Inputs and Outputs Devices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Inputs and Outputs Devices - Essay Example The essay "Inputs and Outputs Devices" talks about the various input and output devices used while working with computers and presents the overview of advantages and disadvantages of such devices. Computer output entails any type of information that is being provided by the computer after processing. An output device is a hardware piece that is used to display or output data which has been processed or has been stored on the computer. Examples of output devices are speakers, speech synthesizers, plotters, printers, and the Visual Display Unit. Once information has been fed to the computer, it is in electronic form. This information is in a form that can only be handled and understood by the computer, and not by human beings. The information will, therefore, need to be converted into a form that is understood by a user. This is mostly done in two ways: by printing out the information and by displaying the information on the visual Display Unit. If a user is using a machine with multimedia, he or she can have sound as an output. In this case, the sound is emitted through the speakers. These are all benefits and roles of having output devices connected to one’s computer.A peripheral device is defined as that which can be attached to a computer to increase its functionality. These devices are used in conjunction with the output devices. The output devices are used regularly by students to do their projects and assignments, and they also help to perform basic logical and arithmetic operations.

The origins of representative democracy Essay Example for Free

The origins of representative democracy Essay Who benefited from the Magna Carta? The English NobilityThe English nobility gained the most benefits from the Magna Carta, which established limitations on the power of the king. Which of the following was guaranteed in the English Bill of Rights? Freedom from taxation without representation. Whose ideas about government greatly influenced the men who drafted the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution? John Locke The writings of John Locke, a British philosopher of the Enlightenment period, had a profound influence on the Founding Fathers. What was the colonists’ primary complaint about the rule of the British Crown? The American colonists’ primary complaint was that they were subject to heavy taxes from the British Crown. Which of the following was a component of the Coercive Acts? Establishment of martial law, the requirement for the colonists to quarter British soldiers, the closure of the port of Boston, and the dissolution of the Massachusetts legislature were all components of the Coercive Acts. Which event directly resulted from the Coercive Acts? the First Continental Congress directly resulted from the Coercive Acts. Which section of the Declaration of Independence contains arguments on the right to revolution? Arguments on the right to revolution, based on the philosophy of John Locke, are found in the second section of the Declaration of Independence. Who was given the primary responsibility for drafting the Declaration of Independence? Thomas Jefferson was given the primary responsibility for drafting the Declaration of Independence. What were the main ideas expressed in the Declaration of Independence? The main ideas expressed in the Declaration of Independence were individual rights and liberties and the duty of the government to protect them. The Articles of Confederation specified that the United States would be which form of government? The Articles of Confederation specified that the United States would be a republic. What concerned the Founders in drafting the Articles of Confederation? Mob rule, arbitrary monarchical power, large territory size, and the ability of the people to check government power were all taken into account by the Founders when they drafted the Articles of Confederation. Which of the following was NOT a component of the Articles of Confederation? A bicameral legislature was not a component of the Articles of Confederation (Congress had a single chamber). What led the Founders to realize that the Articles of Confederation needed to be reconfigured? Crises like Shays Rebellion, the inability of the national government to control financial concerns and raise taxes, the disproportionate power held by the states, and the vulnerability of the new nation due to the lack of an executive all contributed to the movement to reconfigure the Articles of Confederation. As the Constitution was being drafted, who was most in support of equal representation in the national legislature? Small states such as Rhode Island most strongly supported equal representation in the legislature. Which of the following plans for representation was incorporated into the Connecticut Compromise? The Connecticut Compromise incorporated a plan calling for each state to be proportionally represented in one house of a bicameral legislature (the House of Representatives). What was Shays Rebellion? Farmers in western Massachusetts, angry that their lands were being foreclosed upon for debts, shut down the courts and stormed an arsenal. The Constitution was ratified in the year? The Constitution was ratified in 1788. The Bill of Rights was ratified in the year?1791 How many terms did George Washington serve as president before leaving office? George Washington served two terms. Marbury v. Madison confirmed the Supreme Courts power to declare laws passed by Congress unconstitutional. What did the case involve? Marbury v. Madison concerned a dispute over William Marburys appointment to a government post. Debates at the Constitutional Convention surrounding the executive branch included which of the following? Debates surrounding the executive branch included both how many executives should serve and how to elect the executive. The Constitution differed from the Articles of Confederation in that itThe Constitution differed from the Articles of Confederation in that it gave Congress the power to establish a national court system. What did it take for Virginia and New York to finally agree to ratify the Constitution? New York and Virginia agreed to ratify the Constitution only after the Federalists promised to include amendments clarifying the limits on government power (the Bill of Rights). Chapter 1. The Founding Constitution Study Questions: Key Terms: Great Compromise (or Connecticut Compromise) The Great Compromise was an agreement made among the delegates to the Constitutional Convention that the American government would have two houses in Congress: the Senate where each state has two Senators, and the House of Representatives where each state has a number of Representatives based on population. The Great Compromise ended one of the most serious disagreements among the new states. Small states felt that all states were equal in stature and that if Congressional representation were based upon population, they would be outvoted on everything. Large states felt that populations should determine how many representatives a state should have, because they were afraid that they would be outvoted by the small states. This disagreement was preventing the Constitution from being adopted. In order to move forward on the Constitution, the states compromised and made Congress as a bicameral legislative body. Without the Great Compromise, there might not be the Constitution or US Government as we know it today. Background: Two plans were put forth during the Constitutional Convention to create the new branches of government. The Virginia Plan wanted a strong national government with three branches. The legislature would have two houses. One would be directly elected by the people and the second would selected by the first house from people nominated by the state legislatures. Further, the president and national judiciary would be chosen by the national legislature. On the other hand, the New Jersey Plan wanted a more decentralized plan amending the old Articles yet allowing for a somewhat stronger government. Each state would have one vote in Congress. The Great Compromise combined these two plans creating our current legislature with two houses, one based on population and elected by the people and the other house allowing two senators per state being appointed by state legislatures. (Direct election of Senators began after the 17th amendment was ratified in 1913.) Bicameralism a legislative body having two branches, houses, or chambers 3/5ths Compromise Three-Fifths Compromise: slaves would not be counted as whole persons for the purposes of representation, but they would not be excluded from the population count either. Instead, a slave would be counted as three-fifths of a person. In this way, large Southern slave states would not be overly advantaged in representation in the lower house of Congress, but they would be recognized for their population size. However, besides allowing greater representation for states with large slave populations, the Constitution did not address the institution of slavery in any other way. It would take 80 years and the bloody Civil War for the nation to fully eradicate slavery and recognize African Americans as free persons with rights to citizenship. Even then, it would be another century before African Americans in the South would enjoy equal access to voting and be allowed to serve as members of a jury. Separation of Powers Separation of powers, therefore, refers to the division of government responsibilities into distinct branches to limit any one branch from exercising the core functions of another. The intent is to prevent the concentration of power and provide for checks and balances. The traditional characterizations of the powers of the branches of American government are: * The legislative branch is responsible for enacting the laws of the state and appropriating the money necessary to operate the government. * The executive branch is responsible for implementing and administering the public policy enacted and funded by the legislative branch. * The judicial branch is responsible for interpreting the constitution and laws and applying their interpretations to controversies brought before it. Forty state constitutions specify that government be divided into three branches: legislative, executive and judicial. California illustrates this approach; The powers of state government are legislative, executive, and judicial. Persons charged with the exercise of one power may not exercise either of the others except as permitted by this Constitution. While separation of powers is key to the workings of American government, no democratic system exists with an absolute separation of powers or an absolute lack of separation of powers. Governmental powers and responsibilities intentionally overlap; they are too complex and interrelated to be neatly compartmentalized. As a result, there is an inherent measure of competition and conflict among the branches of government. Throughout American history, there also has been an ebb and flow of preeminence among the governmental branches. Such experiences suggest that where power resides is part of an evolutionary process. This Web page provides resources for legislators and staff to use in addressing separation of powers issues. It organizes them into broad categories and links to a diverse set of resources to illustrate how the doctrine applies to specific issues under each category. The resources include law review articles, court cases and legislative reports.

