Speaker Driver: Comparison of Options

Speaker Driver: Comparison of Options Speaker driver choice is a very important consideration, since the transducers themselves are of course the most fundamental part of the speaker. Regardless of other factors, one can never expect inferior drivers (and hence the system as a whole) to perform well. There are two main options when choosing drivers; electrostatic or conventional voice-coil designs. Although many seem under the impression that electrostatic loudspeakers are a modern invention this is not the case; Janszen was granted the first U.S. patent for such a device in 1953[1]. Considering the relatively small market penetration of electrostatic transducers and the fact that they tend to appear largely in high-end designs, one might be led to assume that electrostatic panels are superior to conventional drivers. This however is only partially true. One advantage of electrostatic panels is that full-range designs are possible, eliminating the need for crossovers and hence the associated problems with frequency and phase response in the crossover band. Another advantage is that the electrostatic panel is generally very light and hence offers excellent transient response, whilst also offering very good directionality and imaging. The latter may also be seen as disadvantage, since it effectively makes the ideal listening position rather narrow. In terms of disadvantages, the chief problem with electrostatic designs is a difficulty in reproducing bass frequencies at high SPLs. Generally the panel excursion is small, which makes it hard for electrostatic transducers to move the required volume of air at low frequencies. Furthermore, since electrostatic transducers are not meant for use with an enclosure, phase cancellation is an issue, again resulting in reduced bass performance. Audiostatic, a company that manufactures audiophile full-range electrostatic speakers, admit of their own devices with regard to bass that â€Å"Obviously because of the limited membrane excursion they wont produce ear shattering levels at that frequency†[2]. As a result of the aforementioned bass performance, many high-end electrostatic speakers are in fact hybrids, using voice-coil woofers for low frequencies with electrostatic panels covering the mid and high range. One example is the Martin Logan Summit[3], which whilst described as â€Å"our most advanced and sophisticated full-range loudspeaker† nevertheless makes use of two 10† woofers for low-end reproduction. Of course in this situation a crossover is still required, so the advantage of the possibility of a full-range design is often nullified in practice. Still, electrostatics may prove very attractive as high quality mid to high frequency drivers, although they are certainly not cheap. In choosing conventional voice-coil drivers, there are many factors to consider. In terms of quality, it is certainly true that one does indeed get what one pays for. Whilst high quality manufacturers such as SEAS[4] are happy to provide detailed frequency response plots and Thiele-Small parameters for their transducers, many cheaper manufacturers are less transparent about their devices. One common trick to beware of, often used by less scrupulous manufacturers, is the quoting of a recommended frequency range without stating the variation in output (in dB) across this range. A recommended operating range without any indication of the actual performance within the frequency band is virtually meaningless. Many assume a  ±3dB range is implied when reading such data; it is unwise to make such assumptions. Furthermore, even if frequency response across a range is qualified with the variation in output in dB, this is still not ideal. Obviously one desires that any variation in output magnitude will be a smooth variation; one still has no idea of how â€Å"lumpy† the response might be. For these reasons it is best to choose drivers that are accompanied by frequency plots, since this gives a far more accurate representation of true performance. Another important consideration in choosing a driver is the application for which it is intended. For example, a woofer with a high maximum cone excursion and low Fs may perform very well in a large sealed cabinet but be totally unsuited to a ported implementation (Dickason, 2000). One can make use of the quoted Thiele-Small parameters to ascertain whether the driver is suitable for its intended purpose. Construction materials also give an indication of how the driver may sound. In terms of woofer and midrange drivers, for example, an aluminium cone may indicate greater bass precision than an otherwise equivalent transducer with a paper cone; softer cones are associated with greater distortion than their stiffer counterparts. However, as Larsen (2003) notes â€Å"cone break-up behaviour and frequency response was shown to be strongly dependant on the Geometrical Stiffness of the Cone†. Hence the geometry of the design may be more important than the material used. Diameter of the driver is also a hugely important factor for woofers, although of minor importance for tweeters. To reproduce bass frequencies at good SPLs, a large volume of air must be moved by the driver. To this end, there is absolutely no way a 6† driver can compete with a 12† driver of similar quality in terms of bass extension; it is simply not physically possible. Power handling is another consideration that must be given thought when choosing a driver; the peak short-term power dissipated by a transducer can easily be double its long-term rating. Naturally for the best performance it is desirable to ensure