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)

Cyber Bullying Essay

Walking through the school door, she feels the sweat dripping down the side of her cheeks. Her stomach flips and flops, and her hands have an obvious tremble. The slamming lockers and running footsteps are enough to make her eyes swell with tears. The snickers behind her are all too familiar, but she is not prepared for the shove to the back and degrading names that follow. In a split second, her mind is made up. She turns around, heads out the door, and doesn’t look back. The computer, her cell phone, and now school. The cyber-bullies have stepped out of the screen and into face-to-face contact. With this new kind of bully on the rise and ruthless, is she the school’s responsibility? Schools should be held responsible for cyber bullying because the crime extends from the computer to the school setting. Studies indicate that cyber-bullying incidents have quadrupled in past five years (Ross). Cyber-bullying has become a huge issue recently. Every time you turn on the news there is another bullying, or a suicide related to bullying, incident being reported. Love is louder† has been a common phrase among celebrities and influential figures lately. They are trying to send out a message to their followers saying that bullying is not right and should not be tolerated. The expansion of communication technologies is widening the way bully’s can torture their victims. The fact of the matter is, technology is not going anywhere, so we need to figure out a way to put an end to cyber-bullies. Cyber-bullying is becoming a major problem and we all need to do our parts in figuring out what can be done to stop cyber-bullies in their tracks. Cyber-bullies will continue to be a threat to today’s youth until we take preventative measures against them. Before putting a stop to cyber-bullying we must understand why and how a cyber-bully works. After researching and analyzing informative articles on the topic, this research paper aims to inform and answer questions such as: what a cyber-bully is, how they work, whom they target, and how to stop them. By understanding how a cyber-bully works we will be able to better protect youth populations as technology grows. Approximately half of U. S. students are impacted by traditional bullying each school day (Ross). Cyber-bullying is technology powered and as technology expands it is getting harder and harder to see and prevent bullying from happening. Bullying over the Internet makes it easy for the tormenter to get away with their destructive behavior without any consequences. The article, â€Å"What is Cyberbullying: Bullying Comes Home† states, â€Å"Bullying is not new but thanks to the Internet teens are now being bullied at home. Online harassment is a serious problem† (Hardcaslte). Although the Internet has opened many doors to new opportunities, it has unfortunately taken bullying to another level. As the article, â€Å"Cyber Bullying Facts† states, â€Å"as the number of households with Internet access approaches saturation and cell phone ownership expands to the 100 million mark, so do the ways kids bully each other† (Ross). Anything sent out into cyberspace is very difficult, sometimes impossible, to remove. Therefore, being cyber-bullied can sometimes be much more severe than traditional bullying. Ann Frisen in the article, â€Å"Cyber-bullying: A Growing Problem† states, â€Å"This type of bullying can be more serious than conventional bullying. At least with conventional bullying the victim is left alone on evenings and weekends† (ScienceDaily). What exactly is ‘cyber-bulling’? The author of the article, â€Å"What is Cyberbullying: Bullying Comes Home† explains it as, â€Å"any harassment that occurs via the Internet† (Hardcastle). Cyber-bulling messages can be communicated through text, e-mails, instant messaging, web pages, blogs, chat rooms, or any other information communication technologies. For example, Michigan’s assistant attorney general, who is a grown adult, has been harassing the University of Michigan’s openly gay student body president. Andrew Shirvell, assistant Michigan attorney general, created a blog in April of 2010 targeting Chris Armstrong, University of Michigan’s student body president. On this blog he has posted many rude, untrue, and unnecessary comments towards Chris Armstrong, along with distorted pictures. According to the article, â€Å"Assistant Michigan AG targets openly gay college student† the author states, â€Å"Shirvell has published blog posts that accuse Armstrong of engaging in ‘flagrant sexual promiscuity’ with another male member of the student government; sexually seducing and influencing ‘a previously conservative male student’ so much so that the student, according to Shirvell, ‘morphed into a proponent of the radical homosexual agenda’† (Steward). Mr. Shirvell is clearly a first-hand example of a cyber-bully and this article goes to show that it’s not just kids bullying each other in school anymore; it’s much bigger than that. There have been at least three teen suicides in September after experiencing homophobic cyber-bullying. Who are the main victims targeted by cyber-bullies? According to the article, â€Å"Cyber-bullying Facts† Middle school and High school girls are twice as likely as boys to display cyber-bullying behaviors in the form of email, text, and chat, and only 20% of cyber-bullying victims tell their parents about the incident (Ross). Cyber-bullies target students, coworkers, neighbors, and even friends. Lately, there have been many reports of suicides related to bullying. For example, the recent death of Tyler Clementi, a freshman at Rutgers University, is an extreme case of cyber-bullying. The article, â€Å"Rutgers student death: Has Digital Age made students callous† informs, â€Å"Mr. Clementi killed himself on September 22nd, 2010. According to prosecutors, a few days earlier his roommate, Dharun Ravi, and another student, Molley Wei, used a Web cam to secretly transmit images of a sexual encounter between Clementi and another man. They intended to do so again on September 21† (Khadaroo). With cyber-bullying a bully can pick on people with less risk of being caught. People who you would not see bullying someone in school don’t have a problem using the Internet to bully their victims because you can’t see their initial reaction. Bullying cannot only hurt the victim emotionally it can also cause them to have frequent headaches, indigestion and vomiting, loss of sleep, loss of appetite, paranoia, and suicide. In Tyler Clementi’s case he was so overwhelmed by what had been done to him that he jumped off of the George-Washington Bridge. It is important for college campuses to promote tolerance for differences, including homosexuality. From the article, â€Å"Rutgers student death: Has Digital Age made students callous† the author states, â€Å"We are tempted to think that social-media technology drove the behavior, but as a truly ethical matter, the behavior has to be and should be considered human-driven, not technology driven† (Foulkrod). Harrisburg University of Science and Technology in Pennsylvania recently blocked the use of social media for a week to prompt discussions about its role in everyday life. Nobody wants to see this happen again; therefore, we need to come up with a solution to the problem. Some observers of today’s youth and media culture believe that today’s media environment could be desensitizing young people to the hurtful effects of their actions. What can be done to prevent cyber-bullying? Parents can start by talking specifically about yber-bullying and explain that is harmful and unacceptable behavior. Talk regularly with your child about on-line activities he or she is involved in, keep your home computer in easily viewable places, such as a family room or kitchen, and consider installing a filtering or blocking system (Ross). Also, you can â€Å"outline your expectations for responsible online behavior and clearly explain the consequences for inappropriate behavior† (Ross). The most important thing that can be done to stop a cyber-bully harassing you is to just not respond to the bully. Do not play into the bully’s games. Ignore the bully and tell a parent or teacher. While ignoring the bullying make sure to save all of the evidence so that if police need to be involved you will have it ready. In the article, â€Å"What is Cyberbullying: Bullying Comes Home† states, â€Å"Repeated or excessive harassment via email, forums or chat rooms is harassment and should involve the police. Threats of violence should also be reported to the police. Try to save all messages as evidence† (Hardcastle). Treat a cyber-bully like you would any other bully and they will lose their power. Another important way to prevent cyber-bullying attacks is if you see something going on don’t just be a bystander and let it happen, report it before anyone gets hurt. In conclusion, with the expansion of the Internet and social networking technologies cyber-bullying is becoming more common and more severe. The information presented in this research paper should give people a better understanding of what a cyber-bully is, how harmful they can really be, and how to prevent cyber-bullying from happening. This paper can be used to help victims realize they are not alone and should not give into a bully’s dangerous behaviors. This research paper is to inform society about what has been going on lately and how unacceptable and dangerous it is. Kids are killing themselves over photos, web posts, and videos posted by bullies using the Internet. Cyber-bullying is technology powered and will only get worse as technology becomes more widespread. Hopefully, this paper will help to inform today’s youth and parents. If you see any kind of bullying happening in front of you, stop it if possible, and then report it. Conclusion Cyberbullying is a growing issue in schools. Students have been in fights, brought guns to school, and even committed suicide because of being cyberbullied. This is an issue which is a growing problem and must be addressed. It is serious. By helping students research the issues around cyberbullying, it raises awareness for both students and staff. A WebQuest like this can make a real difference in school climate and student relations. Take a stand against cyberbullying with your classmates. Students will listen to other students more quickly than they will listen to an adult.

