Reading Notes for 10/16
Local Area Network
Sometimes it's hard to imagine a time when computers couldn't talk to each other. Is fiber optic cabling preferred over a wireless connection for commercial applications because it's faster, or because of differences in security?
Computer Network
At a time when hardware costs where much higher than they are now, enabling the sharing of items like printers over multiple machines must have been a strong incentive. I had only ever thought about networking from the communication and file-sharing perspective. What are the speeds possible for wireless transmission? Not sure I totally understand how overlay networks operate, hopefully we'll address those in class.
Common Types of Network
I noticed there was no mention of a Home Area Network (HAN) in the video. Are they seen as synonymous with Personal Area Networks (PAN)?
Management of RFID in Libraries
RFID tags would combine a lot of basic library inventory tasks into one system, certainly saving time (especially the capability to check out a stack of multiple items at once) and possibly money (although the article talks about the "cost" of RFID without ever defining a ballpark figure for said cost in dollars). If RFID's in the retail sector are generally used as a "throw-away" device, is there a real idea for what their lifespans would be when being used repeatedly? That would seem to have a large bearing on cost and adoption factors.
In response to your question about how much an RFID system would cost, I did a bit of searching on the web and from what I could find, a fully functional RFID system can start at around $25,000 and go up from there depending on the size of the business using it. So I would be surprised if there were very many libraries willing or able to afford such a luxury with all of the budget cuts recently.
ReplyDeleteI think as the market for computer hardware grew, the price for hardware came down. I've always noticed that as new technologies first come on the market, the prices are pretty high. But, as others come up with a similar technology, the price tends to come down. I wonder if the market will ever plateau?
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