Discussion Activity 03

In Topic 3, The History of Computing, a piece of the details of where the whole information society came from is uncovered … the topic also takes a fairly detailed look at the rise of the counting machine, the large-scale computers of the WW II era, the invention of the transistor, the role of the integrated circuit, the invention of the microprocessor, the rise of the personal computer, and finally a quick look at the advent of the WWW and the Internet. Some interesting stuff and a fairly quick read. It does a nice job of getting you up to speed on where all this came from. This week’s Discussion Activity focuses on those roots and asks you to look into the future. DA 3:

Discussion Activity

Many traditional computer hardware companies are now moving into other business arenas to stay forward thinking and profitable. Some of them are focusing almost as much attention on software, services, and peripheral devices. Do you think this trend will continue? What will companies like IBM, Apple, and Hewlett Packard look like in 20 years?

43 thoughts on “Discussion Activity 03

  1. The major computer companies are going to branch as far they possibly can to continue making a profit. With the advent of the Ipod, companies now know there is a lot money to be made in other products than computers. I beleive companies will continue to make products just for leisure. I know IBM makes main-frames and computer networking devices, but not every house hold owns a server. I wonder how many households own an Ipod.

  2. Just as computer software and technology companies such as IBM, Apple and Hewlett Packard have progressed up to this point, it should be expected that they continue to branch out and creat new inovative technilogical devices for personal and common usage among the general population. If anyone has seen the movie “I Robot” than you can get an idea of how far I think we could be in the next 20 years. I believe these companies will be more fierce and competative as they are now to produce advanced products that are user friendly, atractive and helpful to the general population. They’ll also create more junk that is as cheap and small as their consumers demand. I look forward to seeing just how far we can go. Maybe these companies will even branch out into transportation and travel devices or into the food industry. Who knows what is possible these days but what ever they look like 20 years from now should be interesting to see as long as we haven’t created more lethal and destructive material that allows us to wipe ourselves out in the next 20 years.

  3. The 2000’s have certainly brought about a trend in the emphasis of software and portability versus powerful and stationary hardware. I think that the next 20 years will bring about great changes in the corporate landscape of computing. There have been many companies that have been able to change and adapt multiple times over the course of this technological revolution and I think that the successful ones will continue to do that because the future of electronics seems to be in software and the internet, rather than in isolated computing systems that promote unflexible hardware.
    The perfect example is IBM. Over the course of the last 15 years, IBM has slowly worked its way out of the PC business. Whether they intended it this way or not, IBM has adapted to the new threat in the low-cost PC market and has now shifted its attention and resources toward server management and security. As stated in the article, IBM has done a fair amount of redefining dating all the way back to 60’s and they will probably continue to do this.
    I don’t think there is any question that this landscape will continue to evolve and that organizations in the industries that are related to computing need to always be vigilant of new ways to inegrate their core compentencies with the new ways of doing business. Our society is moving away from the hardlined computer technology of the past and more toward a flexible and integrated global society that will rely on flexible programs and data. The companies that are best able to link us all together with the least hassle will be the ones that survive in this marketplace. If you look at Microsoft, Windows has had so many problems with connectivity to the rest of the world whether it be through constant hacking and compromising of its systems or whatever else. Microsoft got blindsided in a way by all of this and I think that you will see Microsoft eventually lose some marketshare whether they get broken up by the government or not. Apple might be best suited for this environment between the two since they seem to have their sytems in much better shape and from what Ive been hearing, its just a better computer.
    IBM will continue to move away from physical systems and more toward security and consulation, while I think you’ll see Apple pick up some steam heading into the next 5 years or so.

  4. Going back to the chart in the lesson regarding the size vs. complexity* of computers, I believe that eventually (in 20 years) we will actually have developed nano technology to the point that we ourselves are wired (or wireless) into society. Yeah, it seems a bit far fetched, but if you take some time to do the research, you’ll see that companies are headed in that direction.

    I think that the hardware aspect of personal computing will just keep getting faster with little competition. The technological battle will take place with software and servies. Apple and Microsoft are the OS giants as of now, but I believe that soon, we will see that either they will merge or one will bankrupt the other. We already see that in the beginning, apple data was unable to work with mircosoft data. Now, data and even some software work on both Apple and IBM compatable.

  5. If these technology-based companies can branch off into other related fields, their profits will soar immensely. It only makes sense, then, that they would try to venture as far as possible in the hopes to make that extra buck. The large companies will eventually push out the smaller companies by any means possible. HP, IBM, and Apple will make almost every product related to these technologies, or at least have some hand in the manufacturing and distribution process. It seems to be the new trend of the millenium, so I’m sure it will continue until the cream of the crop are the only companies left. It’s kind of like the automobile industry, where one giant corporation (GM, Ford, Chrysler) owns many other brands and reaps the benefits while the smaller companies exist because of the financial backing. It will grow into a never-ending circle in my opinion.

  6. The world we live in today is extremely technology driven. It is often hard for a person to keep up with the current technology because it is always changing so rapidly. For years the technology industry labored to improve computer technology, as we have seen computers go from room-sized in the 1930s and 1940s to hand held computers in 2000. Who knows what the distant future will hold for technology.

    As times have changed, the hardware companies have been forced to change to keep up. The selling of software and other computer devices such as plug and play devices has greatly impacted the industry. Companies are now spending just as much time on the marketing of these products and devices as they are on the computers themselves. The software industry almost seems to be driving the computer industry because there is so much software available and you need a computer to use it.