that the driver is not operating too close to its quoted limits. One should think carefully about how hard the driver is likely to be driven and ensure its power handling is adequate; overdriving a unit at best will result in distortion and at worst may cause irreversible damage. In many cases users overdrive and damage units in an attempt to achieve a higher SPL, particularly in the bass region. If the system requirements are adequately specified and designed for, this should not happen. For the high-budget client, the best solution will either be high-quality voice-coil drivers carefully selected to complement each other, or a hybrid electrostatic implementation. It is difficult to recommend a fully electrostatic solution due to the associated problems with low frequency performance, although for some clients this may be acceptable. For the low-budget client, standard voice-coil drivers are the only solution. The quality of the drivers used will largely be influenced by pricing; one should carefully consider all factors and attempt to find the best solution within budget. Datasheets should be closely scrutinised to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each option before a solution is chosen. In conclusion, notwithstanding the electrostatic debate, driver choice is largely influenced by price and performance. In general, the better specified the driver, the more expensive it is likely to be. If working with a high budget, one is likely to simply choose the best specified drivers. Conversely, with a limited amount of capital, one must make the best compromise that can be reached within budget. Sources Larsen, Peter. (2003). Geometrical Stiffness of Loudspeaker Cones, Loudsoft. Borwick, John. (2001). Loudspeaker and Headphone Handbook, Focal Press. Dickason, V. (1995). The Loudspeaker Design Cookbook, Audio Amateur Publications. Rossing, T. (1990). The Science of Sound, Addison-Wesley. 1 Footnotes [1] United States Patent 2,631,196 [2] http://www.audiostatic.com/faq.html [3] http://www.uk.martinlogan.com/speaker_intro/summit.html [4] http://www.seas.no Effect of Globalisation on Culture: Annotated Bibliography Effect of Globalisation on Culture: Annotated Bibliography John Tomlinson Globalization and Culture John Tomlinson analyses the globalization and the culture relationship, Globalization is in the center of modern culture; cultural practices are in the globalization center.  In John Tomlinson view, globalization and culture could be interpreted as relationship that they complement each other. John Tomlinson thinks that researching Globalization from the fields of political science, economics, sociology and communication to lead the field of culture, cultural practices are designed to reveal the meaning of globalization On globalization, John Tomlinson thinks the point of view from the daily life experience and to analyze the sense of intimacy, uniqueness.  On culture, John Tomlinson reflect on the cultural and political and economic relationship between the practice to clarify the complex cultural purposes, that is what makes life full of meaningful experience. John Tomlinson focused on the Deterritorialization of the concept that deterritorialization of our current globalization and cultural conditions, it exists in everyday experience among the grasp of many aspects of cultural globalization. Globalization fundamentally is the place we live, it makes our cultural practices, cultural identity and cultural experience and the relationship between the occurrences of the transition, it reduces or removes the daily dynamic between cultural and territorial positioning Contact; This culture, the opportunities and pitfalls. So, John Tomlinson called for world unity. Hardt, Michael; Negri, Antonio, (2000) Extract from Hardt, Michael; Negri, Antonio, Empire pp.xi-xvi,3-21, Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press Hardt, Michael; Negri, Antonio, hardt criticize the globalization, their bookempire could be considered as the representative of the anti-globalization works. They argue that the globalization is the capitalist production and economic relations have become more autonomous from political controls ,But with the traditional left to some of the different anti-globalization, this book address the global changes in an attempt to put forward in the context of globalization, new practice ideas. Hardt, Michael; Negri, Antonio books argument can be roughly simplified as follows: Globalization has led to changes in capitalism, the nation-state boundaries disappear, the new Empire has been formed, showing a new form of sovereignty, is composed of many countries and a joint supranational organizations  . Empire does not establish a power center, nor rely on fixed boundaries or barriers. Empire is a decentralized to the regions with the tools of the rule, and gradually  areas into the global expansion of its open and whole. Such an abstract rather than concrete empire how to rule? Finally, Hardt, Michael; Negri, Antonio called the masses are a utopian construct. Sociology of knowledge that, in the absence of any organized sports, leadership, and the dominant ideology, even if there is no amount of suffering, it will only submit to humiliation.  