Problem A.
1. Find a catalog or visit the Web site of a major distributor of microcomputer equipment, such as BestBuy or Dell (www.dell.com). Select or configure a system that provides optimal performance for the following types of users:
• A home user who uses word-processing software, such as Microsoft Office; a home accounting package, such as Quicken or TurboTax; children’s games; and multimedia software for editing pictures and creating video DVDs
• An accountant who uses office software, such as Microsoft Office, and statistical software, such as SPSS or SAS, and downloads large amounts of financial data from a corporate server for statistical and financial modeling
• An architect who uses typical office software and CAD software, such as AutoCAD. Pay particular attention to whether CPU power, memory, disk space, and I/O capabilities are adequate. Compare the cost of each computer. Which is most expensive and why?
2. Research current computer hardware offerings representative models for each computer class/type.
3. Investigate one or more of the top-ranked supercomputers listed at http://www.top500.org. In what way(s) is each an example of multicomputer configuration? What are the typical specs of each individual computing node? How do those specs compare to typical midrange and mainframe computers?

Problem B
1. You’re an IS professional, and your boss has asked you to prepare a briefing for senior staff on the comparative advantages and disadvantages of three competing secondary storage technologies: magnetic hard disk drives, solid-state drives using single-level cell flash memory, and solid-state drives using multilevel cell flash memory. Search the digital libraries and technology Web sites listed in this chapter for source material to help you prepare the briefing. Which sites provide the most useful information? Which sites enable you to find useful information easily? Which sites have the most advertising? Which sites seem to con-tain biased information and what is the nature of the bias?
2. Read a few dozen job listings at http://itjobs.computerworld.com or a similar site. Which jobs (and how many) require a broad knowledge of computer technology? At what level are these jobs? Try searching the listings based on a few specific keywords, such as architect, developer, and network. Examine the companies that are hiring and where their job postings show up in search results. Can you draw any conclusions about how the listings are ordered