Residential Development Growth Issues

Residential Development Growth Issues Samantha Valencia 1. In the face of an increase in demand for new residential development, what are the key growth management issues a City should consider? In the face of an increasing demand for new residential development, cities can look to a few infrastructure issues to be considerate of, as well as key revenue sources to help raise enough infrastructure funds to manage future growth. Smart growth, which pertains to high-density development located in urban areas and near transit routes, is an approach cities can consider when attempting to mitigate impacts to infrastructure as the population increases, as well as providing new housing units that cities statewide are currently lacking. Smart growth will become more and more important for a city in order to manage the influx of cars, pedestrians and transit riders. However, they will need to be implemented in areas that make sense, such as high-density locations near transit routes and close to commercial areas and office parks. In the city of San Diego for example, there have been grand smart growth plans, particularly in Mission Valley and 4S Ranch. Although proponents have not yet been able to consider them successful smart growth plans. Several reasons for this include sprawling yet empty parking lots, large shopping centers with few shoppers and far distances to public transit. Similar to smart growth, cities can also begin thinking more about zoning regulations and potential changes that need to be made to implement more mixed-use development, which combines residential and commercial spaces. This sort of development can either be â€Å"horizontal† (development on a large site with multiple buildings) or â€Å"vertical† (development in a single structure), and would benefit many cities with increasing populations, with demand for housing near bustling business centers. When implementing mixed-use development, not only are zoning and coding issues a concern, but coding may also need to be revised to include parking regulations, and noise and light restrictions to accommodate both residential and commercial tenants (Fulton, W., 2004). In addition to smart growth and mixed-use development, California cities should look to resuming redevelopment as another key approach to managing growth. Since Governor Brown closed all redevelopment agencies statewide in 2011, the state has fallen short in its affordable housing offerings. During healthier economic times, redevelopment agencies were producing up to 200,000 new affordable housing units a year, while in 2014, the number of new units is not even half that number (Musiker, C., 2014) According to Susan Tinsky, former executive director of the San Diego Housing Federation, â€Å"redevelopment agencies have been the best local vehicles to fund affordable housing† (2011). With the constant budget and housing crises, redevelopment would serve as a solution for both. Redevelopment would not only provide much-needed affordable housing but would also stimulate the economy with job growth. Tinsky also notes that â€Å"for every 100 units of affordable housing built, 122 local jobs are generated during construction and 32 permanent jobs after completion† (2011). To help fund these infrastructure costs for redevelopment and smart growth, cities would need to develop new revenue sources. The city of San Diego, for example, does not currently collect fees for refuse pick up at approximately 285,000 homes located on public streets. The city’s fiscal year 2015 budget allocates $47.3 million to costs associated with collection services for refuse, recycables and green waste (Modica, Jr. et al, 2014). A large portion of that amount is funded through the General Fund and is allocated towards refuse collection (approximately $31.3 million) (Modica, Jr. et al, 2014). If the city began to charge households a fee to help recover costs for collection services, it would result in a minimal fee of approximately $13.83 a month (Modica, Jr. et al, 2014). Once these monthly fees are in place, the $31.3 million currently used to subsidize costs for trash pick-up could be used for other services that are underfunded, including infrastructure projects or public services. Two other areas of potential taxation include rental or purchase of goods and services, including parking lot fees, utility user taxes and parking occupancy fees, to name a few. Currently, California taxes just 21 services, compared to New Mexico, Hawaii, South Dakota and Washington, all of which tax more than 140 services (California Commission on the 21st Century Economy, n.d.). These new revenue streams could help fund housing infrastructure needs for cities as the population continues to grow. Lastly, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is another item policymakers should be mindful of when attempting to build affordable housing and other residential developments at the local level. Many neighborhood councils, environmentalists and other organized groups protest residential building plans on the basis of CEQA, acting as an obstruction to the developers, for various reasons. Oftentimes, groups opposing a project, including affordable housing projects, file frivolous lawsuits in attempts to delay progress, only to add costs to the developers by engaging in lawsuits and delaying construction. This in turn has lead developers to focus less on affordable housing projects and more on luxury apartment buildings and other upscale projects, as the return on investment is higher and financial losses are perceived to be less if CEQA protests are encountered. There are many issues cities should consider in order to successfully manage a growing population. Several of these approaches that were discussed have been in progress over the past years and there should be considerable effort to make serious progress in these areas in the near future. 2. What are the three most significant political reforms you would recommend to Governor Brown? Three significant political reforms I would recommend to Governor Brown include modifications to Proposition 13, reforms to the California Environmental Quality Act and reforming the tax code. Reforms to these three areas may help solve the state’s imminent infrastructure crisis. The current California Constitution requires a two-thirds supermajority in order for the state legislature to raise taxes. Part of the reason why efforts to repeal this supermajority, as mandated in Prop 13, have failed in the past is due to taxpayers’ perceptions. Proponents of the repeal argue that rather than looking at tax hikes as a punishment, it should be looked at as much-needed revenue increases for public services and programs, such as education, that have been slashed due to lack of funds. Implemented through Proposition 13, the high approval rate makes it hard for infrastructure and public service funding to pass. Since Prop 13 has passed, local municipalities have been strained ever since with limited funding as a result of limited revenues collected from property taxes. With decreased funding, cities and counties in turn reduce public services. Even though the state spent almost three-quarters of state revenue on local governments, in an effort to help alleviate the loss of funding from property taxes, â€Å"local administrators no longer have much incentive to spend it efficiently† (Kluth, A., 2011). Local cities now look for other ways to raise revenue, even if those means are not perceivably beneficial to the residents, including the fiscalization of land use. Now that cities are left to rely increasingly on sales taxes to supplement lower revenue sources, they are more likely to zone land for commercial areas in order to collect more sales tax. California sales tax rates are some of the highest nationwide, and coupled with land use decisions, sales tax can be an effective way to raise lost revenue. Two most ways to do this are through â€Å"big-box† retail stores, such as Wal-Mart and Target, and through car dealerships. Cities â€Å"choose to encourage these types of development over residential development, which generates sales tax only to the extent that the new residents shop in the same city in which they live† (Chapman, 1998). Furthermore, cities have encouraged development of shopping malls, upscale homes and new hotels. Luxury homes would lead to higher property tax rates, leaving a current deficiency in the market for affordable housing. Reforms to Prop 13 and property tax restrictions could help cities and local g overnments raise enough funds to continue providing crucial public services and updating aging infrastructure. Another area for reform, which hinders infrastructure and residential development, is the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Protecting the environment and natural resources, while still promoting economic growth is a constant goal for the state. However some argue that CEQA is a huge deterrent to this goal, which leads to the need to update the law with simpler language and clear requirements, eliminating duplicative processes and restricting last-minute challenges (Editorial Board, 2014). CEQA is often used as a way to disrupt projects â€Å"for reasons that have nothing to do with protecting the environment† (Villaraigosa, A. Reed, C., 2013). There is a need to overhaul the CEQA process to simplify and streamline the requirements. Many lawsuits are brought forth, on the basis of CEQA, in an effort to stop growth projects. Lawsuits against infill development projects, including â€Å"expansion and improvement of public transit and bicycle facilities, affordable housing, schools, hospitals, and all manner of public works†, submitted to appellate or California Supreme Court between 1997 and 2012, included nearly 60% of suits filed against these types of projects, and nearly 40% were filed against public works projects, including schools, universities and roads (Villaraigosa, A. Reed, C., 2013). CEQA may be a culprit in delaying economic growth for the state as well. The recent discussions to build a Tesla Motors factory in the Bay Area were unsuccessful, leading the company to build the factory in Nevada instead. The factory will cost $5 billion to build and will produce 6,500 jobs; something the state could have benefitted from (Editorial Board, 2014). Although there were discussions to limit pre-build environmental requirements and allowing Tesla to build the factory first then discuss environmental mitigations after, the company decided to build elsewhere (Editorial Board, 2014). Lastly, tax code reform is needed to ensure the future economic health of the state. According to the Think Long Committee for California, nearly $1 trillion that is, roughly half of the states economic output is not taxed (Think Long Committee for California, 2011). This output includes primarily services and information activities (Think Long Committee for California, 2011), and leaves a major gap in the state’s budget. Professional services, such as â€Å"legal, consulting, accounting or architectural services† are all opportunities for future revenue streams. The Think Long Committee suggests bringing in new revenue flows through a tax rate of 5 to 5.5% on services, while also reducing personal income taxes, in order to reduce the state’s budgetary debt. Revenues collected from these new taxes would bring in much-needed funding for the future growth of the state. References Editorial Board. (2014, September 5). Loss of Tesla factory should put a charge in CEQA  reform: Editorial. Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved from http://www.dailynews.com/opinion/20140905/loss-of-tesla-factory-should-put-a-charge-in-ceqa-reform-editorial Fulton, W. (2004, February 1). Mixed-Use Projects Require Planners To Rethink Zoning  Standards. California Planning and Development Report. Retrieved from  http://www.cp-dr.com/node/651. Kluth, A. (2011, April 20). The People’s Will. The Economist. Retrieved  from http://www.economist.com/node/18563638. Modica, Jr., C. E., Kawar, J., Tevlin A. (2014). Revenue Options to Address Critical  Infrastructure and Affordable Housing Needs. San Diego, CA: Office of the Independent Budget Analyst. Musiker, C. (2014, February 26). Did the end of California’s redevelopment agencies hurt  affordable housing? KQED. Retrieved from http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/02/24/redevelopment-hurt-affordable-housing/ Public Policy Institute of California. (1998). Proposition 13: Some Unintended  Consequences. San Francisco, CA: Jeffrey I. Chapman. Think Long Committee for California. (2011). A Blueprint to Renew California. Santa Monica,  CA: Nicolas Berggruen. Tinsky, S. (2011, February 27). Redevelopment critical to affordable housing. UT San Diego.  Retrieved from http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2011/feb/27/redevelopment-critical-to-affordable-housing/. Villaraigosa, A. Reed, C. (2013, April 24). Antonio Villaraigosa and Chuck Reed: Fix the  California Environmental Quality Act now. Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved from http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20130425/antonio-villaraigosa-and-chuck-reed-fix-the-california-environmental-quality-act-now.

Letter of Motivation Essays -- essays papers

Letter of Motivation My educational background is quite diverse. I spent my last three years at the Geelong College Australia, and have successfully finished year 12 there. My choices of subjects reflected the diversity of my interests - English, Mathematics, International Studies, Legal Studies, and Economics. I excelled in International Studies and was awarded Academic Merit. Upon my return to Surabaya at the start of year 1999, I attended IBMT (Institute of Business Management and Technology), an International University which follows the United States curriculum, at which I majored in International Management. The subjects I took were: Accounting I and II, Sociology, Psychology, World Civilization, English Composition, Public Speaking, and Organizational Management. I finished the semester with a GPA of 3.6. The excellent quality of the University, as well as helpful teachers and friends, have contributed immensely to my success. In the classroom I can do much more than to warm the seat; I can add a lot to class discussions. As I have grown older and more mature, I have begun to realise the value and significance of helping others and contributing to my surrounding community. I was involved in many clubs and social activities such as the United Nations Youth Conferences, Geelong Radio Station, Peer Education Street Theatre, 40 Hours Famine Committee, Amnesty International, a badminton club and basketball club. I also value very much my work experience at Weight...