The authors argue that the masses is the seed of the revolution, they need international links to change the empire, but these people in todays nation-states under the barrier, how could the international links, how to overcome language differences Saskia Sassen (2008), Neither global nor national: novel assemblages of territory,  Authority and rights Columbia University, USA,  Ethics Global Politics, Vol. 1, No. 1 2, 2008, pp. 61 79 Saskia Sassen is the Professor of Sociology, Columbia Universityà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’the globalization leads the Unequal distribution of material resources, cultural colonialism and the depletion of non-renewable raw materials, the source of political conflict between North and South. Consequences of this phenomenon, such as global climate change to all social classes and the widening between the poor countries  gap between the rich have led to greater social crisis. Sassen thinks that the world only about 40 nodes in a transnational influence in the city, most of them located in the North Atlantic global subsystem; Globalization and World Cities Study Group believes that the world only 50 World City  , and another 60 to 70 cities to show the world the city part of the evidence Saskia Sassen states that Economic globalization not look at the globalization of capital accumulation, but also the production process of globalization.  If the economic globalization, the globalization of the production process as we see more than just capital, capital is only one aspect of economic globalization, it is another aspect of the globalization of labor, especially in the international movement of labor.  In the process of economic globalization, the cities, especially global cities, a place of convergence of capital and labor, the coordination center of the world economy, and thus become the problem of inequality in the globalization process of strategic intervention  place.  Specifically, how interventions, A Brief History of Neoliberalism, David Harvey, Oxford University Press David Harvey Examine the new liberalism in the past few decades to stir up trouble, and largely reshaped the pattern of international politics, not only for our understanding of the financial crisis, but also for understanding the development of global capitalism. With the new round of financial crisis sweeping the world and impact on all walks of life, people have tried from all aspects, directly or indirectly, to discuss the origin and development of the crisis, including the re-study of world history over the past few decades in the political  and economic theory and practice.  In this context, there is a scholar claim that the capitalist world have long been in crisis for a long time.  People who make this assertion is David â‚ ¬Ã‚ ¢ Harvey At the beginning, David Harvey analyze the U.S. war in Iraq, the United States in the implementation of the new Chilean liberal reform, pointed out that neo-liberal reforms, but at outside the United States once again in the experiment, then it could be the sample as their internal reform Of course, we should not forget the teachings of Marx In the past philosophers only interpret the world, but the important thing is to change the world. For understanding the status of our world today and the new liberalism of the context, although this small book may be many areas for improvement, but still occupies an important position. Arjun Appadurai, Disjuncture and Difference in the Global Cultural Economy, 1990 7: 295 Theory Culture Society, DOI: 10.1177/026327690007002017. Arjun Appadurai thinks that disjuncture and difference are normally in the global cultural economy, today, the central issue is the tense relationship between global interaction heterogeneity and cultural homogeneity. Homogenization is globalization and the universal, heterogeneous, that the pursuit of ethnic, indigenous rights and the maintenance of cultural identity.  As mentioned earlier, the key is, homogeneity of the substance at the expense of heterogeneity as the price, The basic efforts are to discuss the disadvantaged and marginalized groups in the cultural status quo from the inequality freed.  From an academic perspective, the demands of cultural heterogeneity consist of the following reasons: First, the cultural standpoint, it has a position of cultural relativism.  The need for different cultures to maintain their autonomy, because whether it is strong or weak culture, are equal in rights, no one culture is superior to other cultures, nature.  Therefore, there is no one culture can be for other cultural legislation, and its own advantages and disadvantages of other cultures for the evaluation criteria.   Thus in Arjun Appadurai thinks that which derived from the resistance of a strong culture means that it is not for the emphasis on their own than any other culture their own special appeal, but in Europe or the male-centered center of power has become a universal rule in the context of intercultural  the pursuit of equal status. Ulrich Beck, the Terrorist Threat: World Risk Society Revisited, 2002 19: 39 Theory Culture Society, DOI: 10.1177/0263276402019004003 the British sociologist Ulrich Beck, with his point of view, representation of contemporary social structures and life patterns generated by the many changes in availability of a second modern the character, and different from the traditional modern / post-modern painting points.   In this book, the second modern and cosmopolitanism, points out the first modern over-development, will turn off the collapse of global market and the nation-state patterns, and will generate reflection type of cultural development.  Cultural development in the reflection type, the modern rational and the Universe would have been a powerful challenge of all; society will also be the inner self to begin conversion.  