Independent research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Independent research - Essay Example The credit cards involve much risk such as theft, fraud, misuse of personal information, etc. however these risks can be managed by paying just a little attention to once financial position and the purchasing power. The card holder must communicate his rights and obligations to the issuing authority which strengthens their relationship and reduces risks (Anderson & Schroder, 2010). Credit cards offered by the Banks Credit cards are offered by the Banks to their customers, through whom they can make payments for online products, in shops, products available with the telemarketers, for paying bills of hotels and resorts, for paying fare, etc. As indicated by name they are based upon the credit system, the user of the card would have to pay interest to the bank whenever he makes payments through the credit card. The issuer of the card is the Bank itself which allows the consumers a continuous balance of debt with the interest payments. The idea of a credit card was emerged somewhere in 1887. The concept of the modern credit card was based on the idea of merchant credit schemes which were used among the companies to make payments. Later the horizon of the card become wide and it became available to the local public. Initially these cards were made of celluloid plastic but these days mostly polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is used. The credit card holder does not require having an account in the bank. Since the whole process revolves around the concept of credit therefore it is better to say that the card owner borrows some amount from the bank to make purchases which are later paid with an additional amount of interest. People often make purchases without considering their payback power that either they would be able to pay the credited amount to bank or not. Just in case if they are unable to pay their credits then they face the consequences of credit card debt. Whenever a purchase is made the card holder enters the personal identification number (PIN) on the basis of whi ch he will pay the Bank in future (Crouhy, Galai & Mark, 2010). Credit cards are often attached with lots of free goods and services that the consumers enjoy on their side whenever they make payments. These services are provided by the banks and different companies. For instance, if you use a credit card of the certain bank, then it will give you several transactional benefits and also easy payment methods. While on the other hand the companies give discounts or additional services to purchase their product. But to enjoy the extra services customers need to make purchases up to the required limit (Carrol, 2010). Now there are electronic devices available to check the balance and the purchasing power of the card holder instantly. The purchasing power of the card holder can also be analyzed by the security code printed on the card. This is usually done in online purchases or the one that are made over the telephone where the sales person verifies that either the customer is able to ma ke the payment or not. Every month the card holder receives a bill indicating all of his purchases and the final amount that he has to pay to the Bank. If the card holder is also having an account in the same bank then the unpaid balance is deducted from their otherwise he can choose to make the payment later with a late fee or additional interest amounts. Regulatory aspect of credit cards: In 2009, President Barrack Obama signed the credit card

The Journals of Lewis and Clark Essay Example for Free

The Journals of Lewis and Clark Essay The book â€Å"The Journals of Lewis and Clark,† as edited by John Bakeless and written by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, chronicles the various events that Lewis and Clark experienced during the exploration of some Western territories. Lewis and Clark both wrote down notes through their journals about their various experiences during their journey. The first journal entry, dated May 13, 1804, was written by Clark upon his correspondence with Lewis to join the expedition to explore some territories in the West. Clark was able to contribute to the needed provisions for the exploration. The succeeding journal entries were both written by Lewis and Clark, which detailed daily weather conditions, problems or difficulties they have encountered through their transport in a barge, relations and discussions with the commanding officer and his men, the places they have passed, the food they ate, the geographical and topographical details and conditions of the places they have seen and camped in, and so on. (Bakeless, Lewis, Clark, 2002) Aside from the journals written by Lewis and Clark, Bakeless has included numerous notes to explicate further some of the details in the journals that might be foreign to the readers. Since the book was a reissue or a reprint of the original manuscripts, Bakeless made it a point that there would be new information or details, which would allow the readers to understand deeply the relevance or significance of reading about Lewis and Clarks experiences during the expedition. For instance, Bakeless has included notes on the meaning of some of the abbreviated words written by Lewis and Clark, such as â€Å"Starboard† for the â€Å"S. S. † abbreviations, â€Å"Larboard† for â€Å"L. S. ,† and so on. (Bakeless, Lewis, Clark, 2002) Furthermore, some of the words and details found in the original transcript of the journals of Lewis and Clark during their expedition were wearisome, uninteresting, and sometimes difficult to understand. In this reprint of the original transcripts, Bakeless has successfully edited out some of the details and changed some of the words to provide a clear and concise transcript on the expedition of Lewis and Clark. With regards to the embedded messages in the book based on the statements of the author, Bakeless sought to provide the readers with an understandable and comprehensible text that the readers would be able to relate to as opposed to earlier prints of the original transcripts that were uninteresting and incomprehensible. Although there was a need to simplify or abridge the original transcripts of Lewis and Clark’s journals, Bakeless believed that there was also a similar need to preserve the information and thoughts written by Lewis and Clark in their journals in order to provide a vivid or lucid picture on what both explorers had to go through in order to explore the unchartered territories of the West and be able to contribute to social and cultural development. This was Bakeless’ response to the numerous attempts to recreate the expedition of Lewis and Clark through other books and documentaries, such as â€Å"Lewis Clark: The Great Journey West,† (Meehan, Miller, Truitt, Neibaur, 2002) which seemed to him as lacking in comprehensive and relevant information. (Bakeless, Lewis, Clark, 2002) With Lewis and Clark, both explorers understood the need to take down notes during the expedition as a means of reference as contributions to history and archaeology, and human knowledge as a whole, and as notes that shall allow them to remember the events that happen to substantiate how they were able to accomplish the goals and objectives of the expedition in relation to the Louisiana Purchase under the supervision and control of the Monroe Doctrine. The Monroe Doctrine was a political maneuver by James Monroe for the purpose of acquiring foreign territories by strengthening international relations with other nations. (Leavitt, 1863) Since the book contains journals written personally by Lewis and Clark throughout their expedition, judging the existence of biased opinions in the entries is difficult to determine. The entries were retelling of the various events experienced by Lewis and Clark during their expedition. Their narratives and thoughts were based on their personal points of views, perspectives, and interpretations, but they were also based on what they have seen through their observations. Furthermore, Lewis and Clark would have written the journal as a means to present a clear, descriptive, and somewhat scientific account of the things, people, places, situations, etc. that they have encountered during the expedition to the administrator or director of the expedition upon their arrival. Therefore, the thoughts, ideas, and opinions written by Lewis and Clark in the book were influenced by both their own perspectives and personal interpretations, as well as the goals and objectives of the expedition to gather comprehensive and detailed information on the unchartered territories in the West, which was later purchased by America from France (Leavitt, 1863). On the other hand, the ideas included by Bakeless in the book were unbiased or impartial since they were substantiations or explications of the information and details, written in the journal entries of Lewis and Clark, based on further research on the Lewis and Clark expedition including perhaps the documentary previously mentioned, â€Å"Lewis and Clark: The Great Journey West† (Meehan, Miller, Truitt, Neibaur, 2002) and further readings on the Louisiana Purchase and the Monroe Doctrine. As previously mentioned, Bakeless was able to provide unbiased, reliable, and valid information in his inclusion of notes and substantiations on the information and ideas presented by Lewis and Clark in their journals by utilizing other books, research studies, and reputable online sites, which presented factual and comprehensive information on the expedition of Lewis and Clark. Most of the references used were books written by other authors on the Lewis and Clark expedition, the Monroe Doctrine, and other scientific substantiations of what Lewis and Clark saw in their journey. Bakeless was able to use relevant and valid information in order to provide the readers with complete information on the journey of Lewis and Clark. Bakeless’ contributions to the journals of Lewis and Clark was extremely important in helping readers understand what both explorers wrote and grasping the significance of the expedition through Bakeless’ inclusion of information regarding the Louisiana Purchase and the Monroe Doctrine, as well as the implications of what Lewis and Clark discovered and the results or outcomes of these discoveries to the history of mankind. By and large, the contributions of Bakeless to the reissue of the journals of Lewis and Clark were extremely important. Bakeless’ arguments on the necessity to provide a piece of information that comes directly from Lewis and Clark themselves, consequently providing readers with a vivid picture of the entire expedition, without extracting the essence of the journal entries, have made the book an important reference for readers who would want to learn about Lewis and Clark’s journey in the West. The book as edited by Bakeless and written by Lewis and Clark is a must read for everyone, especially those in search of information on the Monroe Doctrine, Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark, and the expedition itself, as well as those who are looking for a book that portrays a factual and scientific adventure into the once unchartered territories of the United States of America. References Bakeless, J. , Lewis, M. Clark, W. (2002). The Journals of Lewis and Clark. New York, NY: Signet Classic. Leavitt, J. 1863. The Monroe Doctrine. Harvard University. Meehan,E. , Miller, J. T. , Truitt, L. (Producer) Neibaur, B. (Director). (2002). Lewis Clark: Great Journey West [Documentary]. United States: National Geographic Television.

Martian Rocks :: essays research papers fc

H. G. Wells wrote in his book, "War of the Worlds", about Martian invasion toward earth. He mentioned, "No one would have believed, in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man's and yet as mortal as his own; that as men busied themselves about their various concerns they were scrutinized and studied, perhaps almost as narrowly as man with a microscope might scrutinize the transient creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water." Since then it has now been about 100 years Wells based his well-known story of human's first contact with extraterrestrial life. Now, in the 20th century scientists are starting to believe what was once a fictional story by writers now actually could be real, becoming the stuff of science. In 1994 scientists discovered fragments of meteorites which may in fact prove that signs of early life existed on Mars. Many of these meteorites are found in the Antarctica, extremely cold weathers aid in preserving and fossilizing the fallen meteorites for millions of years. In order for scientists to conclude that the meteorites are from Mars and contain signs of fossilized life or traces of it they must provide sufficient evidence to support their theory. Today, a meteorite from Mars is being closely scrutinized by earthly intelligences. The famous meteorite to bare significant signs of life is the Allan Hills 84001 (ALH84001), classified as one of the meteorites thought to come from Mars. Due to the atmospheric data taken by the Viking Lander spacecraft sent to Mars in the 1970s. The data make it possible to know that gases trapped inside the rock is identical to the Martian atmosphere. "It is one of only 12 meteorites identified so far that match the unique Martian chemistry measured by the Viking spacecraft that landed on Mars in 1976" Scientist believed that the ALH84001 blasted off from the surface of Mars about 16 million years ago by a comet or asteroid. The rock orbited in the solar system for a few million years and finally reached Earth about 13, 000 years ago. Investigation into the ALH84001 and the possibilities for containing remains of ancient Martian life was assigned to a team of NASA scientists. Dr. David McKay, Dr. Everett Gibson and Kathie Thomas-Kerpta of Lockhead Martin co-led the team with assistance from a Stanford team led by Professor of Chemistry Dr.