The Lesson: Issues on Financial Stability of Families

In this research proposal I will address issues on financial stability of families, economy and education. â€Å"The Lessonaâ‚ ¬? reflects the attitudes and education of children in the lower working class. A point was made in the story that brought up old emotions. On page 474 a student states, † Imagine for a minute what kind of society it is in which some people can spend on a toy what it would cost to feed a family of six or sevenaâ‚ ¬?. † That's not much of a democracy if you ask me. Equal chance to pursue happiness means an equal opportunity at the doughaâ‚ ¬?. Our society would much rather spend money on building prisons and shopping malls than on better school and homes. No child should have to go with less than livable housing, or be deprived from a decent education. I was told all of my life that the standards in the wealthier schools (where mostly whites went) were better than the schools in the lower parts of the city (where most blacks went). The sad fact was that it is true. I attended both schools. It made me think, why is the high achievers/summit classes at the poorer school if the other school gets the most money. The only thing that is funded in the poorer schools was the athletic department. We all deserve the same opportunities as our peers no matter what the financial situation may be. I also came to learn in the (black schools) the work was easier and the athletes were given grades. Mostly drug dealers, and dropouts hung around the school. At the predominantly white school they had police and security, but the black school had teachers and coaches as hall monitors. In an overview of educational statistics black and Hispanic children were at the bottom. If we are receiving the same education then why is there such a difference in knowledge? Politicians constantly speak about equality, but they not making a difference? We all deserve the same chance at life rather than being mock and talked about as children as never going to be anything, and we will be in jail by the time we are 16 at least twice.

Wal-Marts Vision Statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wal-Marts Vision Statement - Essay Example The company’s main stakeholders are the shareholders, customers, and employees (Wal-mart, 2008). This report focuses on the backbone of the company the employees. The aim is to understand the current situation of the employees and whether the company’s vision is helping the employees achieve the objectives. Wal – Mart has wide operations spread across 14 markets, 7390 Wal – Mart stores. The company employees over 2 million associates. It is the largest employer in America. The company claims to give importance to the employee’s growth and careers. The company’s website claims to provide the employees with a competitive pay, skills development and health benefits for the employee and family. However, a recent article in Business Week highlighted the fact that the company has been paying employees about $8.23 per hour, or $13,861 a year. This pay is well below the federal poverty line of $14, 630 for a family of three. Other articles and studies have shown that the company pays employees a salary which is way below the poverty line and employees have confessed that they cannot live out of the pay received from Wal – Mart alone. The average hours worked by employees is around 40 hours a week. However the pay received is very low and for some of the employees, it is just enough to live out of a Dodge truck (Greenhouse, 2005). The employee’s goals, however, are very different. Employees benefit from a company that is making profits which in turn would mean the employees being paid higher salaries and bonuses. From the above discussion, it is clear that employees do not receive any extra benefits in spite of the company making profits. A study showed that even though employees were given hikes in salary they did not really benefit from the hikes. Wal – Mart has instituted a new payment method.  

E-Business Plan Outline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

E-Business Plan Outline - Essay Example From this paper, it is clear that the section on marketing plan will include the important details and characteristics of the target market of the company. Marketing mix i.e. four P’s of the marketing; product, place, price, promotion, will also be included in the marketing plan. In this section, all promotional strategies will be outlined and explained.a. The target market is that segment of the market which is believed to be the potential customers of the company. In this section, the target market will be defined on the basis of demographics, psychographics, and other important parameters.b. the marketing mix will outline the main characteristics of the product along with the prices offered. Also, this section will outline the important promotional strategies along with the positioning strategy of the company. Lastly, this section will present strategies for the location and distribution of the products.  c. Online Strategies: in this section, the online marketing, and pr omotional strategies will be outlined and analyzed.d. Offline Strategies: in this section the offline marketing and promotional strategies in order to promote the business, will be presented.e. SWOT Analysis: this section will consist of audit of the internal and external environment of the company, this, in turn, will result in the generation of important strengths, weaknesses, opportunities of the company.  Ã‚  The conclusion of the plan will present the brief overview of the business plan and will integrate the whole plan.