Peoples cultural experience and experience in space, including the cultivation of various degree of recognition, diversity of life forms of the cross, the Political Action Without Borders, etc., will have a more diversified development. Risk society has the global common foundation, because in the second modernity, whether political, economic or ecological crisis, the risk of the spread is no national boundaries; so modern risk society, must put in the context of globalization down interpretation.  However, Baker on the second modern in the description of the world, the globalization of the past simply is not the same.  In order to interpret more in line with the concept of global development community, and puts forward a cosmopolitan, containing the words all men are brothers, David held Anthony McGrew, David Goldblatt Jonathan Perraton, Global Transformation Early in the 20th century, David held and the famous sociologist Anthony Giddens, Professor, who put together the relevant risk society of the concepts and theories Ecological, financial, military, terrorists, biochemical and information, and other risks in our contemporary world in a way there is overwhelming.  To the risk we experience everywhere; we could only make the following three types of reaction: denial, indifference and transformation.  The first approach is largely rooted in modern culture, but it ignored this attitude has denied that the political risks; second approach succumb to the kind of postmodern nihilism which type of argument;  The third approach led to my theory of world risk society issues raised: the future of man and the diversity of the expected consequences with the risk of changes in how the impact and awareness of modern society, survival  conditions and the system? Global default is a rational increase in demand uncertainty.  Caused by industrial society because of the uncertainty does not necessarily lead to confusion or disaster.  Rather, the uncertainty can not be calculated can also a source of creativity, which is a contingency to allow reason and experiment new things.  Thus, the current end of a pervasive sense of the kind of odds Mike Featherstone, Global Culture: Nationalism, Globalization, and Modernity Mike Featherstone is currently Britains consumer culture theorists.  In this book, consumer culture, as his object of study, reviews the theory of consumer culture Featherstone three main aspects: first by an aesthetic theory of everyday life, this is the theory of consumer culture Featherstone core and foundation.  While the previous practice of daily life and consumption has some research, and creation of daily life for the Featherstone laid the foundation of aesthetic theory, but he did not think life is a tool that strict control of rational consumer space, but also  do not think life is a fragment of a fragmentation.   Featherstone believes that everyday life is consumer spending the main field of practice, and in this field, the emergence of consumer practice of aesthetic tendencies. Featherstone follows the performance of the control and resistance theory. practice in the analysis of consumption during the fight right to speak, on the one hand explains how to control the ideology of everyday life cultural practices of consumers, but also pointed out how consumers the possibility of a boycott., on the whole, daily control of the consumer ideology is growing, but from specific consumer practice, consumers have been symbols of consumer culture transformation and substitution.  Mike Featherstone lamented that some disorder of literature, Michael Gurevitch, Culture, Society and the Media Michael Gurevitch based on the world, from an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural perspective of globalization and democratization of the media between the complex and sometimes mutually reinforcing and sometimes conflicting multi-faceted relationship.   This book proposed a new theory about generalities, but not to provide a description of the micro, but the relevant proposition was different theoretical and historical sort, from which new problems.   firstly discusses the theory of globalization and the globalization of media organizations in the media, marketing, form, movement, effects and management aspects of change, and the media bottom-up globalization process and practice.  Then, the article in English literature of the existing market liberals, liberals in the public domain, and the radical democrats of different concepts of democracy and the spread of globalization and its significance for the different media analysis were reviewed, Finally, the book was put forward, including media ownership diversity, multi-directional flow of the global media in the political and theoretical significance, the Western model and views the adequacy or relevance media for political information than the broader identity  role during the formation of macro issues such as 7, to promote the breadth and depth of study.  The globalization and democratization of media there are complex interactions between the relationships between two, which is far from even a discussion of two books could come to an end.   Oliver Boyd-Barrett, Terhi Rantanen. The Globalization of News   Oliver Boyd-Barrett, Terhi Rantanen research from the social perspective ,and emphasizes the role of government era of globalization, and the Government can play a complementary effect and the market potential to give more attention. Using of statistical methods proved that external risks can not be ignored, but the state is playing an important integral role in providing social security and protection of social justice. Government maintains economic openness and balance between domestic needs of the community as a crucial and irreplaceable role.  