Emile Berliner and the History of the Gramophone

Early attempts to design a consumer sound or music playing gadget began in 1877. That year,  Thomas Edison invented his tinfoil phonograph, which played recorded sounds from round cylinders. Unfortunately, the sound quality on the phonograph was bad and each recording only lasted for only one play. Edisons phonograph was followed by Alexander Graham Bells graphophone. The graphophone used wax cylinders, which could be played many times. However, each cylinder had to be recorded separately, making the mass reproduction of the same music or sounds impossible with the graphophone. The Gramophone and  Records On November 8, 1887, Emile Berliner, a German immigrant working in Washington D.C., patented a successful system for sound recording. Berliner was the first inventor to stop recording on cylinders and start recording on flat disks or records. The first records were made of glass. They were then made using  zinc and eventually plastic. A spiral groove with sound information was etched into the flat record. To play sounds and music, the record was rotated on the gramophone. The arm of the gramophone held a needle that read the grooves in the record by vibration and transmitted the information to the gramophone speaker. Berliners disks (records) were the first sound recordings that could be mass-produced by creating master recordings from which molds were made. From each mold, hundreds of disks were pressed. The Gramophone Company Berliner founded The Gramophone Company to mass manufacture his sound disks (records) as well as the gramophone that played them. To help promote his gramophone system, Berliner did a couple of things. First, he persuaded popular artists to record their music using his system. Two famous artists who signed early on with Berliners company were Enrico Caruso and Dame Nellie Melba. The second smart marketing move Berliner made came in 1908 when he used Francis Barrauds painting of His Masters Voice  as his companys official trademark. Berliner later sold the licensing rights to his patent for the gramophone and method of making records to the Victor Talking Machine Company (RCA), which later made the gramophone a successful product in the United States. Meanwhile, Berliner continued doing business in other countries. He founded the Berliner Gram-o-phone Company in Canada, the Deutsche Grammophon in Germany and the U.K based Gramophone Co., Ltd. Berliners legacy also lives on in his trademark, which depicts  a picture of a dog listening to his masters voice being played from a gramophone. The dogs name was Nipper. The Automatic Gramophone   Berliner worked on improving the playback machine with Elridge Johnson. Johnson patented a spring motor for the Berliner gramophone. The motor made the turntable revolve at an even speed and eliminated the need for hand cranking of the gramophone. The trademark  His Masters Voice was passed on to Johnson by Emile Berliner. Johnson began to print it on his Victor record catalogs and then on the paper labels of the disks. Soon, His Masters Voice became one of the best-known trademarks in the world and is still in use today. Work on the Telephone and the Microphone   In 1876, Berliner invented a microphone used as a telephone speech transmitter. At the U.S. Centennial Exposition, Berliner saw a Bell Company telephone demonstrated and was inspired to find ways to improve the newly invented telephone. The Bell Telephone Company was impressed with what the inventor came up with and bought Berliners microphone patent for $50,000. Some of Berliners other inventions include a radial  aircraft  engine,  a helicopter, and acoustical tiles.