Solar energy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Solar energy - Research Paper Example Solar energy is the power that is produced directly by the sun and collected somewhere else, mostly on the Earth. The sun is the nearest and biggest star and the source of energy for the planet of Earth. The sun's energy has been in use for a lengthy time, and it is a critical part of life. The solar energy is a fundamental need for humans. The image of the sun has many theories, histories and myths associated with it. For centuries, it has been the God, or the holy part of different religions, for example, the American native tribes and Greeks worshipped it. It is also an essential part of many religions as they hold it dear to their worship, for example, Hinduism, Buddhism and druids of England hold the sun as the precedence of their existence. It is a fact that without the solar energy, human life would be inexistent. Sunlight is crucial as the living organisms circle around it for survival. According to Mahaney (10), plants depend on sunlight for photosynthesis to take place, thu s, helping in their growth while, on the other hand, providing food for animals. The sun and other stars are, in essence, responsible for providing human beings with energy. In the current climate, mounting power requirements and escalating environmental worry, unconventional to the exploit of non-renewable and polluting relic fuels, have to be scrutinized. An instance of energy that requires to be investigated is the solar energy (Tiwari 199). The sun produces its energy by a thermonuclear process that converts several tons of hydrogen to helium each second. The procedure produces heat and electromagnetic radiation as the sun retains the heat, which is instrumental in maintaining the thermonuclear reaction. The electromagnetic radiation is distributed and streamed out into space in all directions. These rays entail noticeable and infra-red, as well as ultraviolet, light. From the radiations produced, only a little fraction manages to penetrate, and reach the planet Earth (Mahaney 4 ). The radiations reach the Earth in a form of indirect source of nearly every type of power used today. The only form of energy that does not rely upon solar energy is the geothermal energy and nuclear fission and synthesis. Even fossil fuels are reliant on the sun for their energy, as they were once live creatures and plants that utilized solar energy for their survival. Table of world energy usage as per the year 2000 Energy source Solar energy Electricity Fuel oil Liquefied petroleum other percentage 51.2 30.3 9.3 6.5 1.9 The table above shows world consumption rates of different sources of energy. Solar energy is the most utilized one followed by electricity, according to the table. The world’s most needed solar energy can easily be harnessed and completed by solar power. Much of it can also be supplied indirectly. Because of its nature, solar energy requires two components for it to perform; these are the collector and the storage unit. The radiations are gathered by th e collector as they fall on it and convert a fraction of the radiations to other varieties of energy, such as electricity and heat. The storage unit holds the excess energy produced at maximum productivity and discharges it when the productivity falls. The storage unit is necessary because of the inconsistencies of solar energy (Tiwari 192). Solar energy is one of the most plentiful sources of energy, which is easily available to

History and Development of Human Resource Management Essay

History and Development of Human Resource Management - Essay Example Traditionally, there was no clearly organized personnel management as most trades were carried out by individuals and their families (Koster, 2002). As time progressed and industries established, it became necessary to find innovative ways of managing human resources in order to achieve business success hence the introduction of personnel management which evolved into HRM and other concepts such as strategic HRM and international HRM. In view of this, the paper will discuss the history, development and the importance of HRM. History and Development of Human Resource Management Personnel management can be traced back to the time of Hammurabi, the king of Babylon who developed a code of laws that set wages for labourers (Bach & Sisson, 2000). Other aspects of personnel management were found in the way the craftsmen handled their trades and passed on skills to apprentices. There were no special people to oversee the work of others but each individual was responsible for his/her own work . However, as technology advanced the nature of work changed and also the manner in which work was managed. Most craftspeople started organizing into guilds to guard their trade from intruders and take care of the welfare of each other such as providing mutual insurance for those in need of assistance (Ivancerich, 2006). The industrial revolution which began in the middle of the 18 Th century changed the face of working relationship completely and prompted the search for ways of managing workers. It led to the introduction of the factory system and wage labour instead of workers utilizing their skills to make items for sale on their own. They also started specializing in tasks as opposed to the old system where one performed a range of tasks to complete an item hence interdependence of tasks (Koster, 2002). The nature of the factory system required rules to govern the behaviour of employees and to end sure they produced results hence the beginning of personnel management.

Effects of Temperature on Potato Catalase Activity Essay

Effects of Temperature on Potato Catalase Activity - Essay Example In most cases, the catalase enzyme reacts with the hydrogen peroxide thus converting it into water and oxygen. To determine the effects of temperature on potato catalase, an experiment was done. To begin with, the potato was grated using a nutmeg grater while making sure that the grated surface frequently is exposed to the calcium carbonate. Thereafter, grinding of the pulp in a mortar, which had some quartz sand for about two minutes, was done. The pulp extract was placed in between an absorbent cotton and cheesecloth to get rid of the water. Thereafter, it was placed in a glass bottle with cold water. This was followed by placing it in a water bath at 200C. Five cubic centimeters of Oakland together with a three percent hydrogen peroxide was added immediately the mixture attained the water bath temperature. Shaking should continue to make sure the effect covers the whole mixture. In most experiments the catalase enzyme is destroyed at temperatures ranging between 660 C and 780 C. however, in a situation involving a potato catalase enzyme, destruction begins at 500 C. There is a correlation in the VANT HOFF velocity coefficient for hemase (Bunzell & Kenyon, 1933). It reads 1.5 in the potato catalase between 0 and 100 C. temperatures above 200 C already start to destroy the catalase enzyme, which in conjunction with the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide makes it difficult to keep the enzymes alive. This is because of the real and total destruction that happens to the catalase enzyme. Hydrogen impurities do not hinder its destruction even under medium temperatures. In the experiment, it is very clear that temperature is the independent variable while both the potato and hydrogen peroxide are the dependant variables. They are dependent on temperature of which has to take place in the glass bottle or a test tube in that matter. The amount of hydrogen peroxide,

Ethnic History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethnic History - Essay Example For purposes of this brief response, this student will attempt to show the ways in which individuals from a Muslim background engage with and understand their ethnic history. Although the topics which will be represented will further help to shed a level of understanding on many of the ways in which current levels of trust and suspicion continue to exist with regards to the relations that individuals from an Islamic background and/or from the Middle East or North Africa share with regards to an interpretation of their own history. Firstly, when one begins to discuss an ethnic history, it is a means of understanding that necessarily divides groups into â€Å"us† vs. â€Å"them†. Such a construct is not necessarily bad; rather, it is just another way of seeking to provide a level of understanding for why the world has developed in the unique way that it is has. This â€Å"us† versus â€Å"them† attitude is especially useful in situations in which a colonizer of entity has been present. This is of course very much the case when it comes to many of the Islamic regions within North Africa and throughout the Middle East. In this way, trying to understand the way that a type of shared ethnic history has developed would not be complete without first trying to understand that indelible imprint that the period of European colonization and control affected on the collective ethnic memories of the subjugated people throughout the Middle East, North Africa and elsewhere in the Islamic Maghreb ( Leong et al 2013). After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire soon after the end of the First World War, European powers quickly exerted their influence throughout the remnants of the power vacuum that existed. What was unique about this situation as compared to what occurred elsewhere throughout Africa and Southeast Asia during the same period was the fact that many of these Islamic lands had recently transitioned away from the grip of the

