A products design can be more valuable than the product itself. With

Question

A product’s design can be more valuable than the product itself. With the advent of the personal computer in the 1970s, the computer-manufacturing sector, an industry then dominated by those giants able to afford incredibly specialized knowledge and to produce equally expensive products, suddenly found its brightest lights shining in the  garages of clever engineers . Large manufacturers responded slowly but eventually arrived at a lucrative solution: IBM developed its own personal computer and permitted other manufacturers to copy its design in exchange for royalties. This move brought the computer giant’s greatest strength to bear—an enormous reserve of engineering brainpower—and ensured its continued control over a broad stretch of the personal computer market. At the same time, the broad selection of IBM “clones” available brought prices down and ensured the product’s mass-market appeal.

The upstart companies that gave older manufacturers so much trouble to begin with soon found themselves in a difficult situation. Despite their innovative operating systems, which converted computers from specialists’ tools into devices nearly as easy to use as toasters, these companies may not have reaped their full reward, as they have jealously held onto exclusive rights to manufacture the machines that run the new systems. Only recently have these smaller companies begun to license their hardware designs and operating systems, paving the way for clones of their own. Yet the young companies lag far behind both IBM and those software developers who have reaped huge rewards from the personal computer bonanza, leading many analysts to wonder if the smaller companies’ machines will remain the expensive luxuries that they have become in the home-computing market.    1 
 1. When discussing recent developments in the computer industry, the author of the passage indicates that

A. small companies will continue to take business away from their larger competitors
B. large computer manufacturers and small ones are seeking ways to cooperate in order to broaden consumer demand for personal computers
C. small computer manufacturers are beginning to seek ways to make their products available to non-specialists
D. large computer manufacturers are relying on software developers for most of their new products
E. small computer manufacturers are now adopting the innovations of the larger manufacturers

2 
 2. According to the passage, which of the following was an advantage possessed by large computer manufacturers prior to the emergence of small computer-makers?

A. Their ability to produce expensive products
B. The substantial resources at their disposal
C. Their ability to adapt quickly to changes in the computer industry
D. The high quality computers they were able to produce
E. Their development of the earliest personal computer prototypes

3 
 3. According to the passage, which of the following resulted from “cloning” in the computer industry?

I. The failure of younger, smaller computer manufacturers to realize their full potential
II. The creation of low-quality, low-cost home computers
III. The introduction of specialization into the computer industry

I only
II only
I and II only
I and III only
II and III only

4 
 4. Which of the following describes a solution most similar to IBM's response to the emergence of successful small computer companies?

A. A stockbroker spreads his investments across several industries in order to protect himself from the failure of any one industry.
B. A soft-drink corporation permits other soft-drink companies to use its manufacturing processes in creating competitive products.
C. A maker of pocket calculators recommends to its clients that they purchase its competitors’ products.
D. A publisher of large, leather-bound books sells the reprint rights to its catalog to a publisher of low-cost paperbacks.
E. A small bicycle company refuses to share innovative designs with competitors until it has gained a substantial share of the bicycle market.

5 
 5. Based on the information contained in the passage, which of the following Is true of the small computer industry?

A. It poses an insurmountable challenge to large computer manufacturers.
B. It compelled large computer manufacturers to reassess the way they do business.
C. It provides products that larger companies are unable to manufacture successfully.
D. |t will never catch up with the large computer manufacturers.
E. It was largely responsible for the widespread popularity and availability of personal computers.

6 
 6. The author of the passage refers to  “garages of clever engineers"  in order to

A. refute the widespread belief that large computer manufacturers are on the decline
B. illustrate the damage to the computer industry brought about by the popularity of the personal computer
C. point out how small computer manufacturers challenged the dominance of larger manufacturers
D. provide examples of how the computer industry has diversified in the past few decades
E. show how the computer industry has responded to recent changes in the economy

7 
 7. The primary purpose of the passage is to

A. criticize the policies of large computer manufacturers
B. describe the role of the computer manufacturing sector in American business
C. outline the role of small manufacturers in the computer industry
D. analyze the failures of the personal computer industry
E. discuss the history of the personal computer market

road740 · Accepted Answer

My answers (These are not necessarily correct, I just use this comment section as a type of exercise. Feel free to correct me anytime!)