The implication is: If the Government is up to the role that globalization will be able to smooth the contrary, this process will be reversed.     Oliver Boyd-Barrett,Terhi find some latest new which find the process of globalization, which in many ways is very different.  For example, todays international financial system from the conclusions of historical research in analysis and interpretation should be applied to contemporary events, there will be quite limited indeed.  But the basic values of the market mechanism and social hundred years did not occur in a large change fundamentally.  Since the markets expansion on a global scale in fact has brought individuals and the income gap between countries and the widening gap of economic welfare, just as happened 80 years ago as; it will be useful to draw lessons from history. How is Hamlet Character Influenced by Greek Philosophy? How is Hamlet Character Influenced by Greek Philosophy? Hamlet, protagonist of Shakespeares tragedy of the same name, is one of the most ambiguous and enigmatic characters of the history of literature. He is a thinker, and extremely philosophical, meditative and suspicious, indeed, he is always pondering about question with no answer. His monologues are very contemporary, because they are about psychological struggles that are still unresolved. His character is strongly influenced by philosophy and, particularly, by Greek philosophy. We can understand that Hamlet was interested in Greek culture by his numerous references to Greek mythology, and by the main topics of his soliloquies: the conflicts between right and wrong, thought and action, life and death, and the importance of the mind and thoughts of an individual. They all refer to important philosophical concepts of Greek philosophy, such as relativism, skepticism and humanism, which are rooted in ancient Greek philosophers thoughts and studies. About the references to Greek mythology, we can observe citations about many characters belonging to myths. Hyperion, Satyr, Niobe, Hercules (Act I, Scene II, 140-153), where Hyperion is a Titan or a byname of Helios, God of the sun; a Satyr is a lecherous creature, half-man and half-goat; Niobe was the Queen of   Thebes, who wept for her dead children even when she was turned to stone; and Hercules is a mythical Greek hero, notorious for his strength. Nemean lion (Act I, Scene IV, 83), which was a vicious monster who lived at Nemea. Priam, Hecuba (Act II, Scene II, 422-459), where Priam was the King of Troy during the Trojan War, and Hecuba was his wife. From this analysis, we can observe that not only was he interested in Greek mythology, but also on Greek literature, indeed, he probably read Homeric poems, Iliad and The Odyssey. Another evidence that Greek philosophy influenced Hamlet is that he often refers to Relativism. For example, when he says to Rosencrantz: there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so (Act II, Scene II, 240), he is referring to the Sophist theory that the truth or justification of moral judgments is not absolute, but relative to the moral standard of some person or group of persons1[1]. Another example is the most iconic monologue of the tragedy: To be, or not to be: that is the question: / Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer / The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, / Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, / And by opposing end them?. Hamlet is struggling whether is more noble to kill himself or to continue living though the problems he is facing. We can consider this as a form of moral relativism because, from Hamlets perspective, even something collectively thought as so morally incorrect like suicide can become correct, noble. According to Protagoras , a pre-sophist philosopher, The human being is the measure of all things, of those that are, that they are, and of those that are not, that they are not. By this, Protagoras apparently meant that each individual person is the measure of how things are to that person: things are or are not, to me, according as they appear to me to be or not be. Briefly stated, moral relativism is the view that moral judgments, beliefs about right and wrong, good and bad, not only vary greatly across time and contexts, but that their correctness is dependent on or relative to individual or cultural perspectives and frameworks.2[2] We can also consider the same monologue as an example of skepticism, because Hamlet is fond of pointing out questions that cannot be answered because they concern supernatural and metaphysical matters. Hamlets monologue What a piece of work is a man! / How noble in reason! how infinite in faculty! in form and moving how / express and admirable! in action how like an angel! / in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the / world! is an evidence of another philosophical trend: Humanism. Even if the word Humanism was invented by Latins (Humanitas), we can observe Humanist thoughts in Sophist philosophers, Socrates and Plato. In that period, indeed, the subject of the philosophical speculation changed from transcendental topics, like Gods or the origin of the universe, to the human being. They became interested in human mind and experiences, and related topics such as ethic and ideas. To understand Hamlets tragedy deeply, first we have to understand its historic, religious and philosophical context. From the philosophical point of view, I found evidence of many philosophical trends influences, to both Hamlets character and Shakespeare, but I can state that most of them are related to the most important Greek philosophical trends.

