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There are a number of points of view when it comes to determining the future direction of how the average consumer will most commonly interact with a personal computing device, whether it be the next 5, 10 or 20 years. When Bill Gates revolutionized the PC industry with the development of software, or Windows operating system, designed to run over the already prevalent DOS, this heralded a new beginning in the way a vast majority of people interacted with computers.

Windows rearranged the interface of where man meets computer, although some controversy exists as to where this new template, or designed originated. Many claim Gates borrowed the idea for Windows from Steve Jobs, founder and developer of Apple’s operating system – also window-based. Nevertheless, Gates introduced the concept to an already established market of IBM / PC users. This brought Microsoft towards the forefront in personal computing innovation and near monopoly of what software ultimately made it and succeeded in the marketplace of Windows-based PC products. This includes the emergence of Internet Explorer web browser, a software that eventually eclipsed the original innovator and one-time market leader, Netscape. Another example is the MS Office Suite that also eventually too market control from Corel’s Wordperfect Suite.

Yet, as IBM and DOS gave way to Microsoft and a whole new generation of cost-efficient PC manufacturers, so now it seems that Microsoft is giving way to the next wave of innovation in PC computing. What may have started as the simple and even inconspicuous success of the Apple iPod in music players, has eventually morphed into a world-wide rush and huge market acceptance of similar Apple products such as the iPhone and iPad that once again have revolutionized how the general public interacts with personal computing devices. Only this time not so much in the manner of a desktop PC limited to productivity software, but by way of highly mobile, multimedia, productivity and internet search capable devices.

Computers have come a long way since they were first invented in the 1940’s. No longer do they occupy whole rooms or consume excessive amounts of energy. Computers were first developed as devices used to perform calculations and were not programmable. As science and technology advanced, computers became more flexible in their use and practicality. Today, computers are involved in everything we do, from sending a text messages and playing video games to building the cars we drive.

Select any industry and you will find technology by way of computers has made a lasting impact. Consider farming, for example, where crop rotations and crop harvesting were once calculated by hand and gathered by hand. Now huge fields of wheat or corn are planted and in some cases grown using biotechnology, where genetically engineered foods can now be grown at faster rates, for example. These same fields are also harvested using giant machines with many times the capability of man or animal and designed and built using computer technology.

How far will computer technology go and what new advances will our generation see, and multiple generations after that? Nobody knows for certain but many have tried to estimate its impact. From science fiction novels to industrialists and economists, computers, or any programmable device used to perform multiple calculations at lighting fast speeds are anticipated to continue to play a vastly important role in how we work, play, continue to develop as society. We are already in what some macro economists call the Information Age, an age post-Industrial where certain rules once applicable to the Industrial Age no longer apply. This is an age where individuals play a vastly more important and influential role than ever before in our recorded history. One man can now use a computer to start a business, run it and work from anywhere in the world. How far will we go and to what ends will we reach with faster and more efficient computer technology? Only time can truly tell.

BlackBerry unveiled its latest model this week and the sleek new gadget is set up to give the iPhone a run for its money.
The new BlackBerry model, which is called the Torch, features both a touch screen and a slide out keyboard for easier texting. It will be available in stores starting August 12th at a cost of $199 and a two-year contract with AT&T, which is the exclusive provider of these new phones.
Each Torch uses RIM’s new Operating System 6, which is a substantial upgrade over the web browser in older models of BlackBerry phones. The new Torch Mobile Web Browser is based on the same Webkit system used by Apple and Google. The phone features a 3.2-inch, 360-by-480 touch-screen display.
Browsing will be much easier on the phone because it features a universal search function already found in iPhones, Androids, and Palms. It will allow a user to do a keyword search and draw results from e-mail, downloads, or search engines.
If the Torch turns out to be as good and as user-friendly as advertised, it could help BlackBerry from losing customers to rival companies. Time will tell how good these Torch phones really are. Past models have been criticized for snail’s pace internet connections and it’s hard to believe the Torch will be much better.
Twice before the company trotted out touch-screen phones with the Storm and the Storm 2. Neither one, however, compared favorably to touch-screen models offered by rival companies and failed to catch on with consumers.
Chances to get in on the touch screen market are dwindling for BlackBerry and that isn’t a good sign. A substantial number of mobile phones are going the touch screen route, since that function is becoming more and more popular with consumers each year. If BlackBerry can get the Torch to catch on, it will give the company a leg up on their competition since their phones already feature some of the best security features found in any mobile phone.

