When the memex was invented years ago, no one had any idea how important and significant this machine would be in everyday life. At first this complex system was simply used to be able to share and transfer information between individuals and groups of people with similar interests. When Vannerval Bush first had this genius idea that was way ahead of its time, he simply wanted an easier way to exchange and share information. He had no idea how much of an impact that his machine would have on the world for hundreds of years to come.
His memex has improved tremendously since the first one was successfully made. Today computers can do much ,more than any one has ever imagined. The world has become very dependent on computers and is a large part of everyday life. It has given every person the ability to have access to an unlimited amount of information, knowledge and many different forms of communicating from your own home. Even from the time that before people could have a computer at their own home, computers have shrunk from taking up a whole large room to being able to fit in the palm of your hand.
The late eighties to the early nineties was the first time that I personally remember when a normal house hold family was able to have their own personal computer in their own home. It reminded me when Nintendo first came out. Not every kid was able to afford one so if you didn’t have one at your house the kid that did always had four or five friends over wanting to play. Monitors have come along way in the making as well. Now they are clearer and thinner than most televisions you watch. One of the most aggravating things I remember first about going on-line was the fact that you had to use a phone line in order in connect. It took forever, the streaming was extremely slow, you couldn’t use your phone to call someone while you were on-line, and you were kicked off if another person in the house tried to use the phone. Luckily now the internet is run from the cable hook up. The memex has become much more, I’m sure, than Bush had ever imagined. Some people can not be without the internet for more than a few hours. Too much of a good thing is not always good. Having so much information available to any person at any time to me take some of the good things in life for granted.
Computers have come a long way since the memex and does help everyone in many different ways. But as Hawthorne stated computers do take some of the good things out of life. Our generation and the past ones got to experience that many of the kids on the newer generation wont have a chance. One thing that comes to mind is going to the library and having to look up in the card index the book you wanted, then find the book somewhere scattered with hundreds of others that have been misplaced. When we did research papers I would spend hours upon hours looking through different books and encyclopedias for information on the research topic. Now you can simply just google any thing you want to know any information about and hundreds of thousands of results will be a mere click away.
You either love computers or hate computers. Computers are very helpful but they can also cause extreme frustration and massive headaches. As much help as they sometimes I can’t stand them. It seems like something goes wrong with your personal computer right before something is due, when you try to save or print a document something always goes wrong. Just during the writing of this blog I have come across some problems with my computer. In the middle of typing a sentence my laptop would just turn off by itself. The first page was erased and I had to start over. I now have my flash drive plugged in. which I should have already had in before I even started.
These crazy things called computers have come such a long way from the late, late cousin, the memex. Bush had a idea ahead of his time and still was able to predict the future of his amazing machine. He predicted the ease of transferring and sharing information with others that were hundreds of thousands of miles away. There is no telling what the future holds and what is going to come in the future in technology. Everything will become smaller, faster, and smarter than the everyday gadgets we have today. Even cars are becoming smarter. Some new options and some come standard with voice activated radio, navigation and hands free phone service.
Work Cited:
Bush, Vannevar, “ As We May Think,’ The Atlantic Monthly. July 1945.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “Fire Worship.” Mosses from Old Manse. 1846.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Half and Half
My first Comuter experice
My first memory of using a computer would have to be in the early days of school. I was in first grade and I was amazed when I stepped foot into the computer lab for the first time. I remember the humming noise all of the modems. The one thing that sticks in my head the most when we went to the computer lab to learn some typing skills is that no all kids were lucky enough to get a computer. Half the class had a computer to use but the other half had to use old fashion type writers. The school could not afford to replace all the type writers because of how expensive the new technology cost.I remember each student would have a very simple sentence that had to be copied. The computer add up how fast you were able to type and after a couple sections of copying it would display how many words per minuet you typed. I thought that was amazing technology for our time and had no idea how all this was possible.After we were done practicing our typing skills we were allowed to play a few games. The games that I enjoyed the most was Oregon Trail and Number munchers. Number munchers was my favorite game at the time because I loved math a that point of my life and it made doing math that much more fun.Computers have come along way since I was in first grade. But my first encounter with computers were also my first experience with a type writer. I had no idea that computers were going to be such a big part of our lifestyle. I am very fortunate to be able to have had the opportunity to experience both ways of communication and realize how lucky we are now and many of us take the luxury for granted.
My first memory of using a computer would have to be in the early days of school. I was in first grade and I was amazed when I stepped foot into the computer lab for the first time. I remember the humming noise all of the modems. The one thing that sticks in my head the most when we went to the computer lab to learn some typing skills is that no all kids were lucky enough to get a computer. Half the class had a computer to use but the other half had to use old fashion type writers. The school could not afford to replace all the type writers because of how expensive the new technology cost.I remember each student would have a very simple sentence that had to be copied. The computer add up how fast you were able to type and after a couple sections of copying it would display how many words per minuet you typed. I thought that was amazing technology for our time and had no idea how all this was possible.After we were done practicing our typing skills we were allowed to play a few games. The games that I enjoyed the most was Oregon Trail and Number munchers. Number munchers was my favorite game at the time because I loved math a that point of my life and it made doing math that much more fun.Computers have come along way since I was in first grade. But my first encounter with computers were also my first experience with a type writer. I had no idea that computers were going to be such a big part of our lifestyle. I am very fortunate to be able to have had the opportunity to experience both ways of communication and realize how lucky we are now and many of us take the luxury for granted.
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