The Case for Organic Agriculture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Case for Organic Agriculture - Essay Example Humus contains organic material - living tissue that has died and its components are being recycled. Microbes like bacteria and fungi work on organic material, breaking it down into its smaller building blocks that can then be taken back up by a new plant. Humus has a structure that makes it easy for living plants to find and take up the nutrients. Some of the salts, for example, stick on the ends of long wavy molecules that are easy for plants to grab. Humus is dynamic and always changing. The community of microbes can be very diverse and stable as long as more and more organic matter is fed to the soil to maintain all those microscopic creatures (Donahue et al. , 1983). Plants also need lots of water for proper growth. Water will just run through sand or ground rock so humus along with the clay holds water in the soil.where it will be available to plant roots. Soil provides the matrix where seeds are first nurtured. When the seed first starts to grow, it pushes out tiny roots to begin interacting with the soil to find water and nutrients. A green, leafy stem pushes up out of the soil reaching for the sky because plants receive energy from the sun to make them grow. The water at the top of that stem evaporates into the air and pulls more water and nutrients up from the soil into the plant. ... Unfortunately, when they eat from the plants on a farm, they are eating our food, so any farming system must consider these pests. Conventional and organic farmers take different approaches to these two main issues: maintaining enough nutrients to feed the plants and protecting plants from pests. Conventional agriculture emphasizes maximizing yield and farming efficiency. These farmers look at the growing population and say that we need all the food we can possibly grow. Such farms use chemical fertilizers to replace the nutrients that plants take up out of the soil. These are generally, mineral salts of nitrates, phosphates, and potassium. These are applied to the field as dried pellets that dissolve in water. By putting these nutrients into the soil, the conventional farmer is certain that his plants will have enough for the fastest and maximum growth. Such plants often take up lots of water with the nutrients which swells them and makes them look fat and juicy and easier to sell Of course, every time it rains or the farmers irrigates the field, some nutrients will travel with the water wherever it go - sometimes into nearby rivers and streams, so often nutrients are lost when applying fertilizers. Such outside nutrients can sometimes disrupt the delicate ecosystem balances in the waters where they end up. Conventional farmers also act strongly when pests like insects or weeds interfere with growth of their crops. These farmers spray specially made poisons on or around plants to kill off the pests. Many farmers also spray 'prophylactically' before pests arrive so plants will not have any losses or even markings from insect pests. Unfortunately, these poisons are not specific to one certain kind of insect.

Determinism and Compatibilism Essay Example for Free

Determinism and Compatibilism Essay It is said that one of the process of approaching the arguably tough question of determining, What is human nature? is by addressing first the simples issue of what is human choice and human freedom. This has been the central issue both for western and eastern philosophers. The traditional discussion has been whether nature, that of genetics, or nurture, that of environment, is the more primary foundation of human nature. In the end, it seems that both agree that human beings are a creation of combination of nature and nurture. A lot of of individuals are fascinated in psychology, in as much as it aids one to comprehend human behavior, delving deeper in the fundamental way of understanding this occurrence. Before going to the main topic of determining whether or not hard determinism is preferred over compatabilism, it is important to know what hard determinism is and compatibilism is. According to La Fave , the basic argument of Hard Determinism is that no action is free. This means that each event is caused in accord with causal laws that explains absolutely for the happening. Clearly, nothing is uncaused. Put into simple words, HARD DETERMINISM is premised on such a way that since determinism is true, nobody is free; nobody has neither free will nor choice, no one really acts freely. Therefore, for an act to be free it should be the outcome of a choice, desire or course of action that has no cause. That is to say, free will implies that the will or selection mechanism sets off the deed. Accordingly, for the hard determinist, individuals are not distinct from any other things. Each action is a part of an event which links it to another chain of event. Hence, though it may seem that that there is a control on the current event and rational situation, one does not actually have control. Importantly, it bears stressing that if one does not have control, he can not be made morally accountable for his action. Therefore, hard determinism, if correct, is vital in testing the very core of normative ethics that as a rule presupposes that individuals may be held answerable for their acts. On the other hand Compatibilism advances the theory that free will and determinism can go together hand in hand. Thus, all human acts are causally established, but several acts are instigated in a way that is in tune with free will whereas other acts are not. DETERMINISM is attuned with autonomy and responsibility. That is, as we ourselves are the trigger of our acts, our acts are free. An act can either be caused and uncompelled. With no controversy, it can be simply stated that, an action is free if it is voluntary, that is unforced or uncompelled, on the other hand, and an action is not free if it is involuntary, that is forced or compelled. Furthermore, under compatability, the kind of freedom which is essential for moral responsibility is the origin of action that is freedom from choosing acts and choices determined by outside conditions or events. It bears stressing that this formation of freedom is attuned with determinism. Thus, this is the theory which is necessary for moral responsibility. ISSUE: Whether or not hard determinism is preferred over Compatibilism? Based on the afore cited statements, it can be inferred that hard determinism does not categorize the cause, it simply labels that all actions are produced by cause, and that everything happens for a reason, thus there exist no free will. As for compatibilism, it is simple, an action may be forced or compelled, voluntary or involuntary. If one is to choose which is preferred over hard determinism and compatibilism, it can be said that compatibilism is much logical way of thinking. It is because the hard determinist erroneously likens the term â€Å"caused† with â€Å"forced† or â€Å"compelled†. Surely each deed is instigated one way or another; however not all act is compelled. On a much simpler approach, an act can be either caused or uncompelled. It is stated at the outset that hard determinist interprets that â€Å"No act is free if it must occur† by assuming that all actions ought to transpire in a way that all are caused, and consequently not free. Summing it up, having a reason is adequate to make an action unfree. This line of thinking is brought about by the supposition that all causes are compelling, which having a cause is precisely the similar as being forced. Meanwhile, compatibility advances the idea that unfree action is an act that is forced, compelled, or involuntary. This is ordinary people’s idea of unfree. It continued to say that not all acts are voluntary; therefore, there are also acts which are free, since free in this concept means voluntary. To see the difference, take for an instance a boy who walks because he was being pushed. In this case, the hard determinism and compatibilism both agree that the boy walks because he was pushed. But, going further, as for hard determinism, the same was still categorized as acts of free will. However for compatibilism, the act was not free because the boy was pushed, it is an involuntary act. If, the boy however walks without being pushed, still the act under the concept of hard determinism is an unfree act, while for compatibility the said act is considered as free act, falling under the category of voluntary actions. Another area where compatibilism is preferred is the theory that moral accountability of individual is attached to the one who performs a wrong act. Normally, under the existing legal systems, man are accountable for their acts if they willfully and intentionally performs a wrongfully act. However, in cases where an individual performs an act against his free will which results in commission of a felony, the said person shall be exempted from penalty. In relation to the issue, it is therefore a rational to prefer compatibilism over hard determinism. In as much as hard determinism advocates the theory of no man acts freely, this would result to chaos in the enforcement of laws. On the other hand, compatibilism is much acceptable and helpful in the existing legal system as it advocates that acts are performed voluntarily or involuntarily, thereby making the determination of accountability is much easier. Thus, enforcement of law may be implemented effectively. Lastly, it is important to note that under compatibilism, actions are also brought about, but nevertheless are free in the way that, if event had been unusual, acts may be different. This means that act may vary depending on the influences, such as environment, desires or influences, which may be brought about surrounding the act. It maybe recalled that compatibilist free denote the influence or capability to perform what one desires. Those acts that are free are not enforced, not compelled, not constrained, or not enforced. Thus, while all acts that are compelled are caused, it is not the instance that every caused act is forced. In conclusion, though it can be said that choosing compatibilism over hard determinism may be justified, still many say that hard determinism is under compatibilism or either way. Others have also the view that hard determinism is better than compatibilism. Still, only one thing is proven, that man remains a complex thing to study and understand. Reference: Sandra LaFave, Free Will and Determinism. West Valley College. ( Last updated on 08/11/2006 08:18:00) http://instruct. westvalley. edu/lafave/FREE. HTM Martha Klein, â€Å"Responsibility,† in The Oxford Companion to Philosophy, ed. Ted Honderich (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995) John Stuart Mill, On Liberty, ed. Elizabeth Rapaport (Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. , 1978).

