Jason's Blog

I can’t believe the semester is almost over! All I have left is the exam tomorrow evening, and that’s it! Time really has moved quickly. I feel I have learned a great deal in this class. As I look back on all the topics we discussed, I realize just how much we actually covered this semester. Each week built on the previous weeks, and I feel that everything tied together very well. We went from learning the beginnings of the computer and the basics of information and computer language to looking at future possibilities in technology. Although I found some topics more interesting than others, I feel that all the topics discussed in this class were useful.

I liked learning about binary and how the computer understands everything as numbers. I enjoyed the challenge of “building” a computer. Before taking this class I knew a little bit about the parts of a computer, but I had never looked at the complete process of how they are put together. The assignment was a good experience for me, and I would someday like to try building my own computer. I found the Assembly Language Simulator very useful. It was helpful to have a picture of what is happening when a program is run. One of the things I enjoyed most was building a web page. I am no web designer, and I have no desire to become one. However, I really enjoyed creating a page just by hand coding HTML in a text editor. I learned so much from doing that, and I have a new appreciation of websites and how they are created.

Dr. Brown is an excellent professor. I don’t believe he will be teaching any of the courses I will be taking in the future. If I had the opportunity, I would take another class taught by him. This class has helped me to realize that I have made the right decision as far as changing my career path. I look forward to learning more in my other computer science classes.

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Video games sure have come a long way! It’s amazing to think how much they have evolved since the simple games that were available when I was a child. The virtual reality developments that have been continually incorporated into video games are quite impressive. My first video game system was Mattel’s Intellivison. At first I was a little disappointed, because I wanted the Atari 2600. I wanted the Atari system so I could play Pac-Man at home. My dad bought Intellivision, because it was on sale and was a real bargain. I ended up really enjoying Intellivision though.

As a child in the 80s, I remember parents and “experts” warning about the addictive nature of video games. That’s one thing about video games that hasn’t changed over time. I think with each generation of systems, people have become more and more addicted.

I don’t have much experience with the current generation of games, although I have played the Wii system with one of my nieces. I do have an avatar on her system, but I haven’t played games with her that often. I do enjoy bowling and playing some of the dance games with her. I’ve also played Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero on the Sony Playstation system.

With games becoming more and more realistic, I do have concerns with people interacting less with each other in the real world. People who are very addicted to these games might lose touch with reality. I also think there are some benefits to playing video games. Wii has several exercise programs. Virtual reality programs can be used for training purposes, etc. The key is to do things in moderation.

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Although I can see some benefits to the concepts, artificial intelligence seems a little bit bizarre to me. A machine can’t understand feelings and emotions, and it just seems too complex for a computer to ever be able to do this. I do think developments in artificial intelligence could be beneficial in the military, because it could help to save the lives of soldiers.

I enjoyed watching the documentary on Ray Kurzweil. I didn’t realize he had developed optical character recognition, the text-to-speech synthesizer, the flatbed scanner, and music synthesizers. These are wonderful inventions. One thing that really stood out to me was his fascination with death and the possibility of living forever. His ideas are quite interesting, but they seem a bit far-fetched. It seems like he’s trying to play God, and I don’t think people should do that. It would be nice to live forever, but I don’t think we should interfere with the natural processes of our bodies by implementing the ideas that Kurzweil has proposed.

It was nice to have another week of working with the Lego robots in the lab. It was fun to see if the robot would respond to the different situations that were defined in the programs we wrote.

I can’t believe the semester is almost over. Time has been moving so quickly! I’ve really been enjoying this semester, and I look forward to learning about the topics we will discuss in the remaining weeks of this term.

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I enjoyed watching the video of the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge in class this week. While I found it fascinating to watch the vehicles in the race, at the same it was a little scary to think about the fact that these vehicles were not driven by humans. Then again, the errors of human drivers can be pretty scary as well, especially when driving under the influence. I was amazed and impressed by the technology that these teams used to operate their vehicles.

I liked working with the Lego Mindtorms robots in the lab, but the first lab session was kind of frustrating for me. I spent a little more time than I expected trying to attach some parts to the robot. Wednesday’s session was much better. I was able to focus more on programming the robot. I’m looking forward to doing more work with the robots in Week 12.

