Choosing the right Internet Service Providers is important for many reasons; including value for money, speed and extra features. Many current ISP offer opportunity to bundle Internet with other services to receive a discount, within this report majority of the plans investigated were standalone plans. The main features investigated were cost, data allowances, the number of email addresses, speed and additional features available. Also compared were Broadband and Cable Internet plan offered by the most commonly used ISPs used in Metropolitan Melbourne. It was decided that the focus would be on higher end data allowances that were comparable to the needs of the researcher.
The first consideration needs to be based what type of access you have. If you have an available phone line, Broadband is an option; though it is dependent on area if ADSL+1 or ADSL+2 is available. There are more companies to choose from, which creates a more competitive marketplace with extra features. Many companies offer deals to combine home phone services or mobile services to reduce total costs. Standalone plans tend to be more expensive over all, though if you do not want a home phone or want to connect with a company that is different from your home phone provider, this is the better option. On the other hand if you live in an area where you have access to cable television, you have the opportunity to access cable internet. Cable Internet is limited to only two providers in Metropolitan Melbourne (Telstra and Optus- see Table One).
The Broadband companies investigated (Table Two) offered similar features for comparable prices. The Broadband plans were all with a minimum of 50 Gigabytes (GB) data allowance and varying data speeds. Of the five companies, Telstra's Big Pond Elite Liberty offers the best deal in terms of access. It doesn't have peak/ off peak and has the highest purported speeds of the five, if you are a high end user like the researcher this is important. An additional feature is no excess data fees, though other features are at an extra cost. The downside to this plan is that is a bundled plan, as Telstra does not have a naked ADSL alternative and the cost of the setup is the highest of all five plans. The best naked ADSL plans (price wise) are TPG and Optus. Optus is more expensive in terms of setup and per month rate, however the peak data (50GB) and off peak data (50GB) is significantly higher than TPG's (25/25 GB) data allowance. iiNet is fast becoming a competitor in the industry, whereas Dodo poor reviews make it a company to be avoided.
With only two companies offering cable internet access in the area, the options are more limited. Optus and Telstra have comparable plans and choice boils down to a trade off between speed or data allowance. With Telstra's rebate, it doesn't cost the usual $349 to connect to the service; so both are installation free, which is a factor in connecting to a cable service if you don't have a cable connection already. Telstra's plan offers a 30/1Mbps speed, though this is dependent on what is being downloaded etc. While Optus speeds are only 8Mbps, its data allowance of 120 GB is a plus for the heavy user. Major downside to the Optus connection is that is a bundled plan with a home phone and costs extra.
For personal preference, Telstra's cable option is the best for a high end user that requires speed; also because there were limited options for naked Broadband due to old phone lines. Recently the researcher upgraded to the highest cable plan ($99.99 with 200GB data) as the cost was comparable to the older Telstra Turbo Liberty 50 GB plan, with faster speeds. Most discerning internet users are reliant on faster and bigger downloads, so a reliable ISP is very important. Telstra, as one of the top providers (and covers a bigger range across Australia than other ISPs), offers these features to it clients for a similar price to other companies; along with improved customer service and additional features. For ADSL, the researcher would consider iiNet over the other, based on reviews.
Question Two
What are embedded computers and where they can be found?
In today's fast developing world of electronics, embedded computers can be found in many electronic devices. In fact some devices have multiple embedded computers. According to Morley and Parker (2009), an embedded computer is a 'tiny computer embedded into products to perform specific functions or tasks for that product'. Embedded computers can range from simple, singular functions to complex, multiple functions. Embedded computers are often a more economical solution for limited functions, due to not requiring operating systems or packaging to contain the circuitry. On a larger scale, for more autonomous tasks, embedded computers are used in conjunction with larger systems. The terms embedded computer and embedded system are often used interchangeably.
The most common example of an embedded computer is personal electronic devices. Examples of these include: MP3 players, digital cameras, Nike shoes and various gaming consoles. The Nike shoe is an interesting example of the embedded computer. It works wirelessly with an app made for the iPod or iPhone. It sends data from the shoes to the app to allow the iPod/ iPhone access GPS data and other online access, including uploading your accomplishments to Facebook. Another short lived shoe incorporating a embedded computer was from Adidas, its send messages to the shoe to change it based on the terrain travelled over. The system used had a lot of issues and only lasted about a year.
Other devices that incorporate embedded devices include: household appliances like washing machines and fridges. Fridges have embedded computers to maintain temperatures, door alarms and Fridge door panels. Washing machines use embedded computers to wash, improve efficiency, delay starts and change settings. Even a simple device like a coffee maker uses an embedded computer to switch off the heat element when pot is empty. The modern car uses multiple embedded computers to control functions from dashboards to airbags.
On a larger scale embedded systems or computers can be found in systems from traffic lights to nuclear power plant. These embedded computers control functions within a larger system, for example a traffic light uses an embedded computer to determine when to change the lights.
There should be some concern about the amount of items that use and are dependent on embedded computers. When you have entire households (from the locks on the door, to electronic appliances, to whitegoods and the lighting) controlled by embedded computers, the chances of the system being fallible are high. On the other hand, as technology improves the distinction between embedded and actual computer is quickly blurring.
