Laptops vs. Desktops in a Google Groups Environment

Question: Describe the scales on which the actants in your stories "act" in the assemblage.? Discuss how these actions can enhance management functions.? Outline what issues/ questions these actions raise. To achieve this, compare and contrast the viewpoints of a range of theorists and critics explored throughout the module.? Conclude by summarising how your answers relate to the statement" Contemporary computing can be seen as an assemblage.? Answer: Introduction The concept of modern computing in this age provides several advantages to the new generations. The core computing is modified and innovated using several new technologies and advancement and produce smarter and modern computing year after year. The assemblage of the technologies are developed using the new inventions in the old technologies and the modern software are produced which includes high speed and best performance in several electronics devices (Iwase et al., 2014). Digital devices are used to implement the modern technologies to improve the performance of several goals. Day-by-day, new technologies are inventing and take the place of the old technologies with the high-speed performance. The style of the modern computers is also developed with good look and attractive facilities using contemporary computing. The lifestyle of the new generation people became easier by using the modern computing technologies and the fast using devices (MacIsaac, 2014). Several tasks can perfo rm easily because of these contemporary computing technologies. The modern computing can be understood clearly with the knowledge of networking and advanced technologies and can use it to make our living easier. Actor-Network Theory Bruno Latour and Michel Callon developed the theory of Actor Network Theory (ANT) in Paris in 1960. Actor Network Theory (ANT) discussed the theories of the technological and social entities that connect to a network that is developed by the interconnection between the two. The actors that act in the network of the Actor Network Theory (ANT) are called actants. In this theory, there are two types of actants such as human actants and non-human actants. Both types of actants connect to each other in a network. This theory can be a basis for describing any stories, studies, analysis, and researchers. In each of this description, there should present some actants and a network connects those actants. The studies done using these theories are mostly based on the science and technologies and also the impacts that occur on the network due to the actants (Miller et al., 2010). The relation between the human and the modern devices are very strong which helps to develop new computing technolog ies to bring advancement in the life of the human being. The core ideas regarding the use of the modern devices can acquire from the theories of ANT. The idea of the technological and social network perform in the interaction between the human and non-human actants can get from the Actor Network Theory. This theory also helps to understand the relation between the human and several activities of the society and find the connections between them. The network is known as token in which both the human and non-human actants interact with each other (Mullins, 2012). Arguments regarding the actants and network are also presented using the Actor Network Theory (ANT) in the studies. Why Actor Network Theory (ANT) is essential? Actor Network Theory (ANT) use in the study of the social technologies as it contains the characteristics of several social activities. The role of the Actor Network Theory (ANT) in the modern computing is to determine the connections between the human and non-human actors. A network is defined in this theory to understand the connections between several actants. To understand the theory, one should have the basic idea of the networking technologies. The network is mainly used to transfer data from one port to another port in the computer network. The networking activities use in the Actor Network Theory in case of analysis of the story. In case of analyzing any case studies, all the aspects of both side perceptions are required to understand which provide the theory of ANT (Okechukwu, 2014). In the network, a role of both human and non-human actors is essential. In the social science, the human actors interact with the digital devices in the network. Actor Network Theory (ANT) helps the analyst to analyze the study using several questions and answer related to the social technologies and the network in which the actants acts and also how the modern technologies affect both types of actants. Story 1- Chrome-based laptops push by Google with the help of Dell, beyond budget Google launches Chrome-based laptops with a high price pixel and brings a great success in the market that influence from its competitor Dell. Chromebook pixel with $1299 introduce in 2013 and the Chromebook pixel 2 with $999 is introduced in 2015 and both run with the Chrome OS which is an operating system based on the Google browser (Okechukwu, 2014). Chrome OS challenges several famous OS such as Apple's