The Butchers Shop and Eating Out Comparative Essay Essay Example for Free

The Butchers Shop and Eating Out Comparative Essay Essay The poems I am going to explore are ‘The Butchers Shop’ and ‘Eating out’. The two poems are loosely based around the idea of food. The Butchers shop focuses on the cruel process of killing animals to put food on our plates and Eating out looks at how the narrators’ relationship with food is affected when going out for a meal with family. In ‘The Butchers Shop’ it’s says â€Å"your cold and soggy paper parcel bleeds† The fact that the parcel is bleeding suggests that the narrator believes all meat eaters to be murderers. This is only further emphasised by use of â€Å"cold and soggy† like the cold, damp flesh of the animal who was brutally massacred just so you could have something to eat. In addition to murderous accusations, the use of direct speech â€Å"you† connects informally with the reader and makes it more personal as if by being familiar with the reader it will help them understand the narrators’ morbid views on food, specifically meat. This use of direct speech is also used in ‘Eating Out’. â€Å"I never accustomed myself to this humble I’ll have whatever your having, dear.† and just like ‘The Butchers Shop’ it’s used to show the attitude the narrator has toward food and dining and it’s also trying to get readers to empathise with their views by being familiar with them. Another similarity between the poems is in false representation of food. Whilst ‘The Butchers Shop’ false image of â€Å"playing farms† is quite transparent to anyone who has reached adulthood and can see past the cute illustrations to the gruesome blood stained butchers apron. However, in ‘Eating Out’ is a more elaborate charade of false representation. You don’t see the preparation of food in a restaurant only the artfully arranged end result which is bound to look extremely appetising. Except the pressure of controlling parents and expectations of perfect behaviour make the food â€Å"indigestible† and an outing not to look forward to. Overall, both poems have a negative attitude toward food which I believe stems from the theme of oppression. The butcher and the parents share the same role – as cruel, controlling keepers – both pigs and the narrator of ‘Eating Out’ suffered cruelty at the hands of their keepers which in turn, affected the relativity to food and what attitude is associated with it in each poem. For example, by describing how much the pigs suffered and the evil characteristics of the butcher (â€Å"smiles a meaty smile, white apron stained with who knows what†) it provokes emotion from the audience and persuades them into realising animal cruelty is wrong and therefore, whenever you buy meat you could have just killed a defenceless animal.

