Intro to Information Technology / Discussion Board Topic

Evaluating your System

1. Types of Storage
You can select between optical drives, portable drives, and SSD drives. There are a wide range of options. How will you decide the proper balance for your own computing needs?

2. Go Small or Stay Home
Manufacturers are releasing a number of systems that are trying to capitalize on size–or the lack of size? Explore some of the small form factor (SFF) computers appearing on the market.

a. Research the Falcon Northwest FragBox and Tiki (falcon-nw.com).

b. Compare that system with the Apple Mac mini and the Apple Mac Pro (apple.com).
Why are these SFF computers appearing? What role do you see these systems fulfilling? What kind of performance and hardware would you recommend for such a system?

3. Networks
Evaluating Your Network Configuration: Write down all the devices you believe currently connect to your home network, either wired or wirelessly. Make sure you consider smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktops, gaming consoles, DVRs, smart TVs, and printers. Are there devices (such as printers or TVs) that are not currently able to connect directly to your network that you might want to replace? If so, note those devices, and describe the advantages a network-ready replacement would bring. Are there other devices you might also want to consider adding to your network that you don’t currently have, such as a home-monitoring system? If so, why would they be helpful? Do you have what you need for your wanted network configurations to function?

4. Evaluating your Digital Technology
Reinvent Yourself: The arrival of digital information has forced major shifts in several industries, such as publishing, music recording, and film. How has each industry reacted? Have they each found ways to reinvent the products and services they deliver to match the challenge of the digital age? What other industries have had to realign their business models because of digital information?

5. Protecting Your Data from Viruses and Malware
Consider the following:

a. What security software are you using on your personal computers? (Make sure to list all devices.) Is the security software up to date? If you dont have security software on a certain device (such as your phone), research available software to determine what might be appropriate to protect your device

b. Have you or a family member ever been the victim of a Virus Or malware attack? If so, how did you eradicate the problem? Were data or files lost because of the infection?