Apple Inc.

Team â€Å"Death Spiral† examined the stewardship and business performance of Apple Inc. by undertaking a strategic analysis of Apple Inc. ’s previous, present and potential future strategic and market performance. The internal workings of the firm were examined to reveal a culture of constant innovation and a drive to create easy to use, life improving products. A two tiered corporate structure with Steve Jobs and Tim Cook being at the apex of anagement and a horizontally flat structure of vice presidents the decision making process is not complicated by various vertical levels of command and decision making. Apple Inc. ’s internal structure has become flexible as divisions are specifically established to develop the latest product and maintain a competitive advantage. Apples industry segments were than explored and it was noted that it was not possible to absolutely define a market which Apple consistently performed in. Apple Inc. ’s multi-functional pro duct base gave a clearly indication of the underlying strategic management at play.It was accepted that Apple has defined its own market segment, that of ‘mobile electronic devices’. The four main strategic management themes of M. E. Porter (focus, differentiation and cost leadership), G. Hamel & C. K. Prahalad (structuralist), W. C. Kim and R. Mauborgne (reconstructionist) and J. Ridderstrale and K. Nordstrom (intellect, uniqueness and innovation) were examined in light of Apple Inc. ’s most recent performance. The Blue Ocean Strategy and the Funky Business Strategy models were found to be the most applicable and helped explained Apple Inc. s sustained and phenomenal rise in business performance. Finally, strategy recommendations for the future direction of Apple Inc were explored by the use of a Strategy Canvas. Possible pitfalls and hypothetical futuristic products were also explored. The single most strategic liability identified was the departure of the CEO Steve Jobs from Apple which could potentially be catastrophic if not fatal for the Apple brand. † ! ! Apple Inc. has transformed over its 30 year existence; there have been changes in leadership, product types, company logo and name.Apple Inc. experienced decline in the early to mid-nineteen nineties but has experienced unprecedented growth and success since the return of the founding father figure of Steve Jobs. Yoffie and Kim (2010) highlight the misdirected and turbulent time Apple experienced in the 1990’s until the turn around and change (1998) in ethos/philosophy of Apple as purported by Jobs. Job’s aim was to reduce the number of product models, change the mode of distribution to larger outlets and promote Apple as a ‘hip alternative to other computer brands’ (Yoffie & Kim, 2010, p. 4).Apple Inc. ’s current mission statement states ‘Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork, and pr ofessional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and Apps Store, and has recently introduced its magical iPad which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices’ (Apple Inc, 2010c). This mission statement highlights and gives a strong indication of where the strategic direction Apple Inc. ntends to progress; not only do they strive to have the best products but they intend to stretch vertically across product lines. To emphasis this, Ostdick (2010) comments on the personal drive of Steve Jobs and his belief that all product innovations can be recycled into other projects. The underlying guiding ethos is just because one piece of technology doesn’t work in one project, how we can potentially use it outside its intended use to produce something new and successful. Parallel to the financial success of Apple Inc. is the longevity and stabilit y of its board of directors and corporate structure of the firm.There are seven members on the board of directors from various professional backgrounds. The average tenure of these members is six years with more than half sitting for more than ten years (Apple Inc, 2009). Organisational structure is horizontal with Steve Jobs and Tim Cook acting as chief executive and operating officers respectively. Beneath this pinnacle are nine vice presidents who preside over areas such as retail, hardware engineering and marketing (see appendix 1 for the current executive structure of Apple Inc. ) (Apple Inc, 2010c).These vice presidents administer the day to day running of fourteen individual divisions (see appendix 2 for the current organisational chart of Apple Inc. ). In terms of strategy; Apple Inc. has dedicated divisions purely for further development of the iPhone and iPod. The flexibly of the firm is highlighted here; with † 0 research and development, Apple are prepared to speci fically develop these products. It would be logical to infer when their product life cycles reach their pinnacle; new divisions may be made to further develop the current products at th time. hat Apple Inc. ’s culture internally is a positive workplace where generous employee benefits are available. Employees are subjected however to a strict process of ethics and business processes outlined in e outline their document ‘Business Conduct: The Way We Do Business’ (Apple Inc, 2009). Externally Apple Business . Inc. is embracing the latest sustainable practices in various operational areas and hence attempting to improve their triple bottom line (economic, social and environmental) or Corporate Social Responsibility credentials (Esty & Winston, 2009).Apple provide educational programs for their staff Esty 2009 . and are engaging the community with educational programs and scholarships (Apple Inc, 2009 Over Apple 2009). the last five years a cultural change has occurr ed in relation to environmental responsibilities. Apple responsibilities. recycling programs have been established, carbon emissions saving have been implemented upstream and downstream of the supply chain; and a further commitment to produce environmentally safe products (Apple Inc, 2010b). ! † # !The first challenge in analysing the industry that Apple operates in is defining that industry. Apple has created its own industry of â€Å"Consumer Technology† by choosing to compete in, and redefine segments of more traditional industries. Apple operates in segments of the Computer, Consumer Electronics, Music, Movie/Video, and Telecommunications Industries. positioned itself in selected segments of the market. In each industry it has Although Apple has its roots in the Computer Industry it is no longer just focused on computers. st The change of name in January 2007 from Apple Computers to Apple Inc reflects this change of direction (Honan, 2007). . Despite this Apple gene rated almost 14 BN USD of sales from personal computers in 2009, its second highest † 1 level in history and 32% of the company’s total sales. Even in its traditional market segment Apple Inc. does not dominate the market with an estimated 4. 2% share of the global market in 2009 (Yoffie & Kim, 2010).Apple Inc. continues to gain ground, particularly in their home market, the USA. Apple PC sales are estimated to be only 10. % of the US market in the 3 quarter of 2010 (see Appendix 3) (Ash, 2010), up from 8% in 2009 (Yoffie & Kim, 2010), overtaking Acer to become a distant 3rd to Hewlett Packard and Dell Computers. The personal computer industry is a USD $425 BN industry dominated by companies producing what are still referred to as â€Å"IBM compatible† machines that predominantly use Microsoft Windows operating systems. Major industry leaders include Hewlett Packard (HP), Dell Computers, Acer, Lenovo is a Chinese company that purchased the loss making personal rd Toshiba and Lenovo. computer business of IBM in 2005. IBM no longer manufactures personal computers. The industry is can be characterised as being in a mature growth phase with rising sales and falling prices. Leading industry consultants the Gartner Group forecast sales growth in unit shipments of almost 20% in 2010 with significant falls in unit prices (Anonymous (The Australian), 2010). The industry is highly price competitive and fragmented with thousands of smaller companies competing with the major players using common commoditised components.Apple stands apart from the pack offering a highly differentiated product, with its own operating system and unique Apple design and style. It focuses on the personal usage market rather than the corporate market and commands premium prices for its products. Despite its small market share overall Apple commanded 91% of computers sales over USD $1,000 in 2009 (Yoffie & Kim, 2010). This allows them to maintain industry leading margins of 40 % in 2009. Apples margins have increased during recent years while their competitors have continued to decline (Yoffie & Kim, 2010).The global consumer electronics market is estimated to be in excess of USD $ 700 BN a year (Anonymous, 2010b). Consumer electronics includes entertainment, office productivity and communication equipment. The boundaries of this industry are loosely defined as product innovation and technology but convergence is blurring the edges. Leading Global companies include (by one industry definition) Sony, Toshiba, Panasonic, Samsung, LG, Microsoft, Apple, Intel, IBM and Nokia (The Engineer, 2010). The industry is characterized by product lifecycles which are getting shorter, † nd products more technologically advanced and complex. Your phone is a computer; your fridge can connect to the internet. You can watch TV on your computer or phone and watch U-tube on your television! The industry is competitive with many global players with established market pres ence being challenged for market share by both other established players and new emerging brands. Prices are being driven down by aggressive competition. Manufacturers are seeking to lower costs through mass production in low cost countries, notably China. In this environment, branding is critical.Products are too complex for many consumers to rationally compare features, functionality and price in an effective manner. Products are often purchased on the basis of the perceived price performance, with consumers associating with the product brand. Apple is well positioned in this regard with a strong brand associated with Style, Quality, Useability and â€Å"Cool† despite having only a limited range of products within this broader industry definition. $ The music industry is a well-established consumer industry, traditionally controlled by the recording companies.Major players Universal Music, Sony Music, EMI and Warner Music controlling in excess of 70% of the industry with a larger number of small â€Å"independents† making up the rest. Global sales are in order of USD $ 25 Billion in 2009 (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, 2010b). The dominate trend in the industry is the rapid uptake of digital download of music as the consumer preferred method of distribution. This is undermining the power of the recording companies in favour of the internet based retailers and resulting in revenue contraction. Total recorded music sales evenue has been in decline for the past decade, declining by 7% in 2009. This is despite continued high growth in internet based digital music sales up 12% in 2009. Music sales through digital channels accounted for USD $4. 