The Roman Empire Essay -- History Rome Historical Essays

The Roman Empire In 27 BC, Augustus became the first emperor of Rome, thus creating a strong leader figure, which could shape and mold the Republic system into what was best for the empire or themselves. During the reign of the emperors, the political policies for Rome would vary according to, which emperor was in power. Not only were politics shaky, but also there never was a clear-cut method of succession for the man who controlled those politics. Rome had created the position of emperor in hopes that men like Augustus would continue to lead her into prosperity, however the office of emperor struggled in attempting to find great men to lead Rome. The office never truly evolved into something greater than when it had been created, but rather the office varied according to the personality of the man in the position. Augustus created the office of emperor with the Augustan Principate, which was â€Å"to have no institutionalized authoritarian power, no perpetual dictatorship such as Julius Caesar had had himself voted early in 44, or anything like it (Stockton, 124).† Despite his wishes the people of Rome ended up giving Augustus eternal office, and powers to control the Senate with the rights to dictate agendas and veto (Stockton, 128). The people of Rome had created a position of absolute power, the exact thing Augustus was attempting to prevent. At the time the people of Rome could not have realized what they were creating in the office of emperor, for Augustus was a great man whose leadership created a great shadow over the shoulder of any future emperor. Augustus would be followed by the Julio-Claudian dynasty, which reigned over the beginnings of Imperial Rome. The succession of Augustus demonstrated the diffi... ...ed in times of good fortunes, and expansion. While during times of instability the artistic ingenuity would stagnate. Finally at the end of the empire, the art quality would decrease as the empire was deteriorating. This deterioration in art quality would continue for decades until the Renaissance would bring back an art quality on the level of that of ancient Rome under the Antonines. The type of art being created could be used as a very good indicator of what the political scene in Rome looked like at the time. Works Cited 1. Stockton, David. â€Å"The founding of the Empire.† Oxford Illustrated History. Oxford U. Press, 1988. pp. 121-149 2. Purcell, Nicholas. â€Å"The Arts of Government.† Oxford Illustrated History. Oxford U. Press, 1988. pp. 150-181 3. Wilson, R.J.A. â€Å"Roman Art and Architecture.† Oxford Illustrated History. Oxford U. Press, 1988. pp. 361-399 The Roman Empire Essay -- History Rome Historical Essays The Roman Empire In 27 BC, Augustus became the first emperor of Rome, thus creating a strong leader figure, which could shape and mold the Republic system into what was best for the empire or themselves. During the reign of the emperors, the political policies for Rome would vary according to, which emperor was in power. Not only were politics shaky, but also there never was a clear-cut method of succession for the man who controlled those politics. Rome had created the position of emperor in hopes that men like Augustus would continue to lead her into prosperity, however the office of emperor struggled in attempting to find great men to lead Rome. The office never truly evolved into something greater than when it had been created, but rather the office varied according to the personality of the man in the position. Augustus created the office of emperor with the Augustan Principate, which was â€Å"to have no institutionalized authoritarian power, no perpetual dictatorship such as Julius Caesar had had himself voted early in 44, or anything like it (Stockton, 124).† Despite his wishes the people of Rome ended up giving Augustus eternal office, and powers to control the Senate with the rights to dictate agendas and veto (Stockton, 128). The people of Rome had created a position of absolute power, the exact thing Augustus was attempting to prevent. At the time the people of Rome could not have realized what they were creating in the office of emperor, for Augustus was a great man whose leadership created a great shadow over the shoulder of any future emperor. Augustus would be followed by the Julio-Claudian dynasty, which reigned over the beginnings of Imperial Rome. The succession of Augustus demonstrated the diffi... ...ed in times of good fortunes, and expansion. While during times of instability the artistic ingenuity would stagnate. Finally at the end of the empire, the art quality would decrease as the empire was deteriorating. This deterioration in art quality would continue for decades until the Renaissance would bring back an art quality on the level of that of ancient Rome under the Antonines. The type of art being created could be used as a very good indicator of what the political scene in Rome looked like at the time. Works Cited 1. Stockton, David. â€Å"The founding of the Empire.† Oxford Illustrated History. Oxford U. Press, 1988. pp. 121-149 2. Purcell, Nicholas. â€Å"The Arts of Government.† Oxford Illustrated History. Oxford U. Press, 1988. pp. 150-181 3. Wilson, R.J.A. â€Å"Roman Art and Architecture.† Oxford Illustrated History. Oxford U. Press, 1988. pp. 361-399

Computer Network