A Clockwork Orange vs. No Country for Old Men

The movies A Clockwork Orange and No Country for Old Men are both very violent and action movies, but they are quite different in the way they are expressed. Both movies tell disturbing stories about men who killed other people but because of different reasons. This gives us a good reason to compare and contrast these two movies.First, let us look at A Clockwork Orange. This movie is all about Alex de Large, a teenager who is the leader of a gang of criminals. Alex and his friends habitually take in drugs, rob, rape, beat up and kill people, without any remorse or regret. They actually enjoy having pleasure at the expense of others. They have no actual purpose in doing these things, just having their own fun.Alex and his gang do their own thing without a care in the world, not thinking about the authorities or the people around them, not even their own families. Alex himself causes the crack in his friendships with those in his gang when he keeps on making fun of Dim and becomes over bearing over them.Dim and the rest of the gang start making plans on their own, without telling their leader Alex. The story takes a turn when Alex’s friends betray him during a failed robbery, after he hit the woman of the house in the head. They actually hit him on the head and left Alex passed out, to be captured later on by the police.Alex enters a new chapter in his life when the woman he hit eventually died. He was then charged with murder and was sentenced to 14 years in prison, and his friends were not captured because they all turned on him. As Alex was being processed into the prison, his self-pride is being broken down little by little when the prison guards and warden talked down on him and put him in his right place.As 2 years go by, you may think that Alex might be making some progress because of his closeness with the prison chaplain, and his growing interest in the Bible. He also told the chaplain of his desire to be â€Å"changed†. But the scenes where we can see Alex’s real fantasies and daydreams show us that that is really not the case. It seems that he is just interested in doing whatever it would take to gain some favors and get out of prison.Alex finally gets his chance when he hears about a new treatment that would make imprisoned criminals change and would help them stay out of prison. He takes his chances and even presents himself to the Minister so that he would be chosen for the treatment. You might think that Alex might have been having his doubts when he almost didn’t sign the contract, but he did anyway.Things become worse for Alex when he actually goes through the treatment; he cannot do the things he used to want to do! Every time he has the urge for violence or sex, Alex would involuntarily retch and feel nauseous. This is because the Ludovico treatment actually conditioned Alex to react as such. The government and the scientists actually think that the treatment is a success, and they eventually re lease Alex.As soon as Alex goes out of prison, it seems like all of the bad things he did in the past finally caught up to him. All of the pain he caused in the lives of other people all went back to him, making him suffer. His â€Å"redemption† comes in an unexpected way, when he jumps out of a window to escape the pain being inflicted upon him by one of his past victims.The movie’s last scene shows Alex in the hospital, and it seems that he’s back to his old self. It seems that Alex might get away with what he wants to do, after all.

How the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou Essay

In the chapter 15 as we call Sister Flowers from How the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, allows us the readers to experience the day with Margareute Johnson through her writing style as if we were experiencing it through her eyes and deep inside her thoughts. Her use of imagery, metaphors, similes and narration helps us paint and imagine a vivid picture in our own minds. Just like when Angelou is describing Sister Flowers, â€Å"Her skin was a rich black that would have peeled like a plum if snagged . . .† Her use of a simile comparing a plum helps us imagine the details such as being smooth, soft, and shiny, just as she saw Sister Flower’s dark black skin. Her use of imagery helps us experience things she saw, the smells she smelt, as if we were right there experiencing it with her. â€Å"The sweet scent of vanilla had met us as she opened the door.† As we read this we can in our heads invent in our minds how Sister Flowers house smelled like vanilla, as she was about to step into her house. Angelou gets us thinking that Sister Flowers had probably just got done baking. â€Å"They were flat round wagers, slightly browned on the edges and butter-yellow in the center.† Angelou already gave us her sense of smell, now she is using imagery to describe her sense of sight of the cookies that Sister Flowers just baked especially for Margareute. Now she is getting our mouths watering for some of Sister Flower’s cookies. Angelou with out a doubt had a good writing style using a lot of similes, imagery, metaphors, and narration to improve our ability to acknowledge every little smell, every little detail and that she saw, just pretty much everything that was going through her head as she was living it first hand.

Free Essays on Aol Instant Messenger

AOL prevents another company from instant messaging â€Å"America Online has fired another shot in its ongoing battle against companies trying to tap into its coveted instant messaging network.† Time Warner’s affiliate AOL has been blocking companies trying to tap into its current instant messaging network. These other companies are trying to get there programs to work with AOL’s instant messaging system and AOL has repeatedly turned away these companies stating that it infringes on their privacy policies. Since 1997 AOL has been very popular even though AOL has been involved in legal issues over its instant messenger. AOL began instant messenger or I.M. in 1997 when one of AOL’s program writer’s, Mr. Jim Johnson, designed a brilliant plan to have direct contact between members on an open email page. Jim and AOL received numerous awards for this new design, which let members communicate with each other even while browsing the web. It took off so fast that it spread like a rumor in a small community. Just a few months after its release, almost every member of AOL was using instant messaging on a daily basis. Instant messaging has become the â€Å"norm† since its debut in 1997. Every magazine and newspaper in the country had an article on it. Now it is so common that even six year olds are often seen utilizing the instant messenger program in classrooms. Though it is common, new companies are trying to dip their hands in. Since I.M. became available, other companies have been trying to make similar programs that are compatible with AOL’s Instant messenger. AOL has struck down these ideas every time they occur. AOL has not incurred any legal penalties yet but as time progresses, they may. These other companies are trying to bring lawsuits against AOL saying that the instant messenger technology should be public and not privately owned. AOL has shut the door every time on these people and won. â€Å"The courts u... Free Essays on Aol Instant Messenger Free Essays on Aol Instant Messenger AOL prevents another company from instant messaging â€Å"America Online has fired another shot in its ongoing battle against companies trying to tap into its coveted instant messaging network.† Time Warner’s affiliate AOL has been blocking companies trying to tap into its current instant messaging network. These other companies are trying to get there programs to work with AOL’s instant messaging system and AOL has repeatedly turned away these companies stating that it infringes on their privacy policies. Since 1997 AOL has been very popular even though AOL has been involved in legal issues over its instant messenger. AOL began instant messenger or I.M. in 1997 when one of AOL’s program writer’s, Mr. Jim Johnson, designed a brilliant plan to have direct contact between members on an open email page. Jim and AOL received numerous awards for this new design, which let members communicate with each other even while browsing the web. It took off so fast that it spread like a rumor in a small community. Just a few months after its release, almost every member of AOL was using instant messaging on a daily basis. Instant messaging has become the â€Å"norm† since its debut in 1997. Every magazine and newspaper in the country had an article on it. Now it is so common that even six year olds are often seen utilizing the instant messenger program in classrooms. Though it is common, new companies are trying to dip their hands in. Since I.M. became available, other companies have been trying to make similar programs that are compatible with AOL’s Instant messenger. AOL has struck down these ideas every time they occur. AOL has not incurred any legal penalties yet but as time progresses, they may. These other companies are trying to bring lawsuits against AOL saying that the instant messenger technology should be public and not privately owned. AOL has shut the door every time on these people and won. â€Å"The courts u...

Indira Gandhi essays

Indira Gandhi essays Indira Nehru Gandhi was born on November 19, 1917 in her grandfather's house in Allahabad, in northern India. She was born to Jawaharlal Nehru ( father ) and Kamala Kaul ( mother ). The Independence movement filled young Indira's life. One of her earliest political memories was one of attending court at age four. Being the only child of the family, her childhood was somewhat lonely. Indiras political career started at age of 12. She was the founder and leader of the Monkey Brigade, which was a group of youngsters whose purpose was to help end British control in India. As the leader she relayed information to the children of the group who then went out and warned the people who were going to be arrested by the British. The Indian National Congress was well aware of the Monkey Brigade, and one of the most important actions of the Monkey Brigade was carried out by Indira herself. The Congress was organizing a civil disobedience movement and after the meeting all the papers with the plans were placed into the trunk of a car which Indira was instructed to drive. Before the car was ready however, a police officer asked to inspect the car. Indira begged him not to because the inspection would make her late for school. Luckily, the police officer let her go. In the year, of 1938 Indira joined the National congress party. In 1942, Indira was happily married to Feroze Gandhi, a journalist. Soon after their marriage, they were sent to Naini Central Jail in Allahabad from September 11, 1942 until May 13, 1943. This was her first and only time spent in prison. When her mother had died in 1936 Indira took her spot as hostess and confidant to her father, and traveled with him to meet famous political figures during his years as Prime Minister of India. In 1959, while still helping her father, Indira was elected the president of the Indian National Congress. After her fathers death in 1964, Lal Bahadur Shastri bec...