2 billion of music sales in 2009, representing 27% of global sales growing from a base of just USD $20 million in 2003 (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, 2010a). Apples iTunes is a leading player in the digital sales channel revolution, arguably the industry leader in legal internet music sales. This is the segment of he industry that Apple chose to compete in and † redefine for its own purposes. Intellectual property issues remain a major challenge for this industry with internet based peer to peer file sharing significantly eroding industry sales. $ %& † The multibillion dollar movie industry is dominated by large movie studios with distribution traditionally handled by theatres, then a secondary market through video/DVD rentals or retail stores and a tertiary revenue stream through television rights. Apple is involved only in the distribution part of the business through film download for rent or sale.This challenges the traditional video store business, with a new model. To date, video downloading has promised more than it has delivered (Kane, 2007). The market is becoming increasingly crowded with an increasing number of companies entering the market including internet heavy weight Google which owns YouTube and retail heavy we ight WalMart (Ogg, 2010). Economies of scale make this an industry that favours natural monopolies or oligopolies. Multiple large scale players as well as a myriad of minor companies are jostling for critical mass.As with most internet based businesses price and convenience are the driving factors. Apples assault on the internet movie sale and rental market leverages their success in music with i-Store, their strength in video capable devices, iPods, iTouch and iPads and established leadership in video processing computers. !# The software industry has many segments including proprietary operating systems, business applications, personal applications and entertainment applications. Most providers focus on selected sectors where they can establish market leadership.Microsoft focuses on operating systems for PC (Windows) and business productivity tools that run on PCs. IBM focuses on large scale enterprise systems and predominantly business software and integration services. A plethor a of other companies large and small compete for leadership in all the gaps in between. Economies of scale are particularly important as the variable production costs are very low. Apple has maintained its own proprietary operating systems for its computing devices to preserve product differentiation and unique usability features. However this has been at significant evelopment cost. Application development has been left to third parties who compete to provide market leading solutions. With the advent of the Apps Store, Apple has entered the software distribution business with a 30% gross margin, leveraging the enterprise of thousands of independent † 2 software developers large and small. By tight integration with their systems the App Store provides a captive high margin marketplace for software. This is another niche segment that Apple has chosen to compete where there are synergies with the t existing businesses.By providing a distribution system Apple has been able to enc ourage more developers to create applications for their computing devices. More applications extend th the functionality and desirability of their products, driving sales. This is a profitable symbiotic relationship. Despite being a relatively small player in the industry segments, Apple is an undisputed financial success. It is now the third largest company in the world, as measured by market capitalisation, d behind only Exxon Mobil and Petro-China. At the close of trade on the 12th of November the Apple Inc shares were valued at USD $308. 3 (Refer to Figure 1. ) each, valuing the entire comp company at over USD $ 282 billion. During the past year the company’s shares have increased in value by over 50% increased (Yahoo Finance, 2010).The stock is trading on a Price to Earnings Multiple of 20. 42 times compared to an industry (Personal Computers) average of 15. 80 times (Stock Call, 2010). The company’s high valuation compared to its sales of 3. 5 times can be attrib uted to the high margin and high growth performance of the business. In the 3rd quarter of 2009 the company reported a net profit margin of 21. 8% compared to an industry average of 4. 53%. Total sales were 67% a year earlier (Stock Call, 2010). On these metrics the company share price does not seem excessive. . † 3 ! ! † Apple Inc. has been defined as being involved in the new technology industry. The products they deliver stretch across multiple industry boundaries; some products compete in established markets, others are market leaders in contemporary industries spanning product development and product delivery (Yoffie & Kim, 2010). This makes an analysis of Apple’s competitive strategy challenging and difficult.Singular theories may fit individual product lines, but not reflect the true direction that this multi-faceted company is taking as a whole. Porter’s (1980) generic theories are an example of this; the three strategies of focus, differentiation a nd cost leadership provide information on specific products such as computers and software; but fail to examine products like the iPad and iTunes (Porter, 1998 see Part 1). An analysis of iTunes best illustrates the timeliness and limitations of the application of the out-dated theory of Porter to Apple Inc. Tunes adopts both a differentiation strategy (by providing the download of music at various download qualities, the ability to download movies and tv shows; and combining it all into an easy to use product) and a cost leadership strategy (this is achieved by providing a competitive priced service for the customer, and a cost effective way for Apple to update firmware of its products). Consideration was given to the theories of Hamel & Prahalad (1994), however the structuralist approach does not encompass the true nature of Apple’s efforts over the last ten years.In contrast the reconstructive theories of Chan Kim and Mauborgne (2005) and their â€Å"Blue Ocean Strategyâ €  in particular allow a greater analysis of the strategic positioning instigated by Apple. The Reconstructionist’s view helps accommodate advances made by Apple Inc. in redefining and creating new technology. Utilising Chan Kim and Mauborgne’s six principles helps in assessing Apple Inc. ’s value chain matrix; and their innovation in product development (Chan Kim & Mauborgne, 2005), (Chan Kim & Mauborgne, 2009).To contrast explanations for Apple’s recent success and to provide analysis for their future; the theories of Ridderstrale and Nordstrom (2000) in their ground breaking book â€Å"Funky Business: Talent Makes Capital Dance† will contrast a different view of competitive strategy. The use of Funky Business as an ideology helps explain the rise of emotional buying and how important the utilisation of innovation is in the 21 century business environment. Furthermore, examples will be given to illustrate the synergies which exist between the Funky Business philosophies and the creation of Blue Oceans which ultimately coalesce into a strategic position. t † 4 Swimming in a Blue Ocean A broad definition of Chan Kim and Mauborgne’s Blue Ocean strategy is the ability for a company to move from a red ocean (an industry where competitors offer similar products or services with the aim to become a cost/market leader); to a blue ocean (an undefined and new industry that may incorporate industries, or create a new industry based on differentiation and lower operating cost) (Chan Kim & Mauborgne, 2005). Apple Inc. is in some respects a contradictory company when it comes to its strategic analysis for its expansive product mix delivers in more than one â€Å"ocean†.For the purpose of this strategic analysis (and recommendations for the future) specific example’s will be given where Apple Inc. has gained a competitive advantage by defining their own unique Blue Ocean. Chan Kim and Mauborgne (2005) provide a fundamental analytical tool to analyse Apple’s competitive strategies. This methodology comprises 5 formulation and execution principles to competitive advantage. They are as follows: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Reconstructing Market Boundaries Focus on the Big Picture, not the Numbers Reach Beyond Existing Demand Get the Strategic Sequence Right Overcome Key Organisational HurdlesReconstructing Market Boundaries Apple’s current resurgence has its beginnings in one of its original blue oceans; i. e. the creation of iTunes changed how people downloaded and listened to music. iTunes was originally used to compete with the illegal download music market, the now defunct ‘ Napster' being an example. Apple’s aims were to provide a low cost option for customers, high quality downloads and a music player interface (Chan Kim & Mauborgne, 2005).From an administrative point of view iTunes gave Apple control of digital rights and with five major record labels contributing to the service gave them a distinct competitive advantage (Yoffie & Kim, 2010). Blue Oceans however are not constant and as good ideas make money the competitive advantage for iTunes would have eroded if it did not diversify. To compete with growing technology demands, movies and TV shows were introduced to the iTunes store for purchase and rental. This differentiation created a new Blue Ocean for Apple Inc. / â€Å"Currently iTunes is the market leader in visual media. Concurrently the iTunes store has the largest downloadable content on the internet . It provides a catalogue of eight million tracks, two thousand films (total downloads daily average are in excess of fifty thousand) and twenty thousand TV episodes (Anonymous, 2010c). Prime Facie analysis reveals that the popularity of iTunes cannot be solely attributed to the product delivery; but a concurrent innovation and integration with the portable products that Apple has created over the last decade.It co uld be argued that the iTunes blue ocean was strengthened by the continual improvement in storage size and screen resolution quality of it iPod and iPhone range. Apple Inc. can now be seen entering its next stage in differentiation. To do this Apple Inc. has introduced the iPad (Feb 2010); revolutionising tablet computing. Building on its iPhone operating system, Apple is attempting to reconnect with business people. Unlike iTunes, iPad services will not be the low price of music downloads.Apple will attempt to lure high profile media conglomerates to allow subscription through their iTunes service at a higher premium price (Yoffie & Kim, 2010). Even though news articles are sold at a premium price; the ability to distribute them via iTunes gives Apple Inc. a low internal cost. The most recent venture by Apple Inc. to create a unique user experience the creation of multiplayer online gaming on the iPhone; multiplayer gaming traditionally has been the domain of PC and console develop ers (Gametraders, 2010). With this venture Apple Inc. opes to refine how people play games with each other. iPhone customers will have the capability to game wherever they can take their iPhone (Apple Inc, 2010a). This strategic move can be seen as a blue ocean for Apple Inc. which will provide a service no other mobile phone provider offers with the quality of the gaming experience. In addition to this Apple Inc. are not actually investing in gaming; they are using their iPhone and OS4 operating system as a go between. With other companies vying to have their games on the popular iStore; Apple Inc. have created for them a low cost product. 