节目资讯
刊物:生活知识家
日期:2009-08-31
难易度:High
关键字:portable, jump into, navigate, catch off guard, na
(Music).
Hi, friends.
Welcome to Studio Classroom Worldwide.
My name is Steve.
This month’s TECHNOLOGY article discusses the nextbook.
It’s not exactly a notebook,
and it’s not really a laptop computer.
You might say a netbook is something in between.
Now the title calls the netbook revolutionary.
And when we see that word:
revolution,
we know that something is experiencing a drastic and sudden change.
In this case, it’s mobile computing.
Why don’t we check in on the Word Bank and preview the word:
portable.
I always take my portable radio to the beach with me.
Next is the idiom:
jump into,
as in:
Harry jumped into a business deal without checking it out carefully and ended up
losing a lot of money.
OK.
Let’s find out about the technological revolution, starting on page fifty-seven.
The Netbook Revolution.
How the Eee PC has redefined mobile computing.
Way back in 2007, Taipei-based ASUSTech Computer introduced the Eee PC,
a cheap, basic laptop computer about the size of a hardcover book.
Originally designed to be both affordable and portable, the Eee PC handled
simple tasks such as writing, web surfing and e-mail.
At the time, most laptops were scaled-down versions of desktop computers,
and critics complained about Eee’s lack of power and features.
In spite of the naysayers, Asus sold more than 300,000 Eee PCs in the first few
months.
Other companies rushed to follow,
and now nearly every major PC manufacturer has jumped into the still growing
netbook market.
Hi, friends.
I’m Chip.
I’m Esther.
And I’m Rachel. And thanks for joining us for our TECHNOLOGY article.
We’re talking today again about the netbook revolution.
And of course, a lot of you really enjoy technology and you probably have a
computer at home or more than one.
And maybe you even have a netbook.
So We’re... we think you might enjoy this issue... er... this article
especially.
Yeah.
Today we’re talking specifically about how the Eee PC has redefined mobile
computing,
how it has given a new definition to how we um, uh... do computing on the go.
And if you look on page fifty-seven on the top, we have a picture of the Eee PC
for you.
And this is just a very small computer and you can take it with you to many
places.
And it’s not as fancy or as large as other laptops,
but it still has many functions.
Now I think our article is interesting how it starts off,
because it says ”Way back in 2007,” although it wasn’t really so long ago.
However, when you’re talking about technology, one year or two years can be a
very long time,
because new things are coming out all the time.
So in this article, it’s appropriate to say ”way back in 2007,” right?
Yeah, oh, it’s too true.
It’s too true.
Whenever I buy something that has the... the latest technology, the next month
uh, it’s... it’s out of date; it’s old.
Hahaha.
Exactly.
Yeah, way back in 2007, the Taipei-based ASUSTech computer introduced the Eee
PC,
which was a cheap, basic laptop computer uh, only about the size of a hardcover
book.
So just about the size of a... a large- or medium-sized book.
Right. I mean, the size is probably smaller than this piece of paper and it’s
very, very light.
It’s only a little over one kg and it was very inexpensive; it was cheap.
Many people could afford to buy it.
And it was originally designed to be both affordable and portable.
That is some...
Those are two things that people seem to want nowadays with technology.
They want it to be affordable,
which means just about anyone can afford it; it’s not too expensive.
And they want it to be portable,
which means you can take it anywhere you want to go.
If something is portable, it’s light enough to be carried.
Yeah, you can... you can take your computer with you.
And you could always take a laptop computer with you,
but this is especially portable because it’s so small and it’s so lightweight.
And it’s affordable.
You can have enough money to buy it. It’s not too expensive.
So what can the Eee PC do?
Well, it handles simple tasks such as writing - so writing on your computer,
typing and surfing the web and e-mail.
So many of the tasks that people need to do.
Not too complicated but the simple tasks.
Now moving along in our article, we see that at the time, most laptops were
scaled-down versions of desktop computers.
So we’re comparing two things now.
We’re comparing the laptop to the desktop computer.
And when we say the laptops were scaled-down versions, it just means that
they... they have kind of less features; they were simpler, right?
Uh, we can... we often talk about scaling something down and we make it simpler.
However, critics complained about some certain things... with this, right?
Right.
They... the critics, they complained about the Eee’s lack of power and features.
It wasn’t powerful enough and it didn’t have enough of these features.
So they, in a sense, complained about the simplicity.
So inspite of naysayers...
And a naysayer is someone who always has a negative response to an idea or how
something is made or said.
So in spite of what these negative people were saying, Asus sold more than
300,000 Eee PCs in the first two months.
That’s amazing.
That’s a lot of computers.
Right, in the first few months.
It might have been two, it might have been three. But they were selling a lot of
computers just within a few months.
And then of course, it always happens.
Other companies rushed to follow.
They wanted to copy and... and get the same kind of success.
And now nearly every major PC manufacturer has jumped into the still growing
netbook market.
So it’s still a big market, isn’t it?
It certainly is. And if you jump into something or jump into the netbook market,
that means that they uh... moved into this market very quickly maybe without
thinking through things very thoroughly or totally.
Well, let’s go to today’s Chat Room and then we’ll take a break.
Welcome to the Chat Room.
I’m Ken.
And I’m Doris.
And today, we’re looking at the netbook revolution.
Of course, by netbook, we’re not talking about a real book but a very small
notebook computer that can surf the web.
But Ken, did you notice the lesson did mention a real book?
Really?
Where?
Well, it says here the Eee PC is a cheap basic laptop computer about the size of
a hardcover book.
Oh, yeah, a hardcover book.
Now that’s a special kind of book, isn’t it?
Well, it is.
A hardcover book is also referred to as hardback or hardbound,
which is the opposite of a paperback.
Speaking of paperbacks,
why do some books first come out in a hardcover edition and then later, we see
the same book out in a paperback edition?
Well, that’s a good question, Ken.
If the publisher anticipates a book to sell really well, it will usually release
a hardcover edition first,
and then a year or so later release the cheaper paperback edition.
Popular authors will usually see their books published in hardcover.
I see.
(Chinese).
So when I go browsing in a bookstore, how do I find out what a book is about?
Well, if you pick up a hardcover book, there’s a paper covering called the
jacket,
which is folded around the hardcover.
On the folded part of the front cover is generally a blurb or a summary of the
book.
What’s on the back-folded part?
Well, on the back-folded part is a brief introduction of the author.
What above the back of the jacket?
What’s on that?
Well, you usually find quotes from reviews of the book on the back of the
jacket.
And they’re usually positive reviews, right?
Always, always, because they are more like ads for the books,
so you might buy it.
I see.
(Chinese).
Well, it’s time for a short break.
But don’t go too far because Studio Classroom will be right back.