Definition and Examples of Spelling in English

Definition and Examples of Spelling in English In written language, spelling is the choice and arrangement of letters that form words. English spelling, says R.L. Trask, is notoriously complex, irregular, and eccentric, more so than in almost any other written language (Mind the Gaffe!, 2006). Pronunciation: SPEL-ing Also Known As: orthography Etymology: From Middle English, reading letter by letter Examples and Observations [S]pelling is not a reliable index of intelligence...Many intelligent people struggle with English spelling, while others will find it comparatively easy to master. Learning to spell correctly requires remembering numerous unusual and peculiar spelling forms. Some people are just better at this form of rote learning than others... One of the reasons why English spelling is so unpredictable is because its vocabulary consists of many words derived from other languages, which have been adopted with their original spellings intact. Understanding the origins of these words and the languages they have come from will help help with spelling them. (Simon Horobin, Does Spelling Matter? Oxford University Press, 2013) A Mutt of a Language That English is such a mutt of a language only served to make the resulting spellings that much harder. Old English had already been borrowing from, and interbreeding with, Dutch and Latin before the Norman invasion. The arrival of Norman French opened the floodgates for more linguistic mixing and orthographic variability. (David Wolman, Righting the Mother Tongue: From Olde English to Email, the Tangled Story of English Spelling. Harper, 2010) Spellings and Respellings in Early Modern English The high status accorded to the classical  tongues in the Early Modern period meant that Latin and Greek words were adopted with their spellings intact- so we find Greek phi spelled with a ph rather than an f in philosophy and physics.  A reverence for Latinate spellings  prompted the respelling of a number of words previously borrowed into English directly from French, whose origins lay in Latin. A silent b was added to debt and doubt to align them with the Latin debitum and dubitarer; a silent c was inserted into scissors (Latin scissor); l was introduced into salmon (Latin salmo), and a silent p into receipt (Latin receptum). In most cases these silent letters drove spelling and pronunciation further apart, though in some instances, like perfect and adventure (Middle English parfait and aventure), the inserted letter is now sounded. (Simon Horobin,  How English Became English. Oxford University Press, 2016) A Spelling Challenge (Canadian Edition) [I]t remains unlikely that most of us could spell the following sentence correctly on the first attempt, without a computerized word-check, and without reading it over first: We should accommodate the possibility of unparalleled embarrassment occurring in an eccentric physicist who endeavours, though harassed by diarrhoea, to gauge the symmetry of a horse caught gambolling in ecstasy within the precincts of a cemetery wall. (Margaret Visser, The Way We Are. HarperCollins, 1994) Standardization of English Spelling For most of the history of the language, English speakers took a lackadaisical approach to spelling; the notion that a word should always be spelled the same way is a much more recent invention than the language itself. The standardization of English spelling began in the 16th century, and although it is unclear at exactly what point our spelling became set, what is certain is that ever since it happened, people have complained that the rules of spelling, such as they are, just don’t make sense. (Ammon Shea, The Keypad Solution. The New York Times Magazine, Jan. 22, 2010) American Spelling and British Spelling George Bernard Shaw once defined the British and Americans as two peoples separated by a common language. Not just in accent and vocabulary but in spelling, too, this is true. Like the spelling of honor versus honour and defense versus defence, the use of one L versus two in certain positions in words is a sure sign of American English. Classic examples include American traveled, jewelry, counselor, and woolen versus British and Commonwealth travelled, jewellery, counsellor, and woollen. Yet American spelling may sometimes take two Ls, not only in obvious cases like hall but in controlled, impelled, (from control and impel) and elsewhere. Most of our specifically American spelling rules come from Noah Webster, the Connecticut-born educator and lexicographer whose magnum opus was his 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language. (David Sacks, Language Visible. Broadway, 2003) Reading and Spelling There is no necessary link...between reading and spelling: there are many people who have no difficulty in reading, but who have a major persistent handicap in spelling- this may be as many as 2% of the population. There seems moreover to be a neuro-anatomical basis for the distinction, for there are brain-damaged adults who can read but not spell, and vice versa. (David Crystal, How Language Works. Overlook, 2006) Belloc on the Worship of Spelling What fun our posterity will have with our ridiculous worship of spelling! It has not lasted very long. There has not really been such a thing as spelling for much more than two hundred years in English, and there was no religion of it till perhaps a hundred years ago... Our fathers cared so little for the ridiculous things that they did not even spell their own names the same way throughout their lives, and as for common words they seem to have had an instinct which I cannot but applaud for ennobling them with repetitions of letters and flourishes, with the pretty trick of using a y for an i and doubling consonants. In general they were all for festooning and decorating, which is a very honest and noble taste. When they said of a man I esteam hym ne moore than a pygge one knows what they meant and one feels their contempt vibrating. Put into the present stereotyped form it would far less affect, or effect, us. (Hilaire Belloc, On Spelling. New Statesman, June 28, 1930) The Lighter Side of Spelling A very pretty speech- s-p-e-e-c-h, sneered the bee. Now why dont you go away? I was just advising the lad of the importance of proper spelling.BAH! said the bug, putting an arm around Milo. As soon as you learn to spell one word, they ask you to spell another. You can never catch up- so why bother? Take my advice, my boy, and forget about it. As my great-great-great-grandfather George Washington Humbug used to say- You, sir, shouted the bee very excitedly, are an impostor- i-m-p-o-s-t-o-r- who cant even spell his own name.A slavish concern for the composition of words is the sign of a bankrupt intellect, roared the Humbug, waving his cane furiously.(Norton Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth. Random House, 1961)Somebody who’s working for the city should learn how to S-P-E-L-L.A slew of officials have failed to report a humiliating spelling error- SHCOOL X-NG- plastered on Stanton Street outside a Lower East Side high school for months.(Jennifer Bain and Jeane Macintosh, In for a Bad Spell. New York Post, Jan. 24, 2012)

The Greatest Challenge Facing Organizational Behavior Research Paper

The Greatest Challenge Facing Organizational Behavior - Research Paper Example Creating a diverse workforce in a company with an existing culture and belief system can be a dilemma. Management has a reasonable desire to bring in people of different ages, gender, and ethnic backgrounds. It is also desirable for the new diverse workforce to accept the organization's existing values. Failure for the new employees to accept these values can result in the new employee not being accepted into the mainstream corporate core. Yet, for the employee to limit their diverse behavior, or act in the traditional corporate model, reduces the effectiveness and the value of the diversity. It is incumbent on the organization to assure that these new employees can be accepted and valued for their diversity within the existing system. The outdated concept of a melting pot culture no longer holds validity in today's world. The melting pot approach assumed that people would blend their differing cultures, ideas, and beliefs into a new and unique community. This previously held system eliminated the positive effects of diversity by demanding conformity. People of diverse backgrounds were forced to set aside their differences and in doing so limit their opportunity to effect positive change. Organizational management has an increased responsibility to bring in these new cultures and backgrounds into the existing system without disruption of the current system and create recognition of the need for change. Bringing these changes into the workplace and workforce is a major challenge for management. Thirty years ago the workforce was dominated by white males who supported a family and were the primary wage earner.  

Basic characteristics, management and performance of Apple 02245 Essay

Basic characteristics, management and performance of Apple 02245 - Essay Example The profitability, market share, degree of competition and the growth strategy of the company will be thoroughly evaluated in this paper. The management approach and the performance of the company in the recent times are also analyzed. Apple Inc. has a unique corporate culture. It does not govern through many layers of management. The top management directly communicates with its employees. It tries to attract the employees by offering both, facilities and challenges. The enterprise is committed in maintaining an innovative and collaborative environment. It also trains its retail employees so that they can make their customers feel comfortable and also provides them scope for moving upward to the level of a manager. Thus, the enterprise attracts retail employees (Sawayda, 2011). Apple’s transition into a consumer electronics manufacture from a computer manufacturer was unpredictable and was successful due to the remarkable leadership skills of Steve Jobs, the company’s highly skilled employees and its determined corporate culture. (A description of the organization’s basic characteristics) The production function of a firm expresses the functional relationship between the quantities of outputs and inputs. It shows that to what extent the output changes with variations in input within a specified time period. The equal products curves or isoquants shows all those input combinations which are capable of producing the same output (Moschandreas, 2000). The marginal rate of technical substitution (MRTS) is the rate at which the inputs can be substituted for each other in order to maintain the same level of output. It can be expressed as the ratio of the marginal products of two factors (Moschandreas, 2000). In the short run, at least one input of the firm must be fixed while in the long run, all the inputs of the firm are variable. The total cost function of a firm comprises of the total variable costs and the total fixed

Analytical report based on an case study about IT project management Essay

Analytical report based on an case study about IT project management - Essay Example The stadium had its international recognition and with its inauguration, it was to host five matches of Euro Championship. The stadium was surrounded by many larger sports complex and along with its own spectators. The stadium could provide gigantic clients and business to restaurants and bars. In this regard Casa XXI was contracted for catering services of restaurant, bars and of special events in the Alvalade stadium for the next fifteen years. Casa XXI was the resulting company with its three partners specifically created for Alvalade Stadium Complex. Casa XXI had immense experience of catering since decades. As per agreement Casa XXI got right to serve 9 avenues including Prestige, Corporate Club, Sports 21, Restaurant Casa XXI, Cafeteria, Cafe for employees, Lodges, Kiosks, Bars and walking sales persons. Managing and exploiting revenue from these avenues was not a piece of cake and neither Casa XXI was ready to go traditional. So, Casa XXI decided to go for a new electronic sys tem which was an important innovation. This innovative system used pre-paid cards to pay for sales. These pre-paid cards had a unique serial number which was to be identified by a scanner. The scanner could examine the card status and recharge money to the card. Interesting aspect was its expiration in which card could be used many times. The main objective of this system was to get rid of the traditional cash system which was more time consuming. The new innovative system could serve many customers in shorter time hence productivity was expected to be enhanced. The innovative system used a central database to save information of all cards and sales. In this innovative system when a consumer made a payment by the card, the scanners were to track card holder’s information and money in the card. After which sale was to take place or the money could be debited accordingly. The system was further subdivided into two units. First unit was operated by the front office responsible f or interacting clients while back office unit was specified for inventory management whereas information of both system was recorded on an external database. So, the expected target of this innovative system was to create a well-established electronic system of payment which could revolutionize the sales at Alvalade Stadium. Casa XXI massively publicized their innovative system hoping for a marvellous opening. Outsourcing is a common practice is nowadays business. Outsourcing may take place due to many factors. These factors may be business, political, technical or financial. In this case, Case XXI lacks the expertise regarding IT projects and systems. It has mainly been in food and catering business and such technical skill seems to be remote in the industry it works in, With a crucial event coming up, outsourcing the new innovative project had deem to be a good decision. Outsourcing has many advantages. Some of them include access to the required expertise easily, greater focus on core functions and risk sharing. Casa XXI have taken advantage of the mentioned advantages to great extent. It wouldn’t be easy to acquire the skill of the IT project easily and if they decided to each part of the project themselves they would no doubt have suffered in their core expertise, catering. Core failures of the system The innovative system was expected to bring stacks of productivity to Casa XXI but unfortunately the inauguration went against all anticipations and ruined

Interview on play development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Interview on play development - Essay Example I also did not go to school, but at age 5 and 6 I played many games, such as the Hunter (similar to hide and seek), Carrom (similar to snooker), marbles, and hopscotch. Because I did not go to school, I could only play games with the neighborhood kids. At home my sisters and my cousins all liked to play the Hunter game. But in the neighborhood, most kids either played marbles or hopscotch. I mostly liked playing with marbles. Also, the Carrom game was fun to play with the board. During my free time I would just help out around my home with any chores that needed doing. At home I would play with my sisters and cousins, but outside I would just play with the neighborhood kids. I was able to develop strong relationships with my relatives and also neighborhood kids because of playing these games with them. I think that the fun that I had contributed to the good relationships I had with many kids. Adults had no say in what we played because mostly the kids just came up with new ideas abou t what games to play. When I got married and moved to Egypt at the age of 14, I did not play as much as I used to when I was a child. Simple activities such as washing clothes and sweeping the house became normal to me. I think that children play much differently today than when I was a child. Now there is more technology so kids don’t have to think too much about what games they can play. One bad thing about this is that it can cause tension among kids, which reduces friendships. Kids these days don’t talk as much when they play because they are always looking at a screen. When I was young, talking and telling stories was an important part of play. I wish that children these days would be required to use their brains more when it comes to play. Too many people have tried to make things easier for kids by not making them think first. I am proud of the games that I