    Companies such as Apple, IBM, and Hewlett Packard have come a long way over the last twenty or so years with their technology. When Apple first introduced the Macintosh computer it was the ‘hit of the century.’ Now just look at what Apple is producing today; iMacs and iPods. Sure all of these companies still make their computers and PCs, but they have gotten on another track of products: digital cameras, all-in-one devices, and more software than ever before.

    I see these companies continuing this trend into the future for many years. Technology is ever-changing and I don’t think that it will stop changing any time soon. There are just too many possibilities out there for new products and ideas are being generated daily. The shift has been good for the industry. Computers are selling better than ever, because they are faster and more powerful than ever. At the same time there is all of this activity with the mp3 players and digital media equipment, which is also driving the market.

    An example of this shift was seen in the Pioneer Company. For years Pioneer has been making good, quality audio equipment for home and car stereo systems. However, Pioneer was also one of the first companies to introduce plasma televisions into the consumer market. Now Pioneer still makes their stereo equipment, but they have also begun to sell these TV’s and stuff.

    I believe that in the next 20 years, almost all companies like Apple, IBM, and Hewlett Packard will transform and shift to selling all of these new technological products. If the companies in the IT market do not make this transition, they will be left behind, which could only end in ultimate disaster for them. The companies that do make the switch and make it early will profit big from this market. I think these companies, however, need to be controlled and monitored better than the early Microsoft Corporation was. None of these companies should be allowed to monopolize any of the specific product markets, the way that Microsoft essentially did. Times change and if you don’t learn to change with time, then you will only be left out in the cold.

  7. I don’t think the answer is as obvious as some may think. Initially, it seems that obviously computer compaines will become much more profitable. However, if we get sucked into thinking this way, we haven’t learned from the past.

    The past has shown how the computer can change literally overnight. What computer companies think is “forward thinking” and “profitable” may turn out to be way off base. Apple began the PC market booming, and they never thought after the Apple II that they would be in economic trouble by the mid 80s. Other companies passed them because their “guess” as to where the market was moving was more correct.

    My answer is that I believe there are many more uses for a computer than most have even thought. No one knows what the limits are; therefore, companies will continue to spend much of their budgets on service, software, and other computer-like tools to put themselves ahead of the “class”. This is why I think the biggest computer companies will focus on computers, but the PC will be put on the backburner as other opportunities will look “greener” than the PC (i.e. smaller and more mobile).

    However, it is my belief that life goes full circle, so companies that are ahead now, will go through economic downfall. The opposite can be said for the up-and-coming companies, as they will become more popular then anyone believes. Beware of the past.

  8. I believe that companies such as IBM, Apple, and Hewlett Packard will continue to branch out and manufacture a variety of products that are used for both recreation and business. They will continue to produce what the consumers want, and what the consumers want are the newest, fastest and coolest gadgets that these companies can make.

    In 20 years, I believe companies like these will be involved with a lot more than just computer hardware and software and will be some of the richest and most profitable companies there are. Soon, everyone will own cell phone, computer, palm pilot, iPod, and everything else you can imagine these companies to think up and if you don’t, then you’re left behind in this technologically driven society. And of course, you don’t want to be left behind, right?

    This is how these companies, such as IBM, Apple, and Hewlett Packard, are going to become so huge, because we’re pushing society in their direction. If we all stopped buying these things, these companies would go out of business, but of course we won’t stop because in today’s world, we all want the biggest, best, newest, fastest, and most expensive things we can find. Maybe in the future, companies like these will merge and become one giant superpower. They could begin to sell products that you would never expect them to sell today. You never know…maybe one day you’ll be grocery shopping and instead of getting Captain Crunch you’ll be buying IBM Crunch with Hewlett Packard brand milk.

  9. It is very apparent that computer companies are moving into other business areas to stay forward thinking in recent years. Technology is changing at such a rapid pace nowadays that once you buy a computer, ipod, or cellphone, three months later it could be out of date. Companies like IBM, Apple, and Hewlett Packard have realized that there is much more room for technological advancements in software that will benefit the consumers and ultimately make them more profitable. In 20 years I believe that hardware advancements will slow and advancements in software, services, and peripheral devices will continue through out the 21st century.

  10. I believe the technology trend will continue. Companies spend millions of dollars for research and development to stay ahead of the others. Every few months something new appears on the market that everyone wants. Computers and other electronic devices are smaller and faster than ever before.
    The large companies like IBM and Apple will have to diversity in order to stay in business. They need to have their hands into many pots to stay competitive with the other global leaders of computers. Dell is trying to sell printers because of the large mark-up and I believe others will follow to stay in direct competition with the front runners.

  11. In 20 years, I think the same companies will still be on top but will have branched out from their normal computer making duties. They will be creating cameras, MP3 players, printers, etc. Anything that could be considered new technology, I think these companies will invest into and buy up the smaller companies. The only way for them to stay on top is to stay ahead of their competition and these companies are willing to do that. The companies in 20 years will have their hand in every part of computer technology by owning parts of the companies that they are using in their machines. For example, if they were using a specific type of software in their machines, they would want to own part of that company so their arn’t paying out some of their profits. They almost act as a monopoly because they want all the “additional equiptment” for computers to be compatible and user friendly and will pay other companies to cater to their needs and to make life easier for their customers.