The Steps Involved In Wastewater Treatment Environmental Sciences Essay

The Steps Involved In Wastewater Treatment Environmental Sciences Essay The aim of this report is to explain clearly in detail the steps involved in wastewater treatment including the disadvantages and suggested improvements to the process. This report will take on an engineering analysis of the many complex processes and the steps involved in processing wastewater into clean water safe to be discharged into the environment. Also included in this report is an overall process diagram of the wastewater treatment. Furthermore, the limitations and key advantages of this treatment are outlined and the appropriate and suitable improvements that can be made to overcome them are explored. Introduction Water, one of the worlds most important but unfortunately finite source, which is being endlessly used and reused. Wastewater treatment is the process in which wastewater as well as the sewage, is filled with bacteria, chemicals and other contaminants is cleaned so that it can be recycled back safe for use. Once the treatment is complete, all forms of solids called sludge, regardless of the shape and size that was present in the wastewater will be removed. Besides that, oxygen gets restored into the water, which then eventually ends up in the lakes and rivers which require oxygen rich water to support the lifestyle of the aquatic organisms. Wastewater includes a combination of domestic sewage (toilets, kitchen, and laundry) on a smaller scale and on a larger scale this consists of industrial effluent, schools as well as businesses (chemical and wastes, hospitals, shopping centres). Wastewater is also obtained from storm water infiltration and ground water which enters the sewer through the cracks present. Generally the waste can be broken down naturally with bacteria and other biological organisms especially when it is just household or business waste. However, wastes obtained from industries are generally toxic and require a physical/chemical treatment plant, which uses both chemical reactions and physical processes to process the wastewater. Overview of the treatment: As an overview, the wastewater treatment occurs in three stages which will be discussed thoroughly. It begins with the preliminary and primary treatment where 40-60 % of the solids are removed (City of Columbia). Followed by the secondary treatment where 90% of the pollutants are removed, hence completing the liquid portion process (City of Columbia). The next step would be the treatment and removal of the sludge (bio-solids). The number of stages of the treatment varies but generally go up to four depending on the quality of water being treated. Below is a picture of an aerial view of a general wastewater treatment plant. Source: http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Tw-Z/Wastewater-Treatment-and-Management.html , 2010 Below, is the overall process diagram of the wastewater treatment. (Source: Wastewater treatment and principals and regulations brochure) Preliminary Treatment The preliminary treatment is the first stage in wastewater treatment with its main purpose removing coarse solids and large materials found in raw water to make the water suitable for the main treatment process. It also ensures that the pumping equipment does not get damaged. This initial stage involves various different processes which include screening, grit removal and odour control. Initially, the sewage is screened to remove large objects which include plastics and paper. This step is crucial to make sure that there is no blockage in the pipe system as well as no damages to the equipment. This is done generally by passing the sewage through mechanically raked bar screens (consisting of vertical bars spaced close together) which are used to capture the large objects and remove them from the wastewater stream. The screenings (material which have been cleared in this step) is disposed safely at a landfill site. Below is an example of a raked screen bar image used in industries. (Source : Huber Technology, 2009) The next step is the grit removal which includes grit, stones and dirt. However, before the sewage enters the grit tanks, Ferrous Chloride (FeCl2) and lime are added to improve the subsequent chemical treatment. Ferrous Chloride precipitates phosphorus thus reducing the growth of toxic algae in the water. Lime on the other hand is added to increase the pH level which aids the Ferrous Chloride in removing phosphorus and other material from the sewage. Various different types of detritus tanks, grinders and cyclonic inertial separation are used including a comminutor and grit chamber to remove the coarse solids. A comminutor is actually a grinding pump which houses a rotating cutting screen that makes shreds large organic matter, therefore making it easier for microorganisms to decompose the organic matter. This step also further prevents any damage to the machines and pumps in the process. The effectiveness of the chemicals added prior in the grit chamber is improved by adding and mixing compressed air into the wastewater. In order to allow the heavier inorganic materials settle out of the waste stream, the velocity of the incoming sewage is controlled. The air flow is also adjusted to create velocity near the bottom part of the chamber to catch the grit in a current hence, allowing it to settle. Chlorination is another step that could be used in the preliminary treatment. However, as chlorination can be used for all the different stages in the treatment, the equipment has to be design specially and carefully for the same operations. All the disposals collected from the preliminary stages are disposed of safely in a landfill. Primary Treatment The next step, following the preliminary treatment is the primary treatment. The purpose of this step is to remove the particles which are able to settle by sedimentation which includes organic nitrogen, organic phosphorous and heavy metals (New York Water operations 2007). This is done by passing the wastewater through the primary sedimentation tanks or primary clarifiers where solid particles are removed by physical settling due to its density, buoyancy and the force of gravity. Coagulants and flocculants such as solid and liquid Aluminium Sulphate and Aluminium Hydroxide Chloride (Accepta Water Treatment, 2010) are often added to expedite this process by encouraging the aggregation of particles. However, the pH level has to be constantly adjusted as they tend to reduce the pH levels of the wastewater. (Source : City of Camarillo, 2010) Above is an image of a sedimentation tank. They are designed to hold wastewater for numerous hours by then which most of the heavy solids would settle at the bottom of the tank. They would then form thick slurry known as sludge and also floating material such as fats, oil and grease to rise to the surface which would then be skimmed off. There are mechanical scrapers that have been designed for the tanks with the purpose of collecting the sludge at the bottom and the scum floating on the top. Both the sludge and skimmed material are generally pumped to a solid treatment process. The sedimentation process is basically mainly to produce a liquid which is able to be treated biologically by reducing the biological oxygen demand, also known as BOD of water. BOD is the quantity of oxygen that is needed by aerobic microorganisms to decompose organic matter in a sample of water. The degree of water pollution can also be measured by the BOD. (The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language) When the solids are removed at these early stages, BOD can be reduced by 30-40 percent hence, increasing the efficiency of microbial digestion at a later stage. (Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations, 2010) Secondary Treatment The next stage, called the secondary treatment focuses on removing the remaining suspended and dissolved organic matter in the sewage. It is also known as the biological stage as the biodegradable organic contaminants that are dissolved would be broken down by microorganisms cultivated and added to the wastewater such as bacteria and protozoa. These microorganisms feed on the suspended and dissolved organic matter that remained from the primary clarifier. These bacteria can be categorised into aerobic or anaerobic bacteria, which is actually their need to oxygen. Generally, aerobes can degrade pollutants at a higher rate as opposed to anaerobes. (Waste Management, 2004) Numerically, the anaerobic treatment produces 0.1-0.2 kg biomass or sludge per kg BOD as opposed to the aerobic treatment which produces 0.5-1.5 kg biomass or sludge per kg BOD. (V. Jegatheesan, C. Visvanathan and R. Ben Aim, 2008) Also, some factors that increases their rate of degradation is the quantity of their food source and the temperature of the sewer. This secondary treatment can actually be carried out in numerous different methods. Anaerobic Treatment Anaerobic is defined as does not require oxygen. (MedicineNet.com) Firstly, the sewage is flown into anaerobic large tanks or ponds, therefore allowing anaerobic digestion to take place. Anaerobic digestion is when biodegradable material is broken down by the organisms without the presence of oxygen. The product of this digestion includes methane, carbon dioxide and sludge where to our advantage; methane can be used as an energy source categorising the anaerobic digestion as a renewable energy source. There is a membrane cover at the surface of the tanks/ponds which captures the methane and it is then used to generate electricity by combustion in a gas engine as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions and odour. Besides that, mixing in the anaerobic process requires less energy compared to the aeration step carried out in the aerobic process. The emission of landfill gases into the atmosphere is also reduced with this anaerobic digestion. However, larger treatment plants are needed f or the anaerobic process as they have slower reaction rates. (Guerrero F. Omil, R. Mà ©ndez and J. M. Lema , 1998) The three main steps of this process are: 1. Hydrolysis and Acidogenesis C6H12O6 Æ’Â   2C2H5OH + 2CO2 (Organic compound) (Ethanol) (Carbon Dioxide) Hydrolysis is a process where the covalent bonds are broken with the use of water. Therefore the complex organic compounds are broken down into their constituent part by enzymes. Subsequently, acidogenesis is where acidogenic bacteria produces short-chain product by converting the hydrolysis products through fermentation and other metabolic processes. 