Computer Network also called Network is a group of computers and other devices connected to each other to share resources electronically. Networks can be as small as two computers or many thousand computers that are connected to one another. These computers are usually connected to one another through wires, satellite, and modems. Each device connected to the network is called a â€Å"node†, and the computer that is connected to the network is called a workstation.There are several ways to connect networks together, the way the Network is laid out is called Topology, and there are several types of topologies, Bus Topology, Star Topology, Ring Topology. There are several types of network, Peer to Peer Network, Client/Server Network. Depending on the size of networks they are divided into several categories and have different terms that specify these networks, LAN (Local Area Network), MAN (Metropolitan Area Network), and WAN (Wide Area Network). One of the primary reasons to ne twork is to increase productivity and cut all the unnecessary costs.By connecting their office people can get the advantages of managing their data, all the data can be stored in a server computer instead of storing them in each workstations hard disk. This way you can easily back-up and manage your data. And whenever someone makes changes to files it will updated and everyone will have the access to the same updated file. The network administrator will decide to whom grant the access to the files. Another advantage of network is that it makes data transfer easy so you don’t have to transport files into Floppy disk, or USB device and walk over to your co-workers desk.Networking also will allow you to share the equipment like printer, if there are several hundred computers in an office building you don’t have to buy different printers for each computers instead you can just buy one or two printers that can be shared between all computers on a network. You can save on so ftware too many software companies offer businesses software deals that are more affordable than purchasing separate software license for each computer, it also can save time when the time to upgrade to a new version of a software you can just update it on a server instead of doing it on each computer.Another way of saving money is that you can share the internet too. As you can see networking computers has many advantages and it is recommended to network. As I mentioned above the way the networks are laid out are called topology, today you will come across the networks that laid out uniquely using one type of topology or combination of different types of topologies these kind of topologies are also called a â€Å"Hybrid Topology†:1. Bus.2. Star.3. Ring.The Bus Topology is older topology that is not seen that often and almost never used in modern networks.It is very easy to set up because all the computers are connected to each other using a single cable which is called a bac kbone or segment. Because all the computers connected to a bus network to one cable only one computer can send packets of data (which are electronic signals) at a time. Bus topologies have some advantages they are easy to set up, and since they are on one line of cable if one computer fails it does not crash the entire network. They are also very inexpensive to set up because less cable is used.Despite the advantages of a bus topology there disadvantages too. One of the disadvantages of a bus topology is that if the cable used breaks, the entire cable needs to be replaced, and if the cable is too long it will hard to find out where the cable is broken. The bus topology is also not very scalable if you have a small network it will be hard to expand it. It is also not very secure network. Even though the Bus topology is very easy to set up and inexpensive I t is very outdated, it should not be used in a modern networks.The Star Topology is a topology mostly used in modern networks alt hough it is an older topology too, many modifications has been made to it to handle all the modern networking needs. In a star topology all the computers are connected separately to the Hub or Switch, and all computers have their own cable. When a computer sends the packets of data to other computers in the network it is sent through the cable to the hub or switch, then it passes the data packet to other computers that are connected to it.Since the computers in a star topology are connected to the switch separately and all the computers have their own cables, in case it brakes it is easy to configure the problem. The computer that breaks down is the only computer that will not have access to the network, and all the other computer are not affected because they have their own cables connected to the switch. Another benefit the star topology has is that it is scalable and can be expanded anytime. The star topology is the most used topology in modern networks and it is recommended to u se the star topology if you are setting up a network.

Dell Competitive Advantage and Value Chain Analysis

Strategic Management: Dell Value Chain Activities Analysis INTRODUCTION According to Porter the value chain is defined as the complete flow of products from the suppliers to the customers and management of the information flow in a way that maximizes the consumer satisfaction with the increase in the profit margins of the company.(ivythesis,2009) Dell’s value chain is one of a kind, they outsource all there components across the world and then assemble and sells it directly to the customers. Dell works in a very complex manner by directly supplying to the customer and by this they skip the market middlemen. They achieve value addition at the same time because of incurring low on total expenditure. This ensures dell to get the maximum†¦show more content†¦Therefore Dell is able to sustain its competitive advantage. Dells direct relationship with the customers helps it’s the managers to engineer the products to their needs and are able to predict the sales trends too .. Dell also has an early to market advantage and a technological advancement advantage which other rivals are unable to compete with due to large inventories. Use of different strategy by dell has ensured dell a brand name promising best customer experience and high performance quality. Dell has to ensure adaptation with market trends and c ontinue to offer high quality products and strategise effectively to maintain this competitive edge. Partnership with Suppliers Dell gains competive advantage partly because of its creditable supply network. Since Dell functions on built to order model it relies heavily on its suppliers efficiency therefore this relationship is one that is of key importance to Dell. Dell places high quality standards and demands high speed of delivery