  12. Computer hardware has kept on advancing but can only go so far in the future. People will not be buying new hardware equipment or computers all the time. The public will buy when it seems fit when their current technology is outdated. Software is something that will continuously be bought all the time. Just look at where the companies make their money and they make most of their money off software. Technology and computers are great but you need the software to make it accessible to the user. Microsoft is a great example of how they made billions off of their operating system Windows. I believe competing in the hardware business is harder than in the software because you need to make a next generation hardware product to make a lot of money compared to the software business where if you make a unique and useful product it can sell. I believe the trend will continue as long as companies find the software side more profitable.

    A company like IBM unveiled the PC about 20 years ago and now they do not even deal with hardware. They eventually decided to drop off their hardware side and began focusing on software only. They now are a huge software giant and keep on advancing the business world. IBM will continue to focus on the intergration of technolgy to businesses because that is what they seem to be succeeding.

    Apple has always had trouble competing with the PC and it seems like they are going by the saying “if you cant beat them, join them.” It seems like they are slowly giving up the hardware business and starting to get into the software, services, and peripherals part of the business. They are now allowing programs and accessories such as the iPod and iTunes to be compatible with their competitor Microsoft Windows. I believe in the next 20 years that Apple will competely get rid of computer production and focus mainly on software. They will continue to create innovative products and software for the PC and thats where they will focus their attention in making the most profit. You never know how far you can push the computer and the limits seem endless in the technology driven world.

  13. Every company will try to make a profit no matter how they do it. Companies seem to be already broadening there horizons with IPOD’s and other assorted new things to play with. I’d like to address that “I Robot” is a movie that a whole bunch of robots turned evil and tried to kill everyone. You cant really relate that to real life. I do understand though that companies will become more fierce and competitive in the next 20 years and will make more cool toys that everyone else can play with. Every thing that they really create is just another toy for the rich masses to play with till they get bored. I do not think that in 20 years we will create robots to destroy ourselves though, thats really just my opinion though.

  14. With the demand from consumers, those being businesses and households, being so high for new and faster technology companies have no choice but to expand into different fields where there is opportune growth. I would have to agree with Isiah about the who idea along with the “I Robot” movie. That was the first thing that came to mind when thinking about where we would be in 20 or so years. The competition is fierce and competitive especially when there are new markets to be made. I can only imagine what will be readily available for my children’s consumption. If I had to guess what direction the technological field is going to feed into would be in the transportation industry. I think much headway could be made to make transportation much more efficient and user friendly. Ultimately though, I think technology is going to be advancing in all areas of our society.

  15. This branching out trend must and will continue. There is no other way for these businesses to stay profitable. If they were not to branch out into areas other than just hardware they would fail. IBM, Apple, and HP will be very different twenty years from now. They probably won’t even make computers anymore in the sense that we think of them.
    A trend that we have been seeing for years now is computer hardware is becoming faster and cheaper. However, the software like Microsoft Office is becoming increasingly expensive. You can buy fully loaded PC’s for $500 today and they are thousands of times the speed of the ones you paid $2000 for 5 years ago. If companies such as these continued to just produce hardware they would surely fail.
    I think they will put lots of money into R&D and continue to look for ways to make computers smaller, more mobile and more compatible with voice recognition. I also see things like nanotechnology (maybe in more then 20 years) taking over and small chips being used everywhere.
    It is too hard to predict the future and nobody knows what these companies might look like. According to our parents generation there would be flying cars and people living on the moon by now. So who knows what will become of them, but I can guarantee they will look completely different.

  16. When knowing how companies like Apple, IBM, and Hewlett Packard have developed over the years I feel that in 20 years they will still be on top. Everyday new technology is being researched and developed and these companies will continue to grow, develop, and compete with one another. In order for them to be able to continue to be as successful as they are, they’re defiantly going to have to expand their areas of focus into other aspects of business. When looking back in history and seeing how computers and their parts were developed, how the world wide web began, and the decline of Apple in the 80s, shows just how quickly technology changes and how fierce companies have to be in order to be on top. Due to the continuous changing of technology it’s only obvious that other business arenas are going to be affected by the advancements. Overall, the world is a difficult place to live and if you want to stay on top you need to keep up with the people on top. If they’re going to move their business strategies into other areas of business, then you’re going to have to do the same.

  17. I agree with what Mike Hollen said earlier in the post. Although most people would assume that branching, not necessarily away from hardware, but into other areas of technology would immensely increase profits may not be true. The reason one could give for such a conclusion is that there is no way to definately predict the market, and what products need to be produced, or what the consumer wants.

    Branching out is entirely experimental, and experiments can fail, but they can also be a huge success. I’m leaning to somewhere in between. Major hardware companies like Apple and IBM, have enough money as of now to produce a range of products and most likely sell them to the point where they may not make profit, but at least they’ll end out even.

    Although as someone else said we don’t know the capabilities of the hardware produced in the future, we also don’t know the capabilities of any of these other technologies. So in turn venturing out into other markets is an experimental, risky idea, but my guess is that it almost cannot turn out negatively.