1Focus on the Big Picture, not the Numbers Apple’s current focus is on being a lifestyle company. It integrates its products and makes them easy for the end user to operate. Steve Jobs openly states that his products start with an idea and a need to alleviate customer demands (Ostdick, 2010). This strategic thinking helps formulate new Blu e Oceans. It allows companies such as Apple to create products unrestricted by current industry 1 In February 2010, Apple announced that the iTunes store had recorded its 10 billionth song download (Johnny Cash’s â€Å"Guess Things Happen That Way†) (Ostdick, 2010). // standards and norms. Greg Joswiak the vice president builds on this philosophy stating they never let . vice-president technology go to waste. In an interview with Reena Jana from the Harvard Business Review blog he generalises on key points concerning the innovative strategies of Apple Inc. ‘Think of this strategy as s Think smart recycling of internal ideas and engineering, especially when cross-pollinated with other cross ollinated products’ (Jana, 2010). These comments were made in wake of the iPad release.Jana (2010) . demonstrates how the iPad is a hybridisation of the iPhone and a laptop; and how the iPhone was just hybridisation an update of the iPod. Reach Beyond Existing Demand The fundamental tenet of this principle is, ‘Instead of concentrating on customers they (companies) need to focus on non-customers. And instead of focusing on tead customer differences, they need to build on powerful commonalities in what buyers value’ ( (Chan Kim & Mauborgne, 2005). Apple do this well. It is important to ). ote that there would be a minority of people that do not inority own at least one Apple product. However their competitive strategy in reaching beyond existing demand would be to sell products to existing customers in industries they would not normally consider using an Apple product. As stated in â€Å"Focusing on the big picture† tated (above), the ability to build upon and reuse technology in an innovative way is allowing apple to reach new markets and potentially new customers. ! † # $% & † ‘ ( † / Get the Strategic Sequence Right Apple Inc. as excelled in their strategic sequencing when it comes to the redevelopment and innovation of their portable products. Chan Kim and Mauborgne (2005) stress the importance of price, cost and adoption. Figure 2 (Golijan, 2010) illustrates the chronology of the iPod and Apple Inc. ’s development of the product. The timeline highlights the quality of sales on the left hand side; over the ten year period models evolved and became more accessible at varying price points. The success of the products allowed Apple Inc. to diversify and continually improve the product.Within this industry no other competitor has been able to hold consistent sales growth and product innovation as the iPod. Overcome Key Organisational Hurdles Yoffie (2010) clearly highlights the trouble’s Apple has encountered with several changes in management in the 1990’s. Since the second coming of Steven Job’s Apple has been a stable entity and has not experienced the organisational problems of the past. Recent economic performance would indicate there has been no lead ership or structural change within Apple Inc. It is of interest to note that otentially when Steven Job’s rejoined Apple Computers as the CEO there was a tipping point and a push towards a new Apple Inc. He changed the name, the logo and the ethos of the company and personally pushed Apple Inc. into its current successful position (Jana, 2010). Let’s Get Funky As shown above Apple Inc. has exhibited clear Blue Ocean strategy elements during its history, and yet after the dramatic decline during the 90’s to the stellar success now being experienced, Apple Inc. has also displayed some new, contemporary strategic rudiments.Examining the quirky and mildly eccentric philosophy’s of Jonas Ridderstrale and Kjell Nordstrom as extolled in their manifesto â€Å"Funky Business: Talent Makes Capital Dance† (2000) it is apparent that much of the success of the ‘second life’ of Apple Inc. (circa 2000 to the present) can be attributed to a metamorpho sis in business thinking and to these ‘new’ strategic philosophy’s and ideas. As an example, central to the â€Å"Funky Business† strategic model are the three core elements of: Make Room for Grey Matter – in the ‘global village’, a company’s future depends on the intellect of its teams members.Consumers want, demand a dream, emotion, not products and services; Only the Best Rake in the Pot – In order to succeed a company must be number one in its field or even better – Unique; and Permanent Innovation – Creativity leads to the redefining of the company and its markets and yet the constantly changing † /0 environment of the market implies the constant search for innovation, with innovation being a state of the mind (Laville, 2000).Jobs and his cohorts, since the near fatal demise of Apple Computers in the mid 1990’s have reposition and focused the Apple brand with the global ‘lifestyle†™ village in mind (Yoffie ; Kim, 2010). Central to this theme is the enabling of consumers to engage in quasi-voyeurism, transporting their minds and bodies into ‘Mac/Apple World’, experience music, connecting to the internet and most importantly to each other in the Global community. Apple has been an industry leader in the enabling of the consumer to participate in the web world through a number of primary senses. Steve) Jobs’ ability to reinventing himself and redefine Apple (in its second incarnation) using ideologies akin to that of the Funky Business model resonant with the changing landscape brought about by the globalization phenomenon. Thus Jobs’ ability to connect with the community through technological change, institutional change and the evolution of values (Young ; Simon, 2005) allowed Apple to ride the crest of the wave through the first decade of the millennium harnessing the three underlying forces of excess: growth of markets (eg.China, India, Russia, etc. ), Ongoing overabundance of supply (which has exceeded demand since the 90’s and knows no bounds! ) and technological progress (lowers the cost of information, lower barriers and the world becomes a smaller more accessible environment) (Laville, 2000), (Yoffie ; Kim, 2010). Apples’ Funky Business strategy is exemplified by its innate ability to understand the dynamics of the world of competition and how it has changed.Accordingly, Apple is able to compete in this new environment by realize that the established and entrenched large scale structures of traditional companies don’t ‘hack it’ and that the single most important facet of this new age of business, is the intellectual capital to identify products and get them into production quickly (Musatov, 2001), examples include Apples industry benchmarking and leadership products: iMac (1998), iPod (2001), iTunes (2003), iPhone (2007) and the iPad (2010) (Yoffie ; Kim, 2010).Thus, i t is not the production facility that is the most important, per se, but the minds who operate it. In interviews with Jonas Ridderstrale and Kjell Nordstrom (Anonymous, 2010a) (Anonymous, 2010e), it is clear that one economic model for the 21 century that conceptualize a Funky Business strategy can be illustrated by the strategic direction of Apple over the last decade plus, understanding of st † /1 market forces, individual choice (or knowledge of the individual), freedom to choose and the ability to re-invent or innovate regularly and expediently. † Apple Inc. trategy for the iPad (launched in January 2010) echo with the core elements of creating a new Blue Ocean and Funky Business principles, as described above. These (as expressed by industry commentators) were Apple' core strategic elements for the iPad launch: â€Å"consideration of s future applications of current products as they are developed† (innovate), â€Å"crowd-source hype and ideas around pricingà ¢â‚¬  (sell the dream, the emotion, not so much the device) and of course the core Funky Business principle of, â€Å"Don’t focus on being first; focus on being the best† (Uniqueness) (Jana, 2010).Coincidently, as this new ‘Tablet’ Blue Ocean gathers depth and breadth for Apple, the competition are not far behind with the announcement of Samsungs new ‘Galaxy Tab’ in November 2010 (Anonymous, 2010d), the time between launch, maturity and loss of competitive advantage shrinks with each new development and innovation. â€Å"The Age of Paradox† written by Charles Handy (1995) points out that the Sigmoid Growth Curve can be used to plot out, the life of any organism, life cycle of a product or the life of an organisation.Every new life, organisation, project, or initiative, commences with some faltering at the start, grows, matures, declines and ultimately perishes. If this was the only underlying concept to this ideological graph it would not be of any use, but rather, the positive and encouraging use of this model is that a firm can proactively start its own new sigmoid curve in any new area it wants rather than watching the old curve maximise, then decline.During any new development phase an organisation will experience what is known as a â€Å"dip† or a setback; this can be due to a lack of resources, loss of direction, ineffectiveness, poor productivity and/or loss of a competitive advantage. This is completely normal and team morale must remain high through this temporary stage known as ‘ dipping' Every time there is a new growth curve (new idea, . change in goals, new product, etc. ), it intercepts with the old Sigmoid Curve, and either climbs or descends but ultimately the cycle of a major dip will commence associated with ccompanying anxiety and setbacks. † / The dip can represent a significant challenge for any organisation, as it was for Apple Inc. with a loss of direction between 1985 un til December 1997 with several changes of CEO’s at the helm (Scully, 1985 – 1993) and the (Spindler and Amelio years 1993 – 1997) (Yoffie & Kim, 2010). Apple management, you could say, went through a case of ‘ Paradigm Block' ‘the inability or refusal to see ; beyond the current models of thinking’ (JCU, Competitive strategy course notes, session two slide 11). † † † * & + † , † – † & † & * There are different eras of product interests and management change that Apple has gone experienced its inception in the 1980’s when they launched the Apple 1. Mapping the most recent period of Apples growth on a strategic canvas, from the launch of the iMac in 1998 