Gutenberg Invented The First Movable Printing Press

Gutenberg Johannes Gutenberg invented the first movable-printing press in the fifteenth century. The printing press affected Europe’s political, cultural, economic, and social development in the centuries that followed. According to Reader, â€Å"The eighteenth century saw a rapid expansion in the publication of books, periodicals, and pamphlets, which allowed wide dissemination of these new ideas, and with that, the early stages of public opinion† (24). The availability of paper and spreading of books, allowed various classes of people, many of whom had not previously been exposed to books, to read and interpret different ideas and publication. Access to different points of views caused tension between those in power and the lower classes. One specific example was the access to the Bible, which led to the lower classes questioning the foundations of the Church. In addition, the spread of ideas and power to publish their individual thoughts led to Enlightenment thinking and increased individualism. The idea that people should learn from their own experiences and learn to challenge what they are taught and search for real facts, made living in Europe with an educated, self-governing public possible. Immanuel Kant Immanuel Kant was a Prussian philosopher who formulated the discussion about how the mind perceives itself and the connection the mind has to the universe. He was the most influential thinkers in world history, with his new method of moral reasoning. He is also knownShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Gutenberg Press1248 Words   |  5 PagesGutenberg’s printing press was one of the most important inventions of the renaissance, as it has had a major impact on both the Renaissance and todays world of printing. The Gutenberg Press, impacted the renaissance by, making books and information easier and cheaper to reproduce and print, spreading more information easier and faster to vast audiences eager for new information, helping advance science and technology, and also by helping the economy grow stronger through creating new industriesRead MoreJohannes Gutenberg and The Printing Press1310 Words   |  6 PagesThe printing press was invented in 1453. The movable printing technology was invented in China in 1040 but Johannes Gutenberg was able to perfect this technology by creating the Gutenberg printer in 1440. The printer was a movable type. A movable type was where individual blocks could be set up in order to print almost anything. Before this, wooden blocks, carved by hand were used to print things. These blocks would have consisted of what the individual wanted to print which would take an incredibleRead MoreJohannes Gutenberg and Donatello:Two Important Figures of the Ranaissance643 Words   |  3 Pagesliterature and music. Two figures that impacted this period in numerous ways were Johannes Gutenberg and Donatello. Donatello was an early renaissance Italian sculptor who lived in florence. Johannes Gutenberg was a printer and publisher who introduced printing to Europe. These two figures had effects on Science/Technology, effects on art, and effects on culture/society. Donatello and Johannes Gutenberg are two figures with oppo sing views that profoundly challenged and shaped political thoughtRead MoreThe Invention Of The Printing Press1525 Words   |  7 PagesThe invention of the printing press was a great influence on Renaissance culture and literature. Its inventor, Johannes Gutenberg said himself â€Å"like a star it shall scatter the darkness of ignorance and cause a light herefore unknown to shine amongst men† (Gutenberg, n.d.). By creating the market for the printed word, he paved the way for literature in the Renaissance. Gutenberg’s printing press single-handedly revolutionized the way stories were shared. He took the power of the word away fromRead More The History and Impact of the Printing Press Essay2318 Words   |  10 PagesEveryday people read newspapers and books, but where did printing begin? The movable type printing press by Johannes Gutenberg made this all possible. Johannes first conceived of this idea of the printing press in the 15th century in order to speed up t he slow process of producing books (Bantwal). The movable type printing press, the first real technology of its kind, helped to solve problems, but in turn also caused problems. This technology did influence many areas of life in its lifespan. ThisRead More gutenberg Essay606 Words   |  3 PagesGUTENBURG AND THE PRINTING PRESS nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Long ago there was a man named Johann Gutenberg. He was a very intelligent man. He created one of the greatest inventions in history. He created the printing press. You may ask yourself, what is the printing press? I will soon explain. