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.