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by Paul D'Alessandro, MBA 1
"Is there wisdom in Apple's ways?"
Just before the holidays, Apple announced it had purchased the NeXT operating system from Steven Jobs, one of Apple's co-founders. It was Apple's second abandonment of a major operating system project in less than a year. First, there was Taligent, a joint venture with IBM to create a common Power PC operating system. Then there was Copland, the successor to the popular Mac System 7 operating system. Industry analysts characterize the move as a desperate final attempt to bring in the marketing power associated with the "Steven Jobs" name. However, there is another possible reason.
NeXT built its reputation on harnessing the power of object orientation. NeXT is a completely object orientated software package. It is possible that Apple sees object orientation as the key to their future and made a conscious decision to capture its potential with NeXT. Soon, the operating system may morph from its current role of a simple translator into an interface that plucks objects off a network and converts them into microprocessor instructions. The NeXT system, like a browser, can take objects off a network (or in the future, the internet) and make them dance on your computer.
"What is object orientation?"
Object orientation is analogous to a child's Lego building blocks. Each "object" is an encapsulated package of computer code that contains both processes (methods) and data (variables) to carry out a specific task. If a programmer wants to print a graphic to a screen they would not need to worry about formatting, screen widths or pixels, they simply would use a "print object." Construction of programs entails joining objects just as a child joins Legos. The result is a fully functional program.
"Why do I need it?"
Modern computer programming faces two primary concerns. First, more and more programming is not being done by professional programmers. Often programs are constructed by a business manager or end-user because of time constraints and their unique insight into the problem. Second, programs no longer reside on the client computer but on a server, somewhere in the back room. Object orientation addresses both of these concerns.
Many software-authoring packages exist today that use pre-built objects to enable rapid application generation; the first concern of a modern programmer. This places a powerful problem solving tool on the desk of the business manager. Object orientation also fits well into a client-server environment, the second concern. Consider the business school computer lab. It does not make sense to have copies of every program on each work station (client). Instead, a single copy of the program resides on the computer (server) in the back room. When you "click" on an icon, a request is generated across the network. The program actually comes from the server onto your client for you to use. An object oriented program is able to send the client only the "objects" the user needs. Do you really need all the tools of a modern work processor? The majority of users do not. Why then should the network be tasked with transporting the entire word processor program? Instead, an object oriented word processor could send an object only as needed. For example, the text editor object could go first, then the spell checker object and finally, the print object.
"Who needs network object software...I have a 2.1 giga-byte hard-drive!"
This may seem like a wasteful process when you can fit a library of data in your computer. However, as the internet bandwidth issues are resolved, your computer will begin to resemble a client and the process starts to make more sense. In the future, it is entirely probable that your word processor will not be in your hard drive but on the manufacturer's server. You would pay a small per use fee or a flat rate depending upon the economics of your demand. There are distinct advantages to having your software reside on the network. The most obvious reasons are software maintenance and updates. No need to worry about a program corrupting virus, the manufacturer maintains the programs' integrity. Buying MS-Office 4.3, '95 and now '97 versions can get a little old. If the new software is available on Microsoft's server, updates could be continuous and seamless.
"Is this the future?"
Object-oriented software is a better answer than any other option today. Netscape was perhaps the first to realize this when they implemented Sun's Java, an object oriented language, into their latest browsers. Now the browser is no longer just a reader for static Web pages but also an environment for running programs. Increasingly, the distinction between the Netscape-type browser and the operating system is becoming blurred. Nowhere is this more evident than in the growing number of affiliations made possible by Java's object orientation. Over the past weeks, Netscape has strengthened its relationship with Corel, the maker of a suite of programs that includes Word Perfect). Corel has already released a beta version of its popular office suite written in Java.
