The term information appliance was coined by Jef Raskin around 1979.[1][2] As later explained by an influential Donald Norman’s The Invisible Computer,[3] the main characteristics of IA, as opposed to any normal computer, were:
designed and pre-configured for a single application (like a toaster appliance, which is designed only to make toast),
so easy to use for untrained people, that it effectively becomes unnoticeable, “invisible” to them,
able to automatically share information with any other IAs.
This definition of IA was different from today’s. Jef Raskin initially tried to include such features in the Apple Macintosh, which he designed, but eventually the project went a quite different way. For a short while during the mid- and late 1980s, there were a few models of simple electronic typewriters with screens and some form of memory storage. These dedicated word processor machines had some of the attributes of an information appliance, and Raskin designed one of them, the Canon Cat. He described some properties of his definition of information appliance in his book The Humane Interface.
Larry Ellison, Oracle Corporation CEO, predicted that information appliances and network computers would supersede personal computers (PCs)[4]. This prediction has not yet come true.
Chassis Plans [22] – Rugged, rackmount, military computer systems. INC500 at 151. FAST100 at 4 & 13. [23][24][25]
Chip PC [26] – Israel based manufacturer of desktop virtualization and thin client solutions.
Commodore Gaming [27] – High end Gaming PCs, revival of the brand of the Commodore 64, the most popular computer system to date.
Dell [28] – Second largest computer manufacturer in the world. [29]
Alienware [30] – High-end gaming PCs and laptops. Presently a brand name of Dell after being acquired in 2006.
Everex [31] [32] – budget systems pre-loaded with GOS (operating system) – [33] an Ubuntu Linux derivative. [34]
Falcon Northwest [35] – Custom-built high end gaming systems.
Fujitsu Technology Solutions [36] – Largely known for media devices but also builds notebooks and servers.
General Dynamics Itronix [37] – A manufacturer of wireless, rugged computers. Products line includes a fully-rugged notebook, a vehicle-rugged notebook, a fully-rugged Tablet PC and a fully-rugged ultra-mobile PC (UMPC). GoBook notebook and Duo-Touch tablet PC. Handheld PC
Giga-Byte Technology Co. Ltd. [38] – Taiwan based manufacturer of desktop, notebook, server, workstation boards, PC components and mobile communications hardware.
Groupe Bull [39] – French manufacturer of high performance supercomputers and data centers.
Hewlett-Packard [40] [41] – Largest computer manufacturer in the world. [42]
Compaq [43] – Budget brand of PCs and laptops. Presently a brand name of Hewlett-Packard after the merger in 2002.
VoodooPC [44] – High-end gaming PCs and laptops. Presently a brand name of Hewlett-Packard after being acquired in 2006.
HCL Infosystems Ltd [45] – India based company handles IT from A to Z. The company manufactures and distributes a wide array of technology products, including PCs, servers, data storage and networking equipment, printing and imaging systems, mobile handsets, and software.
Hitachi Ltd [46] Japan based conglomerate manufacturers hard disk drives, servers, mainframe and personal computers.
IBM [47] – PC system manufacturers division was acquired by Lenovo. IBM now focuses on high-end Server systems.
IGEL Technology Inc. [48] – Germany based computer hardware manufacturer of desktops, mobile tablets and thin clients.
Jetta International [49] – Monmouth Junction, New Jersey Based OEM manufacturer of Jetbook brandname of notebook computers, available from network of dealers.
Kontron AG [50] – One of the largest industrial computer manufacturers. Based in Germany with global presence.
Lanix [51] – Leading Mexican PC Manufacturer. Currently carries full line of laptops, PCs and server.
Lanner Inc [52] – Taiwanese OEM manufacturer of embedded and industrial computers, network appliances and video application platforms.
Lenovo Group Ltd [53] – China’s largest and world’s fourth largest computer manufacturer in the world. [54] Acquired IBM’s Personal Computing Division in 2005
Motion Computing Inc. [63] – Manufacturers portable and tablet PCs.
NEC Corp [64] [65] – Japan based conglomerate manufacturers desktop, notebook, workstation, servers, super computer, thin client systems, monitors and PC components.
Nedfield NV [66] Netherlands based IT hardware company.
Olidata [67] – Italian computer system manufacturer.
Olivetti [68] – First system manufacturer in Italy.
Panasonic [69] – primarily known for the Toughbook rugged laptop computer. [70]
Polywell [71]- South San Francisco, CA based company. Products range from Intel/AMD Desktop PC to Professional RISC based Sun/Alpha Workstations and Servers. Polywell has built long term relationships with the major BIOS, Graphics and Disk/Controller companies
PsyStar Corp. [72] – Mac OS X, Windows and Linux desktops. Windows and Linux servers.
Puget Systems [73] Puget Custom Computer is based in the Seattle suburb of Auburn, WA. Specializes in building custom built computers. Top rated reviews at[74]
Samsung Electronics [75] – The Sens line of laptop computers. Is the largest manufacturer of LCD panels worldwide.