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Johann Gutenberg was born in 1399 named Genefliesch zur Laden. He changed his name to Gutenburg after the name of his wealthy father’s house. Gutenberg died in 1468 in MainzRead MoreBible : The Gutenberg Bible1011 Words   |  5 Pagesdesign is The Gutenberg Bible, also known as the Mazarin Bible and the 42-Line Bible. It is often considered one of the first notable books to have been printed because unlike early books, this book was printed with movable type. Invented by Johann Gutenberg, his invention changed the course of technology and the way people gained knowledge forever. The earliest form of printing known is the application of signet stones. This was used in ancient times in Babylonia. Before The Gutenberg Bible, booksRead MoreThe Communication Of Information And The Printing Press1670 Words   |  7 Pagessecular, and from scholarly to popular, has been important to the development of civilization. From hand writing the Bible, to being able to print it in less than a minute, the printing press has truly changed the world. We thank China for the first production of the printing press in the 6th century AD. The printing press has allowed for more ideas to be shared, more widespread knowledge, and entertainment to be expressed. This is definitely one of the greatest inventions of all time. In theRead MoreGutenberg Printing Press And Its Impact On The World1952 Words   |  8 Pagesbad, it owes it to Gutenberg. Everything can be traced to this source†- Mark Twain (qtd. in Childress 122). Johannes Gutenberg created something that would change the world forever, and it would lead the way for many discoveries and inventions in the future. What he created was called the Gutenberg printing press. This invention has proved to be one of the most monumental inventions in history, due to the major impacts left on the world. Originating from Germany, the printing press spread across EuropeRead MoreThe Birth Of Typography : Influential Or Not?1386 Words   |  6 Pagesearly times, the source of ABC (typography) has taken on many forms, from Egyptian pictographs to the Roman alphabet. The first original written messages that we find in the history of type was a picture, which represents what they mean these are also known as PICTOGRAMS. Cave paintings, â€Å"which dates way back around 20,000 B.C.† (ILOVETYPOGRAPHY, website, 2009) were the â€Å"first real proof of recorded pictures, real written communication was possibly developed around 19,000 years later by the Sumerians

Iomega Corporation Data Storage Free Essays

string(142) " 12 Iomega offers customers a way to store large amounts of information on disks rather than saving them on the hard drive of their computer\." The purpose of this report is to examine the Iomega Corporation, based in Roy, Utah, for the BA 201 – Survey of Business course at Birmingham-Southern College. The company manufactures computer storage devices: the ZipTM and JazTM drives, the Clik! Storage device, and the BuzTM audio and video drive. 1 The leading supplier of data storage devices in Europe, and the third largest supplier in the world, Iomega has now strengthened its line of products with the Ditto tape backup device. We will write a custom essay sample on Iomega Corporation Data Storage or any similar topic only for you Order Now 2 The industry†s enthusiasm and public satisfaction with which these products were received is unprecedented in the computer industry, making Iomega an innovator among innovators. This report will discuss the following components of the Iomega Corporation: History of the corporation and its products Marketing strategies and product offerings Iomega was founded in 1980 with its flagship removable storage device, the Bernoulli drive. Though its original efforts are now more than antiquated, Bernoulli Optical Systems remains a subsidiary of Iomega. In 1983 Iomega was made public, and for the next twelve years, the company would see a period of experimentation and growth. While Iomega remained behind the major industry names of Apple and IBM, the late eighties and early nineties were integral to Iomega†s current success. The technical bases for the Zip and Jaz drives were built upon, leading to these products† 1995 release.2 Public response to the release of the portable data storage devices was enormous. Orders clogged the production component of Iomega before the disks were even released to the public, and by April 1996, barely one year after its introduction, Sony Pictures Entertainment entered into an exclusive agreement with Iomega for use of its Jaz disks.3 June of that same year would bring even greater response; Iomega entered into marketing agreements with IBM, NEC Technologies, Gateway, and Unisys.4 By the end of the summer of 1996, Iomega had formed partnerships with every major computer manufacturer in the United States. The media frenzy surrounding the release of the drives was further fueled by honors awarded by computing magazines PC Computing and Gadget Guru. The Jaz drive was named 1996†³s â€Å"Innovation of the Year† and â€Å"Most Valuable Product† by PC. Gadget Guru named the Jaz drive the â€Å"Best Computer Accessory of 1996.