1. GSM5170
Management INFORMATION SYSTEM
Matric No. Name
GM 05104 WONG JIAN YUAN
GM 05156 WONG SIEW WEI

2. Research Article
The Good-enough
Technology Economy

3. Question 1:
• As we alluded to, the outrageous transformation taking
place in the camera and film industries is being caused by
good-enough products, specifically digital cameras and
phone-embedded cameras. Read the Outrageous Industry
Transformation cases at the beginning of Chapters 2
through 8. Which corrections are being caused by good-
enough technology products?

4. Answer:
• From digital camera to phone with camera,
this correction is caused by good-enough
technology products. Camera in phone is not a perfect camera
because the quality of megapixel is not as good as a digital
camera. However, people tap into its benefits of being able to
snap photos anywhere, anytime.
• Another example of good-enough technology products is from
hard-wired internet to wireless. Wireless connectivity enable
people to access internet anywhere, at anytime, and it makes you
mobile as compared to hard-wired internet, although its
connectivity is slower.

5. • Skype is a good-enough technology product, it
is not as convenient as mobile phone as skype
cannot be used without internet, whereas you
can make phone call anytime at anywhere using
mobile phone without the need of internet.
However, the cost being saved through making
international calls through skype are tremendous
• Cell phone is not perfect either as the voice on
the other end cuts in and out, and sometimes
calls are even dropped. However, the good thing
about cell phone is that it makes you mobile.

6. Question 2:
• What does all this mean for systems development? In the good-
enough technology, which will organizations come to rely on more
heavily: insourcing, selfsourcing, or outsourcing? Can organizations
afford to use the traditional SDLC and completely gather
requirements before proceeding with development? For what
systems can organizations still use the traditional SDLC?

7. Answer
• System development is being defined as the process of defining,
testing and implementing a new software application or program.
The advantage of incorporating “good-enough technology” in
system development is that you will save a lot of time, money
and resources in your system development process. This could be
achieved through rapid application development methodology,
whereby it has extensive user involvement in the rapid and
evolutionary construction of working prototypes of a system to
accelerate the system development process.
• In the good-enough technology, organizations usually will rely
more heavily on in-sourcing.

8. • Organization can afford to use the traditional SDLC to
completely gather requirements before proceeding with
development, because it is a component-based
development that can be written each time for each
application. Thus, it save a lot of time & utilization of
resources to gather information required for proceeding
the development. The rapid application development
system is an example of traditional SDLC that can be
used by organization to achieve good-enough technology
economy .

9. Question 3:
• How is the notion of getting things out the door
quickly and then using market feedback for product
improvement similar to the concept of prototyping?
What are the disadvantages of using such an
approach to the release of products that aren’t
perfect?

10. • Prototyping is the process of building a model that
demonstrates the features of a proposed product, service, or
system. Prototyping is a dynamic process that allows end users
to see, work with, and evaluate a model and suggest changes
to that model to increase the likelihood of success of the
proposed system. This is where the notion of getting things out
the door quickly and then using market feedback for product
improvement similar to the concept of prototyping.

11. • The disadvantage of using such an approach to the release of
products that aren’t perfect, is that the project team tends to
forgo proper testing and documentation. This is because they trust
that after all, this product is going to be improved further in
future. Thus, they tend not to put in efforts to look into the
details. This may lead to the standard of the product getting lower
and lower.
• Another disadvantage is that people will feel that this company’s
products are not high in quality, as they can easily spot the
product weaknesses when it first launches in the market. It gives
a bad impression to the consumer. As time passes by, this
becomes a not so good branding for the company as the product
is low in quality, even though it is going to be improved later on.
This impact is especially prominent in those products that
required high quality image, such as health supplement.

12. Question 4:
• Can manufacturers of automobiles use the concepts of
the good-enough technology economy to produce
automobiles? What features of an automobile must be
perfect (or very close to it)? What features of an
automobile can simple be “good enough”?

13. Answer
• Certain parts of the automobiles can use the concepts of good-
enough technology, whereas certain parts of it cannot use the
concept of good-enough technology. For example, the engine,
the hand-brake, tyre, etc must be perfect because any
discrepancies will threaten the safety of human’s life. On the
other hand, parts that do not require perfect technology are the
material of the seat, the air-con, the sound system, etc. These
features can be just “good-enough” technology instead of
perfect technology.

