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This class has been the most interesting class that I have ever taken before.  This class has put alot of my thoughts and questions about the computer, internet, and when it all came about.

In the beginning  with Charles Babbage and John von Neumann, these gentlemen didn’t have all the tools we commonly have today but they made do with what they had to build something that believed was the next step into the future.  The intro and history part of the class was definitely answered a lot of questions that had. It is very astounding that we have went from relays, vacuum tubes, transistors, intergrated circuits and microprocessors; which would leave one to believe what is next.  The learning of compatibility with software and hardware, knowing that you will need some type of software to run any hardware.  The building of the computer was a first time for me. I have always been the type to just buy whatever I thought was practical for what I do with a computer.

I really enjoyed the programming week do myself taking Java the semester also. Myself and two other partners also had the oppurtunity to program the Finch robot which is programmed through Java as well.  The language week was mind-boggling that something can function off something that you type through a keyboard.  The databases were a whole new learning curve for myself do to I have never had any encouters with databases or servers.  This week is where Dr.Browns comic style lectures and learning aids came in real handy to myself because after the Monday and Wednesday lecture I went home and had to go back through them to get a better grasp on it.  The security week was fun also because the whole hacking these is what stands out to me when people talk about firewalls, malware and most commonly anti-viruses.  The next two weeks really blew my mind.  Who would of thought that your five year sons legos; with a couple extra parts could become a remake of T-Rex.  The AI and virtual reality was the new age of gaming in which I haven’t really been a part of since the Atari back 1983.

In conclusion, I have had no other Professor like Dr. Brown.  He made this class very educational and fun.  His way of teaching is like no other, good but different.  If anyone reads this and has to take this class make sure to get Dr. Brown.

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I am not a big gamer at all.  I don’t even own a console that has been made after 1986.  I still play on the ole Atari.  I have never been a gamer and really never had any time to get into it.  I have played at friends houses throughout the years but usually 90 percent of the time it has been sports related games.  I have never played WOW or any war games.  The war side of it kinda hits me different from others due to the real thing is nothing how it is projected or perceived on the gaming industry.  So i guess if had to choose a game that I could spend hours playing it would be the WII Super Mario Kart.  Mario races one of the slower carts but you can drift it like no other.  This was still a very interesting week, listening to the classmates that come in half asleep due to the new games that come out the night before and Dr. Brown surprised me by being a big WOW player.  I just want to tell the gamers that if you truly are passionate about something then go after it. Game on.

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Artificial Intelligence is a very interesting chapter for me.  We use some time of artificial int. everyday of out lives in some way and don’t even know it.  It is crazy that it takes so little to have some sort of AI to be programmed to act somewhat of a human brain.  I have been playing chess online for years and have never really thought to much about all the games i lost was because of a computer lol.  I had fun playing with the finch and learning the arrays on Java.  Although the world revolves around Technology,  I think that AI will become pro dominant in the near future.

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The first week of playing with the robots has been fun and educational.  The group that I am working with chose the Finch to program.  It is a little different and more user friendly than the lego bots.   Since it is a Java programmed based bot it has been pretty easy to command it to do what we asked.  Although we haven’t decided what we are going to do with it for our project, we will make it interesting.  Talk to you next week.

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I thought that I had this simple program down pat. Low and behold I couldn’t never get the characters to do what they are suppose to do.  So my program of a maze never came together.  The anger of the whole thing is that I didn’t procrastinate, I  worked on it for about 8 days.  It makes me fill like a kid not being able to to finish it by Sunday at midnight.  I will finish it and turn it in late.  It is awesome that everything that I read about the Scratch program is that a ton of Colleges, Universities, High Schools, and even grade schools are on board with it.  They are training the future programmers of the world with this.  I had my 5 year old son play some of the games on Scratch website, he had a blast and wanted to make one himself. This week in class was one of the most interesting to me,  I have been anticipating the hacking portion of this class.

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The speech given by Randy Pausch was very motivational.  It definitely describes a life that was goal orientated.  The interesting point that he made was no matter the situation you have a say in what happens to the goals you achieve.  He made many different career paths availible to him through being persisent.  The virtual world is something that I think is very exciting to watch and play.  Without even knowing I have been on some of the rides that was described in the video.  Now onto Scratch, it is a very interesting program also. Atleast in this program shows you exactly what you are using to make the animation come to life.  I have only written a small portion of a program but I think that it is a cool program to start out on.  The intergation of your own pictures and characters are a plus if you think outside the box.  I think the final product will be a great turnout.