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In learning about hacking this week, I found out the term hacking was not always negative. I didn’t know much about the history of that word. Originally, it meant a person who had attained mastery of the computer. I had heard about phone phreaks before, but I never thought about the fact that they were the original hackers (in the negative sense). Of course, the telephone system is computer controlled, so it is easier to see the association when I think about it that way. I’ve always been fascinated with the telephone system. The whole concept of being able to communicate with someone over telephone lines has intrigued me with it’s complexity. I have learned a bit about this system, and I would like to learn more. I always think it’s neat when I’m driving along and see a telephone central office. I guess I’m kind of weird that way, but I know there are others like me out there. And then there are the phone freaks who go beyond just being interested in the telephone system, because they want to mess with the system! I enjoyed watching the video “A History of Hacking” in class. It was amazing to see the things these guys did with the phone system. When I think about all the time spent figuring out the specific tones and frequencies and how they were used, it is kind of mind-boggling! Maybe these guys had too much time on their hands.

The thought that there are people out there stealing and attempting to steal personal information is quite unsettling. We’ve all read about or seen stories involving information being compromised. There are so many instances of identity theft. What is especially disturbing to me is situations like the one involving the 414 Gang, who destroyed information while breaking into the computer system of a cancer center. The impact that situations like that could have on people’s lives can be so devastating.

I sometimes wonder how many people have computers that have no protection against malware such as viruses, spyware, etc. Even with protections like virus scans and firewalls, no one is ever completely safe. Once I had PC that got a virus, even though I had virus protection software and a firewall running. The virus disabled my firewall! I had to wipe out the hard drive and start all over again to get rid of the virus. Unfortunately there will always be hackers, but at least there are people trying to stop them.

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I think this week has been the most challenging for me so far. I liked what Dr. Brown showed us when he introduced us to Scratch, but I found it a bit difficult to get started once we got to the lab. I found it a little overwhelming at first. I was kind of confused about how to create different characters. Wednesday night was a little bit easier. The more I worked with Scratch, the more it made sense. I was glad that I was able to animate some of the characters I created.

I enjoyed watching Randy Pausch’s lecture during class. I liked hearing about how he was able to do so many of the things that he wanted to do in life. What really stood out for me was the following statement he made: “Brick walls are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things.” That is a new perspective I had never thought of before.

Hopefully, things will go a little more smoothly with Scratch this coming week. I know what I would like to do for my project. I hope my ideas will work.

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As I put the finishing touches on my Web page and get ready to upload it, I have found a new appreciation for what it takes to create a Web page. I always knew that creating a Website was a very detailed process that requires a lot of work, but seeing the relationship between how the HTML codes translate to what viewers see on the screen is pretty amazing. I’ve actually had fun with this project. As I type in HTML code and look at the changes in my Web page, it has been a true learning experience. I see what happens as I make mistakes, such as when I type in a wrong character or forget to include a code. These mistakes can alter the look of the entire page. I feel that learning some of the basics of HTML could be very useful to me in the future. There may be situations where I need to have an understanding of HTML in order to solve a problem.

Since my concentration is database design and development, I really enjoyed learning about databases and SQL this week. It was interesting to find out how a relational database ties information together by duplicating a field from one table to another and then matching them to join the two tables. I found the examples of SQL statements very useful, especially since SQL is something I will be studying in future classes. I wish we could have spent a little more time on databases, but I understand that there isn’t enough time to go into depth on any one subject in this class. I do appreciate the overview of many aspects of technology that we are getting from this class, though.

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Before taking this class, I knew very little about HTML. In a past job I kept our department’s website up-to-date, but this only involved making minor revisions to Web pages that had already been created. I took a Dreamweaver class, but I only used the software for updating Web pages. As far as personal experience goes, I once created a simple Web page by using a wizard that allowed me to create a page with a template.

When I first learned of this assignment, it seemed like it would be so complicated. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that HTML coding is not as hard as it seems. It’s amazing that a Web page can be created just by typing codes into a simple program like Notepad. Learning about the “skeleton” of a Web page has been very helpful. The key is that the page begins with <HTML> and ends with </HTML>.

I’m looking forward to seeing how my page will look in the end.

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This week we discussed software, and I enjoyed learning about all the things that are going on in the background to make a computer operate. It’s amazing how the operating system software and application software are running all these sets of instructions. I found the Assembly Language Simulator to be very useful. Every time I ran a program, I was able to get a better picture of how it worked. It gave me a better understanding of how programs are loaded into memory and executed. As I started to work on the Assembly Language Simulator quiz, the concepts became even more clear as I ran the various programs. In particular, the relationship between the instruction register and the program counter began to make much more sense.

As the semester has progressed, I feel like I have been able to tie together the concepts we have been discussing. I have learned a great deal. It’s pretty cool to think about how far computers and technology have come, especially in relation to Moore’s Law. I remember having such a strong interest in computers from an early age. I was excited when I got the opportunity to learn how to use a computer when I was in fifth grade. We learned to write programs on Tandy computers. When I was in sixth grade, our class got an Apple IIe computer, and I enjoyed learning how to use it as well. That was so long ago, and it blows my mind to think how far we have progressed. I guess I’m really showing my age now! I think going from DOS to Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) was a key turning point in the evolution of computing. It just made working on a computer much more user-friendly.

