When does he use a photocopier? He uses a photocopier whenever he needs to copy something which can be anytime of the day. The technology meets his need very well because it allows him to copy anything he wants but if he wanted a photocopier that would complete the job quicker and in a better quality he would have to spend an extra £1000 which would not be feasible due to the size of the company. This particular piece of equipment has not affected there working style because it has always been there to use but it has made copying documents a lot easier saving a lot of time.
The next technology that I am going to cover is a digital camera. He choose this category for social/professional use of ICT at work because it is the most social piece of ICT that he uses at work. He mainly uses it for taking pictures for the website that they update monthly.
A digital camera looks like a regular camera, except instead of using film, it stores the image it sees in memory as a file for later transfer to a computer or a direct printout from a printer. Many digital cameras offer additional storage besides their own internal memory; the majority utilize some sort of flash card. Digital cameras currently lack the resolution and colour of real cameras, but are usually much more convenient for computer applications. Most digital cameras have a zoom option so that you can zoom in on pictures to make them look closer than they actually were. Digital cameras usually have a display screen on the back so you can see a picture of what you have taken immediately. They will have an on and an off switch usually incorporated with the mode/main button. Also they will have an option so that you can change the size of the photo and the resolution so you can have better quality pictures. You will have a USB cable port in the side so that you can transfer your pictures to a computer.
An advantage of a digital camera is that you can instantly see the picture you just took. Also you can delete unwanted pictures which you can not do with a normal camera meaning that you don’t waste money on having to buy film. With a digital camera you will never have to buy film again which saves you money and visits to the shops. Another advantage is that you don't have to print every picture you take saving you time and you can come back at a later stage and print it off.
Also you have complete control of the final print after editing on a computer which means that you can add and remove things from your photos customising them to how you want. One of the best advantages is that you can store hundreds of pictures without having to change film because they are stored on the cameras memory saving you money and time. One of the big disadvantages is that the picture quality is not as good as on film this means that you get less quality photos but usually for a more expensive price because it costs more to print them out. Another disadvantage is that when you first purchase a digital camera it will normally be very expensive. Also most digital cameras will use up battery’s very quickly so you will have to keep buying batteries to replace them.
The digital camera doesn’t meet his needs very well because it eats up batteries and he has to keep spending money to replace them. Also it does not take very good quality pictures because it was not very expensive. If he wanted a digital camera to meet his needs better then it would have to have better battery life and take better quality pictures. A digital camera that would do this would be the Panasonic xy-mz200 or the Kodak x700. Why does he use a digital camera? He uses a digital camera because it can take lots of pictures and he can easily put them on a computer, website and print them out. When does he use a digital camera? He uses a digital camera whenever he needs pictures for the website. Generally he uses it in the morning because break there are less people around to interrupt shot taking allowing him to get the best possible pictures. This piece of equipment has affected his working style because it has enabled him to put pictures onto the company’s website making it more attractive so attracting more customers.
The next technology that I am going to cover is e-mail. He choose this technology for personal use of ICT at home because it is the ICT that he uses most personally at home for sending e-mails to friends, work and of managers of youth cricket teams to arrange fixtures.
E-mail is short for electronic mail. It allows for the transfer of information from one computer to another, provided that they are hooked up via some sort of network often the Internet. The key features of e-mail is that you can attach any type of file to it also you can sent it anywhere in the world meaning that it is often a very good way to communicate with someone in another country.
One advantage is that E-mail, unlike postal or "snail mail" can be delivered at any time meaning that you can send it at whatever is a convenient time for you saving you time because you do not have to take a visit to the post box/office. Another advantage is that incoming mail can be immediately printed, saved to disk, replied to, forwarded or deleted meaning that you can carry in what ever is the easiest form for you to carry, also it gives you a variety of options so that if it needs to be delivered to someone else you can send it in the easiest form possible. An E-mail message can be delivered at any time, without long distance charges this is an advantage because it saves you time and money. One disadvantage is that it is difficult to know when it has not been sent this is a disadvantage because if it contains important information about a meeting time you do not know when the other end will receive it or whether they will receive it at all meaning that they might miss the meeting. Another disadvantage is that it is not secure meaning that you might pick up viruses that could make your computer crash. Another disadvantage is that you actually need a computer and the internet to send an e-mail which can be very costly.
This technology meets his need adequately because it does all the stuff he needs it to but it could be done more efficiently and quicker. To do the job he would need to buy a better computer costing thousands of pounds and he would also need to get a broadband connection making sending e-mails quicker. Why does he use E-mail? He uses this ICT because it enables him to send a letter or document at anytime he wants and it is free of charge. When does he use E-mail? He uses this Ict whenever he needs to send an important message and he mainly uses it in the evening after work. This ICT has affected his working style because it has meant that they can save valuable money by avoiding postal charges on letters also it has saved him time.
The next technology that I am going to review is a memory stick. He choose this category for social use of ICT at Home because it is the thing that he uses most at home to transfer interesting stuff from his own computer at home to his friend’s/colleagues computers.
A memory stick is a device that is used to store any type of file that is on your computer. When you plug a memory stick into the USB port in your computer it will automatically install itself as new software. Then all you have to do is copy the document or file onto the memory stick via my computer. It is a simple way of storing and transferring data between computers and laptops. The amount of files that you can store on a memory stick depends on the amount of memory. A 64mb memory stick will be cheaper than a 1GB memory stick. The lowest amount of memory that you can get for a memory stick is 64mb and the highest amount of memory is about 4GB. The price depends on how much memory it has for example a 64mb memory stick will only cost around £20 whereas a 4GB memory stick will cost around £250.
