Computer Science

Computer science is one of the fastest growing career fields in modern

history. Dating back only a few decades to the late 1950s and early 1960s, it

has become one of the leading industries in the world today. Developed

through the technological architecture of electrical engineering and the

computational language of mathematics, the science of computer technology

has provided considerable recognition and financial gain for many of its well

deserving pioneers. Originally conceived as an organizational solution to the

massive amounts of information kept on nothing more than paper, computers

have evolved and advanced to become a common part of modern day life. In

the early days of the computers age, the newest and most complex

computers took up no less than an entire building or very large room. It was

inconceivable that these machines would after only about fifty years be

many times more powerful and small enough to be held with tweezers

[Gicenia, Mark W., pgs. 1-4].

With the introduction of miniature circuitry and transistors, the days of

vacuum tubes and computers that filled entire buildings are long gone and

the centerpiece of the today’s computer industry is the CPU, one of the

modern marvels of science and technology. It is essentially the brain of the

computer and though it is the main determining factor in the processing

power of the computer as a whole, many other parts of the machine are just

as important in overall performance. Many people don’t know this and that

is how computer corporations have cheated people out of their money for so

many years by selling them cheap systems with high megahertz numbers for

the processors in them. This is one reason for the success of the computer

industry. When people find out that they have been cheated, they will try to

learn more about the product and probably end up spending more money

next time. Either way the computer companies always win [Hoover, Warren

D., pgs. 25-27].

A career in the field of computer science has been proven to be a

worthwhile direction for any young enthusiast and this trend is looking just

as bright in the new millennium. Computer science and technology has

much to offer in anyone of its many career paths. Whether working with a

large multinational corporation or a smaller private company on computer

hardware or software in engineering or programming the possibilities and

opportunities are endless and their increasing everyday. One reason the

computer industry is so promising is that virtually every industry in the

world depends on computers to operate. This creates an increasingly large

and permanent demand for computer hardware, software, and the technical

knowledge to create and use them [Vizard, Frank, pgs. 45-47].

Computer games have added to the development of computer science in

recent years. The growing complexity of the most popular games and

the ever so urgent need for the latest and fastest graphics processing

hardware by gamers with the money to afford it has boosted the gaming

industry to unbelievable status. Constantly advancing computer technology

allows computer programmers the freedom to incorporate into their games

and software, higher levels of visual detail, more complex game play, and

amazing special effects that at one time were not conceivable because the

technology to implement them didn’t exist [O’Malley, Chris, pgs. 39-42].

Today the technical sophistication of computer hardware is advancing at

an alarming rate due mainly to competition between major manufacturers.

When two or more large hardware companies battle for the majority of the

market, processing power soars and prices tumble. It always equals out to a

better deal for the average consumer and more power for less money. That

means both basic and high end machines become more affordable and that

computers will populate more households. With that, computer technology

and all its benefits are introduced to more people everyday making a career

in computer science an evermore-popular choice for those interested. This

not only promises a never ending demand computer products, but also the

next generation of pioneers to lead us well into the new millennium [Epstein,

George, pgs. 740-745].

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