Organization Development Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Organization Development - Research Paper Example Effective solutions can be brought about through proper discussion mechanisms incorporated in such open discussion forums. Such organizational development frameworks must be effectively designed by the organizational managers to help in the development of the organizational people as a whole and not divided by class or groups (Murphy and Willmott, 2010, p.469). Similarly the organizational managers need to identify different stakeholders when issues of organizational diversity are to be discussed in the open forums held in the business organization. Herein the different stakeholders to the issue are to be identified based on diverse groups depending on parameters like race, gender, cultural variances, sexually oriented groups or also suffering from permanent or temporary disability and other old age organizational people. The issues relating to these diverse groups need to be discussed openly to help arrive at potent solutions. Similarly organizations embracing people along different nationalities also need to devise methods to help cover the linguistic barriers so as to help the regional people understand the organizational objectives effectively (Cummings and Worley, 2008, p.280). The paper in this connection endeavors to highlight on such organizational development models that would help address the issues emerging from incorporating diverse individuals or groups in the concern. It would present a thesis on the literatures pertaining to the same and reflect on some practical situations pertaining to business organizations incorporating diverse groups and mode of solving their problems. Literature Review Jones and Brazel (2006) identify a multicultural organization as that which incorporates a large amount of diversity in both its... This essay stresses that the organizations need to work along the social sphere to design several community programs to promote the development of the different regional and other underrepresented people in the concern. Organizational managers need to design several benefit programs focused on such regional and diverse minorities to help in their development and promotion in the concern. The business development managers need to design organizational development models to help the people thrive in an open atmosphere free from coercion and individual or group autonomy. In fact the organization should let the people perform in an environment filled with positive competition and thereby gain promotion based on performance and not undue influence. This paper makes a conclusion that organizations in order to thrive in the new millennium must focus on incorporating diversity both pertaining to the workplace and also in regards to the consumers. Incorporating people from diverse areas tends to reflect that such people can either belong to different racial and ethnic tribes or are disabled or also can be classified based on differences of gender, age and or religious backgrounds. The organizations tending to incorporate such people from diverse groups need to design their policies accordingly to help in the growth of the people both along their professional and personal lifestyles with that of the organization as a whole.

Interview on play development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Interview on play development - Essay Example I also did not go to school, but at age 5 and 6 I played many games, such as the Hunter (similar to hide and seek), Carrom (similar to snooker), marbles, and hopscotch. Because I did not go to school, I could only play games with the neighborhood kids. At home my sisters and my cousins all liked to play the Hunter game. But in the neighborhood, most kids either played marbles or hopscotch. I mostly liked playing with marbles. Also, the Carrom game was fun to play with the board. During my free time I would just help out around my home with any chores that needed doing. At home I would play with my sisters and cousins, but outside I would just play with the neighborhood kids. I was able to develop strong relationships with my relatives and also neighborhood kids because of playing these games with them. I think that the fun that I had contributed to the good relationships I had with many kids. Adults had no say in what we played because mostly the kids just came up with new ideas abou t what games to play. When I got married and moved to Egypt at the age of 14, I did not play as much as I used to when I was a child. Simple activities such as washing clothes and sweeping the house became normal to me. I think that children play much differently today than when I was a child. Now there is more technology so kids don’t have to think too much about what games they can play. One bad thing about this is that it can cause tension among kids, which reduces friendships. Kids these days don’t talk as much when they play because they are always looking at a screen. When I was young, talking and telling stories was an important part of play. I wish that children these days would be required to use their brains more when it comes to play. Too many people have tried to make things easier for kids by not making them think first. I am proud of the games that I

Pest analysis arcelik as and white goods industry in Turkey Essay

Pest analysis arcelik as and white goods industry in Turkey - Essay Example The acronym, PEST, is used to describe these macro environmental factors. Turkey has eight major producers in its white goods industry, with Arcelik A.S. being the leading producer in the market. The PEST factors are going to be studied in relation to Arcelik A.S. and the white goods industry. In very generic terms, political influences deal with the government regulations under which the business has to operate. These deal with tax policies, government support, employment laws, trade barriers and restrictions, environmental regulations and political stability. It may also include laws to restrict the formation of monopolies. The economy of Turkey is politically instable and the government has been implementing an IMF controlled restructuring and reform programme since 1999 which may have the desired effect to stabilize the conditions of the country and increase consumer demand for elastic products manufactured by Arcelik A.S. Moreover, Presidential and Parliamentary elections were held in May and November 2007 which increased political unrest and affected the white goods industry and its leading producer, Arcelik A.S. The high tax expenses that Arcelik A.S. incurred in the year 2007 weakened its financial position while close political ties with United States imposed hardships on Arcelik A.S. and the white goods industry in terms of the Iraq embargo. The government of Turkey has harmonized its commercial laws and regulations with the European Union which imposes restrictions on companies like Arcelik A.S. According to Biesen (2007), Temel, who is the coordinator of corporate relations for Arcelik A.S. and a staunch believer of rules and regulations states it is crucial for the company to follow the regulations and standards imposed globally and by the government to prevent violation of consumer rights. Economic factors affect the purchasing power of the consumers as well as the

Advanced Electrolyte System Essay Example for Free

Advanced Electrolyte System Essay BENEFITS 1.Replenish fluid losses 2.It helps in sustaining mental and physical performance PROMISE â€Å"complete sports drinks† REASON TO BELIEVE 1.It has 15 g of Carbohydrates which is the bodys main source of energy. It is also primary fuel source for muscles which are working at a moderate to high intensity and prolonged endurance. 2.It has sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium which replenish the electrolytes commonly lost through sweat. Electrolytes regulate body’s water and blood pH level. UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION To male and female that are active in sports. It is designed to balance the body fluids to give fast hydration and energy. It has Electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium) and Carbohydrates which is effective and ideal in maintaining performance in sports. Go for the Complete Sports Drink. They are designed to effectively replace the fluids and minerals that are lost by sweating. They also provide a boost of carbohydrates (fuel) and help to sustain physical performance. New POWERADE ION4 ® helps replenish fluid losses and the four key electrolytes in the same ratio typically lost in sweat: sodium, potassium, calcium andmagnesium. It also contains carbohydrates at 15 calories per 100mL. POWERADE ION4 ® encourages the body to absorb fluid and maintain fluid balance. Carbohydrates are replaced as well, supplying your working muscles with fuel, helping you sustain mental and physical performance as you exercise. To help you fight off dehydration, POWERADE ION4 ®doesn’t switch your thirst receptors off prematurely. It keeps you feeling thirsty until you’re properly rehydrated. When sweating, the body loses more than just water. It loses these electrolytes which are important in exercise. The importance of each was reviewed by The American College of Sports Medicine, American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada and it was learned that: Sodium is a critical electrolyte, which helps you sweat effectively and aids in muscle contraction; Potassium, on the other hand, is important in the overall energy metabolism; Third of the four key ions is calcium, which essential for overall bone metabolism; Lastly, magnesium plays a vital role in regulating cardiovascular and neuromuscular functions to sustain your performance. Drinking Powerade Ion4, completely packed with these four vital ions, is the most effective way to replace fluid and fuel losses. mountain Blast, Orange Burst and Silver Charge.

Reflection on Situated Knowledge Map

Reflection on Situated Knowledge Map For the Situated Knowledge Map, I created five pins titled Hairy Legs, Get On The Scale, Talk To Your Sister, Crazy Feminist, and No under the pseudonym BS. These pins focus on body image, fatphobia, the feminist killjoy, and racism. In this reflection, I will examine how these moments in my life changed my perspective then reflect on the system and other posts I read while placing my own pins. While I found the assignment slightly difficult due to the nature of the content, I believe the analysis caused by the assignment is valuable and I found the system utilized simple but possibly exclusive. Hairy Legs, Get On The Scale, and Talk to Your Sister all focus on body image with the last two focusing specifically on fatphobia in our society. Hairy Legs discusses the first time I recognized gender performance and how it affects body hair for men and women. As a 3rd grader at the time, I did not understand why my hairy legs were a problem but the boys hairy legs were fine. Now I recognize hairlessness is a societal standard of gender performance for women. This was the first time I had a negative comment directed towards my body and the first time I thought of my body in term of good and bad. Get On The Scale and Talk to Your Sister are 2 events about a decade apart that made me realize how people treat my sister and I differently due to our weights. As a small girl and woman, my mother only mentioned my weight when she believed I might have an eating disorder. However, my mother started talking about weight with my sister more frequently when she began to gain weight; even goin g as far as to try to convince me to talk to me sister about losing weight. After the events in Talk to Your Sister, I recognized it and the events of Get On The Scale as the double standards surrounding weight women face and the general fatphobia in our society. These events remind me of a quote from The Body Politic-Meditations on Identity by Elana Dykewomon: Women in almost every society offer their daughters up to the prevailing cultural standards of beauty and usefulness for womenif women dont prepare their daughters to meet institutionalized male demands, they know their daughters will suffer in life (Dykewomon 453). I believe this accurately describes what my sister and I went through in these events. The third post, Crazy Feminist, describes the beginning of how I came to understand my identity as a feminist and how grateful I am for taking that step. I had not thought of feminism or considered calling myself a feminist until I joined Women in Learning and Leadership (WILL). I had been discouraged from joining and staying in the group during my first and second year of college. First from my friends sister commenting on how it is a crazy feminist group then with my parents continued attempts to convince me to drop the group and Women and Gender Studies minor for a more useful math minor. It was these attempts and the influences of WILL the led me to my crazy feminist identity which has been more helpful to me and given me more skills, in my opinion, than a math minor would have as a woman in science. The final post, No, is the story of the day I discovered my father holds racists beliefs. I was shocked when he came to me asking me to explain to my sister that she could not date a n African American boy. This event did not change my view of racism so much as it made me realize how truly wide spread it is in my own life. It made me look more closely for subtle racism in my life as well. I found the system used for the Situated Knowledge Map simple to use overall. I believe it is important to create online tools that are easy to navigate if the group creating the tools want them to be accessible for everyone. In the article Invisible feminists? Social media and young womens political participation, Julia Schuster argues that the use of social media and the internet by young feminists make them invisible to older feminists and the use of these tools leads to the exclusion of certain groups of feminists. This effect seems to be happening with this tool, as the clear majority of the pins I looked at were authored by apparent college students, and may be invisible to older feminist groups who are not using these forms of media. I also examined interesting perspectives from reading several of the pins on the map. One particular pin that made me examine my standpoint was Church; a pin written from the perspective of a Methodist discussing the Catholic ceremony of Confirmat ion. This pin made me think about religious privilege from the perspective of a child not experiencing violent religious percussion but subtle religious exclusion. Before reading this pin, I had never considered how a child may feel excluded and othered by other childrens shared experiences from and dislike of their parents religion. I found this project to be slightly difficult for me because I had to admit, not only to myself but to possible hundreds of people, that these experiences affected my behavior, particularly in Hairy Legs, and that my family holds these beliefs. However, I also think it is important that I analyze these events that have clearly shaped who I am today. In regards to the system used for this project, I found it simple to use; however, I am an individual who has had the privilege of growing up surrounded by this technology. People and groups who do not have this privilege may be excluded from using these tools. In addition, reading the perspective of previous posters led me to thought processes I would not have if I had not read their experiences. Work Cited Dykewomon, Elana. The Body Politic-Meditations on Identity. This Bridge We Call Home-Radical Visions for Transformation. Ed. Gloria Anzaldà ºa and Anaouise Keating. New York: Routledge,2002. 450-457. Print. Schuster, Julia. Invisible feminists? Social media and young womens political participation. Political Science 65.1 (2013): 8-24.