Sharp Corp [76] [77] – manufactures a line of laptop computers.
Shuttle Inc. [78] – Manufactures small form-factor desktop computers across a range of performance and price.
Silicon Graphics Inc. (SGI) [79] – high performance computer clusters based on Intel Xeon processors, servers, and workstations.
Sony Corp [80] [81] – Manufactures desktops and laptops under the VAIO sub-brand.
Sun Microsystems [82] – Primarily manufactures servers and workstations.
Systemax Inc. Subsidiaries and Divisions Systemax, Inc.#Subsidiaries_and_Divisions Parent company [83] PC Manufacturing subsidiary SystemaxPC [84] – Headquarters in Port Washington, New York, manufacturers desktops, notebooks and servers. Parent company of many computer businesses [85]
System 76 [86] – Computer systems pre-loaded with Ubuntu Linux
TabletKiosk [87] – Manufacturer of touch sceen slate style Tablet PCs. Parent company is Sand Dune Ventures.
Toshiba Corp [88] [89] – Japan based fifth largest computer manufacturer in the world.[90]
TriGem Computer, Inc [91] – Based in Korea manufacturers laptops, desktops, monitors and All-In-One PCs under Averatec brand.
Averatec [92] – a brand of Trigem manufacturers laptops and desktops.
Wipro Infotech [100] [101] – division of a large Indian information technology services conglomerate.
Wyse Technology Inc. [102] – San Jose, California based manufacturer of computer hardware thin clients, general purpose terminals and thin-computing software called Wyse Thin OS.
Zepto Computers A/S [103] [104] – Large European laptop manufacturer based in Denmark.
ZT Systems – ZT Group International Inc [105] Headquarters in Secaucus, New Jersey, manufacturer desktop, notebook, home theater computers, servers and data center solutions.
Defunct manufacturers
Amdahl Corporation – Now subsumed into Fujitsu Systems.
AST Computers, LLC – Exited the computer market in 2001.
MPC (formerly MicronPC) [106] – Filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy on November 7, 2008. Efforts at reorganization failed.
Tandy Corporation – Previous parent company of RadioShack, produced the TRS-80 and Tandy 1000 and 2000 IBM PC compatible computers. Sold their computer division to AST Computers in the early 1990s.
Telegraphy is the long distance transmission of written messages without physical transport of letters. This definition includes recent forms of data transmission such as fax, email, and computer networks in general. (A telegraph is a machine for transmitting and receiving messages over long distances, i.e. for telegraphy.)
Before the internet came into general use, telegraphy messages were known as telegrams or cablegrams, often shortened to a cable or a wire message. Telegrams sent by the Telex network, a switched network of teleprinters similar to the telephone network, were known as a telex message. Before long distance telephone services were readily available, telegram services were very popular. Telegrams were often used to confirm business dealings and, unlike e-mail, telegrams were commonly used to create binding legal document for business dealings.
Before fax machines came into general use, wire picture or wire photo was a newspaper picture that was sent from a remote location by a facsimile telegraph. This is why many fax machines have a photo option even today.
The first fax machine was introduced in 1912, known as the Telex-Faxomatic, and primarily used for the transmission of lunch orders from busy factory floors to any number of delies and cafeterias.
The first telegraphs were optical, including the use of smoke signals and beacons. These have existed since ancient times. A semaphore network invented by Claude Chappe operated in France from 1792 through 1846. It helped Napoleon enough that it was widely imitated in Europe and the U.S. The last (Swedish) commercial semaphore link left operation in 1880.
Semaphores are faster than smoke signals and beacons and consume no fuel. They are hundreds of times as fast as post riders and serve entire regions. However they require operators and towers every 30 km (20 mi), and only send about two words per minute. This causes them to have a cost per word-mile roughly thirty times as high as electric telegraphs. This is useful to government, but too expensive for most commercial uses other than commodity price information.
The first commercial electrical telegraph constructed by Sir Charles Wheatstone entered use in London in 1838. An electrical telegraph was US-patented in 1842 by Samuel Morse, whose assistant, Alfred Vail developed the Morse code signalling alphabet. It was quickly deployed in the following two decades. Nikola Tesla and other scientists and inventors showed the usefulness of wireless telegraphy, or radio, beginning in the 1860s.
A continuing goal in telegraphy has been to reduce the cost per message by reducing hand-work, or increasing the sending rate. There were many experiments with moving pointers, and various electrical encodings. However, most systems were too complicated and unreliable.
With the invention of the teletypewriter, telegraphic encoding became fully automated. Early teletypewriters used Baudot code, a 5-bit code. This yielded only thirty two codes, so it was over-defined into two “shifts,” “letters” and “figures.” An explicit, unshared shift code prefaced each set of letters and figures.