1 E

A. small companies will continue to take business away from their larger competitors (--> Not true! According to the author, they might have problems in the future)

B. large computer manufacturers and small ones are seeking ways to cooperate in order to broaden consumer demand for personal computers
(--> Large companies cooperate with other manufacturers so they can copy their products, but nothing is said about cooperation with other small companies)

C. small computer manufacturers are beginning to seek ways to make their products available to non-specialists ("which converted computers from specialists’ tools into devices nearly as easy to use as toasters" Yes, they try to make their products easy-to-use; however, are they "beginning" with it? The original text says they "converted" it seems as though their innovation of making it available to non-specialist was already made.)

D. large computer manufacturers are relying on software developers for most of their new products (--> No. Quote: "lag far behind both IBM and those software developers")

E. small computer manufacturers are now adopting the innovations of the larger manufacturers ("Only recently have these smaller companies begun to license their hardware designs and operating systems, paving the way for clones of their own" You could argue, that they have copied the "innovation" of larger companies to give other manufaturers the opportunity to copy their products)

--> I think this was the most difficult question of all. I go with E.

2 B "an industry then dominated by those giants able to afford incredibly specialized knowledge and to produce equally expensive products"

--> C and E can be crossed out immediately
--> D: the text does not mention that the computers are of high quality
--> A: They were able to produce expensive products, but I don´t think it´s the focus

--> I tend to B, because it says that they were able to "afford incredibly specialized knowledge" (=resource) and to produce "equally expensive" products (the focus lies on "afford", not on the production of expensive products; the production of equally expensive products is a consequence from being able to afford specialized knowledge)

3 A

II. The creation of low-quality, low-cost home computers (--> No. Low-cost is true, but there is no mentioning of low-quality.)
III. The introduction of specialization into the computer industry (--> No. It is merely said that smaller companies "converted computers from specialists’ tools into devices nearly as easy to use as toasters", meaning that they are keen to make computers easier to use; there is no specialization mentioned.)

The only correct choice left is:
I. The failure of younger, smaller computer manufacturers to realize their full potential

4 D

--> A, C and E can be easily crossed out
--> B: IBM permitted cloning; but not with the intention of having competitive products, but rather low-cost products to ensure a mass-market appeal
--> D is the best choice

5 B

6 C

7 E

C. outline the role of small manufacturers in the computer industry (--> Too unspecific, it is here about personal computers, not the computer industry in general)

D. analyze the failures of the personal computer industry (--> No, because this would imply that the whole pesonal computer industry has failed, which it has not.)

E. discuss the history of the personal computer market (--> Most fitting answer)
________________________________________________________________

Edit: They are all correct

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

7. The primary purpose of the passage is to

Explanation

This is a global question so we cannot go back to read the passage again. Use POE to reach the answer.

(A) "criticize"  make this answer option too extreme to consider.

(B)  This is irrelevant.

(C)  There is a twist in this answer choice, the subject here is "small manufacturers" while this is not the case keeping in view the requirement of a global question. This is an ill-directed answer choice.

(D)  Same as  (B)  irrelevant.

(E)  Best among the five.

Answer: E

arieframadhanm · Answer

Hi  Sajjad1994  what do you mean by "twist" here? Is it because it's supposed to be "large manufacturers" as the main subject is the large ones?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Yes! you are right

Here is what (c) says

C.  outline  the role of  small manufacturers  in the computer industry

This option centralizes the  small manufacturer  and suggests that the majority of the passage is based on or talks about the role of small manufacturers but actually this is not true.

alizakhatoon · Answer

please explain why 5th isnt E?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Hello alizakhatoon

Question 5 is a bad quality question, in my opinion.  (B)  could not be the answer here and even not the (E). I would suggest leaving this question and moving on as there is no answer here for question #5.

Thank you!

srik410 · Answer

E says small manufacturers are responsible for both popularity and availability. While popularity may be due to garages(which is mentioned in the 2nd para as they came up with the innovation), availability is primarily due to large manufacturers as is mentioned at the end of 1st para. So we can cross out E

A products design can be more valuable than the product itself. With

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A products design can be more valuable than the product itself. With

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