Exam 1A: 361N: Fall 07 : Name ________________________________
1. What is
the relationship between a diode and binary numbers.
2. What is the difference between phone
and CD grade digitization?
3. Name
and very briefly discuss another technology based on IC technology
miniaturization
4. What is a client-server computer
network?
5. What are two differences between computer (packet or
asymmetric) and voice (continuous or symmetric) communication?
6. What is compression and how is
compression related to ShannonŐs law
7. Define
discovery, invention and innovation and give an incentive for each?
8.
Standards: Give an example of a standard. Why are standards necessary with
information technology? What are the economics of setting standards? Why does the industry as a whole
benefit, but individual players do not have identical interests.
9. What his been the trend in the number
of electronic components on a chip since 1960? What economic factor limits the rate at which firms can
profitably increase the number of components on a chip? How do firms expand
this limit? What ultimately limits
the number of components on a chip?
10. Briefly discuss with two examples how
economic forces promote software firms to create software that increases the
efficiency of the final user.
11 Define
teleconferencing and telecommuting and explain the difference. What are the economics?
12 How
competitive is local communication in Austin, Tx
Name______________________________________________
Research
question I Communications
1. Internet:
a. Which countries have broader band internet and why? (Why are houses much
closer together making delivery easier)
b. What is AT&T doing to compete with cable in supplying internet
services? If you live in San Antonio you may well have the new service.
2. Cell phone
PDA
a. What is the variation in cell phones/PDA around the world? Are we the
best?
b. In what countries can you use your cell phone to buy merchandise? When might
that come here.
c. Is the cell phone-pda moving towards a universal device. If so what
services is it likely to offer.