It does not seem too long ago when communicating via a computer seemed outlandish – science fiction.  Back then, there was this notion called Telnet, where a computer user could log-in to a local internet hub, usually through that of a nearby university, for free.  That’s right.  And there weren’t cable or DSL lines connecting to the internet.  There were only phone lines and dial-up.
Telnet was a communications application used during the inception of internet use between universities and government agencies for communicating with another computer user at a remote location via what we now term as instant messaging.  Additionally, there weren’t web browsers or even windows application for internet connectivity.  There was only the DOS prompt.  It was through the infamous black screen that computer "experts" would type in DOS commands to dial into their universities internet hub, for example, access Telnet, then PING or "call" another internet user and hope they answer, assuming they too are logged-in to Telnet and waiting your call.
This was messaging at its origins.  Eventually, Netscape was developed, windows applications for internet browsing introduced and non-technical internet access was born.  You didn’t have to know DOS or wish to browse for internet data via a black screen and numbered listings.  Now there was point and click capabilities, images and intuitive design.  E-mail seemed to have been the first major technological break-through in terms of mass popularity for communications via computers.  Though messaging had already long ago been born, it wasn’t until much later that applications such as Microsoft’s Instant Messenger and AOL’s messaging capabilities slowly introduced this method of "instant email" to a broader audience.
Today, the most recent fad in terms of instant text messaging has come via mobile phones.   Even "dumb" phones are now capable of transmitting text messages from one mobile phone user to the next.

When considering the future of the information age, many experts agree that the cloud, in this case, is not a bad thing and indeed the future looks bright. Computing, as we currently know it, is predominantly defined by client to server relationship, where for example a number of client terminals, or personal computers, are connected and reliant upon a server for local area network communications and sharing of data but not reliant on that server for individual software and, or application needs. The personal computers in this case are the clients and the server simply serves as the center for interlinking and sharing of multiple resources and data between each client. The server is also generally physically located in the same place as the clients.

Cloud computing is an evolutionary step from the client-server relationship to one where, though servers are still involved as the central node for interconnecting multiple users, the servers are 1) no longer physically located in the same space or building as the clients or users 2) do more than interconnect and facilitates sharing of data and resources but also store the software or applications used by each client or user and 3) are third-party owned and operated, where the clients, or users in this case, pay to access the server on either a utility basis (charge for resources consumed) or a subscription basis (fee for a predetermined amount of time of access).

The users in the case of cloud computing are also an important aspect to note in comparison to the client-server relationship. Users in the case of cloud computing are not limited to personal computers or desktops – users can be any device with connectivity and interface capabilities that allow it to communicate with the server where the desired application or data is stored. These devices include PCs, tablets, mobile phones, PDAs and more.

It is no secret that the internet continues to make a lasting impression across the world. As the technology of the internet continues to become more widespread, more and more internet users around the world are going to demand to tap into its ever growing web of information and communication. The decreasing costs associated with this medium of connectivity, such as lower prices of computers and accessories, only help to cultivate a broader field of access among present and future consumer of this technological advancement.

After the internet was introduced and its capabilities further developed, the often greatest limiting factor in its evolution has been the available and varying speeds of connectivity. Meaning, how fast can the average user connect to the internet. Often, this translates to what sort of data is sought and how the internet is ultimately used. If connectivity speeds are too slow for music or mediums size image downloads, than the internet will most probably be used for other activities less demanding of available bandwidth, such as email or text only web sites. Once internet connectivity catches up to this level, than the next is downloading of multiple images, or graphic-laden web pages, and even video.

Across most industrialized countries, internet connectivity speeds up to the level of downloading and watching full TV episodes and films has now become common place. Even to the point where wireless connectivity can be used for video-conferencing, or using an internet connection to upload real time video of yourself, while simultaneously downloading and viewing real time video of someone else. This is particularly notable, as generally wireless connectivity as often lagged behind direct connections, such as Ethernet connections, in terms of speeds and reliability.

