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Personal Computers - Essay Example From the time we wake up in the morning, until the time we go to bed, computers direct and assist our life. Personal computers today come in various forms – there are the desktops, the laptops, and the palmtops and if that was not enough, even cell phones can be used as personal computers. A computer in every home has changed the way people communicate. People wake up by the alarm that rings from the cell phones and even before they are out of bed, they check the emails on the cell phone itself. In Japan, people describe the cell phone as an extension of themselves (Faiola, 2004). Fifty-five percent of the population in Japan has signed up for internet access from their cellular phones. On the way to work, they answer all their emails. Cell phone is now a way of life, as they link it to their home-office PC, download music, use it to access information, read newspaper and even read novels. They use it to watch the TV programs, navigate the streets with the built-in GPS system, scan bar-coded information, get e-coupons for discounts on food and entertainment, and pay bills. They use it at school too by emailing the questions to the professors in the classroom. The professors answer them orally. The Japanese are so skilled at writing emails on cell phones, that they find it simpler than using computer keyboards. Computer technology is used in everyday lesson plans at the Highland Middle School (Horace). A SMART board, or a dry-erase board, when teamed with the projector becomes a touch-screen computer monitor that the whole class can see. The operator’s fingers act as the mouse and as soon as the board is touched, signal is sent back to the computer. This way they can browse the internet, make interactive presentations, and write on the screen. At The Pennsylvania State University, emails have replaced letters, telephone calls and memorandum as the preferred means of communication (Auguston, 2002). Learning occurs in classrooms, labs, libraries, residence