Question Three
Explain what a smart card is and how it can be used. Include an opinion on whether you would prefer a smart card or a magnetic strip. (e.g. Credit/Debit card or I.D. card).
Question Four
In today's market there are many types of printers on the market for many different uses. The two main types of printers can be classified as impact and non impact. Summarised in Table Three is list of the most common types of printers is use, including laser, inkjet, thermal, impact (specifically dot matrix) and multifunction. Thermal and impact printers are primarily used for business activities including: carbon (impact) printing multiple pages at once and printing receipts (thermal). This report will focus on how inkjet and laser printer work and determining based on expense and capabilities, which is more suitable to home and business use. It should be noted that high end printing designed for industry and large business is not included in this investigation.
To be able to compare printers it is important to understand the difference in how Laser and inkjet printers work. A laser printer requires the use of different drums, electrical charges, toner powder and heat. When you send the printer a directive to print, paper is feed into printer where a laser is used to add an electrical charge to the paper. From there the printer's processor sends information to release toner powder onto a pre-charged drum, as the paper passes through the drum, the toner is transfer onto the paper. The final step has the paper going through a special unit that uses heat and pressure to adhere the powder to the paper permanently. (Morley & Parker, 2009) An inkjet works quite differently and accounts for its initial costs. An inkjet, in the simplest explanation, uses tiny dots of ink to create an image on the page. The printer cartridges have many tiny nozzles, where the ink is forced out into the print head. From there the print head fires the ink in droplets onto the page as it moves back and forth across the page. The more droplets a print head can fire the better quality print out. (How Inkjets Work)
Comparing printers to determine which suits the buyers needs is very important. One of the main factors in choosing a printer is the initial purchase cost, without taking into account the reoccurring cost for cartridges (ink or toner). There is a quite a significant cost variance between different inkjet printer (see Table Three) ranging from $50 bottom of the range through to the high end photo inkjet printers at $1500. Similarly, Laser printers have a great variability starting at $48 for mono laser printer and $200 for a colour laser printer, going up to $1500. Consumables for printers come down to paper and cartridges. for Laser printers toner cartridges are quite expensive, however the number of pages each toner cartridges is quite high (working out to be about 6 cents per page for mono printing). Inkjet printer cartridges are, in comparison, inexpensive but the number of pages per cartridge is quite low (20 cents per page for colour, 7-8 cents per page mono). Laser printers are noticeably faster for printing speeds, particularly for mono printing. For high end printing, Laser printers are by far more superior in terms of cost and speed for mono copying. However for low end printing and colour (particularly photo printing) inkjets offer a better quality.
For business, a Laser printer (especially one that is suitable for a network) is certainly more advantageous. In a school environment where mass printing is common and only occasional colour printing, a Laser printer is quick and offers best value for money for consumables. It would beneficial having multiple mono Laser printers, a couple of colour Laser printers (however it should be noted most companies including schools use multiple mono Laser printers and multifunction photocopiers for colour printing). At home for low end use and colour printing, inkjet printers are better in terms of quality (dpi) and cost (due to the cartridges not needing to be replaced as often). Multifunction printers offer a perfect solution for home. With space often being an issue in a home situation, a multifunction combines fax, scan, print and copy in both Laser and inkjet varieties. With costs being quiet similar, it breaks down to preference. Personally, an inkjet is preferable as it is a cheap outlay; cartridges are inexpensive for colour printing and with so much now being distributed electronically less printing is required.
Reference List
Broadband and Cable Internet plans
www.bigpond.com.au
www.optus.com.au
www.tpg.com.au
www.iinet.net.au
www.dodo.com.au
DSL vs Cable Broadband Internet
www.broadbandinfo.com/cable/high-speed-internet/dsl-vs-cable-broadband-internet.html
The Inkjet Printer
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/I/ink_jet_printer.html
Printer/ consumable cost information
www.officeworks.com.au
http://laserprintersdirect.com.au/cart/products.php?g_Page=1&g_CategoryID=46&Name=
http://www.starmicronics.com.au/index.php?Cid=100023
http://www.thermalimages.com/pages/prd_thermal_printer_packages.html
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/L/LCD_printer.html
Laser Vs inkjet
http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/354659/laser_vs_inkjet_which_printer_right_/
How inkjets work
http://www.inkjetcartridges.com/_Info-How-Inkjet-Printers-Work.html
Embedded Computers
http://moneyterms.co.uk/embedded-computers/
What are smart shoes?
www.ehow.com/facts_5876565_smart-shoes_.html
Chip Card
www.mastercard.com/au/personal/en/education/chipcard.html
Calligeros, Marissa (07/07/09) Bank delay exposing Aussies to credit card fraud
www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/bank-delays-exposing-aussies-to-credit-card-fraud-20090707-dbah.html
Morley, D., & Parker, C. (2009). Understanding Computers: Today and Tomorrow Comprehensive (12th ed.). Boston, Massachusetts: Thompson Learning.