2. Acetogenesis 2C2H5OH + CO2 Æ’Â   CH4 + 2CH3COOH (Ethanol) (Carbon Dioxide) (Methane) (Acetic Acid) 2CO2 + 4H2 Æ’Â   CH3COOH + 2H2O (Carbon Dioxide) (Hydrogen) (Acetic Acid) (Water) Acetogenesis is the process where acid and alcohol are converted into acetate, hydrogen and carbonic gas by acetogens categorised into homoacetogens, syntrophes and suphoreductors. The acetic acid production process may be carried out by Clostridium acetium, Actobacter woodii and Clostridium termoautotrophicum. The products of this process vary with the type of bacteria, temperature and pH levels. 3. Methanogenesis CO2 + 4H2 Æ’Â   CH4 + 2H2O (Carbon Dioxide) (Hydrogen) (Methane) (Water) CH3COOH Æ’Â   CH4 + CO2 (Acetic Acid) (Methane) (Carbon Dioxide) The third step of this process is methanogenesis, a form of anaerobic respiration in which methanogens (microbes) that exist in deep sediments convert soluble matter into methane. The majority of the methane production is from the conversion of acetic acid and the rest comes from the reduction of Carbon Dioxide by hydrogen. In addition to above, Sulphur, sulphite and nitrate under anaerobic conditions are reduced. To produce sulphides by sulphur reduction, Sulphur Reducing Bacteria (SRB) use sulphate or sulphite as electron acceptors and organic compounds such as acetate as electron donors. This is the main reason behind the rotten egg smell that exists from wastewater as they are kept for long periods of time under these anaerobic conditions. As for Denitrification however, nitrogen gas is produced by the reduction of nitrates using the organic compounds in the wastewater by denitrifying bacteria (DB). The bacteria generally require a carbon food source as energy for the conversion of nitrogen. 6NO3- + 5CH3OH Æ’Â   3N2 + 5CO2 + 7H20 + 6OH- (Nitrate) (Methanol) (Nitrogen Gas) (Carbon Dioxide) (Water) (Hydroxide) Aerobic Treatment The next step in this secondary treatment of wastewater is the activated sludge process where atmospheric air or pure oxygen is bubbled through the sewage, combined with microorganisms to create biological flocculants which reduces the organic content of the wastewater quite significantly. This occurs because of the bacteria and protozoa feed on the remaining organic materials in the wastewater. (Guerrero F. Omil, R. Mà ©ndez and J. M. Lema , 1998) Generally, the sewage is transferred into large ponds or tanks which are called surface-aerated basins that have floating surface aerators to promote the biological oxidation of wastewaters. These floating aerators create an oxygen rich aerobic environment in the sewage by removing most of the BOD therefore encouraging the growth of the aerobic microorganisms. Furthermore, the aerators provide mixing required for dispersing the air as well as contacting the reactants namely oxygen, microbes and wastewater. In the final clarifiers, the mixing process improves the settling of the biological solids. As the biological oxidation processes are highly dependent on the temperature changes, increasing the temperature to a certain threshold increases the rate of microbial decomposition. Surface aerated vessels mainly operate at temperatures ranging from 4  °C to 32  °C. (Beychok, M.R 1971) Nitrification is a process where the dissolved ammonia is removed by oxidizing it to nitrate which occurs during the activated sludge process. As a high concentration of ammonia is toxic to marine life, they have to be removed from the wastewater via the nitrification process. Nitrification can be divided into two steps, the oxidation of ammonia into nitrate by Nitrosomomonas and the oxidation of nitrite to nitrate by Nitrobacter. As the nitrifying organisms are chemoautotrophs, they use carbon dioxide as their source of growth and for cell maintenance. 2NH3 + 2CO2 + 3 O2 + Nitrosomonas → 2NO2- + 2H2O + 2H+ (ammonia) (nitrite ion) 2NO2- + 2CO2 + O2 + Nitrobacter → 2 NO3- (nitrite ion) (nitrate) The remaining solid particles flocculate to form larger and heavier particles that settle down more easily based on the biological reaction. Then, this mixture of wastewater and solid particles are pumped into a second clarifier or sedimentation tank where the solid particles are separated from the wastewater similar to the process in the primary sedimentation tank, where the resulting sludge is referred to as the activated sludge. Activated sludge is a biological material, brown in colour consisting of mainly saprotrophic bacteria that is produced by the activated sludge process which affects the purification process. In poorly managed activated sludge, a range of mucilaginous filamentous bacteria including Sphaetotilus natans can develop. These bacteria produce sludge that does not settle easily and therefore a possibility that a sludge blanket decanting over the weirs in the sedimentation tank that will severely contaminate the final effluent quality will form. A portion of the solid is recycled back into the surface aerated basins to be re-used in the nitrification process as the microorganisms in the sludge are still active. Excess sludge which eventually accumulates beyond what is recycled is called Waste Activated Sludge and then removed from the treatment process to maintain the ratio of the biomass to food supply in the balance (F/L balance). As a whole, the aerobic process is preferred as it is more stable, reliable and a clearer process understanding. Tertiary Treatment The final stage of the wastewater treatment is the tertiary treatment. This tertiary treatment is considered the advanced treatment stage of wastewater treatment. The purpose of this stage is to raise the quality of effluent before it is discharged into the receiving environment including the ocean, rivers or lakes. Various different methods can be used to undergo this tertiary treatment, however it is been found that the most cost-effective and environmental friendly method is lagooning followed by the Ultra-Violet disinfection. The wastewater may also be treated by chlorine but high chlorine content will harm the aquatic life that receives the water. A chlorine-neutralising chemical is often added before the stream is discharged in situations where required. However, if very high quality effluent is needed, an additional step, namely the polishing process that use sand or gravel filters and wetlands is carried out as the water from the treatment process are not safe enough to be co nsumed as there is still bacteria present. Below is a picture of a UV channel used in wastewater tertiary treatment. Source : City of Idaho, 2007 The sewage is then flowed into a series of large man made lagoons which are highly aerobic following the secondary treatment. Colonisation by algae and zooplankton is often encouraged due to their aerobic nature. The algae that grow in the lagoons captures trace amounts of organic nutrients and compounds in the wastewater which are then grazed by the zooplankton. The remaining algae and plankton settle to the bottom hence binding the nutrients in the sediment. Other microorganisms which are present in the sewage assist in reducing if not removing the harmful pathogens in water. Furthermore, the sewage left in these lagoons are exposed to the ultra violet radiation from the sun coupled with the grazing zooplankton, which creates a far from ideal environment for the bacteria which results in a great reduction their quantity. Where greater intensity of UV radiation or where there is insufficient, the sewage may be transferred into ponds that generate the UV radiation with ultra violet light bulbs for further disinfection. This disinfection eliminates pathogens and cist and is very use friendly as well as operates at a low cost. How it works is that the UV radiation actually damages the genetic structure of the bacteria, viruses and other pathogens hence inhibiting them to reproduce. A key advantage is that no chemicals are added to the sewage when the UV light method is used, hence no adverse effect on organisms that later consume the water. (http://wastewater-treatment.org) Generally lagoons need large spaces to operate however they do not need as much money and time as the traditional tertiary treatment wastewater procedures. The lagoons have also been found to be an important habitat for the birds. After the lagooning process, the treated effluent is ready to be released back into the environment and regarded as safe. Below are pictures of lagoons, the first one being an aerial view and the second one a close up. Source : City of Idaho, 2007 Source : City of Idaho, 2007 Disadvantages of the process First and foremost, to operate a wastewater treatment plant, a significantly large amount of energy is needed. In most communities, they are often regarded as the largest energy consumer. As previously mentioned, energy is generated by the biogas produced onsite, however in most situations, this only accounts for approximately half the plants energy requirements. This is due to the fact that the wastewater treatment plants are consistently operating to keep up with the ever increasing inflow of sewage. This consumption of external energy, other than the one being produced in the plant leads to high operational costs and also, more importantly affects the environment if the energy is sourced from fossil fuel. As the primary focus of the wastewater treatment is to remove contaminants from water, and eventually recycled into drinking water, recent studies show that the presence of certain contaminants including hormones and synthetic material can have an adverse impact even at minimal levels on the natural biota and for some cases, humans. For even processes that remove 99% of microorganisms, the final effluent declared as safe to drink may contain about 50 000 microorganisms. (Environmental Protection Agency United States, 2002) This is a threat when the receiving water is used for activities such as swimming or shellfish harvesting which need to be carried out in an environment with as little microorganisms as possible. BOD levels also affect the