from its suppliers. It is through this relationship with the suppliers Dell is able to implement its built to order strtagey and work with lowest level of inventory level . Dell follows the concept of inventory velocity which is related to low inventory level and maximization the speed this was probable only because of the efficiency of the suppliers. Dell in the industry has partnerships with the most component suppliers they adopt an approach known as the extended enterprise whereinShow MoreRelatedDells Value Chain1517 Words   |  7 PagesThe value chain was a concept initially proposed by McKinsey and later developed and made public by Harvard strategy guru Michael Porter. According to Porter, the value chain is defined as the complete flow of products from the suppliers to the customers and management of the information flow in a way that maximizes the consumer satisfaction with the increase in the profit mar gins of the company. Simply, it includes a series of value-adding activities connecting a company s supply side (raw materialsRead MoreDell Value Chain1717 Words   |  7 PagesVALUE ADDED CHAIN IN DELL SUBMITTED BY: SIDDHARTHA DAS ROLL NO: 32 BATCH: PGDM (FM) 2010-12 SUBJECT: Project and Infrastructure Management: Financing, Implementation and Control Table of Contents Sl.No. | Description | Page No. | 1 | VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS | 3 | 2 | VALUE CHAIN IN DELL | 4 | 3 | DIRECT SELLING STRATEGY OF DELL | 5 | 4 | COMPONENTS OF DIRECT SELLING STRATEGY | 6 | 5 | ADVANTAGES OF VALUE CHAIN OF DELL | 8 | 5.1 | CONCLUSION | 9 | CHAPTER-1 What is ValueRead MoreAnalysis Of Dell s Marketing Strategy1173 Words   |  5 Pagesrapidly. With the entrance of Dell, the dynamic structure in the industry changed. Between 1994 and 1998, Dell s growth was twice as fast as its major rivals (IBM, Compaq, Gateway, and Hewlett-Packard). Dell provides high performance PCs at low prices. Its competitive advantage is mainly established by the innovation of the Direct Model and other firm level strategies that enable Dell to utilize its resources and build up its capabilities more efficiently. 1. Industry Analysis through Porter’s Five ForcesRead MoreValue Chain of Dell Computers3509 Words   |  15 PagesVALUE CHAIN INTRODUCTION AND DELL VALUE CHAIN Introduction to Value-Chain   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Value-Chain was conceptualized and popularized by Porter in 1985 through his book, a  best-seller, Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. The main thrust of â€Å"the value-chain† is to categorize the generic â€Å"value-adding activities† of an organization. The value-chain management tool recognizes two value-adding activities in an organization, the â€Å"primary activity† and the â€Å"supportRead MoreValue Chain By Michael Porter2187 Words   |  9 PagesValue Chain Analysis Value Chain is a strategic tool to measure the importance of the customer’s perceived value in value chain analysis. By enabling companies to determine the strategic advantages and disadvantages of their activities and value-creating processes in the marketplace, value chain analysis assumes critical importance in assessing competitive advantage. The dissertation explores the different elements of the value chain of computer hardware and behemoth Dell and seeks toRead MoreApple Case : Strategic Management1069 Words   |  5 PagesHP and Dell with more than double the market share in the year 2002-2014 in the United States alone. Apple did not make the top list of market share percentage on the worldwide market comparisons. In the more recent years of 2012-2014 Android became a top competitor with Apple by competing with comparable devices and operating systems. Apple cannot afford to let competitors have the opportunity to control their pricing strategies and affectively decrease customer perceived value. B. Analysis FirstRead MoreThe Supply Chain Management And Logistics Of Fashion Retailer Essay2114 Words   |  9 PagesThis report aims to study the supply chain management and logistics of fashion retailer, Zara, to boost customer value. The concept of sustainability and competitive advantage is considered with other business models and compared with successful and unsuccessful company. The study is compared with the supply chain management and business strategies of Zara with Dell and Zara with Myers. Introduction Zara was founded and established 1975 by Spanish born Amancio Ortega Gaona. The actual store dealtRead MoreMatching Dell1437 Words   |  6 PagesPorters Five Forces Model and then continue with explaining Dells business model, its positioning, and its competitive advantages, which heavily depend on extremely successful direct sales model and supply chain management. We will wrap up the case with some recommendations. The PC industry has started to develop fast in the 80s when IBM, the leader of the industry thanks to the first mover advantage, launched its first PC series and later on when numerous small companies entered the market. PC is aRead MoreDell Inc. 1595 Words   |  7 PagesDell Inc. is one of the successful companies in the computers and technology field. The success of this company comes from understanding and meeting customer needs. However, Dell is faced with the inherent differences in customer segments - segmentation represents a balance between the marketing ideal and the production ideal, this can defined as: Segments must have certain characteristics; however, Dell costumer segments characteristics can be faced as follows as following: We can note that thereRead MoreEssay on Ford Motor Company Case Study1695 Words   |  7 Pagesindustry conditions. Dell Computers has been very successful with a direct model and virtual integration that may or not work well for Ford. CONTENTS * ISSUE 3 * ANALYSIS 4 * ALTERNATIVES 6 * RECOMMENDATIONS 7 * IMPLEMENTATION 8 * CONCLUSION 8 * REFERENCES 9 * ISSUE: The Ford Motor Company is facing a number of challenges including the direction of CEO Jac Nasser to focus on customer responsiveness and shareholder value to deal with increasing