OS and Windows of Microsoft. Requirements of Chromebooks are limited as the apps available in it are limited. The Web-based applications such as Facebook and Google Docs is present in it, but the applications that are traditionally used such as Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Office is not present in it (Rosen, 2014). Also because of the high price, the appeal of the Pixel is decreases. But the appeal of the Pixel is increased in the workplace of businesses and schools. Chromebooks in the early stages made of low-price plasticky devices that at that time also became popular but the users want to use better devices. According to Jenkins (2013), previously the best Chromebook was the Pixel, and now Dell is become the second best at an affordable price. It is mostly popular in the schools and businesses where the Chromebooks are mainly used in their industries. Several Google apps are used it the schools regarding their studies and the collections of the fees. Also in the business, it is mostly used in the financial and the information technologies departments. Woolworth is an e-retail company who used the Chromebook in their business in their several operational transactions. Actants: This story of Chromebook can be described by using the theories of the Actor Network Theory. The interaction of the Google products in the network with the electronic devices can describe as the network in the Actor Network Theory (Shepard, 2014). In this story, there are several human and non-human actors. Human actors are such as the developer of Chromebook, business organizations and employees, and the students of the school where the Chromebook applies in the study system. The non-human actors are such as the Chromebook Pixel 2, Chrome OS and other applications of Google. ANT provides the connections between the human and non-human actants in the network of the technologies. These actants can be scale as the software and the hardware actants. Story 2- Ways of using iPhone and iPad is changes using Apple's Force Touch Apple upgrades several new features day by day but in this year i.e. 2015, it seems to be a big upgrade of the features which is said to be Force Touch. Now the question is what is this Force Touch? As commented by Abrantes and Gouveia (2011), Force Touch is the display with pressure sensitive and underneath vibrating haptics. Two products containing Force Touch is already released by Apple in this year and also has a great success that is now the most modern technology in 2015. As defined by Aron (2011), haptics can be defined as the interaction involves in the touches. As argued by Blake (2011), there is a difference between the normal vibrations present in the phones and the haptics vibration. It is something that does not buzz, but a single tap can feel. There is a display of pressure sensitive with the haptics vibrate in the Force Touch. These are mostly used by the game controller such as Xbox One. They use the haptics vibrate in case of creating rumble feelings to the players (Stanier, 2010). Apple also used the facility of Force Touch in their Watches. For example, the trackpads used in the MacBooks are made of Force Touch. It also became famous to the Apple users in present years. Actants: The analysis of this story is done using the concept of the Actor Network Theory in which there are both human and non-human actants present. The human actants can define as the developer and the users of the Apple products whereas the non-human actants are such as Force Touch technologies and Apple products and watches (Abrantes and Gouveia, 2011). According to the theories of the Actor Network Theory, the network in which the human and the non-human actors connected in this story is the technologies of the Force Touch which attracts most of the users of the Apple products. Conclusion ANT theory is used in analyzing both the stories that are described in the above discussion. This theory helps to analyze all the actants of the stories and also to understand the connections between them in the network. Contemporary computing changes the life of the modern people. New technologies attract all attention of the customers and several organizations toward itself. In both the stories, the assemblages of the computing can be seen and also describe how this helps the actants of the theory to interact with each other in the network. In story1, assemblage can be seen as the new technologies developed by Google in modern devices. In story2, the Force Touch technology can be said as the assemblage that is used in contemporary computing to invent new electronic devices. References List Abrantes, S. and Gouveia, L., 2011. Laptops vs. Desktops in a Google Groups Environment: A Study on Collaborative Learning.Int. J. Interact. Mob. Technol., 5(1). Aron, J., 2011. How innovative is Apple's new voice assistant, Siri?.New Scientist, 212(2836), p.24. Blake, A., 2011. DSGE Modeling on an iPhone/iPad Using SpaceTime.Comput Econ, 40(4), pp.313-332. IWASE, H., MURATA, S., HIOKI, Y., KITAO, S., NAKAMURA, J., NAKAI, R., MURAKAMI, T. and MADOBA, K., 2014. 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