New Technology Essays - Modems, Cable Modem, Internet Access

New Technology In my research, I am focusing on the new technology dealing with computers. This technology includes CD writers, DVD players, digital cameras, and cable modems. I will describe each technology and then how it will effect todays society. Technology is the way of the world now, so improving technology helps to improve the society. CD writers are the wave of the future. What is a CD writer one may ask? A CD writer is simply a technology device that allow one to record information onto a CD and then the CD is used for storage instead of using the hard drive. Why would you want something that records CDs? CD-RWs are a great storage device. You can create valuable backup volumes for your important files and programs, share your work with friends and colleagues in an easy-to-manage and familiar format, and make mixed audio CDs from CDs in your personal collection or even from old tapes and vinyl. How much does something like this cost? Below you will find a chart showing different CD writers available, the cost, and other valuable information. CD writers are not for everybody, but they are worth checking into. Est. price Throughput test results Drive type Drive interface OS supported Warranty Disks/cartridges included Hi-Val Internal IDE $300 18K/sec Internal EIDE/ATAPI Windows 95, 98, NT 4.0 12 mo. 1 CD-RW HP SureStore CD-Writer Plus 8100i $399 35K/sec. Internal EIDE/ATAPI Windows 95, 98, NT 4.0 12 mo. 1 CD-R; 1 CD-RW MicroSolutions backpack cd-rewriter 2X6 $499 15K/sec External standard parallel Windows 95, 98, NT 4.0 12 mo. none Philips PCA362RW Kit $369 18K/sec Internal EIDE Windows 95, 98, NT 4.0 12 mo. 1 CD-RW Ricoh MediaMaster External CD-RW 2X/6X Drive $599 14K/sec External SCSI-2 Windows 95, 98, NT 4.0; Mac OS 12 mo. 1 CD-R; 1 CD-RW Another new technological device for computers is the DVD player. DVD stands for digital video drive. Recall that VCR sitting in your den? VCRs are quickly diminishing as DVD players are beginning to take over. Why the DVD player? A DVD player has better graphics then does a VCR. The DVD also takes up less space then videotapes since they are on a CD. With the DVD player, one can play games or simply watch movies from their very own computer. Prices for DVD players vary depending upon brand, speed, and other determining factors. DVD players range between $179.94 to $1,299.95. As well as DVD players for the computer, DVD players for the TV are becoming available. Some people will want a DVD player for their computer while others will want it for their TV and still others will stick with their VCRs for the time being. Below you will find a list of available DVD players and their cost. Oritron-DVD player PYD200 $179.94 Toshiba-DVD player RC522OP $249.94 GE DVD player GE11059 $199.94 JVC-DVD Changer XVM555BK $349.95 CABLE MODEMS--Wave of the Future? If you think about the future, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Well, in the minds of most people the word computer or Internet will come to mind. Since the introduction of PC's in the late seventies and early eighties, the technology involved in computers has grown exponentially. The internet, which came into widespread use only five or six years ago has grown unimaginably. Anybody can find virtually anything they want over the Internet. The first way to access the internet was through dial up telephone modems brought through ISP's such as Prodigy, AOL, Compuserv and many other providers. These providers were slow and sometimes you couldn't even get through the busy phone lines. the phone modem industry has grown greatly since then, but it still has its flaws. ISDN's have become popular in the business world and provide better service than telephone modems, but they also have their flaws. The wave of the future as far as Internet access i s concerned is cable modems. Cable modems are faster, more efficient, more cost efficient and easier to use than any other Internet access that's ever been introduced. WHAT IS A CABLE MODEM? A cable modem is a device that allows high speed data access (such as to the Internet_ via a cable TV network. In other words rather than running the Internet through the telephone, it will be