  18. With Geralds post I agree with his middle section about companies either having a huge success or failure. I think that IBM, Apple and HP hold a lot of potential for the future and theres no way to pinpoint what sort of things are coming out within these years. In the article www and the interent it says how connectivity and interactivity are the newest revolutions, I can only see these two topics expanding even more after 5 years not to mention 20, and Apple and other companies will be desigining software and devices that will keep us more connected then we can imagine. In some ways this may be benefitial to our social problem we have with the interent and such. Maybe some sort of design will help improve the social aspect greatly by making it a lot more personal when commmunicating. I definitely think this trend of increasing products and technicality will continue as the years do, and most likely each company will have big successes in it.

  19. Just as Apple, a manufacturer of complete computers is producing portable music devices (iPods), Creative Labs is doing the same. But I think it makes much more sense for Creative Labs to be producing portable media devices than a company like Apple. In case someone does not know, Creative Labs originally made sound cards for PCs. Although an mp3 player is not a soundcard, Creative Labs is incorporating their soundcard technology into their mp3 players. I honestly do not know if Apple makes its own hardware, but I bet it does not. Thus it makes little sense for Apple to be producing mp3 players. Had Apple not been so clever in making a ‘cute’ little iPod and marketed it well, I am sure that everyone would be walking around with Creative Jukebox Zens, and not iPods, because the Jukebox produces much better sound quality, due to its being made by a sound card producer.

    I think that future endeavors by companies to enter the peripheral device market will fail, unless that company has a strong base in the same general field, such as Creative Labs with sound hardware. This is because the competition will be too great (everyone will be jumping on this new opportunity to expand into new fields), and only those who actually make decent products will succeed, and a company’s experience in a field will yield decent products in that same general field.

    I feel the same about software too; I do not think a company like Hewlett Packard will have much success in developing software when pitted against Microsoft, which has tons of experience in the software development field, just as I do not see Microsoft doing well when competing in the printer business with HP.

    But, hey, Apple managed to trick loads of people into buying the iPod even though there were many better devices out there, and Microsoft could probably make its own mp3 players and muscle Apple and Creative Labs out of business via monopolistic behavior, so, maybe I am wrong about all this!

  20. In an effort to stay forward thinking and profitable, many traditional computer hardware companies are moving to other business arenas. Many are focusing on software, services and peripheral devices. I believe that this trend will continue for the next several years.
    Many large companies are looking for ways to strengthen their traditional hardware businesses. Several smaller companies are offering hardware at discount prices. This has cut into the profits for the
    computer giants. It is likely that this trend will continue.
    Traditional computer hardware companies are broadening the scope of their businesses to become all-around information technology companies. Many are moving into the service arena. Some companies feel that since organizations and businesses buy equipment and software from their company, why not offer them a service to run it for them. Allowing customers to do
    one stop shopping sounds like a good idea.
    The future of the computer software and peripherals business appears to be bright. Companies such as Microsoft may be just at the beginning of
    what they can do with software. Opportunities in areas such as business intelligence, video conferencing and computer security appear to be opening up. There seems to be an increasing need for business applications that
    manage tasks such as accounting and customer service as well.
    However, the future of the desktop computer industry is precarious, as the need for portability increases. Computer displays are becoming untethered from CPU’s. Twenty years from now it will be common for them to be found all over the house receiving data over wireless connections. Laptops will incorporate new shapes that could look like a PDA or even a magazine. PC colors and shapes will be personalized. Personal computers will high-resolution visual displays will come in a variety of sizes from those small enough to be embedded in clothing up to the size of a book.
    In order for companies like IBM, Apple, and HP to stay on top, they will have to invest money into hardware as well as software, services and peripherals. Plastic chips could supplant silicon chips in a growing number of current applications in the near future. Twenty years from now a typical home may have hundreds of containers, toys, medicine bottles, etc. which could be given the computer capability of plastic chips. These chips could tell us when we are running low on milk or when the baby’s medicine is nearly gone.
    In the near future, computers will be almost invisible. They will be embedded everywhere – in walls, furniture and even bodies. Virtual reality displays will be embedded in glasses and contacts. Automated cars will be built and driving systems will be installed in many roads. Most routine business transactions will take place between and individual and an animated visual presence that looks like a face.
    All of these innovations require diversified computer firms if they are to run smoothly and efficiently. The successful computer firms of the
    future will need to move into other business arenas if they want to stay profitable. Technology is expanding at a fast pace and today’s businesses must keep up with it or they will be left behind.

  21. I think that IBM, Apple, and HP will continue on the current trend of focusing on new software, services and devices. Within the past decade or so, cell phones, PDAs, MP3 players, ect. all have become neccessity items to the general population. These are all products that everyone didn’t know they needed or wanted before they were introduced. Now, they are something we rely on. The trend of introducting new, innovative and exciting products will continue into the future. If companies can not keep up with this, they will eventually fail. Right now a wireless mouse or keyboard are still relatively new, and not something that everyone has. In the next couple of years, I think that in the standard package, these items will be included. Eventually, everyone will have wireless internet, printers, speakers, keyboard, monitors, ect. People won’t have to worry about forgetting cables when moving back to school. Sometime in the future, students won’t have to type a response to this question. Voice recognition programs will mature and will have the ease of use so that anyone can use it. About 5 or so years ago, my family invested in this type of program and was greatly disappointed by it. It was almost impossible for the computer to recognize what I was saying after the hour plus time it took to set up my voice into the system. Programs like this and may other types will be perfected and created to make computing and life easier and faster. Companies will need to be smarter, cheaper, and more competitive then. It will be a race to see which company will have the biggest market share or which company will come out with the next new product. Companies are going to continue on the trend of forward thinking and profitability to ensure their success in the market. In twenty years, they will still be coming out with the next best thing; products we never knew we needed or wanted.