Finally, internet and wireless connectivity has exceeded the traditional workplace and entered into the realm of mobile phones, where smart phones now dominate the world of wireless internet access and communications. From here, only time will tell what comes next.

There was first the internet, then there was email, instant messaging and even internet based
phone calls.  All of these have been centered around leveraging the availability and usability of
the internet as a mass communications outlet for a world of people, some more remotely based than
others.
Suddenly, all that might be required to send a note to a friend in Tunisia if you’re based out of
London would be a phone line and computer.   Of course, as internet bandwidth has improved, so has
the appeal and acceptance of internet based communications such as voice and even video.
Originally, voice communications via a dial-up connection on the internet were choppy, at best.
You might be talking to someone in another country, or even down the street, but would only be
able to talk one at a time, similar to voice communication via two-way radios.  This was mostly
due to slower internet connections and inability of some voice communications software to relay
voice data quickly enough from one party to another.
As internet speeds improved, so did voice communications.  The faster the internet connection, the
clearer and crisper the voice data could be transfered from one person to another.  And as
internet connectivity improved, so did the applications offering internet communications
capabilities.  Video conferencing or calling was soon the result of improved internet connectivity
and PC processing speeds.  With broader bandwidths for internet data transfer and greater memory
and processor speeds for processing this data on computers, soon internet users could more
reliably communicate via video calls similarly to voice-only or phone calls from anywhere in the
world.
Most laptops are now sold with built-in cameras for this purpose.  No longer are PC users forced
to purchase a webcam or video capture device separately from their laptop or even monitor, as
webcams are in many cases now built into the frame of monitors.

There can be any number of times when one might require computer support of one form or another. When you consider that more and more people around the world are now either owners of personal computers or have obtained greater ease of access to a personal computer – the reality is that the need for relevant education and support has only increased in direct if not greater proportion, as well.

Computer support is not only limited to the PC hardware, where a monitor, hard-drive or motherboard may be in question. Computer support also includes the operating system and all additional software. You need only browse the internet for available PC applications to get a glimpse at the enormous market for software support. If, for example, your accounting software requires an upgrade and you are told that the upgrade will only function under warranty if the operating system is of a certain version, then you can quickly understand how easily maintaining your computer functioning properly can get beyond the capability of the average, novice computer user.

Now, should the worst happen, and your computer is out of warranty and your hard drive crash – then you are looking at needed support in accessing all the trapped, or otherwise lost data in your hard drive, transferring it to your replacement computer and loading all the necessary and current software onto your replacement computer in order to access the data from your original, or previous computer. The importance and increasing need for adequate computer support is not a component of our growing dependence on computers that should be overlooked.

Computer users are thereby encouraged to carefully research their options when buying or upgrading their computer. This involves a careful study of the costs involved between the various options for computer support should help be required. Each computer user must also asses his ability to personally troubleshoot, should a problem arise.

The days when computer usage was limited to scientists and wealthy individuals are long gone. There have been more than one billion personal computers in use around the world since 2008 and it is believed that the number will reach two billion by the middle of this decade.
Each day more people are learning how to perform basic computer operations. Some are adults who’ve finally succumbed to the fact that computers are here to stay, and others are the current generation of America’s youth. Many grade school students know how to type up homework assignments in Microsoft Word, research a word’s spelling in online dictionaries, and send emails to their grandparents who spend six months each year living in a retirement community in Florida.
While many people are learning these simple computer functions, many of these same people are unaware of or don’t acknowledge what the basic parts of a computer are.
The first important point to make is that the physical parts of a computer – the components that you can actually feel and see – are grouped together in one category and referred to as hardware. In general, a computer, namely a desktop setup, has the following hardware components:
- A screen/monitor, the part of the computer where the user can see what he or she is typing or reading. It is the output visual display.
- A speaker system, the part of the computer that outputs sound to the user. The speakers can be built within the monitor or can be a separate attachment.
- A mouse, which has two buttons and is a means for the user to navigate around and interact with the computer.
- A keyboard, which is only utilized when the user needs to input text into the computer. Using a keyboard, like a mouse, is second-nature for most computer users.
- A system unit, which consists of a floppy disk drive, a CD drive, and a hard disk drive that is stored inside the actual unit. Of the basic hardware components, this is the one most users know the least about.