through to the iPad launch (2010) we can visualize a series of interconnected sigmoidial curves gradually increasing with each new innovation and product launch, as shown in Figure 3.In fact, the gradual treadline † / ncreasing to the right in Figure 3 reflects a buoyant and productive company with clear growth from strategic product development, delivery and acceptance (depending on the market KPI used). Presently, given the rapid development by other competitors in the tablet market, Apple Inc. would need to accelerate innovation and product delivery within the next 6 – 12 months to avoid another dip and loss of competitive advantage. This may require a change or transition in new management and of course a new updated product e. g. pdated iphone from 4 to 5 with more capabilities and apps (See Figure 4 Strategy canvas). . * &/ ! &0 1 & Future strategy scenarios which Apple may need to engage in order to reinvent itself in the ensuing post 2010 era are many and varied. Given Apples’ history to date and without climbing the walls of the Apple head office and being a fly on the wall it is unwise to predict what Apple may come up with next. They will however need to improve their product range or in novate around their range of iPhone, iPod, iTunes and iPad etc. o maintain market capital. They need to be constantly innovative and invest in their R&D department to have any chance of keeping the current Blue Oceans, ‘Blue’, and require time (which is no luxury in the Funky Business world of the 21st century), to develop new Blue Oceans. Potentially Apple could develop a strategy to have a lifestyle package called Apple â€Å"iHome† that would be able to accommodate the current avant garde movement of the new ‘energy gurus’ that are environmentally friendly and the ‘tech heads’ that enjoy the Apple brand.The iHome could be similar to the CBus system, Smart system or Building system as they are commonly known, they could † /2 incorporate their existing range and facilitate new ideas such as an iPhone that has a de novo chip which instead of using an security access card or conventional key you just swipe your iPhone to unlock your car, house front door or office. The CBus system can work in conjunction with, home appliances such as air-conditioning, automated windows, lights, security video and irrigation, effectively generating a ‘smart home or â€Å"iHome†.You can remotely set up your home with the use of your iPhone through the net, and be able to monitor your home when you are away. The innovative potential of the â€Å"iHome† package is endless but the pitfalls may include, acceptance by the market, technological maturity of the appliances in question and the competitive advantage or market acceptance of these new ‘out there’ products. In essences, it would be foolhardy to recommend a strategy for Apple post 2010, in that Jobs and his self-proclaimed â€Å"mobile-devices† company are still delivering, still leading industry segments they Apple Inc. A. Company Industry Position Apple is the iconic company behind the mouse-driven Macintosh computer, the phenomenal iPod music-player and the recently launched iPhone. The company’s marked inventiveness keeps it in the lead (Economist. com website) and secures its place in the industry. Apple’s relentless efforts and continual investments in research and development are seen to usher in more innovative breakthroughs that will further fuel the company’s further growth and market expansion. B. Industry Characteristics. With its founder, Steven Jobs, at its helm, Apple creatively designs personal computers, portable digital music players and mobile communication devices and proceeds to manufacture and market them. The company as well offers to sell and to service related software, peripherals and networking solutions. (Google Finance website) Apple has such an immense following that is made up of the individual consumers, the small and mid-sized business (SMB) enterprises, the education sector, the government agencies and the â€Å"creative consumers. † (Apple Inc. 008 10-K) The latter pertains to Apple’s special niche market composed of young and trendy people who can afford to discard relatively new gadgets for want of more updated versions of the same products. The more recent ventures of the company include the selling of a myriad of products manufactured by other companies specifically to cater to such special market niche. These products include application software, printers, storage devices, speakers, headphones, accessories and peripherals of all sorts, and digital content that are all tailored for the Mac, iPod and iPhone. Apple Inc. 2008 10-K) Apple has an established market all around the world. It has set up a dynamic marketing network through its â€Å"online stores, retail stores, direct sales force, and third-party wholesalers, resellers, and value-added resellers. † (Apple Inc. 2008 10-K) It should not come as a surprise to know that Apple puts up with a lot of aggressive competition in all the markets it caters to – markets for computers, digital music devices, mobile communication gadgets, all the related paraphernalia and for the services attached to these products. Apple Inc. 2008 10-K) But no matter how stiff competition can be, Apple has emerged as an undisputed market leader. In fact, Apple has reaped increased earnings this economically difficult year (2008) while most of other companies incurred huge losses. In the same tune, Apple offered last Black Friday only 8% off its new MacBook, 4% off a 20-inch iMac, 5- 8% off iPods and none off iPhones while analysts predicted discounts to reach 15% (Frommer, Yahoo! Finance webpage). Apple is obviously no t keen on competing based on prices. As the company behind such signature products as iMac, iPod and iPhone, Apple can well afford to price its products higher without having to worry about losing the market to competitors offering cheaper products. Technology and its optimization are among the factors behind Apple’s success. Its products are deemed â€Å"new technology† and the technological aspects of its products are optimized for exclusivity. Thus, users of any one of Apple’s products are bound to be captured clients for the others in the company’s menu. The technological inter- relatedness of Apple’s products presents a distinct advantage that it is wisely making the most of. Apple’s products are theoretically homogeneous; the market is awash with all kinds of computers, music-players and mobile phones. But then, such products are more considered as rather unique. Author McNees has written that â€Å"in a mature market with highly homogeneous products, well-executed small differences can make [a given product] unique and [sought after]. Indeed, the leverage brought on by Apple’s industrial-design machine makes its product stand out in the market. This constitutes another major advantage enjoyed by the company. Meanwhile, there are also serious disadvantages that Apple is saddled with. For one, the company is highly susceptible to the adverse effects of a prevailing bad economic condition which both causes the market value of the company’s shares to take a dive and substantially reduces the earning and sp ending capacity of its market. Apple also happens to be in the middle of a litigation arising from its past stock option granting malpractices. Adverse findings of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) at the conclusion of the investigation that it is conducting will materially damage the company’s name, financial condition and operating results. (Apple Inc. 2008 10-K) (Please see II to IX and a portion of X in the Excel document) X. Based on the foregoing, I do not recommend that the 10,000 shares of Apple be purchased now. I would recommend keeping it as cash and then buying the Apple shares when the macro-economic factors affecting the finance world and especially the stock markets have begun to improve. At this point, the market can generally do worse and Apple might just go with such downturn with no sufficient ammunition – like significant good news – available. Works Cited â€Å"Innovation Lessons from Apple.†Ã‚   Economist.com.   7 June 2007.   The Economist Newspaper Limited.   26 November 2008 .   â€Å"U.S. SEC Form 10-K of Apple Inc. for Fiscal Year ending September 2008.†Ã‚   Apple Inc.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  26 November 2008 < http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2008/10/21results.html>. Frommer, Dan.   â€Å"Apple’s Black Friday Sale:   No 15 Percent Discout.†Ã‚   Yahoo! Finance. 28 November, 2008.   Yahoo! 30 November 2008 < http://finance.yahoo.com/tech-ticker/article/136179/Apples-Black-Friday-Sale%3A-No-15-Percent-Discount>. â€Å"Apple Inc.†Ã‚   Google Finance.   29 November 2008 . McNees, Donald.   â€Å"Hat trick:   retaining customers, finding growth and achieving attractive returns are not easy in today’s mature financial markets, but a handful of companies are doing all three.†   The Free Library by Farlex. 29 November 2008 < http://www.the freelibrary.com/Hat+trick%3a+retaining+ customers%2c+ finding+growth+and+ achieving†¦-a0158908311>. White, Gerald, Ashwinpaul Sondhi and Dov Fried.   The Analysis and Use of Financial Statements.   New York:   John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1998. Brigham, Eugene and Joel Houston.   Fundamentals of Financial Management.   Orlando, FL:   The Dryden Press, 1998. Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation with a focus on designing and manufacturing consumer electronics and software products. It was established in Cupertino, California on April 1, 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne, and incorporated on January 3, 1977. The company's hardware products include the Macintosh line of personal computers, the iPod line of portable media players,the iPad line of tablets, and the iPhone line of mobile phones. Apple's software products include the OS X operating system, the iTunes media browser, and the iLife suite of multimedia and creativity software.As of 2008, Apple Inc had acquired twenty-one companies, purchased a stake in two companies, and made five divestments; most of them were software companies. Apple had not released the financial details for most of these mergers and acquisitions. Apple's business philosophy is to acquire small companies that can be easily integrated into existing company projects. [4] For example , Apple acquired Emagic and its professional music software, Logic Pro, in 2002. The acquisition led to the creation of the digital audio workstation software, GarageBand, now part of the iLife software suite.The company made its first acquisition on March 2, 1988 when it purchased Network Innovations. It has also made five divestments, all in the 1990s, in which parts of the company are sold to another company. The company's largest acquisition was the purchase of NeXT in 1996 for US$400 million. In the 2000s, Apple made the most acquisitions in a single year in 2002, with six. In the 2010s, so far the most acquisitions in a single year is 2013, with 10. Of the companies that Apple has acquired, 37 were based in the US.