  22. I am honestly surprised Apple and Microsoft haven’t come out with wireless phones and cameras. Just think of it, your cell phone could link up with your computer which could link up to your mp3 player that could link up your website or email that would link up to your camera that would link up to etc. You could simply sync up your entire life. You’d have your Apple people who only use Apple electronics and appliances, you’d have Microsoft people, and so on and so on.

    It seems like it would make sense. A great deal of these companies such as Apple have strong followings, therefore why not make everything from phones, computers, appliances, media devices, to any other electronic for their supporters. I think this trend will definately continue, that is unless for some reason the government butts in and starts trust busting.

    The main reason I think this trend will continue is because so many electronics now rely on the computer and software backing so it only makes sense to have the computer and software manufacturer produce the cameras, mp3 players, cell phones, and recording equipment.

    I think the companies of the future are going to produce so many different products that people will wrap their whole lives around a specific company for their digital needs. You’ll have people who support one company like Microsoft or Apple and deny every other company. It will perhaps be like the Steelers vs. Eagles battle here at Penn State. You’ll love what you know and grew accustom to and hate it’s competitors.

    In order for these companies to grow they are going to have to give people the coolest and newest things and that means producing something other than just computers and software.

  23. Of course this trend will continue. IBM, Apple, Dell, they are all companies who are out to make a profit. They are going to do it any way possible. Look at Apple with thier I-pod, how many people do you know that have I-pods, I know alot. These companies figured out that there is alot more money to be made out there if they branch off from just computers. Now days it is not just the hardware that you provide for people, but the software that helps sell. Anything that is lesiure and can be hooked up to thier companies computer, they will sell right along with it. Look at Apple, if you spend enough money on a computer, you get a free i-pod with it. Twenty years from now computer compaines are going to have things that I can not even imagian right now. I think that there is going to be less and less emphasis on home computers, and more emphasis on what new product that they came out with.

  24. Expansion, expansion, expansion… Inevitability is my favorite term. New software, services and peripheral devices will always need to be developed to keep up with our ongoing, technological driven society. Innovation will not stop with IBM, Apple, Microsoft or any other company of the sort. Therefore to keep up with society’s demand for more, these companies have no choice but to thrive and keep up with the competition. It’s a dog eat dog world and no one’s going to just settle for second place. And as long as these hi-tech companies have a grip on our culture (as they certainly do) they can basically expand beyond all expected limitations (as they have been doing). Who knows what the latest fad could be. Someone mentioned wireless phones and cameras. Why that’s a great idea that could be the next big thing for one of these companies. Who knows they could even begin to manufacture digitized vehicles. “There are only two possible states in any electronic circuit: on or off”(https://solutions.ist.psu.edu/oist/courses_v2/110/content/03_03_02.html). There are only two possible states in a thriving global marketplace: in or out. The sky is the limit here folks.

  25. I believe that as companies shift their businesses towards other areas, such as software and services, comapanies will begin to become more specialized. There will still be companies out there that will keep making nothing but hardware to take advantage of other companies getting out of the market by shifting their businesses towards software and services.
    Big companies like Apple, Hewlett Packard, and IBM may be nothing but software companies 20 years from now, not even having any computer models on the market. This shift to software, if successful enough, will probly be to the companies’ advantage as far as profit goes. As mentioned before though, there will probably be companies out there that will continue to produce hardware to take advantage of this shift. Without hardware to run the information systems, the software companies will make no profit.
    Specialization of the companies, whether it would be shifting to software alone or continuing to produce hardware in the long run may be more beneficial to the consumer. Shifting production to a few, possibly even one type of product alone, may cause the companies’ products to become even better through this specialization. Large companies have a lot of money, meaning they can afford to produce something else and still have it be a good product.
    In the long run I think this shifting of production to software and services could be good for other smaller companies, by letting them take advantage of this shift, and to the consumer by taking advantage of the specialization of these companies.

  26. I believe that large companies like IBM, Apple, Hewlett Packard and many more will continue to branch out until too many products are competing with each other, then each company will become integrated with others. Then there will be only three or four actual companies but with a million different names. A perfect example of this is car companies, Ford, GM, and Toyota are what really is left of Jaguars, Chevy’s, Lexus’s, etc.

  27. I definitely think the trend of tradition computer hardware companies, such as Apple, IBM, and Hewlett Packard, moving into other business areas to stay with forward thinking and profitability. As we learned in our powerpoint presentations, companies can make great stuff and blow up beyond proportions, but everyonce in awhile, get a dud. With that lab, I also saw the different ways that markets work and how crazy they really are, any one company could come on top regardless of the quality of their product. I think that is the scariest part of all of this, I definitely think they are just going to keep blowing up, millions upon billions of dollars will float through the air landing in Bill Gates outstretched platinum covered fingers. They have the money to make any product, they can hire people that are the best in that field and make an incredible product, the resources are there, of course they are going to use these resources to make more and more money. That is the way the world works. Money is power and power is fun. Also, anytime one of them comes out with a product, the other competing companies will come out with a similar device to put into the market. The competition is throat to throat and it will only get worse. The only thing I can really hope for is that I can tell the best products and put my money into them instead of the poor ones. The world is changing, computers and the technology that has webbed around them is everywhere, it is too big to fail, it will only get bigger. Companies will do anything to keep up with it against their rivals and anytime there is tough competition revolutionary concepts will be born out of them.