Indigenous Populations Health Case Analysis Essay -- Healthcare Indig

Introduction â€Å"Homo sapiens†, also called humans are best described as social animals. The accountability of this human behaviour lays with different factors, like culture, civilization, past history, etc. Among these factors, culture is the most significant. In the contemporary society, culture refers to composite reserve of principles, beliefs, knowledge, time concept, relations, etc passed-on from generation to generation, by groups (Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute, 2001). Among the thousands of culture practiced throughout the world, aboriginal culture is one of the richest and oldest culture which is estimated to be 58000 to 75000 years old (Goosen, 2000, p. 72). Different cultures have distinct perceptions to the models of health. This essay spotlights over the aboriginal culture, different models of health and their relevance to the case study of jenny. Discussion of case study Being an indigenous lady, jenny is deep rooted into her culture and society. Because of her baby delivery, she moved to urban area which made her vulnerable to variety of anxieties and stress. British colonisation on Australia â€Å"Terra nullius† was the official fiction, which lead to the invasion of British Empire on Australian mainland. Basically, it means the vacant and unpossessed terrains (Germov, 2009, p. 119). The first British fleet arrived at Botany Bay in 1788. This lead to various issues in the Australian indigenous society i.e. culture clash, indigenous dispossession, etc. Culture clash The term â€Å"culture clash† implies to the disruption between the people when two or more cultures exist together. Typically, culture clash is the drawback of multicultural society. According to Crisp and Taylor (2009, p.113), different fact... ...stone. Epstein, R. M., & Borrell-Carrio, F. (2005). The biopsychosocial model: Exploring six impossible things. Families, Systems, & Health, 23(4), 426-431. Germov, J. (2009). Second opinion: An introduction to health sociology (4th ed.). South Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University Press. Glittenberg, J. (2004). A transdisciplinary, transcultural model for health care. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 15(1), 6-10. Goosen, G. C. (2000). Christian and Aboriginal interface in Australia. Theological Studies, 60(1), 72-94. Gustafson, D. L. (2005). Transcultural nursing theory from a critical cultural perspective. Advances in Nursing Science, 28(1), 2-16. Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute: Cultural understanding through education and communication (2001). Retrieved Dec. 1, 2010, from http://www.roshaninstitute.org/templates/System/details.asp?id=39783&PID=474552

Prerequisites for Marketing Essay

In order for any organization or company to successfully market their product there are certain prerequisites that must be met. The first thing needed, is for there to be at least two parties that have a certain need which is not being met. It could be Senior that needs some daily social outlet; and an Adult Day Care that is looking to offer seniors a social outlet, included in this prerequisite there must clearly be an exchange transpiring between the two parties; The Adult Day Care will offer the senior a social outlet in exchange for a reimbursement from the seniors Insurance. The second prerequisite obviously is for one party to have the desire, or the means to fulfill the other parties needs. Last but not least there needs to be some sort of communication between the two parties, where each one learns of the others existence, and wants. A politician running for Governor must find out what the people that live in the state he is running for want. If the politician feels that the people in the state want marijuana to be legalized then he should run campaign ads saying that he will legalize marijuana. He should speak at college campuses, and hold events at places where there is known to be a high usage of marijuana use. The politicians need is to become Governor; the people’s need is for marijuana to be legalized. The politician will be able to facilitate the peoples need if they facilitate his – voting for him. A consumer that seeks physical therapy, must first make sure he has sufficient funds to pay for his physical therapy. Either from his own private funds, or he has an Insurance that will cover the costs for his physical therapy. Then he must find a rehab center that will offer him the specific physical therapy that he needs. There are several factors that a company needs to look into before choosing health coverage for its employees. The first thing is to see if the employees are willing to work without getting health benefits. If you can get good employees that don’t demand health benefits, then there is no need for the company to spend the money, providing them with health care. If the only way you can get good qualified employees, is by providing them with health care.