North Korea Essays - Crowd Psychology, Hypothetical Technology

North Korea Essays - Crowd Psychology, Hypothetical Technology North Korea One of the misconceptions about the North Korean prisoner camps, where the extraordinary amount of brainwashing happening in them. The communists gave the American prisoners of war some reeducating. Brainwashing proved in the long run to be unproductive, but it did keep 21 Americans in camp. The American armed forces tried to find out what really happened with their own psychologists, but the information taken was inconclusive. Some of the POWs in the North Korean camps where corrupted with the communism toxin, which made a few of the men turn on their own friends and country. No Americans ever escaped from the Communism prison camps. The death rate was the highest in history, 38%. Lt. Col. William E Mayer, one of the psychiatrists who participated in the interviewing and Eugene Kinkead, a free lance writer The revolution of the 1930s proved that the American adolescence church life and schooling was developing a good character in the childrens society, which intern translated itself onto the line of battle. Where the American POWs showed great weakness for the will to survive. As the author of the American Prisoners of War in Korea H. H. Wubben points out about the armed forces, The average soldier gave little concern to the conflicting values underlying the military struggle , , , [and] Although he showed a strong but tacit patriotism, this usually did not lead him in his thinking to subordinate his personal interests to the furtherance of ideal aims and values. The soldiers also faced bouts of apathy or depression which possibly led some of the troops to death. Kinkead-Mayer reported Failures in adjustment were most apparent in the 18-to-23-year-old group wh o had little or no previous experience and much overprotection. Dr. Harold Wolff, a consultant to the Advisory committee reported that about 10% of the Americans didnt put up a fight or corresponded to the enemies requests. The escape rate was not impressive. The Two aspects of the Korean POW story noted by the author H. H. Wubben. First, there is the fact that a poorly understood historical experience is interpreted in such a way that is makes a thoroughly inaccurate comparison between Americans past and Americans present. Second, there is the acceptance by the general public of this nonhistory as history, largely without the aid of historians. Wubben also mentions that these two aspects where recorded from the prisoners The POWs where put into a grouping, depending how they reacted towards the North Koreans while in camp. 5% of the prisoners where resistors, 15% where the participators and the other 80% where the middlemen, which means that they a varied opinion on what stance they would take depending on the situation. Morris Wills, one of the 21 POWs that escaped, testified on behalf of the animalistic approach. He acknowledged You really cant worry about the other fellow; you are at the line of existence yourself. If you go under that, you die. You would help each other if you could. Most would try; I wouldnt say all. They chapter then discusses about the grueling march that the soldiers have to endure before they arrived to the prison camps. Captive British journalist Philip Deance said prisoners faced life or death under brutal march conditions. One of the Lieutenants pleaded with the North Korean soldiers to let a few of his men go, because he pleaded that they would die of exhaustion anyway. The Korean executed him on the spot. Wubben wrote, by implication they blame most of the deaths on prisoner negligence, or worse, on loss of will to live, but five POW physicians noted differently. They wrote that Every prisoner or war in Korea who died had suffered form malnutrition, exposure to cold, and continued harassment by the Communists. One of the writers of the American POW behavior, Stanley Elkins wrote a similar story to the five soldiers. He was quoted in his writings by saying profound changes in behavior and values being effected without physical torture or extreme deprivation. The conditions brought upon the American POWs where extremely brutal, which gave the American soldiers less energy and/or motivation to except from the prison camps. Bibliography no biblio

Compare and Contrast Essay Essays

Compare and Contrast Essay Essays Compare and Contrast Essay Essay Compare and Contrast Essay Essay When comparing and contrasting the verse form â€Å"What It’s Like to Be a Black Girl† by Patricia Smith with the short narrative â€Å"Country Lovers† By Nadine Gordimer. The character in â€Å"What It’s Like to Be a Black Girl† is based more upon recent clip while â€Å"Country Lovers† is based in a older clip frame. However. both narratives are unambiguously about desiring to be loved. The verse form and the short narrative are both great illustrations of the trouble of life between two different cultural backgrounds. While one concentrates more on calamity the other is faced more with credence that leads to tragedy. Love although can’t be explained. has many accounts to how one can love. Whether your love goes every bit deep as loving through tragic times or looking for person to love you at all times. Both of these narratives focus on issues of racism. interior battles. bondage. bias. and the chase of freedom every bit good as equality. At the terminal. everyone wants and needs to be accepted and will make whatever it takes. The verse form â€Å"What It’s Like to Be a Black Girl† inside informations the battles of what African American adult females go through merely to be noticed. The verse form breaks down how it is all right to be â€Å"Black† yet look â€Å"White† because that’s the expression work forces want. In the verse form the character addresses the issues about how African American adult females would pass infinite hours in altering their visual aspect merely to be accepted and loved by thee. â€Å"First of all. it’s being 9 old ages old and experiencing like you’re non finished. like your borders are wild. like there’s something. everything. incorrect. † ( Clugston. 2010 ) . She goes in farther item depicting how she hides her natural expression because she accepted that her natural expression isn’t what society has pinned as natural or beautiful. So she adds light-haired hair to her caput and changes her oculus colour to look more like a â€Å"Marilyn Monroe† . â€Å"It’s starting a faded white mophead over the cricks of your hair and primping in forepart of mirrors that deny your contemplation. † ( Clugston. 2010 ) . From any other position the battles of African Americans may non be to the full understood. In the verse form â€Å"What It’s Like to Be a Black Girl† she explains within a couple sentences the battles of non being accepted in your ain tegument. It’s as if she has accepted what she must make in order to be noticed or to be loved. All she wants is to be loved by a great adult male no affair the ethnicity nevertheless she believes she must alter her visual aspect in order to be noticed by such adult male. â€Å"It’s eventually holding a adult male reach out for you so undermining in around his fingers† ( Clugston. 2010 ) . In comparing â€Å"Country Lovers† tells a narrative of a immature white male child who befriends the girl of a black aid on his parents farm. The two become close friends as their likes for each other develop and convey calamity. The male child had a repute of flaunting and flirtation nevertheless the immature miss felt she was different from the remainder of the misss. Nadine Gordimer writes. â€Å"When he had even met one who. at a nuptials he had attended with his parents on a nearby farm. had let him make with her in a locked storage room what people did when they made love- when he was as far from his childhood as all this. he still brought place from a store in town a ruddy plastic belt and aureate hoop ear–rings for the black miss. Thebedi† ( Clugston. 2010 ) . Sadly the immature miss neer realized the gifts were non from love but merely another gift to maintain rather. As clip past the male child grew older and neer noticed what he was making to the immature misss bosom. Gordimer writes. â€Å"The problem was Paulus Eysendyck did non look to recognize that Thebedi was now merely one of the crowd of farm kids down at the kraal. recognizable in his sister’s old clothes† ( Clugston. 2010 ) . This would play a immense portion in what brought the tragic stoping to the narrative. Thebedi ended up happening another immature adult male. Njabulo whom she would get married. Njabulo was the kid of husbandman as good nevertheless he was black. He was much like her male parent which made it easier for the male parent to accept their matrimony. Typically the boy in jurisprudence would hold something to offer the household in trade for the girl nevertheless this immature adult male had nil to demo. Her male parent liked this immature adult male so much to the point he accepted the matrimony even without a trade off. â€Å"Njabulo’s parents met with hers and the money he was to pay in topographic point of the cattles it is customary to give a prospective bride’s parents was settled upon. He had no cattles to offer ; he was a laborer on the Eysendyck farm. like her father† ( Clugston. 2010 ) . Love although can’t be explained. has many accounts to how one can love. Whether your love goes every bit deep as loving through tragic times or looking for person to love you at all times. Both of these narratives focus on issues of racism. interior battles. bondage. bias. and the chase of freedom every bit good as equality. At the terminal. everyone wants and needs to be accepted and will make whatever it takes.

Merci Business Essays

Merci Business Essays Merci Business Essay Merci Business Essay A family business that started in 1995, with the trade name Merci, meaning Thank You in French. From its humble beginnings of being a small bakery, it has expanded from one Single store at Libertad Market to bakeshop with a fast food restaurant. It also has been supplying high quality, affordable breads and pastries around the city and the province to its satellite dealers. As the years, go by, there are a lot of branches already around the City and Negros Occidental due to high demand. Mercy makes quality breads THAT ARE PRICED AFFORDABLY for most people.WE also have specialty breads AND PASTRIES for those with VARYING tastes. Their BREADS PASTRY PRODUCTS ARE served at Merci Bakeshop outlets that also offer snacks and meals throughout the province of Negros Occidental. Inventory System Project in I. T. 5 Members: Alvin John M. Destua Gurly B. Jamero Jenjen P. Sobremesana Leah Mae R. Batillano Submitted To: Mr. Ricky M. Gustilo INTRODUCTION The Inventory Information System includes the records of all items and transactions. It involves all the related information of the certain items. This also records the transaction being held of the said company.The importance of Inventory Information System is to store a certain transaction without taking too much time. This automated information system gives accurate information. Objectives A good Inventory Information System can give an accurate record of a certain item in times of emergency. A computerized inventory information system can save the records of the items and keeping it safe to the storage. You can easily find the certain items if you use the Inventory System. To find the certain items in inventory information system you have to use their Item ID in order to find it easily.

Book Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Book Review - Essay Example This method is further reinforced by a huge number of diet books, television and internet advertisements. In contrast to people’s beliefs and expectations of diets, they fail to work. The factor of urgency is the main contributor to the failure of the diets. Many people who use these products meant for dieting want the results to occur immediately after use. Moreover, there are people who claim to be experts and have the latest diet products that can deal with the overweight problem. Initially, these products seem to work, and an individual may lose most of the weight in the shortest duration possible, but he or she gains the weight back and sometimes extra weight is added. According to Covert Bailey, this is the up and down cycle of gaining or losing weight. He goes on to refer to it as the girth control rhythm method. This paper will be a review of Covert Bailey’s The Ultimate Fit or Fat. Many health professionals are of the same opinion that muscular strength, muscul ar endurance, body composition or body weight, and the capacity of cardiorespiratory are the main element of an individual’s fitness. The view that body weight contributes to one being fit brings the belief that one cannot be fit, unless he or she has a body composition that is predefined. In spite of everything, if the components of fitness are a true measure of capacities of functioning, then weight cannot be presumed to be an element of being fit because body composition are not functional capacities measures. Nevertheless, Covert Bailey made the most of the fit or fat notion by illustrating that taking part in exercise helps in losing weight and becoming physically fit, and one can only be fit by losing the body weight or fats in the body (Bailey 26). The Fit or Fat book proposes an individual to have a target diet in which he or she aims for the core. The person should consume the foods outlined in the core most frequently, the foods on the outside of the circle less fre quently, and the foods located on the exterior not at all if possible. While referring to this schedule, it is clear that Covert Bailey is recommending for more consumption of skim milk, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and water-packed tuna; and low consumption of foods that constitute a lot of sugars and fats (Bailey 37). This program guides a person on what to eat and what not to eat. In addition, he has stated four rules: eat foods with low sugar content, eat a diet that is balanced, eat low fat foods, and eat high fibre foods. Covert Bailey also talks about the advantages of taking part in aerobic exercises. According to him, people who are sedentary have a tendency of becoming fat because their bodies have insufficient intercellular metabolic enzymes responsible for converting fat into energy. These people’s bodies utilize sugars that are readily and easily available for work in predilection to fats that are stored. Fat people become fatter because their bodies utilize little stored energy for activities than sugars (Bailey 83). Additionally, the body can develop intercellular metabolic enzymes that have the ability to burn extra fat and keep a person in shape rather than the use of diets that are not usual. Additionally, exercises enable people to use fat in a ratio that is high in everyday activities than people who are sedentary. The exercises make a person have an appropriate body weight. Covert also argues