  28. I believe that companies like Apple, IBM, HP, etc will continue focus on software, services, and peripheral devices. The industry that produces these products is rising and demand is getting higher for it. Take Microsoft for example, they dove into the videogame market with the X-box. They also produce games for it as well as a lot of other developers and they have been pretty successful in it overall. With the arrival of the next generation hand-held systems, the PSP and the DS, I wouldn’t be surprised if those companies started developing in this industry. With mp3, online, and DVD capabilities, there are many aspects to work with. In 20 years I can imagine flying cars, teleporting booths, video pay phones, 3d virtual reality games everywhere but that maybe too early unless we had an enormous technological boom. Although I do believe that transportation would be the next thing to focus on. It is one of the biggest conveniences, but it also comes with many problems such as fuel consumption. One day there may be a way to use a natural resource that can be replenished easily as fuel.

  29. I feel IBM, Apple and HP will be the powerhouses of the computer industry beyond the next twenty years. Even after Apple’s popularity was low, they managed to come out as an even more respected computer company than they were before. They will continue to turn out revolutionary ideas for the mobility of technology and the networking of information. My guess, is that in 20 years, we will be communicating through nanomachines implanted in our heads. Cell phones seem to be getting smaller and smaller these days so I think the next step is making them microscopic.

    The focus of the industry is turning to the consumer. They are constantly making devices easier to use as well as adding more uses to them. Software is getting faster and services are becoming more abundant. As a result, the profits of these companies are rising. In the long run, the companies that are always looking forward for bettering computer industry will always come out on top.

  30. Lots of traditional computer hardware companies are moving towards to other business goals, which stay forward thinking and profitable. Nowadays, it is the revolution and evolution of technology. I definitely believe that the trend in focusing the development on software, services and peripheral devices would continue.

    Firstly, we can all see the significant improvement in computer hardware in IBM over century. According to the reference from History of computing, it said that the first IBM symbolic programming languages were introduced: FORTRAN, in 1953 and BASIC, in 1963. Then IBM continued with the vigorous improvement among the competitors. And IBM commercial computer was firstly introduced to the market in 1953. Moreover, by 1964, IBM had invented System/360 family of computer that standardlize fro business users. Also, in 1981, IBM firstly introduced its first PC that capture the top market share within two years. Here, we see the significant improvement for traditional computer companies, like IBM, which stay both profitable and forward thinking strategies.

    Furthermore, the founder of Apple also showed the goals to move his hardware company to a more profitable and forward thinking business skills. To begin with, Apple developed its first personal computer specifically for home use. It focused on the easy-to-use keyboard and screen. Then in 1984, Apple introduced the new Macintosh computer, which featured with user-friendly system. And in 1997, Apple settled with Microsoft claims and managed to develop more applications for the Macintosh. Throughout the decades, we all see the dynamical innovations for Apple towards it goals and values of profits and innovations.

    Though we have knew there are profits and innovative thinking in those hardware companies. However, after twenty years these companies would go through another vigorous evolution era. Now, let we step to the future.

    In twenty years, I think the companies like IBM, Apple and HP will have a horizontal integration for their business. As mentioned in the reading, because more changes take place in a smaller amount of time. It is very worthwhile for big hardware companies to join together and share their technology and knowledge to deal with this evolutive technology. Further than that there are lots of big hardware companies join together and make new innovations. Hence, during the nineties, Apple initiated a relationship with Microsoft. Microsoft eventually became part of the owner of Apple by taking $150 million of Apple’s share. In return, Microsoft settled down with the patents claims with Apple and Apple continued to develop the applications for Macintosh.

    Overall, I strongly believe the focus on the development on software, services and peripheral devices would continue with the great examples from IBM and Apple. Also, in twenty years, there would be interaction for investment with big software companies for more product innovation.

    By Michelle Cheung

  31. I foresee many of the major companies such as IBM and Apple branching into even more sub-companies than already exist. I believe that the trends we are seeing now, with companies moving more towards software and other accesories for computers, are only going to continue at a faster rate in the next few years.

    These companies realize that with the many different manufacturers now in the marketplace distributing such a mass quantity of these parts, they no longer have the control over basic hardware for the home and office computers. Where just a decade ago, you had nearly no choice but to buy from a large company like HP or IBM, you can now build your own PC to your very own specifications with nearly no training whatsoever.

    This is what is driving many of these companies towards new ideas for making money. The companies that survive the next 20 years will be the most innovative ones – Hardware is no longer the problem that PC owners have, it’s the integration of that hardware with user-friendly, ground-breaking software that most consumers crave now. They want easier, more accessible ways to live their “digital lives” without interruption and without confusion; And the companies that put out the best software and devices are going to be the richest in the next 20 years.

  32. In the provided reading, we see the evolutionary nature of computers and the related industries. The question is how will the “long standing” hardware companies adapt and evolve in the coming markets and thus survive changing in consumer needs.

