Essential Guide to Computing: The Story of Information Technology, The

Part 3—Networks and the Internet: Putting It All Together

In closing previous sections, it's been useful to summarize by considering how actual systems are put together. A frequently used example has been that of e-commerce. Inclosing this last section, the e-commerce example fits extremely well again—e-commerce is a computer application that makes no sense without networks.

Let's assume that, building on the sage advice provided at the ends of Parts 1 and 2, you've selected your servers and desktop machines and bought some software and begun to develop the database and related applications. Next, let's assume that we want this to be the classical American success story, so you're setting up operations in your garage. Another assumption that ...