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Last week went a lot better for me on this particular week of assignments.  I spent numerous hours on this and then on Tuesday my computer decided to give me a blue screen of death and eat itself.  Anyways I definitely have mad respect for the whole making a web page now.  I could see that many hours of brainstorming and researching could go into a web page.  I think that it is crazy that you can type a bunch of words on Wordpad or Notepad and it is dissected into the world wide web.  The web page I turned in is nothing like the one I initially done.  I have a hard time learning how to do things by reading a book, so I have to learn by trial and error.  This was definitely an eye opener.  I think when you become proficient in HTML you could be very good at web design.  It was just amazing watching everything come together.   Now on to the next week of assignments.

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This week we have been tasked with creating a web page using HTML(no software included).  At first I was confused but I think now I have a pretty good hold on it.  The tutorials that Dr. Brown gave us has been a big help.  I am pleased that HTML coding is not as hard as it seems at first.  It is pretty basic, you tell the computer what to display with words and characters. I always wondered what Notepad was really used for and why it was on every computer I owned and operated. At the beginning I was having a hard time converting Notepad to .html format to be able to display it but finally I got it up and running.  I am still having problems with incorporating pictures and url’s but I will get it eventually I think.  I guess when you are a novice at something the best way to figure it out is trial and error.  Next week we will be uploading our built pages.  I am curious to see the final product from myself.

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This week we have been learning a Assembly Language via Simulator.  I had a hard time with it at first, then i got the grasp of it.  The quiz we took on it, I thought was very easy but the end result begged to differ. It is definitely a astonishing language that shows you in real time, where the number actually go.  So far this class has been pretty awesome for myself,  to learn the actual history of the computer,  the learning of binary, the parts of hardware, how it talks to the software, how the ALS gathers that information and distributes the number throughout the CPU.

I have watched everyone of the videos that Dr. Brown has posted online for our viewing pleasure.  With that being said,  I have learned a ton of stuff I would have never looked up on my own.  The ongoing battle between Microsoft and Apple is a great tell of two very intelligent and powerful men/companies fighting to be the best. 

In conclusion,  this class and Dr. Brown’s speech on Friday 09/23/2011 really make up my mind that Computer Science is definitely the career field I am pursuing.  From the comic book notes, binary,hardware,software, and now the ALS, I personally see how everything we covered so far falls right in line with each other.

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  We are now into the third week of class and assignments in CSIT 1110.  We have been tasked with building a computer from scratch.  Even the thought of this has been overwhelming due to the fact I have never built a computer, however I built just a basic internet surfing, email, and cheap computer.  

Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811121120

            The reason for selecting this is because its basic and cheap.  $34.99

Power Supply: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371035

            I chose this one because it has  enough watt to run what I need. $59.99

Motherboard:  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130266

            Great board at low price.  HDMI and great optical reviews  $64.99

Processor:  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103846

            Runs 32-bit but has the power to run 64-bit software  $87.99

Ram:  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226214

            Cheap 4gb ram $48.99

Extra fan: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835150083

            You can never be to cool  $11.99

Hard Disk:  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136795

            I wont even useall of this storage  $59.99

Cd/dvd drive:  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136238

            Good enough for me $16.99

Video Card:  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127544

            Help out video quality a little bit  $29.99

Monitor:  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16889263098

              No cost have one at home I currently use just like it.

Keyboard and Mice:  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126041

Total cost 545.89+ tax

            I like buying combo when I can $29.99

Operating System: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116983

            Windows 7 $99.99

Now for the install;   Ground yourself so there is no static discharge

1)       CPU into motherboard (don’t force the plugs be gentle because they only go one way

2)      Slip the ram into the motherboard (once again don’t force it)

3)      Make sure you have the plates and hardware for the case

4)      Open the case to attach the output/inputs to the case ( make sure to line the motherboard up correctly don’t strip the screws out)

5)      Install Hard disk and CD drive by just pushing them into the rack until the pins pop into place and lock

6)      Install power supply

7)      Plug everything in

8)      Make sure to QA your work for any left behind tools, unplugged wires, and unpinned or screw parts.

9)      Hook up monitor, keyboard,mice

10)  Install OS

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