    Evolution in the Research and Development lab to a product on the shelf is many times stalled due to the profit nature of any company. Just as Windows 95, 98, 2000, and XP on a micro-scale have been update at the time when the profit margin of the previous edition is waning. Those things that could be implemented now if money was dedicated to them will have to wait until the those current goods are rendered unprofitable.

    I think we will continue to see hardware companies such as Dell continue to market products such as complete entrainment. One unit that provides wireless games, TV, phone, other current computer application, micro-DVD, etc. Basically making those current luxury items that you see on MTV’s cribs – main stream. There are some that will change markets if needed. As the Gateway Plasma TV was a good venture, it PC sales tumbled. I don’t think it is out the question to see the 2020 Gateway-Maytag Washer (even one that washes and drys all in the same unit), or Amana-Gateway Kitchen system. More full integration items – “Complete” network kitchens, or bathroom, etc..

    As wireless connections and networks become more reliable – I also see hardwiring go away in the home and also with our telephone polls. The replacement might be a multipurpose tower that serves every block, or every neighbor, or even a whole town. We will think back – all those wires – what a nuisance that was. Another great trick will be the wireless – electricity, or a wireless cheap power source. Ok – it’s getting a little crazy. Solar power.

    I see IBM turning more and more to services. Providing servers, but continue to consult to set up and maintain those items. I thinks these functions will always be needed.

    Once again the down fall of all this connectiveness will be personal privacy. Will the governments be able to keep up with the times and provide the necessary protections? Will we become a more sedentary society, or more active since our lives will be so efficient?

    Business models show use there is a linear progress and predictability of many markets. Looking at the past and present can give us a good idea of the coming future. There will also be the unpredictable technological advance that is discovered – while we are creating these predictable item. Products from undiscovered technologies are purely speculation and best left to the fiction writers.

  33. I think that these companies almost have to broaden their sales spectrum. Computers themselves have gone down in cost significantly. I remember when my family bought a Pentium 1 166 megahertz computer; it cost around $4000 dollars. Now you can get a 3 gigahertz dell for $5650. Do to this dramatic drop in prices I think that the computer vendors are not making as much money on the actual computer. They have to make up the difference selling software, services, and peripheral devices.

    I think this trend will continue. I believe eventually the peripheral devices will come down in price as the computers themselves have. Today to get a 40 gigabyte Ipod it costs $399 from apple.com. You can get a 2.8 gigahertz Pentium 4 dell, with a 17 inch monitor, and a 40 gigabyte hard drive for $650 dollars, probably cheaper than that after deals. My point is you’re getting a lot more from dell than you are in the Ipod and the Ipod is still that much money. Inside that Ipod is a laptop 2.5 inch hard drive. The 40 gig hard drive can be bought for $75 online. Where is that other $324 dollars going? Does it really cost 324 dollars for the rest of that Ipod? This is where the companies have to make their money.

    In 20 years, I believe that Apple and Dell will still be around. Apple kind of has its own market. They have survived this long and I believe they will continue to do so. Dell has started putting their names on different equipment like printers. They have also become large in the selling of servers and networking equipment. As for Hewlett Packard I am not sure. Hewlett Packard merged with Compaq in the past year. Gateway has been struggling to stay afloat. They tried making all the Gateway Country stores. From what I heard they made too many too quick and got caught in a bind. IBM is not even that big into selling computers anymore. They have adapted to selling mostly servers and enterprise solutions. I believe they realized computers were not making as much of a profit so, they have changed their directions.

    I believe these companies cannot just sell computers anymore. Computers themselves are not as profitable as they were. Companies have to expand their sales spectrum to make up the money they used to make on computers. Whether they sell peripheral devices, servers and networking equipment they have to make money elsewhere.

  34. almost all companies are doing this to some extent…TO MAKE MORE PROFIT…and to diversify so that when there is a slow down in the computer market it won’t hit their bottom line as hard if they r still selling other products…HP, Apple, Dell, and Gateway as do this now…some companies like Gateway end up doing better business in other areas like plasma TVs or digital cameras…but most of these companies expand to make more money…because they have to do it…for their owners..aka the shareholders of their companies…which in most cases is people like us…so as a company they have to keep changing and innovating…much like microsoft(which as a company i hate with a passion) has done…they went from just operating systems to office suites, web browers, media components, game consoles, etc, etc, etc…and as another person here said eventually there will probably be huge conglomorates formed like there r in other industries like media/entertainment, automotive, and a few others as well

  35. As much as we like to think IBM or Apple as a technology innovator, they still are businesses. And the goal of each business is to create a profit. Companies can no longer specialize in one product; they have to create and array of products that meet the demand of consumers in this fast growing age of being lazy. Whether it be warming up a frozen product in two seconds or creating a new type of business technology solution for corporations, technology will assist us more everyday. Also IBM and Apple are no longer the monopolies that they once were, and to remain competitive they must move into different markets to differentiate themselves to maintain their reputations.

    Hardware is no longer the mainstream area of technology; Information is. With the World Wide Web dominating all aspects of life, companies like Hewlett Packard are creating new business strategy call Adaptive Enterprise. This is a special strategy that combines both IT and business solutions. More specifically it helps streamlines and consolidates businesses so that HP can regulate more effectively. IBM is creating database engines to effectively hold information that can be accessed more easily by its customers and workers as well. On the other end of the spectrum, they are creating new tools called e-Learning. This is an instrument in order to help facilitate teaching by streaming video conferences, and object oriented interfaces that will make learning more interactive.

