Process Journal 3 - Preliminary Resources

Preliminary Resources

1. Source 1 - Tom's Hardware
2. Source 2 - Kitchen Table Computers
3. Source 3 - Logical Increments

MLA Citations

[Document Link]

1) Source 1 Analysis

Tom's Hardware is an online resource that primarily reviews a variety of technological components and devices, ranging from smartphone to automotive. It also acts as a community forum for users that have questions regarding these products. The cited article in this instance is an in-depth guide to building a PC, "from component selection to installation". It provides information on selecting an appropriate case, CPU, graphics card, motherboard, memory, storage, power supply, where to buy these products, how assemble the PC, and how to install the necessary software. This resource is vital for the reasoning behind the component choices.


2) Source 2 Analysis

Kitchen Table Computers is an online resource dedicated to providing information to those that want to build their own PC. It offers a variety of information regarding the function of each component, how to choose them, and assembling them.


3) Source 3 Analysis

Logical Increments is an online resource designed to help users select PC components. They accomplish this by ranking the best product choices from "Destitute" to "Monstrous" (weak to powerful) for each component. This resource would be useful to judge components relative to their performance.

Process Journal 2 - Global Context

Global Context

For my Personal Project, I have chosen two Global Contexts.

1) Scientific and Technical Innovation

"Students will explore the natural world and its laws; the interaction between people and the natural world; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on communities and environments; the impact of environments on human activity; how humans adapt environments to their needs."

2) Globalization and Sustainability

"Students will explore the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the relationship between local and global processes; how local experiences mediate the global; the opportunities and tensions provided by world interconnectedness; the impact of decision making on humankind and the environment." 

Both of these contexts apply to a central idea that technology is increasingly prominent and influential in our world and in our lives. We use it for education, for healthcare, for culture, for economy - it permeates virtually every aspect of humanity, connecting us in myriad ways, and will continue to do so in the coming years and decades. Therefore, it's important to gain a basic understanding of how this technology works, primarily so that it does not simply become a passive device in our lives, but so we can continue to use to innovate and find ways to improve the communities in which we live.

Process Journal 1 - Introduction

Welcome to my 2015 Personal Project!

Goal

For this assignment, I've chosen to build a computer. Throughout the project, I will research all the components of a basic computer:

• The processor (CPU)
• The motherboard
• The memory (RAM)
• The storage
• The video card (GPU)
• The power supply unit 
• The optical drive 
• The operating system (OS)

For each component, I will a) research and cite a reputable source from which I can draw my information and b) film a short video explaining the basic information of the component. The videos may be accompanied by text.

These entries, along with others that document my process, will make up my process journals.

The final product will be fully functional computer. To finish, I will also complete a process known as benchmarking, in order to quantify the improvement of the newly built computer over my current office desktop.