The Buying Decisions of ‘Consumers’ on the Use of Microsoft

â€Å"The Buying Decisions of ‘Consumers’ On the Use of Microsoft or Apple Products† Submitted By: SANUSI SANI BUHARI Student No: 200922R7018 The Dissertation has been submitted to the Skyline University College In partial Fulfillment of the Degree: Bachelor of Business Administration (International Business) December-2012 Acknowledgement The writing of this dissertation has been one of the most significant academic challenges I have ever had to face. Without the support, patience and guidance of the following people, this study would not have been completed.It is to them that I owe my deepest gratitude. * Dr. Rashad Mohammed Al Saed, who undertook to act as my supervisor despite his many other academic and professional commitments. His wisdom, knowledge and commitment to the highest standards inspired and motivated me. * My friends and whoever directly or indirectly helped me to during the course of the dissertation. * The authors of the various books and web sit es as well as the facilities and university library that helped me gain various information for this dissertation. AbstractThis research paper describes the buying decisions of ‘consumers’, as to whether they prefer Microsoft or Apple products. People have different choice according to needs. Business organizations and telecommunication sectors judge product on usability. Data analysis suggests many important elements impact the buying decision of an individual or any specific company. Data analysis also suggests Microsoft and Apple continue to push the envelope when it comes to developing software and hardware. The main objective of this research is- which product do people prefer?To find answers to the research questions of this research, data analysis and descriptive study has been used, because it involves observing and describing the behavior of a subject without influencing it in any way. This method is used to obtain a general overview of the subject, and answers who, what, and why of the study. The two giants pride themselves for producing cutting edge consumer and business products, and are leading the developments in software and hardware. But what about their websites how do they both compare, and more important, which one is better and more usable?This study will help reader to find all this answer. Chapter No. | Particulars| Pg No. | 1| Introduction * Aims of Independent Study * Objectives| 6-7| 2| Literature Review| 8-29| 3| Research Methodology| 30-32| | * Research Design| 31| | * Research Approach| 31| | * Research Instrument| 32| | * Sampling Design| 32| 4| Data Analysis| 33-37| 5| Conclusion| 38-40| | Bibliography | 41-42| | Appendixes | 43-46| Aims of the Study Technology has slowly started to rule our lives. No matter where we are, we have access to some sort of technological appliance such as cell phones, computers or televisions.Anything one could think of that might, in even the slightest way, make our lives easier is now av ailable. So many different types of devices have been conceived and developed that is has become a complicated and confusing decision when trying to choose the right product. Computers and other forms of technology impact our lives daily. We encounter computers in stores, restaurants, and other retail establishments. We use computers and the Internet regularly to obtain information, experience online entertainment, buy product and services as well as communicating with others.Most of us carry a computer or a mobile phone with us at all times so we can remain in touch with others on a continual basis and can access internet information by the touch of a button. Businesses use computers to keep track of bank transactions, inventories, sales, credit card purchases and also provide business executives up to date information to make important decisions. Government’s use computers to support our nation’s defense system, for space exploration, for storing and organizing vital information of citizens, and other important tasks. Computers are used everywhere, and is a vital tool in one’s life.When you turn to your computer, it’s nice to think you’re in control. There’s the trusty computer mouse, which you can move anywhere on the screen, summoning up your music library or the internet browser by one click. Although it’s easy to feel like the director in front of your own desktop or laptop, there’s a lot going on inside, and the real man behind all these operations is the ‘Operating System’. The purpose of an operating system is to organize and control hardware and software so that the device it lives in behaves in a flexible but predictable way.Most desktop or laptop PCs come pre-loaded with Microsoft Windows. Macintosh computers come pre-loaded with Mac OS X. The operating system (OS) is the first thing loaded onto the computer. Without the operating system, a computer is useless. When it comes to co mputer technology, the two biggest giants are ‘Microsoft’ and ‘Apple’. Microsoft and Apple are by and large the biggest producers in cutting edge consumer and business products. Between the two companies, they continue to push the envelope when it comes to developing software and hardware.Question is, which do people prefer? Prior to this, I’ve decided to base my study on ‘†¦ The buying decisions of consumers’, as to whether they prefer Microsoft or Apple products†¦ ’ Research Objectives Research Objectives ascertains specific points that may aid in gathering information related to the main objective. The purpose of this research will be: * To know the factors that affect the buying decisions of customers * To determine the products and services provided to customers Literature ReviewAs stated by (Allan 2001), Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions. While jointly developing a new Operating System (OS), working alongside IBM, Microsoft released Microsoft Windows. On February 26th 1986, moved its headquarters to Redmond, and decided to make the company go public.Microsoft worked closely with Apple during the development of Apple's Macintosh computer, which was introduced in 1984. Revolutionary in its design, the Mac featured a graphical user interface based on icons rather than the typed commands used by the IBM PC, making its programs simple to use and easy to learn, even by computer novices. ( Iceboat, Daniel, and Susan L. Knepper 1991 p. 304) Apple INC was established on April 1, 1976 in Cupertino, California, and incorporated January 3, 1977; the company was previously named Apple Computer, Inc. for its first 30 years, but removed the word â€Å"Computer† on January 9, 2007, to reflect the company's ongoing expansion into the consumer electronics market in addition to its traditional focus on personal computers. (Price 1987) On August 15, 1998, Apple introduced a new all-in-one computer important of the Macintosh 128K: the iMac. The iMac design team was led by Jonathan Ive, who would later design the iPod and the iPhone. The iMac featured modern technology and a unique design. It sold close to 800,000 units in its first five months.Through this period, Apple purchased several companies to create a portfolio of professional and consumer-oriented digital production software. On May 19, 2001, Apple opened the first official Apple Retail Stores in Virginia and California. Later on July 9 they bought Spruce Technologies, a DVD authoring company. The same year, Apple introduced the iPod portable digital audio player. The product was phenomenally successful  Ã¢â‚¬â€ over 100 million units were sold within six years. In 2003, Apple's iTunes Store was introduced, offering online music downloads for $0. 99 a song and combination with the iPod.The service quickly became the market leader in online music services, with over 5 billion downloads by June 19, 2008. It can understandably be said that when it comes to computer technology, the two biggest names are ‘Microsoft’ and ‘Apple’. (Suhail 2009) It success has become so immense that a customer’s choice can either be one of the two. Other competitors are too far off, but what do these two giants give in return to society? To most people, Microsoft represents computing. Those with a dynamic interest in technology usually believe that Microsoft Windows is the computer.This kind of brand association you won’t see in other companies, which makes it a very powerful source in the world of technology. Apple computers have grown very popular in the last few years, and its simplicity and user-friendly attributes is what keeps customers capti vated. Historically, Microsoft began the personal computer revolution with their Windows Operating System, which offered people a different platform for their computer needs. Apple also introduced, with their own line of Macintosh computers and devices, though it did have it ups and downs.Microsoft followed a general policy by marketing their computers with non-expensive hardware and software parts which allowed every house to have a PC (personal computer). People can afford their computers with no restrictions on the type of hardware. Apple had a different mind frame whereby they went for exclusivity and decided to sell their products at a much higher price than Microsoft PC’s. Its elite hardware and software is what makes it more expensive. (Admin 2010) Although where Apple has the upper hand over Microsoft is related to security. Apple Mac computers are generally more secure because of its OSX operating system. Suhail 2009) It has more protection built in against malware a nd viruses. Customers want to feel comfortable and safe, knowing that the product they are purchasing is protected against threat at all times. Windows (operating system of Microsoft) is more prone to malware and viruses, and requires expensive protection software to make the PC more secure. Another advantage of Apple computers is they are more efficient when it comes to graphics acceleration and games. Microsoft has problems with that. If one would buy a Microsoft based PC, they would need to spend an additional amount to handle graphics of that scale.On the other hand, Microsoft is committed in making its products and services easier for everyone to use. The Windows operating system has many in-built accessibility features that are useful for individuals who have difficulty in typing, using the mouse, seeing or hearing difficulties. Microsoft also produces other computer hardware’s such as Xbox, Zune, Xbox 360 and MSN TV. (MSJ 1986) Apple also offers a wide variety of produ cts such as the iPhone, iPod, Apple TV and the newly introduced iPad. Factors affecting buying decision HomepageThe homepage is one of the most important pages of the whole site because it’s the first, and in many cases the only chance you get to impress the visitor enough to keep them browsing. You’ve got a few seconds to convince them that the site has enough value for them to keep using it, because if it doesn’t, the visitors will leave. Apple’s approach to the homepage has been consistent throughout all the years that the site has been running. They use this page as a kind of advertising board that always shows a big ad of their latest product, followed by 3 other ads to another 3 products or news that is important at the moment.If you’re not interested in any of the 4 suggested items, you can use the large navigation bar at the top, which is split into their core businesses: Mac, iPod and iPhone, followed by a couple of other important links, such as the online store and support pages. The navigation bar also incorporates a search field. (Dmitry Fadeyev) One other thing to note is the lack of content. You’re not distracted by sidebars, notices or extra navigation items — there are only a few items on the page, focusing your attention and making the decision of where to go next easier. Microsoft has a different approach to their homepage.Firstly, they feature a similar style of ad at the top, designed to be attention grabbing. These are large images, but only one out of 3 ads is shown at a time — you have to hover over the other two to expand them. This focuses attention, but may potentially weaken the effectiveness of the two hidden ads since the visitor has to work to see them right at the top of the page is the navigation, together with search. Flow All of the content of Microsoft is extremely monotonous, especially the â€Å"Learn More† box with a list of 8 links. The dry presentation gives the user less incentive to click around.Some Microsoft sites use better layout to direct the flow of attention, but they generally all suffer from the same illness: too much content. When you present the user with too many choices, you make them work — they have to think about what they want and they have to process more information. By reducing choice, Apple directs the users through a more carefully designed funnel, which generally delivers a better experience. (Dmitry Fadeyev) Navigation Apple’s website has a large navigation bar at the top, which remains there consistently whichever section of the site you go to.The options available show the main sections split by its lines of business as well as a couple of essentials, such as support and the store. The bar also integrates search and branding as the home button displays the Apple logo instead of a label. Any extra sub-navigation is located on individual site pages and is placed within the context of that page, w hether on a sidebar, or as a horizontal bar at the top. Microsoft has a similar navigation bar on the homepage, but that navigation bar is not consistent across the site. Actually, all of the sub-pages tend to use their own navigation bar, in style and in content.The homepage navigation thus acts as a site map to the rest of the Microsoft website sections. In a lot of the navigation bars, including the one on the homepage, Microsoft uses drop-down menus — unlike Apple. They don’t just use drop-down menus — they use huge drop-down menus. In some cases, the menu even has a scrollbar (in Firefox): Is this good or bad? In a recent Alertbox entry, Jakob Nielsen, a well known usability guru, has written that mega drop-down menus can work. They work because they present a lot of choices in groups, so they allow for easier scanning as you can jump to the group that you want and scan the items inside them.You have to get certain things right though, like the order of the groups and only mentioning each element once, for them to work well. In this case, it makes sense for Microsoft to go the route of the drop-down menus, but feel that they may have gone a little too far. For example, some options point to the same thing, like the ‘Office’ drop down and ‘Office’ option in the ‘All Products’ drop down. The drop-down also blocks the content below, so if you accidentally moused over the menu, you have to mouse off from it again to get to the content below — all the while being careful not to hover over other items.There are also a lot of options under each group — sometimes showing about 13 items, which makes processing the options much more difficult. Also, the