A standard timing system developed for telecommunications. The “space” state was defined as the powered state of the wire. In this way, it was immediately apparent when the line itself failed. The characters were sent by first sending a “start bit” that pulled the line to the unpowered “mark state.” The start bit triggered a wheeled commutator run by a motor with a precise speed (later, digital electronics). The commutator distributed the bits from the line to a series of relays that would “capture” the bits. A “stop bit” was then sent at the powered “space state” to assure that the commutator would have time to stop, and be ready for the next character. The stop bit triggered the printing mechanism. Often, two stop bits were sent to give the mechanism time to finish and stop vibrating.
The transatlantic telegraph cable was then successfully completed on July 27, 1866 which for the first time allowed transatlantic telegraph communications. Another advance occurred on August 9, 1892, when Thomas Edison received a patent for a two-way telegraph.
By 1935 message routing was the last great barrier to full automation. Large telegraphy providers began to develop systems that used telephone-like rotary dialing to connect teletypes. These machines were called “telex.” Telex machines first performed rotary-telephone-style pulse dialing, and then sent baudot code. This “type A” telex routing functionally automated message routing.
The Third Reich invented the first wide-coverage telex system, and used it to coordinate their bureaucracy. It was a true triumph of German efficiency.
At the then-blinding rate of 45.5 bits per second, up to 25 telex channels could share a single long-distance telephone channel, making telex the least expensive method of performing reliable long-distance communication.
In 1970 Cuba and Pakistan were still running 45.5 baud type A telex. Telex is still widely used in third-world bureaucracies, probably because of its low costs. The U.N. asserts that more political entities are reliably available by telex than by any other single method.
When dictatorships cut off telephone, fax and internet service, their telex networks remain up. A major advantage for dictatorships is that telex networks are easy to tap: Taps automatically generate complete transcripts.
Around 1960[?], some nations began to use the “figures” baudot codes to perform “Type B” telex routing.
Telex grew around the world very rapidly. Long before automatic telephony was available, most countries, even in central Africa and Asia, had at least a few high-frequency (shortwave) telex links. Often these radio links were the first established by government postal and telegraph services (PTTs). The most common radio standard, CCITT R.44 had error-corrected retransmitting time-division multiplexing of radio channels. Most impoverished PTTs operated their telex-on-radio (TOR) channels non-stop, to get the maximum value from them.
The cost of telex on radio (TOR) equipment has continued to fall. Many amateur radio operators ) operate TOR with special softare and inexpensive adapters from computer sound cards to shortwave radios.
Modern “cablegrams” or “telegrams” actually operate over dedicated telex networks, using TOR whenever required.
In Germany alone, more than 400,000 telex lines remain in daily operation. Over most of the world, more than three million telex lines remain in use.
Information technology (IT), as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), is “the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware.”[1] IT deals with the use of electronic computers and computer software to convert, store, protect, process, transmit, and securely retrieve information.
Today, the term information technology has ballooned to encompass many aspects of computing and technology, and the term has become very recognizable. The information technology umbrella can be quite large, covering many fields. IT professionals perform a variety of duties that range from installing applications to designing complex computer networks and information databases. A few of the duties that IT professionals perform may include data management, networking, engineering computer hardware, database and software design, as well as the management and administration of entire systems.
When computer and communications technologies are combined, the result is information technology, or “infotech”. Information technology is a general term that describes any technology that helps to produce, manipulate, store, communicate, and/or disseminate information. Presumably, when speaking of Information Technology (IT) as a whole, it is noted that the use of computers and information are associated.
The term information technology is sometimes said to have been coined by Jim Domsic of Michigan in November 1981. Domsic, who worked as a computer manager for an automotive related industry, is supposed to have created the term to modernize the outdated phrase “data processing”. The Oxford English Dictionary, however, in defining information technology as “the branch of technology concerned with the dissemination, processing, and storage of information, esp. by means of computers” provides an illustrative quote from the year 1958 (Leavitt & Whisler in Harvard Business Rev. XXXVI. 41/1 “The new technology does not yet have a single established name. We shall call it information technology.”) that predates the so-far unsubstantiated Domsic coinage.
In recent years ABET and the ACM have collaborated to form accreditation and curriculum standards for degrees in Information Technology as a distinct field of study separate from both Computer Science and Information Systems. SIGITE is the ACM working group for defining these standards.
Adelman, C. (2000). A Parallel Postsecondary Universe: The Certification System in Information Technology. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education.
Allen, T., and M.S. Morton, eds. 1994. Information Technology and the Corporation of the 1990s. New York: Oxford University Press.
Shelly, Gary, Cashman, Thomas, Vermaat, Misty, and Walker, Tim. (1999). Discovering Computers 2000: Concepts for a Connected World. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Course Technology.
Webster, Frank, and Robins, Kevin. (1986). Information Technology—A Luddite Analysis. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