MP3 Players PowerPoint Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MP3 Players - PowerPoint Presentation Example s, I searched the internet to find the detailed specifications of the mp3 players I and other acquaintances were familiar with and using them in practical life. I was already familiar with the software which comes as a part and parcel of the operating systems like Windows Media Player and Itunes by Apple. Third party software came as additional add-ons with other software packages of sound cards and speaker systems for computers. Moreover such third party mp3 software are frequently advertised on various web sites. The software industry is primarily focused on developing media rich web sites where entertainment can be at your fingertips. When computers are inaccessible or cannot be carried along, like on mountaineering trips and other outdoor excursions then the portable mp3 players come into the picture. Advanced electronics technology has miniaturized the music players while retaining the sound quality along with long lasting power packs so that music can be enjoyed in all sorts of places and circumstances. The software was developed concurrently with the operating systems and has become more functional, error free and user friendly along the course of history. Even little kids face no problem in handling software mp3 players on their personal computers as the software operation is dependent on visually attractive and easy to understand controls. The music is located in convenient folders automatically by the software, such as ‘My Music’ and stored in the mp3 as well as other formats. Alternatively one can store the files in personal folders by naming them with conspicuous titles for easy access. Visual graphics have been incorporated with the music titles and artists which are downloaded automatically by software like the Windows media Player 11 and Apple Itunes. These two as well as other software players such as RealPlayer and MusicMatch Jukebox have separate packages of these players for different versions of the operating systems such as Windows XP,

The Cultural Perspective of the American Civil War Essay

The Cultural Perspective of the American Civil War - Essay Example With each passing year, the need for slaves in the South led to an increasingly different culture from the North. The North underwent a period of technological advancements that stimulated export and subsequent revenue, allowing it to forge ahead of the South as the Northern culture incorporated office jobs, busy lifestyles, and factories (Weidenmier 879). The North saw an expansion of mass communication, education, literacy, and urbanization, while also being more progressive. This was in stark contrast to the South that was more traditional and rural oriented. The North had a more materialistic and coarse way of life, which led to its population being disdainful of the manner in which the Southern people lived, and viewing it as a sign that they were superior. While the North modernized, the South relied more on its traditional values, leading to the exacerbation of the ever-increasing differences between the two regions (Weidenmier 879). Due to the use of slaves in the South, its white population had no need to do manual labor, which left them with a lot of free time. They would entertain guests and take part in society enhancing activities. The minimal contact between the North and South states during this period led to an establishment of stereotypes about the way that those in the South lived (Bestor 34). In economic terms, those in the South preferred the simple and slow life, while the Northerners were more profit oriented. Due to these, both regions felt superior to the other. For this reason, it is no longer feasible to assume that only the South was responsible for the Civil War because the polar opposite nature of the two cultures pushed each other further apart until violence was the only way to solve the issues between... The North underwent a period of technological advancements that stimulated export and subsequent revenue, allowing it to forge ahead of the South as the Northern culture incorporated office jobs, busy lifestyles, and factories. The North saw an expansion of mass communication, education, literacy, and urbanization, while also being more progressive. This was in stark contrast to the South that was more traditional and rural oriented. The North had a more materialistic and coarse way of life, which led to its population being disdainful of the manner in which the Southern people lived and viewing it as a sign that they were superior. While the North modernized, the South relied more on its traditional values.Due to the use of slaves in the South, its white population had no need to do manual labor, which left them with a lot of free time. They would entertain guests and take part in society enhancing activities. The minimal contact between the North and South states during this period led to an establishment of stereotypes about the way that those in the South lived. In economic terms, those in the South preferred the simple and slow life, while the Northerners were more profit oriented. Due to these, both regions felt superior to the other. For this reason, it is no longer feasible to assume that only the South was responsible for the Civil War because the polar opposite nature of the two cultures pushed each other further apart until violence was the only way to solve the issues between them.

The First World War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

The First World War - Essay Example The seeds of the First World War had been sawn several decades before the conflict actually occurred. After a decade of using the military power to unify Germany and finally establish the second Reich in 1871, Otto von Bismarck applied his energies to win the time needed for the country to recover and gain power. The only way to achieve that goal was to neutralize at any cost the potential enemies that might threaten the country's new found position as a major European power. Therefore, Bismarck's foreign policy was coloured by the shades of peace over the next two decades and resulted in the famous Bismarckian Alliance system. Bismarck had three major goals establishing a complex system of European alliances: (1) to create a peaceful German facade; (2) to create defensive alliances; (3) isolate the potential enemies. Consequently, after Europe recognised Germany as a nation during the Berlin Congress in 1878 Bismarck focused on keeping France which he perceived as the most dangerous threat to Germany in isolation. It is commonly believed that this task became the cornerstone of Bismarck's international policy from 1871 to 1894. Simultaneously the Chancellor took every possible effort to uphold peaceful co-existence with the other two major conservative European powers, Russian and Austria-Hungary by assuring them Germany did not represent any threat (Carr, 1987). The first crucial step toward creation of the new balance of powers in Europe occurred during the Berlin Congress of 1978 when Bismarck took advantage of the opportunity to act a peace mediator between the Russian Empire, Austria, and Great Britain. The role allowed Bismarck to maintain the peace between major European powers, establish closer ties with Austria, prevent the Russian Empire from gaining too much power out of its win in the Balkan War, and promote the image of Germany as an effective international peacemaker (Pflanze, 1990). The Chancellor immediately capitalised on such an impressive success: a defensive military Dual Alliance with Austria against the Russian Empire was established in 1879 and after five years of intensive political manoeuvring Bismarck signed the defensive Reinsurance Treaty with the Russian Empire in 1885. Bismarck supported the colonial interests of France in Africa and Asia being perfectly aware that Great Britain would sooner or later become concerned about the French threat to its traditional colonial supremacy. Consequently, France and Britain got involved in a series of conflicts over the colonies: the countries had neither time nor resources to seriously influence the political developments on the territory of Europe and threaten Germany. Bismarck further limited the influence of France by convincing Italia to join the Dual Alliance in 1882; the new configuration became known as the Triple Alliance (Carr, 1987). Only Bismarck retirement revealed the true amount of complexity associated with the Bismarckian model of alliances. Thus, Germany participated in defensive alliances with Austria and Italy against France, the Russian

Science Fiction Films Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Science Fiction Films - Essay Example Whether the impact was positive or negative cannot be gauged by its box-office success since high grossing films are not always high-quality films, and vice versa. Either way, what can be anticipated in a heavily promoted science fiction film are its spectacular action scenes, distinctive special effects, alien creatures and advanced technological gadgets, among others. A lot of times the creators of sci-fi movies somehow get carried away with the gadgets, technology, and special effects that oftentimes they fail to see that the whole plot of their movie just crumbles to the ground. In effect, there is not much substance that the viewer absorbs but a mere recollection of chaotic data once the viewer leaves the theater. Science Fiction Defined Before proceeding, it would help to define the word science fiction. What does Science fiction really mean? It is said that the term â€Å"science fiction† is an oxymoron because â€Å"Science is the study and theoretical explanation of natural phenomena in an orderly way, but fiction is something that is created or imaginary.† (Bromiley, n.d.) Thus, being contradictory terms, science can play an essential role in creating the fictional work of art by giving it more rationality, and making the facts more believable, and therefore more realistic. In terms of film, science fiction films are often subjected to close scrutiny especially since movies in this genre are frequently popular, usually hyped-up, and are generally about contemporary topics of interest. Hence the movie 2012 was shown in November 2009 due to the popular topic then about the so called ‘End of the World’ prophecy on the Mayan calendar, the movie In Time was shown just recently linking man’s fixed lifespan to the population explosion and other related issues, and the film Source Code brings to fore the plausible reality of exploring and manipulating man’s mind for the government’s top secret operations. A lot of the ideas in these films are imaginary, but the future is vast and anything is possible with technology so either field—science and media—can pick up gems of thought from these film accomplishments. Tips to Find a Good Sci-Fi Movie Now, despite the sci-fi genius among most of the creators of these movies, in most cases, science fiction films are not always commendable. There have been classic science fiction films which are frequently cited for being realistic, credible and praiseworthy and Jurassic Park is one film which has achieved such stature. However, on the whole, there have been more misses than hits among the great sci-fi movies. Here are some principles to follow in checking if a sci-fi movie is great or not (What Makes for a Good Science Fiction Movie?, 2008): 1. The technology in the movie extrapolates from but does not violate known scientific principles. This of course is hard science fiction. 2. When known scientific principles are violated the movie explains why and how. 3. When known scientific principles are violated without explanation, the movie follows popular science fiction conventions. These principles are not fixed but they can give an individual a yardstick by which to gauge the kind of film one is dealing with. The Misplaced