environment as although they are greatly reduced throughout the whole process the levels leaving the plant in most cases are high enough to damage the quality of the receiving environment. In the preliminary treatment, the main disadvantage highlighted is the high cost of the screening due to high labour and maintenance costs, as well as high maintenance cost of the machinery. In the primary treatment, the accumulation of sludge that is disposed off onto landfills that will eventually get full and hence taking up a larger area. In the secondary treatment however, there are quite a few limitations. Firstly, in the anaerobic digestion process, the bi-product requires substantial wet biomass handling and disposal. If this waste was to be disposed of in a landfill, often they would break down anaerobically, releasing methane into the atmosphere where methane is about twenty times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas, hence significant adverse effects on the environment. (ABC News, 2008) For the aerobic digestion however, the operating costs are marginally greater due to the additional costs needed to add oxygen. Skilled manpower is also needed for the operat ion and maintenance of this process. Finally, in the tertiary treatment, the major limitation is the lagooning process which depends highly on the climate condition that affects the toxicity of municipal wastewater and effects in the receiving environment which includes dissolved oxygen content in sewage, temperature of wastewater as well as efficiency of microbial processes. Hence, the effluent produced is of different qualities. For the UV disinfection, frequent maintenance and replacements incur additional costs. Besides that, not all organisms are actually affected by the UV radiation. (http://wastewater-treatment.org) The wastewater treatment process manages to remove almost all of the organic chemicals and metals present in the wastewater, however due to environmental degradation, the contaminants should not be discharged in large quantities as the contaminants may be toxic and stay in the environment for long durations. The contaminants will accumulate in the living tissue and be passed up along the food chain. Suggested Improvements to the Process General Improvements to the Process Overall Alternative sources of energy, especially renewable energy should be explored as wastewater treatment plants generally consume large amounts of energy. The generation of energy from the produced biogas during the process is insufficient to run the plant thought it helps reduce the environment consequences and overall operational costs. A named alternative to be considered is the use of hydroelectric power. The flow of water before the final effluent is released into the receiving environment could be used to generate electricity by the use of turbines. However, the capital and maintenance costs of the plant would increase. The volume of wastewater entering the treatment plant can be reduced by reducing the pipes diameter or by a inserting a valve is important as this smaller flow of influent leads to improved treatment, longer system life and a lower chance of overflowing. Overall, the quality of effluent will be increased with the reduction of influent flow as the waste will remain in the system longer; therefore more time is provided for settling, decomposition and aeration. Unfortunately, the volume of wastewater is largely dependent on the amount of water used in the community. Therefore campaigns and awareness should be carried out to help reduce the inflow of sewage by conserving the use of water. Odour Control By their nature, processes involved in the wastewater treatment, primarily from the anaerobic digestion process generate odour. Odour is actually one of the biggest concerns of the operators of the wastewater treatment as well as the general public. One way to overcome the release of odour into the surroundings is to capture the gas resulting from the anaerobic process and treat the trapped gasses. Examples of some treatment systems include activated charcoal bed systems, chemical scrubbers (often using hypochlorite solution), a compost pile type bio-filter and UV radiation treatment. The captured air may also be treated by pumping it through soil where the odorous compounds are absorbed into the soil particles and destroyed by naturally-occurring soil bacteria. (Wastewater treatment technologies) Other methods may include the addition of ferrous chloride to the wastewater collection system to reduce the release of hydrogen sulphide gas. Ion generators may also be installed onsite to help reduce the odours. Reaction Rates Anaerobic and specific aerobic microbial processes are temperature sensitive, and generally if the temperature is reduced the rate of reactions also decreases. Therefore, the climate conditions affect the quality of the final effluent through the lagooning process and open air ponds. As the biogas produced is used to generate power usually by combustion, the heat generated from this can be used to regulate the temperature in the lagoons. This is a cost-efficient way to curb climate conditions with minimal environment impacts. When the rate of the Nitrification process increases with the use of the ringlace fixed film system, the rate of reaction also increases. Ringlace is material developed in the 1980s by the Japanese and consists of a rope like material of high surface area and chemical composition conductive to bacterial attachment and growth. This system has been proven to increase the nitrification rates by 25% when the operation temperature is less than 1 °C. Apart from being cost effective due to its minimal installation and maintenance costs, the ringlace system also positively affects the BOD reduction and hinders algae growth. (Richard, M) Activated Sludge Process For the effective removal of organic matter, the activated sludge process requires sufficient oxygen supply and thorough mixing. The rate of which the microorganisms decompose can be increased tremendously if the aeration systems in the sludge tanks design be improvised as to provide a higher input of oxygen into the sewage. A key advantage to this design improvement would be the decreased amount of ammonia discharged into the environment as final effluent. Bio-solid Processing and Disposal The sludge that accumulates from the wastewater treatment processes has to be dealt with and can be done in a number of ways. As these bio-solids are highly toxic, they require intensive treatment before it is ready for disposal. For now, the conventional means of bio-solid treatment is sufficient as in to be disposed off in landfills. However, in time to come, the space requirements to accommodate these solids are not practical. Worthless sludge can be converted into marketable bio-solids through a process called Thermal Drying. The volume and mass of the solids are greatly reduced by evaporating the majority of their water content by the thermal dryers. To assist in forming larger aggregates of solids and releasing of water, chemical coagulants are usually used. Higher temperatures produce higher quality of bio-solids that can be sold as fertilizer. The product is easily handled, stored and transported. The main advantage of this process is that it can provide extra revenue to the plant. To the environment, it reduces odours resulting from the decomposition of the sludge. (Viessman, W Jr, 2010) A picture of the final product of the thermal drying is as below: (Source : Stibbe Management, 2006) On the other hand, thermal oxidation is an efficient process that converts bio-solids into an energy source, producing carbon dioxide, water and ash. The process occurs in a fluidized bed reactor that is highly energy efficient as it can be self-sustaining without auxiliary fuel when the combustion air is preheated to high temperatures. Heated air, gas, steam, water or oil which can be converted into electricity is recovered from these reactors. The advantages of this process include its low life-cycle cost, its ability to destroy all volatile solids and pathogens, minimising odour and offsets the energy consumption of the plant. Another approach involves treatment with lime (calcium oxide), which kills pathogens due to its high alkaline content. The heat generated from this reaction also helps in producing a drier final product. The waste sludge may also be treated by a means of anaerobic digestion which is similar to the anaerobic digestion which occurs in the water treatment process. In the anaerobic digestion of bio-solids, the waste activated sludge and primary sludge are mixed together without the presence of air. The digestion takes place in two steps and involves two distinct groups of bacteria. In the first step, acid-forming bacteria convert complex organic wastes (proteins, carbohydrates, lipids) into organic fatty acids. The second step is where bacteria convert these organic acids into methane, carbon dioxide and other trace gasses. As before, the methane produced may be used to generate energy by a means of combustion. This process stabilises a majority of the organic waste in the sludge thus allowing the bio-solids to be utilised as a soil conditioner. The stabilised bio-solids contain nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium which are beneficial to plant growth. Application of these bio-solids in ag riculture has lead to increased crop production. (Bio-energy from wastewater treatment) Conclusion The bioprocess involved in the steps of the wastewater treatment process namely the preliminary treatment which includes screening, grit removal the primary treatment which involves the primary sedimentation process, the secondary treatment which consists of the anaerobic and aerobic digestion and the secondary sedimentation and finally the tertiary treatment which is made up of the lagooning and the ultraviolet disinfection has been outlined in this report. The improvements as well as the key advantages were also discussed in the report. Improvements to the processes that would increase the quality of water discharged into the environment as well as the revenue of the wastewater company were focused on. Wastewater treatment is essential to ensure the preservation of our water and marine life and to the environment as a whole.