One advantage of a memory stick is that they are faster then floppy disks at transferring and saving data meaning that they are more suitable and adequate for a fast life style although that is not strictly true. Also memory sticks can be reused again and again. Another advantage of a memory stick is that it is very portable due to its small size. Also they can have huge amounts of memory space meaning that you can store more files and documents on it than any other type of storage media. One more advantage is that they have no moving parts so they are difficult to break. The main disadvantage is that you will almost always run out of space and have to delete files unless you have a huge amount of storage space. Another disadvantage is the fact that they are quite expensive so not all people will be able to afford one with enough memory. Also the cost is another disadvantage because if it gets stolen it will be expensive to replace.
This technology meets his needs totally because it has a large amount of storage space (1GB) so he doesn’t need to worry about deleting files yet but eventually he will have to. An alternative would be to get a 4GB memory stick but he feels this would be completely pointless because the cost would far out way the total use that he is going to get out of it. Also he is never going to need to transport or transfer that much data. Why does he use a memory stick? He uses a memory stick because he needs to transfer data between work, home and his friends. When does he use a memory stick? He uses a memory stick at home and his friend’s house mainly in the evening. It has affected his working style because it has enabled him to transfer data between computers much more easily and quicker meaning that he saves time and space.
The next technology that I am going to cover is a laptop. He choose this category for professional use of ICT at home because it is the laptop that he does all of the work at home on. He uses it to complete and finish off any urgent work.
A laptop is a portable/personal computer it is designed to be easy to carry around and move from place to place. With the dimensions of an average telephone directory, it is in many ways identical to a desktop computer, but it tends to be more expensive partly because of its screen technology. The key features of a laptop are almost exactly the same as a normal computer, as they have the same software like the Microsoft programs e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc and other software. The screen and the hardrive fold together to form a small compact easy to travel computer, when you open a laptop there is a hinged lid that opens to reveal a screen and a keyboard. It will have internal rechargeable batteries, giving roughly 2-5 hours of use. Also it will have a mains adapter that also acts as a charger. Most laptops will have a built in hard disk, CD/DVD-ROM, built in speakers and a removable/replaceable floppy disk drive. There will be a touch sensitive mouse near the keyboard or you can get a USB mouse to plug into a USB port. Another key feature of more recent laptops is the ability to connect to the internet using wi-fi.
One disadvantage of a laptop is that you cannot customize it, by this I mean that with a desktop computer you have a huge range of options that allows you to mix and match to create a machine that meets your specific needs in terms of graphics card, display, sound card etc but you can’t do this with a laptop. Another disadvantage is that laptops are often very expensive which costs you money you could get a normal computer for cheaper but it will do exactly the same as the laptop and possibly more. The main advantage of a laptop is its portability which means that you can take it almost anywhere, for example if I worked for a company and had to do work at home I could bring the laptop home and work on it. Another advantage is that they are very small which makes storage easier.
Why does he use a laptop? He uses a laptop because it means that he can work anywhere in the house or when he is traveling enabling him to do work. When does he use a laptop? He uses a laptop if he is on holiday or if he goes out for a day trip and he needs to do some work. The technology meets his needs very well but he would need to spend lots more money to get a better laptop which would be pretty pointless because the one he has does everything he needs it to. He also has a normal computer at home so this is an alternative if he needs to use it which meets his needs very well as well. This technology has affected his working style because it has meant that he can finish work off at home letting him get home earlier so he has more leisure time meaning that he his more relaxed.
Ict is better to use than other methods at work because it will often save a lot of time and time equals money in the business world. Therefore ICT is very important in his company also it will often save money. There is only one problem with this, the initial cost of ICT is very expensive and it takes a long time for the saving made to even out the purchase. ICT is better to use at work because it will make employees jobs and his job easier therefore saving them time and meaning that they are less stressed so there is less potential health risk. ICT is also better to use than other method because it is more efficient and there is less chance of you making a mistake.
Ict is better to use at home than other methods because it can make things more pleasurable meaning that you will have more fun using ICT. Again using ICT at home will also save you time allowing you to participate in other more enjoyable different past-times.
How has ICT caused my adults work and their workplace to change since my adult has worked there?
It has changed by the fact that things get done a lot quicker but the main thing that has changed since my adult has worked there is the fact that all of the management systems are now only done using ICT for example health and safety issues are only on a computer accessible to everyone.
How has my adult coped/adapted to those changes?
He has adapted by the fact that he has had to learn to use a computer also he has had to take a course in ICT and ICT management systems. He has coped because not all of the improvements in ICT came in at one point they took place over several years. If the company had not adapted to the changes in ICT they would have gone under.
How well does ICT enable my adult to do their job?
ICT enables my adult to do their job more efficiently, time saving and cost saving then would other wise be impossible with out ICT. ICT enables my adult to do their job to the highest standard possible due to ICT and the already mentioned.
How does ICT help my adult to cope with the changes to their work styles?
ICT helps my adult to cope with the changes to their work style because it has made work simpler and easier to complete by using ICT.
