Chapter 1 Information Systems: Concepts and Definitions

Chapter 1 is a good basis for understanding the infrastructure, definitions and concepts, and provides examples of how IT systems are being used. This helps in providing an understandable description and introduction to IT.

Chapter 2 why should you learn IT?

After reading this chapter, I was able to grasp the concept of information technology. I realized that there are so many professions, businesses, and institutions of all kinds using information technology. Due to the rise of a digital economy businesses are adapting new ways of doing things because of the market pressures, technology pressures, societyal pressures, make-to-order and mass customization, e-business, strategic systems, and customer focus.
There have been many successes, as well as, failures in IT. Although it is not always successful you should still learn about IT because its essential for work in organizations, it reduces middle managers, and changes the manager's job. It is also allowing people with disabilities to work.
One interesting use of IT is in health care. Hospitals are using IT systems to detect insurance fraud, nursing scheduling, and financial and marketing management. They are also using it to make faster and better diagnosis, and monitor critcally ill patients more carefully and more precise. Surgeons are using it to plan complex surgeries, as well as discussing medical prcedures through pictures and sounds rather through telephone. This is going to take health care a couple steps further, extending the abilities of doctors and procedures, including different equipment.

steve wazniak

Steve Wazniak was a guest speaker at MIT speaking about his journey and interest of building computers with his highschool friend, leading to building the first Apple. I was particularly amazed how Wazniak's mind works in the sense of numbers and how detailed his thoughts were in describing what he needed to do in order to get keyboards to work, color screens, and games. I am good with detail, but something so technical he made it sound as though it was so easy for him to understand. I feel as though this video allowed me to open up to new thoughts about how much computers have evolved, as well as, how diverse individuals thought processes are.