inconsistency of navigation across the different sections makes it much harder to jump from one area of the site to another, e. g from the Office site to the Xbox site. (Dmitry Fadeyev) Readability Because most of the content on the sites is t ext, it’s vital to ensure that everything is readable and legible. Here are the main things to consider when working on readability of your site’s content: * Make the text large enough so that it’s easy to see and read. Ensure that there is enough contrast between the text and background. * Provide enough white space around the text to keep other content and graphics from distracting the reader. * Provide plenty of headings or highlighted/bold text to allow users to quickly scan the content for key information. * Add images and icons to make it easier to focus on individual sections of the text, i. e. product or feature descriptions. * Keep the text short and to the point. Apple does a great job of keeping everything easy to read.The text is generally small, but never too small so as to be a problem. Headings are set in heavier type and stand out, allowing you to quickly get the gist of each section. Apple also makes heavy use of white space to separate everythi ng apart and adds images to make each text blurb more interesting. It follows the general usability guidelines by breaking things down into small bite size pieces of text that are easy to digest. It looks a lot busier than the Apple site because there is more content on one page and there are many different treatments for headings and highlighted words. Dmitry Fadeyev) Too much variety causes visual chaos on the page, with each different colored or bold item competing for your attention. In this case, the page really needs to be simplified to make it easier for the viewer to process. Search Apple’s search is integrated into the navigation bar. When you type something in the search box you actually get live search results with AJAX, by way of a little box which pops up, showing you the results as you type. It’s very well done — there is no lag when typing, the results are grouped in categories and are fetched very quickly, usually before you finish typing your fu ll query.If you want to see more results you can just hit Enter when you’ve finished typing and you’ll be taken to the standard search results page. It’s very clean and organized by categories. You can drill the results further down by category, selectable from the menu on the right. It’s functional and clean, and works well when you’re trying to find any products that they sell. Aesthetics Apple’s website aesthetics closely mirrors that of its product line. The navigation bar looks like it’s crafted out of aluminium and features gentle gradients and indented text. There are also plenty of reflections and minimalist design elements.Apple has always worked on unifying the look and feel of its interface across its entire product line, from the hardware to software, and their website is no exception. Do aesthetics have anything to do with usability? Actually, they do. Research shows that people perceive better looking interfaces as more usable. The site follows a faint Windows theme with the light blue clouds, but there is little else to say that this is a page for Internet Explorer or Windows. The look and feel is very generic and doesn’t do enough to differentiate itself or build a coherent brand.The designs are overall pretty good, but pretty good just isn’t enough. There are plenty of inconsistencies and a lack of polish, which puts Apple ahead in this area. Consistency Consistency is important because it allows you to develop usage patterns. This basically means that if your site has a consistent interface throughout, your visitors will quickly learn how it works and will be able to use this knowledge in any of the new pages that they visit, since they’ll all be using the same, or very similar, interface. Apple does a great job of keeping the interface consistent.All of the product pages feature very similar aesthetics and are structured in the same way. The whole site looks and feels the same throughout and the global navigation bar at the top is always there, on every page. This means that the entire experience is very unified and coherent — you know you’re on the same website wherever you go. Could you tell that this is a Microsoft page if you took away their logo? Custom graphics, styles and colour palettes across all the Microsoft sections help little to maintain a coherent brand image on the web. Microsoft really struggles here.There are many different sections across Microsoft. com and they all feature their own look and feel, including their own navigation. So once you go to a section on their site, be it the Microsoft store, the Office site, or the Security pages, they will all look and feel like separate websites. What’s worse, the global navigation bar is also gone, meaning that you have to go back to the homepage, or the site map, to see an overview of all of their sites. It’s really an ecosystem of websites hosted under the sa me domain and therefore it doesn’t get the benefit of consistency that Apple has.The brand image is also terribly fragmented making it impossible to define what a Microsoft site looks like. (Dmitry Fadeyev) Marketing Nobody will argue that Apple is the kind of viral marketing. You might find some PC ads/commercials on local magazines and newspapers, but you will not find great â€Å"Mac vs PC† / â€Å"Get a Mac† / â€Å"Buy a Mac† / â€Å"Hello, I am a Mac, and I am a PC† commercials like Apple produces. Security When it comes to Mac vs. PC security concerns, many experts think that Windows has caught up with Apple.Before Microsoft Windows 7, we have all heard that Windows operating system is a targeted platform for malicious attacks. Of course it is true, but the question is. Does the operating system has the right tools to defend itself? With Mac computers, you won't need to worry about viruses as you do in Windows operating system. The real prob lem is not only about viruses, but about security breaches that allow hackers to penetrate into your computer, and steal your valuable art works, photographs and important (and sometimes secret) media assets.It was proven that both Windows 7 and Mac OS X Snow Leopard have their own glitches. DailyTech. com posted an article, saying that one prominent Mac hacker has pointed out that Mac OS X Snow Leopard is less secured than Microsoft Windows 7 OS. Well, if a Celeb hacker says so, we should probably take it pretty seriously. So it seems, at least when making a business decision, that you shouldn't pick a Macintosh over a PC, just because people are telling you that Macintosh doesn't have viruses, or they are more secure. Apple OS X Snow Leopard is based on the UNIX core.That fact alone doesn't make it more secure than Windows 7 as you can see. We just couldn't ignore the fact that viruses are real pain in the axe. As a power PC user, with all those pop-out windows saying â€Å"You h ave been infected with a Virus†¦ † I would probably be very happy knowing that I can work quietly, without worrying about viruses and all that crux horrors that the Internet brings with it. You just can't blame Windows operating system for being more popular. Financial Analysis It's important to step back and examine just how close each of these companies really are in terms of revenue and earnings.Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect Apple to report approximately $2. 85 billion in net income ($3. 07 in EPS) on about $14. 62 billion in revenue when it releases its results. Yet, it's well known that Apple regularly beats consensus estimates by quite a large margin and that actual results will come in well above the consensus. Just last quarter, Apple not only beat revenue estimates by over $1 billion, but it annihilated EPS estimates by reporting $0. 88 above the $2. 45 consensus – a 36% beat.In fact, Apple has regularly beaten consensus estimates by well over 35% each quarter over the past year. (Andy M. Zaky) Financial Alchemist's Turley Muller, who is currently the most accurate analyst on Apple, offers a more realistic view of the company. Muller believes that Apple will report about $3. 1 billion in net income on ($3. 35 in EPS) on $15. 15 billion in revenue. And while I think Muller has left some room for upside surprise, it's clearly best to use his numbers rather than the consensus as a measure of comparison. Microsoft, on the other hand, is expected to earn $4. billion in net income ($0. 46 in EPS) on $15. 26 billion in revenue when it releases its results – just a hair above Muller's revenue estimates for Apple. And while Microsoft regularly reports upside surprises itself, the gap between consensus estimates and Microsoft's actual results is nowhere near as wide as it is with Apple's results. Thus, if Apple reports at the higher end of Muller's estimates, and if Microsoft reports closer to the consensus, it's quite possi ble that Apple might have a shot to beat Microsoft in revenue for the first time in its history this quarter.The chart (Appendix 2(A) details a quarterly revenue comparison of Apple and Microsoft over the past few years. As one can see from the chart, Apple is within striking distance of surpassing Microsoft's quarterly revenue. Since Microsoft and Apple are on a different fiscal year, the chart realigns their results based on the calendar year. (Andy M. Zaky) So the big story in tech earnings is whether history will be made in the decades-long battle between Apple and Microsoft, or whether Microsoft will postpone the inevitable and maintain its dominance over Apple for at least one more quarter.Even if Apple doesn't beat Microsoft in sales this quarter, it will almost certainly do so next quarter and by quite a large margin. For the September quarter, analysts expect Apple to generate approximately $16. 81 billion in revenue compared to a projected $15. 16 billion in revenue for Mi crosoft. So even conservative estimates, which have yet to be adjusted to account for iPad sales, already put Apple ahead of Microsoft by nearly $1. 2 billion next quarter. My estimates put Apple ahead by $3. 2 billion as I expect Apple to record nearly $18. 9 billion in revenue.What's even more surprising is that Apple will likely far surpass Microsoft in revenue for the entire 2012 fiscal year (Appendix 2(B). I'm looking for Apple to record $81. 6 billion in revenue, well above the $70 billion I'm expecting out of Microsoft for the year. You can view my track record on Apple at Philip Elmer-DeWitt's column Apple 2. 0. Even the analyst consensus puts Apple well ahead of Microsoft next year, with revenue estimates of $72. 6 billion (AAPL) versus $67 billion (MSFT). The chart below compares Apple and Microsoft's annual fiscal revenue for the past several years.While quarterly data must be compared on the calendar year to show a side by side comparison over a particular 3-month period , yearly data can be analyzed on the fiscal year. And, what about other metrics? Net income growth, total net income, total net cash, cash flow, book value, total assets and the economic sensitivity of each company's primary operations are just a few of the other key factors to consider when comparing the two companies. While Apple will surpass Microsoft in revenue in the near future, that doesn't necessarily mean that Apple automatically deserves a larger market capitalization.But it does appear that Apple will not only record more revenue than Microsoft, it will also eventually (within the next few years) earn more in net income, generate a larger amount of cash, and outpace Microsoft in terms of growth in net income and revenue. The earnings beat won't come easy for Apple. Due to Microsoft's extraordinarily high operating margin, the only way Apple will beat Microsoft in earnings is by simply outpacing it in sales. Since Microsoft pushes more of its revenue to the bottom line, Ap ple will have to significantly outpace Microsoft in revenue to win on the net income front.The chart below compares Apple and Microsoft's net income for the last several fiscal years (Appendix 2(C). Though these two companies no longer really operate in the same space as they once did with Apple turning its focus on the consumer and Microsoft on enterprise spending, both companies are dominating their respective industries. Update 7/20: As expected, Apple has once again crushed the consensus estimates on the top line, beating analyst revenue expectations by over well $1 billion when it reported $15. 7 billion in revenue Tuesday afternoon. In fact, Apple even surpassed my lofty expectations of $15. billion by $100 million in sales. Unless Microsoft far surpasses analyst expectations of $15. 24 billion in revenue, it appears that Apple has already won the race. Microsoft primarily makes its profits from business to business, which mainly consists of selling licenses to its operating s ystem to computer manufacturers and office suites for enterprises. That’s not to say that they don’t sell to consumers — they do, and they have consumer only product lines as well, such as the Xbox gaming console, and of course home users also buy Windows and Office.This means that their business targets pretty much everyone, from home computer owners to developers and enterprises; which in turn stretches the purpose of their website to try and serve everyone. On the other hand, Apple is primarily a consumer company, and makes most of its profit selling hardware, like its iPod music players and Mac computers. This makes the target of Apple’s site much clearer — marketing, selling and providing support for its products to consumers.They don’t have to worry about selling licenses to manufacturers because they’re the only manufacturer, so the key purpose of the website would be to advertise and promote their multiple product lines, as we ll as selling them through their online store. (Andy M. Zaky) Cost Analysis Other factor that affects buying decision is cost. People have been arguing online about how much more expensive Macs are than PCs — or not — for more than a decade (and in print for years before that). These discussions usually involve some hard facts but also some persistent myths. As a longtime Windows guy who has recently migrated to the Mac, I think I'm in a retty good position to try and sort out reality from fiction. Let's take a look at what you can really get for your money these days. Hardware For those of you who are left, what I have found in my research is that neither side has a lock on good value. If you start with Apple's relatively short list of SKUs (three or four model variations for each of its lines, such as MacBook Pro, MacBook, and iMac) and then look for comparable Windows machines, you'll find that Apple bests the competition in some ways and not in others, but the pric ing, overall, is surprisingly on par.Only a few years ago, it seemed like a no-brainer that Windows hardware was much cheaper. But if you're talking name-brand hardware, that's just no longer the case. On the other hand, if you search the Windows side first, you'll quickly discover machines that — in features and price — fit in between the Mac SKUs. And in those niches, they represent very good values. So there's one answer to the question of whether Macs or Windows represent a better value: If one of those â€Å"in between† PCs suits your needs best, you'd be paying an unnecessary premium to get a Mac instead.Let's look at some hard numbers. I started my research with top-of-the-line notebooks — I spent an hour on Dell's site trying to find the cheapest notebook that offered everything Apple's $2,799 MacBook Pro 17 provides. That includes: * Glossy 17-in. screen with 1,680-by-1,050-pixel resolution (optional 1,920-by-1,200 resolution for $100 more) * 2. 