As I look back on my childhood and think about how excited I was about computers, it makes me realize why I have decided to change career paths to get into the IT field. If I had given it much more thought than I had, I would have pursued a bachelor’s degree in computer science. I don’t regret getting my bachelor’s, but I wish my interests would have been more clear to me back then. The important thing is that I am now pursuing another degree to prepare to work in a field I will enjoy. This class has helped me to realize that I have made the right decision.

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Since I have never built a computer before, I found this assignment a little challenging. I have attempted to build a basic computer that has plenty of room for expansion in the future. Some of the technical terms I found in the specifications for the parts are not familiar to me. So, I have done my best based upon my interpretation of the specs.

The first piece I chose was the case. I selected the Cooler Master RC-692-KKN2 CM690 II Advanced ATX Mid-Tower Case priced at $99.99.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5633975&csid=ITD&body=MAIN

I chose this case because it is spacious, which makes it ideal for expansion in the future. It also received good customer reviews.

Next I selected a motherboard, and I decided on the Asus M4A785-M Motherboard priced at $74.99.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5235299&sku=A455-2881

This motherboard received good reviews and is noted for its quieter operation noise and power saving benefits.

For the optical drive, I went with the Lite-On IHES108-29 Blu-Ray Combo Drive priced at $79.99.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5023038&CatId=88

I chose this drive for its versatility of formats. It is a DVD+/-R, DVD +/-RW, DVD+/-RDL, DVD-RAM, CD-R, CD-RW writer and also a DVD-ROM/CD-ROM combination drive.

For the CPU, I chose the AMD HDX920XCJ4DGI Phenom II X4 920 Quad Core Processor priced at $99.99.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7026019&sku=A79-1920

This CPU received favorable customer reviews. I decided on this CPU because it has advanced power management technology to reduce a computer’s heat output and to increase power efficiency.

For the CPU cooler, I decided on the Corsair CWCH50-1 Hydro H50 CPU Liquid Cooler priced at $79.99.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5267687&CatId=493

The cooler’s pump and reservoir are integrated and sealed for no maintenance operation and improved leakage protection.

The RAM I chose was the Kingston Hyper X Dual Channel 4096MB PC2-5300 DDR2 667MHz Memory priced at $84.00/per pair.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5286070&CatId=1554

Each pair consists of 2GB memory modules, and I decided to get two pairs. This RAM received all positive reviews and is noted for faster speed.

Next I chose the Western Digital WD5000AAKS Caviar Blue Hard Drive priced at $44.99.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2795126&CatId=139

I chose this hard drive because Western Digital hard drives are known for their cool operating temperature and low power consumption. This hard drive can hold 440 days of around-the-clock MP3 audio or 186,500 digital photos, which I think is pretty impressive. It has a 16MB cache for fast performance.

For the power supply, I went with the Corsair CMPSU-500CX Builder Series CX500 Power Supply priced at $44.99 after rebate.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6792853&CatId=1079

I chose this power supply because of its quiet operation.

For the remaining parts I chose the following:

Logitech Compact Keyboard K300 priced at $12.99

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5214790&CatId=142

Logitech M505 Wireless Mouse priced at $39.99

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5679640&CatId=143

Acer V203H CJbmd 20″ Widescreen LCD Monitor priced at $119.99

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6075839&sku=A179-2034

Bose® Companion® 2 Series II Multimedia Speaker System priced at $99.00

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3583727&sku=B55-1014

I did not choose a sound card or video card, because, from what I could tell from the specifications, these were already included with the motherboard.

The total cost of this system, excluding shipping and taxes, is $964.90.

Steps to Build a Computer

1. Install the CPU in the motherboard. Make sure to line up the CPU properly, because it only fits one way.
2. Install the CPU cooler.
3. Install the memory in the appropriate slots.
4. Attach the plate for the connectors to the tower case.
5. Install the motherboard in the tower case. Make sure to line up the connectors with the plate.
6. Install the hard drive by removing the drive cage from the tower case and sliding the hard drive in from the back of the cage. Attach the cage back to the tower case.
7. Install the optical drive.
8. Attach front panel connectors to motherboard (for lights, etc.).
9. Install the power supply.
10. Plug cables into modular power supply.
11. Install windows, making sure to change the boot order in BIOS so system will boot from CD.
12. Install any necessary drivers.

If all goes well, you should have a working PC.

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