Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
For example, in working with materials from the World Wide
Web, I periodically have found the screen or browser to apparently
freeze or lock when particular pages are loaded. In such cases, the
computer does not respond to commands; even the mouse pointer on
the screen does not seem to move when the physical mouse is moved
by hand. In such cases, the computer does not seem to respond to
pushing any keys, and normal actions do not remedy the situation.
With normal activities worthless, the only alternative seems to involve
drastic action; rebooting the machine can be a constructive alternative.
Why do so many people and companies use Windows?
Although the answer to this question could include advertis
ing, subjective personal preferences, and a discussion of technical
capabilities, let's instead look at this question from a historical
perspective.
Back in the 1970s, most serious computers were large and ex
pensive—often designed to handle data processing needs for large
companies. By the late 1970s and early 1980s, however, progress
in technology prompted the appearance of a number of smaller ma
chines, later called personal computers, designed for use by individ
uals in their own offices. Unfortunately, these machines were
largely incompatible. Each hardware manufacturer determined its
own specifications (CPU, bus characteristics, main memory de
tails). Further, several different operating systems were in common
use. Programs designed for one machine frequently could not run
on computers built by other companies, files from one system could
not be shared easily with others, and each system had its own
strengths and weaknesses—often based on proprietary hardware
and software.
Through the 1970s, IBM focused its attention and energy on
large corporate computers, and it enjoyed a strong reputation in
that market. However, by the late 1970s, IBM decided it also
needed to compete with its own small personal computers. And,
rather than keep its hardware specifications proprietary, it shared
them freely. As a result, other companies could imitate its hardware
(producing IBMcompatible computers), and application developers
could write software to run on any of this family's compatible ma
chines. With IBM's stature in the computer field, the market enthu
siastically embraced this open view of hardware, and IBM's reputa
 
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