4-GHz Core 2 Duo processor * 2GB of RAM (upgradeable to 4GB) * 256MB Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT video * 160GB 5,400-rpm SATA hard drive * 8x SuperDrive (DVD+R DL/DVD ±RW/CD-RW) Gigabit Ethernet port * 54Mbps a/b/g/Draft n Wi-Fi * Bluetooth 2. 0+EDR, Express Card/34 card slot * Three USB ports * One FireWire 800 port * One FireWire 400 port * DVI port * Built-in insight video camera * One-year warranty (upgradeable to three years) I continued my comparisons with a visit to Circuit City last weekend to take a look at high-end 17-in. notebook PCs. Like Dell, Sony has one with every conceivable bell and whistle selling for more than $3,000 — the Vaio VGN-AR390E, which goes for $3,150.Like all the other Windows models available at Circuit City, the processor is a 2GHz Core 2 Duo, slower than the one in the MacBook Pro. On the other hand, the Vaio comes through with 1,920-by-1,200-pixel screen resolution, a 5,400 rpm 240GB hard drive, and a whopping 527MB of video memory. Like the D ell, though, at 8. 4 lb. , the Vaio makes the 6. 8 lb. MacBook Pro look like a lightweight. Moving downscale a little, both Hewlett-Packard and Toshiba have models in the $2,000 range that approximate the MacBook Pro's equipment.The HP Pavilion DV9260US comes with the Intel Core 2 Duo 2-GHz processor, a 240GB 5,400 rpm drive, Windows Vista Ultimate, and a 17-in. screen whose maximum resolution is only 1,440 by 900 pixels (a major drawback). Circuit City's price is $2,000. Bottom line: Assuming that you want a high-end notebook PC designed to work, play, and be your everyday machine with style, the MacBook Pro is a surprisingly good value. The models that I compared it with, the Sony and the Dell, had some extras here and there, but they were also more expensive.The key to the perception that Macs are more expensive is that Apple offers very few in-between models. A graph showing the market capitalization between ‘Apple’ and ‘Microsoft’ conducted by (T3 2009 ) shows that in the year 2000, Microsoft had a huge upper hand over Apple, and did so for a long period. It wasn’t until March 2005 that Apple started to rise and actually started to have a competing chance. Research Methodology Research Design The research paper design conducted is a descriptive one because it involves observing and describing the behavior of a subject without influencing it in any way.This method is used to obtain a general overview of the subject, and answers who, what, and why of the study. It is also useful where it is not possible to test and measure the large number of samples needed for more quantitative types of experimentation. They are often used by market researchers to judge the habits of customers, or by companies wishing to judge the morale of staff. The results from a descriptive research can in no way be used as a definite answer or to disapprove a hypothesis but, if the limitations are understood, they can still be a useful tool in many area s of scientific research. JA Maxwell – 2005) Research Approach As the research design is descriptive, the research approach would be a ‘qualitative’ one. Qualitative research is a method of inquiry appropriated in many different academic disciplines, traditionally in the social sciences, but also in market research and further contexts. (Creswell 2003) A qualitative study indicates that no statistical tools will be applied within the research. Methods such as surveys, questionnaires and interviews can be done when dealing with a qualitative research approach. Research InstrumentResearchers have decided to carry out ‘interviews’ to obtain the responses they need for study. (See Appendix 1 for interview questions) A set of questions will be asked to the interviewee, and their answers will be dealt accordingly. The interview questions will be structured; as there are specific questions the researchers will ask the respondents. Qualitative nature of stud y contains independent variables along with various assumptions. Sampling Design A ‘non-probability’ sampling technique will be used in this study. This method of sampling is non-random and subjective.Each respondent does not have a known nonzero chance of being included. A ‘convenience’ sampling method will be applied. The researchers will choose freely those respondents who are the most convenient. The researchers will interview people from I. T departments in areas of Telecommunication Centers (mainly concentrating on consumers). Data Analysis Being a qualitative study, descriptive statistics would be used to produce data and evaluate results. The data that is generated, from the interview (See Appendix 1 for interview questions) technique will be analyzed qualitatively.This would be followed by physically reading the miscellaneous number of responses and then concluding to which company people prefer. A little less than a year ago, Wall Street reached a Microsoft vs. Apple milestone: for the first time, Apple’s corporate value surpassed Microsoft’s. And Apple’s market cap (the total value of all of its shares) topped Microsoft’s even though the latter company had more revenue and double the profit margins. Clearly, Wall Street was looking at growth potential, not current income statements and balance sheets, in anointing Apple the more compelling buy.What has happened since? With Apple due to report its latest quarterly earnings  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Microsoft reports its numbers next week – we look at some recent numbers, as well as data over time. Market cap While total values for Microsoft and Apple were close last spring, that’s no longer the case. Since May 26, 2011, when Apple first inched ahead of Microsoft, Apple’s market capitalization has risen from US$223 billion to more than US$306 billion (as of April 14). Microsoft’s, meanwhile, has slipped from US$219 billion to US$212 b illion. Sharon Machlis) Bottom line: Wall Street currently thinks more highly of Apple’s growth potential and overall prospects than it does of Microsoft’s. Investors were right last year, but only time can tell whether that outlook is still justified, given the company’s high stock price. Market share Beyond Wall Street, how do the companies stack up in the battle for tech users? Microsoft maintained an overwhelming lead in the desktop operating system business, keeping a roughly 92 percent share of the market from 2005 to 2009 (the last figures available from IDC).Mac OS X’s share has varied between just 3. 5 percent and 4. 0 percent. Apple took a significant lead in the Smartphone race, capturing 15. 7 percent of the worldwide market last year, compared with just 4. 2 percent for Microsoft. However, both Gartner and IDC predict Microsoft’s Windows Phone will beat out Apple’s iOS for mobile market share by 2015, with Gartner expecting a 19 . 5 percent share for Microsoft and 17. 2 percent for Apple. In addition, Apple had a commanding 87. 4 percent share of the worldwide tablet market last year, according to IDC.Gartner predicts Apple will keep a 69 percent share this year and will still have 47 percent by 2015. Windows doesn’t show up in that forecast. Bottom line: In one high-growth area, smartphones, several influential analysts believe Microsoft will eventually come out on top. In another, tablets, it’s getting crushed. However, Microsoft has maintained its enormous lead on the desktop. Investment value over time If you invested US$1,000 in each company’s stock on Jan. 3, 2000, what would you have ended up with in April 2011?Accounting for stock splits and, in Microsoft’s case, dividends, but excluding taxes and broker’s fees, you would have US$2,072 from Microsoft stock and US$13,294 from Apple stock. And if you had invested US$1,000 in each company on May 26 last year, your App le stock would have been worth US$1,427 in mid-April, compared with US$1,033 for your Microsoft stock. Bottom line: Apple has been by far the superior investment over the past decade. Revenue Microsoft’s fiscal year 2006 revenue was more than double Apple’s FY ’06 revenue: US$44. 3 billion to US$19. 3 billion. What has happened since?Apple’s revenues have more than tripled, while Microsoft’s have grown by less than 50 percent. Bottom line: Apple’s fiscal year 2010 revenue edged Microsoft’s, US$65. 2 billion to US$62. 5 billion. (Note: Microsoft’s fiscal year is July through June, and Apple’s is October through September. ) Profits Microsoft’s profits were six times larger than Apple’s in their respective 2006 fiscal years. Apple’s net income has subsequently grown sevenfold, while Microsoft’s has increased roughly 50 percent. (Sharon Machlis) Bottom line: While Microsoft still generates more p rofits than Apple, the gap has narrowed significantly.If current trends continued – a big if – Apple would likely top Microsoft’s profits in a couple of years. Number of employees Microsoft still employs substantially more people than Apple does, although the size of Microsoft’s workforce has dropped a bit, from 93,000 in 2009 to 89,000 in 2010. Apple’s reported headcount has been rising, with a significant jump from 34,300 in 2009 to 46,600 in 2010. Bottom line: Apple’s revenue per employee at the end of its 2010 fiscal year was substantially higher than Microsoft’s: US$1. 4 million versus US$702,000.Likewise, Apple’s profits per employee were US$300,429, compared with US$211,236 for Microsoft. So how do they stack up overall? Opinions aside, Apple has impressed investors much more than Microsoft has, despite the latter’s considerably larger size and continued dominance on the desktop. Apple’s recent ability to c reate category-changing (or category-creating) devices such as the iPhone and the iPad –as it did with the iPod several years earlier – appears to carry much more weight than Microsoft’s assured, steady income stream from a maturing market.However, experts do expect Microsoft to overtake Apple in the Smartphone market. Bottom line: Those of us who thought a year ago that Apple might be overvalued have been proven wrong †¦ so far. Conclusion Which Company do people prefer? After all the analysis it can be understood from this study that a lot of reason and authentic facts impact on specific company and buyer’s decision. There is always a continuous rivalry between the two companies, but the most important thing to consider before buying a computer is the purpose it will serve.Microsoft primarily makes its profits from business to business, which mainly consists of selling licenses to its operating system to computer manufacturers and office suites for enterprises. On the other hand, Apple is primarily a consumer company, and makes most of its profit selling hardware, like its iPod music players and Mac computers. This makes the target of Apple’s site much clearer — marketing, selling and providing support for its products to consumers. (Andy M. Zaky) If you’re looking at usability alone, Apple comes out ahead.They have a better designed homepage that offers less choice, which means the user needs to think less. They have consistent navigation across all of their pages. They use a lot of white space and sub-headings to make everything more readable, yet they keep things simple by not overusing too many different text treatments. The Apple site is generally more user friendly and offers a much better experience to consumers who use it to check out Apple’s latest products. Having said this, the Apple website is much smaller in scale than Microsoft’s site.Unlike Apple, Microsoft hosts many differen t sites and sections under the Microsoft. com brand, creating a whole ecosystem of sub-sites. Each site is packed with information and the live powered search that Microsoft offers tends to yield good results. The biggest problem for Microsoft is consistency. (Dmitry Fadeyev). In a nutshell, both companies need some area to improve to fit for customer wants, to give customers master product and to provide consistency in telecommunication originations. BIBLIOGRAPHY WEBSITES Suhail M (2009)-Apple vs Pc: What is better?Available: http://ezinearticles. com/? Apple-Vs-PC—What-is-Better? &id=4337642 visited: 25th September 2011 Admin (2010)-Why Do People Like Apple Computers So Much? Available: http://www. asiaosc. org/why-do-people-like-apple-computers-so-much. html visited: 3rd october 2012 Dmitry Fadeyev (2009)-Apple vs. Microsoft: A website usability study. Available: http://www. webdesignerdepot. com/2009/05/apple-vs-microsoft-a-website-usability-study/ visited: 28th October 2 012 Andy M. Zaky (2010)- Apple closes in on Microsoft revenue race. Available: http://tech. fortune. cnn. om/2010/07/19/apple-closes-in-on-microsoft-in-revenue-race/ visited: 28th October 2012 Sharon Machils (2011)- Analysis: Apple versus Microsoft – by the numbers. Available: http://www. macworld. com. au/blogs/analysis-apple-versus-microsoft-by-the-numbers-28800/ visited: 29th November 2012 Journals Thurrott P. (2005) – Microsoft: The inside Story (Penton Media) Furgason N. (2009) (Feb) – T3: Tomorows Technology Today (issue 48) ISSN-1364-2640 MSJ – Microsoft System Journal Publisher: Microsoft (1986) Books Allan Roy A. (2001) A History of The Personnel Computer Allan Publishing ISBN 0968910807 Iceboat, Daniel, and Susan L.Knepper, (1991) The Making of Microsoft: How Bill Gates and His Team Created the World's Most Successful Software Company, Rocklin, Calif. : Prima Publishing, p. 304 Price R. (1987). So Far: The First Ten Years of a Vision. Apple Comp uter. ISBN-  978-1-55693-974-7. Creswell J. W. (2003) Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. APPENDIX-1 Interview Questions The following questions will be asked by the interviewer to the respondent, which will aid study in finding out which of two companies’ most people prefer. Which company do you prefer, Microsoft or Apple? * Why do you prefer the company you have chosen? * What are the advantages and disadvantages of the company you have selected? * In your opinion, which company has a greater market share? * Which product do you widely use in your environment? * Have you ever faced major barriers in your company? Explain. * Who are your major competitors? * What advice would you give to weaker companies? How can they improve in order to attract customers, regain lost customers and retain present customers? APPENDIX 2(A) APPENDIX 2(B) APPENDIX 2(C)