14. PART 2:
Tablet Take their Place in the PC
Market

15. Question 1
Computers, using some AI techniques like those we
discussed in Chapter 4, can learn.
In the classroom while a child is using a tablet PC
to learn the basics of addition, how can software be
developed to aid in the learning process?

16. Answer:
Based on the learning styles of a person, a software can be
developed particular in 3 aspects to aid the learning process:
• Aural (or Auditory) Learners
• These learners generally prefer to hear information. They
will typically learn most easily from lectures, group
discussions, music, web chats, or talking things through.
Often people with this style will process things by talking
about them, rather than talk about things after they've
processed them

17. • Aural learners benefit from the aid of a software by being
able to clearly hear what is happening; being able to see
what is happening is less important. They might choose to
study by reading aloud with the aid of software, and they
benefit from verbalizing what they've learned.
• With the aid of software, a aural learner repeat the
hearing process by listening to a proper pronunciation
and attractive voice without the aid of a teacher and hence
fasten the learning process

18. Visual Learners
• Maps, charts, diagrams, graphic organizers, patterns and shapes—
these are some of the best tools for visual learners. They tend to
be "big-picture" people and are often interested in layout and
design. Individuals who prefer this learning style generally can
grasp information more quickly (and more thoroughly) when it is
organized graphically than they would if that same information
were explained aloud.
• A software can assist in presenting the learning materials in the
form of graphics, diagrams in helping visual learns to absorbs the
learning materials in a more effective way.

19. Kinesthetic Learners
• The word kinesthetic means movement, and certainly these
learners prefer to learn by doing something physical (such as a
hands-on activity or a field trip). But there's more to it than that.
Some researchers have defined this style as preference for learning
related to experience and practice—in other words, they prefer
their learning to be connected with reality. Certainly physical
activities accomplish this.
• A software can be designed to provide a interactive interface to
allow a kinesthetic learners to experience the leaning process in
order to strengthen their learning process.

20. Does this mean that teachers are no longer needed for some
subjects? Are teachers needed in earlier grades while
computer-based training can take over in later grades? Why
or why not ?
The teachers are still needed for some subjects whether in
earlier grades or later grades. This is because despite the
usefulness of the technologies, a human interaction is
required to teach and facilitate the learning process. In
addition, there are many values and knowledge can not be
teach directly through a computer.

21. Question 2
End-user systems, like those that allow patrons to order meals on an
iPad, must be “idiot proof.” (We apologize for the crudeness of that
term.) That is, systems must be usable without training and created
in such a way, for example, that a patron at one table can’t
accidentally change the order of a patron at another table. What
does this mean for systems development?
• This means that the system must be developed in such a way which is
intelligent enough a place an order.

22. Can complex and complicated end-user systems be developed and
deployed on tablet PCs so that people can use the systems without
training and without intervention by a knowledgeable person such as a
waiter or waitress?
• Yes. The development of the system should heading to a more complicated
and complex end-user system without training and without intervention by
a knowledgeable person such as a waiter or waitress.
• As discussed above, we still need to emphasized on the human interaction
when come customer service particularly in a service industry.

23. Question 3
What security issues are involved in allowing people to pay with
tablet PCs? Does this payment process make it easier for
someone to steal your credit card information?
• The securities issues involved can be the theft of personal
information which is private and confidential and causing
financial losses by using tablet PC.

24. Are you comfortable using a restaurant-supplied
technology to enter your credit card information? Why
or why not ?
• Not confortable. This is because the restaurant supplied
technology is not 100% guaranty the information will be
prevented from theft or be used for other purposes.

25. Question 4
What will happen to offshore outsourcing for software
development?
Can outsourcing firms in India and China for example be
expected to develop software systems for use in U.S.
schools?
Can those same firms be expected to develop systems that
meet FAA rules and restrictions ?

26. Answer:
• Offshore outsourcing will help the further boost of software
development because there is sharing of information, expertise and
intellectual.
• There is no any issue for India and China to develop software
system use in US schools. Although there is a geographical barrier
but through an effective communication, those developed software
can meet the standard and requirements in US.
• Yes, those same firms can be expected to develop system which
meets the rules of FAA and restriction so long as a good
communication and the compliance matter are met by the
developer.