    With the computers to create strategies for war, or counting machines that will make someone more productive, technology has been revolutionized by the growing demand for more solutions to life. The revolution is continuing and hardware companies are not the only ones being effective. My favorite store Sheets has now integrated a customer service system that can perform orders electronically. What does this do? Eliminates extra over head costs, allows workers to become more productive, lower waiting times; the benefits are endless. Oh and on top of that they are a gas company. But the point is that it’s no longer just a gas fill station. It’s become the ultra mini-mart now. I can not even imagine what companies like IBM will be able to do in the future. I think one thing that will change is our homes where we live. I think everything can be integrated into the computer. Some of my ideas include: our laundry, timers on when to cook, purifying the air we breathe, monitoring our body conditions. Simplification is key and integrating computers to do everything for us is the future.

  36. As consumers are demanding new and faster technology, traditional hardware companies have no chose but to meet these demands. It’s hard to say exactly what IBM, Apple, and Hewlett Packard will look like in years to come, because it’s hard to tell if the computers as we know them will still exist.

    From personal experience, two years ago I was more than happy to get a new Hewlett Packard laptop. I thought that the programs it came with were more than sufficient to meet my needs. I had the basic Microsoft Office Package as well as random services that most new computers consist of. Now, two years later, I find my computer to be lacking in the newest programs. With the new digital age taking over, I find myself wishing that I had the latest digital cameras, and the software to go along with it. Although not the biggest music fan, I can see how an iPod is ideal for any music lover. Forget the CDs, your iPod can store more songs than you’ve heard of.

    New hardware can be created to speed up technology, but without the software and devices that go along with it, the hardware is useless. However, only will IBM and the others companies be successful if they can balance both the hardware and software productions. Without one, the other is not sufficient.

  37. In order to guess where we’ll be in terns of computer technology in 20 years, we must first look at where we were 20 years ago compared to now. Well, that’s pretty easy. 20 years ago, personal computers were just getting their start. Now how many households do you know of that don’t have a computer. For that matter, how many people do you know of that have more than one computer, maybe a laptop and a desktop, two desktops with one simply being an “old” or outdated computer. Today people use computers everyday to do almost everything from shopping and banking to gaming, research, and word processing. With such a drastic change in only 20 years, it is hard to imagine what will come in the next 20 years. I think that companies such as IBM, Apple, and Hewlett Packard will only grow into more massive empires then they already are. They will continue to expand their companies into areas where computers aren’t the driving force. For example we’re already seeing this in the music industry. After the mp3 came along, the music industry started its collision course for the computing industry. That gave rise to the ipod. The ipod is a portable mp3 player, which is now being used for much more than just listening to music, who knows how duke will use the ipod in education. In 20 years. The computer industry might very well be the music industry, the flim industry, a very large part of the construction industry as rooms will adjust to those in them. Its hard to even begin to think about 20 years from now, but one thing is for sure the sky isn’t even near the limit.

  38. I definately believe that the computer industries such as IBM, Apple and Hewlett-Packard are goig to expand their companies to create numerous devices that attach to their computer and could be used away from the home or office. However, I believe that the company that will come out on top will be the one that can find a way to incorporate many devices, such as mp3 player, e-mail receiver, and be able to take pictures etc., into one device. I know that will be far in the future, but people are not going to want to carry around many different devices. Society is all about how small and how easy. I believe that a very small company could develop such technology and end up the largest out of any company. If the larger companies get so caught up in add-ons then they may end up with so many products that there will be a dinished market. Therefore, as for now, I believe the trend will continue, however I believe that the smarter companies will stop trying to expand their number of products and start trying to combine products.

  39. One thing is always certain in any business, whether it be IBM, Mac, or HP. If you can make profit a business will do it. If the public expresses interest to see a certain type of product there will always be a supply. This demand and competition will push these companies to come out with new and innovative projects. Some ideas that are just gaining interest are ways to keep all that vital information on your computer safe. Many companies are experimenting with retinal scans and voice prints to allow access to one’s own computer. These advancements might even be used to make secure online commerce even more secure. Companies that make advancements in all areas of technology and computing, not only with accelerating advances in speed will be the businesses still doing business in the years to come. At the rate in which we as a society have advanced in that past 20 years technologically, the next 20 years could lead to advancements at ten times the current rate.

  40. Computers and technology in general are integrated into so many facets of our society today, that it seems only logical that computer hardware companies would want to branch out with this expansion. Companies like Dell now sell peripheral devices along with their computers and offer packages as incentive to buy them. I think this trend will undoubtedly continue, as computers become more prevalent in all areas of business and everyday life.

    One example that comes to mind is HP’s advances in nanotechnology. The applications of this technology are vast, and could even extend to medical treatments which have the potential to revolutionize the industry in years to come. Companies like HP, Apple and IBM are sure to attempt to stay “forward thinking” and innovative so as to predict and even project where the next big advances in technology are going to occur.

    However, if one thing is certain, it’s that change will be a constant. It may be difficult to stay on top and be competitve in a marketplace that can change so quickly. Looking back at this week’s reading and the history of computers, this fact is evident. Twenty years down the road, there are sure to be new faces on the scene. Although I would still expect companies like Apple, HP and IBM to be major factors, their roles will probably be more diversified, partially due to this trend of industry emigration

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