The impact of object orientation upon business goes beyond the Internet and client-server. Objects are a natural way of modeling the real world. It halts the archaic process of sequential programming that yielded telephone book-length programs. Problems or concepts like cost accounting and process optimization become much easier to model, solve and optimize. Did Apple make the right decision? The only thing for certain is that object orientation is here to stay and it will have an impact upon you as a user of information systems.
by David Reiman and Betsy Foss
Suppose you're working in Ann Arbor at a position that pays $50,000, and you're offered a job in Carmel, CA. To maintain the same standard of living, you will need to earn $90,000 in your new position , according to the Home Buyers Fair Salary Calculator available on the Web (http://www.homefair.com/home/). Move to Indianapolis and you would only need $39,000 to your $50,000 in Ann Arbor. To use the Salary Calculator, you enter a salary, and the locations you are moving from and to. The Calculator figures the relative salary you would need to maintain the same standard of living.
This service is one of many Kresge Library Web page links that will help you plan a move. Another calculator available at the Homefair site is the Moving Calculator. Enter your current zip code, the distance you are moving, and information about the contents of your current home, and this calculator will provide an estimate of moving expenses.
While these services can help you when thinking about the move, other sites will help you with the specifics. Apartment listings for many US cities are available through Homefair, which allows you to sort by size (studio, 2-bedroom) and by rental price ranges. The International Real Estate Directory (http://www.ired.com) is another good source, offering real estate links for the United States and over 85 other countries.
A move consists of more than just financial decisions; quality of life is another major consideration. Money's Best Places to Live (http://pathfinder.com/money/best-cities-96/index.htm) rates the 300 largest US metropolitan areas on the basis of climate, cultural offerings, health facilities, crime, the economy and several other factors. Browse a ranked list of cities, or customize your own profile of the ideal place to live, and run it against the Money database.
Yahoo's Get Local service (http://local.yahoo.com) offers a birds-eye view of US cities of all sizes. Enter a zip code or select a location from the Yahoo directory to access real estate information, business directories, restaurant guides, even sports scores and weather forecasts. You can even create a map to your destination.
These resources are all available through the Library's home page at http://lib.bus.umich.edu. Select Careers from the left frame, and click on Relocation Guide on the menu bar. In addition to Web resources, you can supplement your search by consulting a number of print resources at the Library.
One of the best of these is the Places Rated Almanac (Ref. HA 215 .B78). Similar to Money's Best Places to Live web site, it examines top US metro areas for cost, climate, environment, entertainment and other quality of life factors. The Library's collection of city magazines can enhance your view of a city by giving current information on entertainment events, local news and lifestyle.
For further information on relative cost of living, consult the ACCRA Cost of Living Index in the periodical collection. Local chambers of commerce conduct quarterly surveys on the cost of rent, grocery items, and common entertainment expenses, such as the cost of a movie. Many local chambers of commerce also offer relocation packets to prospective movers; to find the phone number of the chamber in your target area, consult the World Chamber of Commerce Directory (Ref. HF 294 .W93).
So before packing up and moving to Carmel, consult the Web and print resources above, and don't hesitate to stop by the Information Services Desk for further ideas. Arrivederci!
Database Education, February 17-March 2
All sessions begin at the Information Services Desk, unless otherwise noted.
LEXIS/NEXIS.
Monday and Thursday, 4:10 pm, February 17, 20, 24, and 27. No advance registration necessary; demonstration of search techniques for finding news articles and company information.
Dow Jones News/Retrieval.
Tuesday and Wednesday, 4:10 pm, February 18-19 and 25-26. Introduction to full text searching on Dow Jones News/Retrieval. Some company and investment information is also covered.
Remotely Accessible Information Sources.
Friday, February 28, 2 pm. Discover what you can access from your home and office via the Library and the World Wide Web.
International Business Information. Friday, February 21, 2-3 pm. Learn about the rich variety of electronic and print sources for researching countries, international companies, and relevant topics in international business.
Bloomberg Financial Database.
Friday, February 21, 11 am. Learn to access current and historical market statistics and company information. In the words of one librarian, a prize goes to the first person to find the kitchen sink in this database, because I think it has everything else.
Kresge Library InfoBytes is a bi-weekly column. For more information on news in this issue, or to suggest an idea for a future column, contact the Library via e-mail at businfo@umich.edu, or via the Library home page at http://lib.bus.umich.edu/.
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