† These and other accolades pushed public familiarity of Iomega products higher and higher, boosting production and sales.5 In response to this domestic success, Iomega began a complete expansion of its foreign production and marketing in early 1997. European headquarters were set up in both the Netherlands and Switzerland, and their production site in Malaysia was expanded and modified. While the base of the company remained in Roy, Utah, Iomega†s presence in both Europe and Asia was fortified with a larger number of production jobs for Asians and Europeans. Coupled with a greater concentration of foreign marketing and advertising, Iomega emerged as the third largest producer of data storage devices in the world.6 The end of the 1996 fiscal year showed a 272% increase in revenue from the previous year.7 The introduction of the Jaz and Zip drives in 1995 was undoubtedly responsible for this success, which was followed in 1997 by new partnerships with Motorola, Apple, Kinko†s, and Hewlett Packard.4 By June of 1997, Iomega†s Zip drive shipments reached six million; it was then a standard in new Sony personal computers, Micron notebook computers, and in all Kinko†s store computers nationwide.8 The success of the Iomega drives remained rampant when the company announced the introduction of the Buz multimedia producer in late 1997. The Buz producer would allow consumers to capture movies, music, and photographs on their personal computers. While the success of the Buz drive still remains far behind that of the Zip and Jaz drives, this diversification allowed the company to remain on the cutting edge of computer technology. The Jaz drive was marketed as a companion piece to the Buz drive, lightly forcing consumers to purchase two products with one goal in mind.9 The approach was successful, leading to 1997 fiscal year earnings of 77%.10 May 1998, in the wake of the Buz release, brought about another important computer modernization, the Clik! drive. The Clik! drive revolutionized methods by which consumers could store digital information from handheld video cameras, computers, and cameras.11 Marketed with special Clik! disks, the drive itself brought the portable storage efforts of Iomega full circle, now having storage products for virtually every major computer product on the market. Iomega advertises in many different places. The web site www.iomega.com provides a simple way to find out about the company. It provides potential customers with many different sections geared towards answering their questions about Iomega and its products. The site allows potential customers the opportunity to gather information through press releases and news articles related to the company, and gives customers a chance to win free products in contests. More importantly, Iomega†s web site allows customers the opportunity to order its products online via a virtual shopping mall. Customers can receive Iomega†s products without ever stepping foot outside their front door. Iomega also advertises its products through other companies. Having Iomega Zip drives already installed in computers, such as Apple, Dell, and Gateway, allows customers the option of buying a Zip drive already installed in a computer of a well-established personal computer (PC) manufacturer. About 40% of Dell computers already have Iomega Zip drives installed in them. Due to all of the positive responses Iomega has received from forming partnerships with these PC manufacturers, it has decided to form a new partnership with Fujifilm. Fuji Photo Film Company Ltd. has recently started marketing branded Clik! disks. Fuji already markets Fujifilm branded Zip drives and has now signed with the forty megabyte Clik! disks. Said Steven A. Solomon, senior vice president of Fuji Photo Film USA, Inc., â€Å"We’ve had great success branding Iomega’s popular Zip disks and we believe that we will have similar success with Clik! disks.† 12 Iomega offers customers a way to store large amounts of information on disks rather than saving them on the hard drive of their computer. The company offers 100MB Zip USB and now the new 250MB Zip drives. This option benefits both businesses and personal computer owners. Businesses profit from owning a Zip drive due to the convenience of saving large presentations or proposals on a disk and then carrying it to different places; for personal computer owners, the Zip drive allows everyone in the house to have their own disk, keeping children†s games separate from parent†s finances. The notebook Zip gives people with digital computers the ability to carry large amounts of information with them in a slim, low power design for easier storage and transportation. Iomega recently lowered the price on their external Zip 100MB SCSI and their 100MB Zip USB; the new prices are $99.95 and $129.95, respectively. Reducing the prices was â€Å"driven by the product†s universal adoption by the users of more than twenty-two million Zip drives,† said David J. Henry, vice-president and general manager of Zip/Jaz management at Iomega Corporation. 14 By lowering the price of the product, Iomega makes their products more affordable for their customers, attracting more potential buyers. Iomega Corporation announced in January 1999 that it is restructuring in hopes of increasing gross profit figures for the upcoming fiscal year. Although Iomega controls over 86% of the removable storage market, its gross profits have decreased to levels that have made public investors somewhat weary. Previously, Iomega†s structure was that of three decentralized product units which included the Professional Products, Personal Storage, and Mobile Storage divisions. The new structure will focus on eight business functions that include sales and marketing, product development, manufacturing and operations, corporate marketing, finance, legal, human resources, and corporate development and strategy. In addition, top management created a new functional group known as customer service and development which combines the existing customer service organization with a new group of applications engineers.15 Iomega hopes that these changes will ease the rise-fall-and-rise-again impression that the company has acquired since its entry into the removable storage market in 1980, thus spurring improved gross profits, consumer confidence, and an increased interest on Wall Street.16 In 1983, Iomega was on top of the Wall Street world. The searing property raised $21.7 million in public offerings due to the interest drawn by IBM PC users who were amazed by Iomega†s patented Bernoulli Box technology. The Bernoulli Box used a subsystem with stand-alone disk drives that rest beneath the monitor and provide unlimited data storage capability with removable cartridges. After several years of prosperity, the bottom fell out in 1986 and 1987 when computer makers began including relatively large storage hard drives as a standard part of the home PC. Demand for the Bernoulli Box technology waned, and Iomega experienced hard times that included an $8.5 million bank debt and enormous inventories. Michael Kucha took the reins as chief executive officer (CEO) and immediately made an impact on the struggling company. Kucha cut costs by trimming the workforce from 1,350 to 750 as well as utilizing substantial tax write-offs. In less then a year, Kucha helped Iomega gain an $18 million cash balance, cut the bank debt to zero, and slashed inventory by 50%.16 More importantly, Kucha stressed research and development during his leadership reign. The company was able to adapt its Bernoulli Box product for the Apple Macintosh computers and began benefiting from the increased demand for the Macintosh in the late 1980†³s and early 1990†³s. After a few years of slightly above average success, 1993 proved to be a disastrous year for Iomega. CEO Fred Wenniger, who replaced Kucha in 1989, departed due to shrinking margins and increased competition. The removable storage market had recently been flooded with Iomega clones that caused prices to decline, thus increasing competition. Analysts wondered if the company would survive the year.17 Leon Staciokas was named acting CEO as the company restructured during 1993 and 1994. In January 1994, Staciokas advocated a staff cut in hopes of reducing overhead expenses and freeing up extra cash. Eight percent of salaried positions were cut as part of the corporate wide restructuring.18 Later in the year, Kim Edwards replaced Staciokas and became permanent CEO of Iomega. Edwards first task was freeing up more money to invest in updating and improving technology. In July, Iomega cut 100 salaried jobs in a bold management move that would free up $4 million in overhead annually.19 Edwards† new management approach towards Iomega eventually transformed the company from a struggling business into the most successful removable storage manufacturer in the world. This approach was based on the idea of creating a product that the public would buy and use rather than simply admire. After meeting with top management and technical advisors in the early months of 1995, Edwards was able to lay the groundwork for the release of Iomega†s new Zip drive that would revolutionize the industry and reestablish the company as a major player in removable storage software. The creation and release of the Zip drive in late 1995, as well as wise financial management by Edwards, helped to increase Iomega†s operating budget from $141 million in 1995 to just over $1.2 billion in 1997. 20 Unfortunately, Iomega encountered more problems in late 1997 and early 1998. Edwards believed that opening a new product engineering and manufacturing plant in Milipitas, California, would yield greater productivity and allow for quicker response time to customer demands for new technology.21 And it did. However, in July 1998, Iomega acquired Nomai, another removable storage manufacturer, in hopes of shrinking competition and placing the company squarely in front of all competitors. This bold move hurt Iomega†s finances and caused a significant increase in operating expenses when paired with the upkeep of a brand new factory. This poor management decision by Edwards cost him his job. 22 Presently, Jodie Glore serves as president and CEO of Iomega. Mr. Glore is the permanent replacement for Kim Edwards after James Sierk served a brief stint as interim CEO. Glore hopes to reorganize and restructure Iomega; he wants to focus on the areas that the company has been criticized for in the past such as customer service and unsatisfactory product performance. Glore has already taken steps to alleviate these problems by ordering internal restructuring that will overhaul the previous system. The new system of eight business functions is a more elaborate, yet organized hierarchy. Glore hopes that it will allow a quicker response to customers, placing their needs as a top priority.15 How to cite Iomega Corporation Data Storage, Essay examples