4.2 Shopping via the internet

Economic and management sciences

Grade 7

Telecommunication services

Module 17

Shopping via the Internet

Music in your pocket

The iPod is no ordinary music-player; it has developed into a symbol of our day. It has become a fashion item of children of all ages, adding to their “image”.

The sales of this digital favourite exceeded all expectations. Between July and September 2004, two million iPods were sold over the counter. At Christmas sales were expected to reach ten million. As far as looks are concerned, iPods are considered as cool as hell, both inside and outside.

The iPod Photo has space for 15 000 songs on its hard-drive of 60 giga-bytes and it offers you the possibility of photo displays.

The iPod mini is exactly what the name suggests: smaller, lighter and thinner than its elder brother, but less powerful. Its battery needs to be charged sooner, and it can store only 1 000 songs on the hard-drive of 4 giga-bytes.

In the meantime other companies, following in the footsteps of Apple who developed the iPod, have come up with their own models. Dell brought the Digital Jukebox onto the market. Philips produced the HDD and Packard Bell the Pocket M@estro. The latter is hardly bigger than a credit card, with a hard-drive of 5 giga-bytes and a built-in FM radio transmitter and a dictaphone as well.

Philips’ ADD 120 however, has lost out, because this model was slow and cumbersome to handle, and came with useless earphones. Besides, it was much more expensive.

The Internet-shop iTunes Music Store sells more than four million songs per week, bringing the provisional total to about 200 million. Impressive, to say the least, even if the figure does not mean much compared with the 150 milliard songs that have been down-loaded illegally during the previous year, via filesharing services such as Kazaa, Grokster and eDonkey. However, the results of iTunes Music Store are encouraging, as it proves that consumers are actually prepared to pay for their music. Customers pay about R10,00 per song, and they seem to regard it as a reasonable price.

From: Knack, 24 November 2004

You have read the article on iPods and made up your mind that you simply can’t go without one. The only problem the shops in your town don’t sell them. The only solution is to go shopping on the Internet. Your knowledgeable friend advises you to go to the kalahari.net web page, because apart from selling books, they also offer DVD’s, video’s, music, electronics and cameras, and a variety of other services.

Activity 1:

To shop via the internet

[lo 3.4]

Step 1:

Type in the web address.

Step 2:

When the home page appears on the comput on Electronics and Cameras .

Step 3:

Click on 2 in the text box Audiovisual Bestsellers . Apple iPod Video 30 GV3 – white.

Step 4:

The information on the iPod appears on the screen.

Step 5:

Click on Add to basket .

Click on Create Profile .

The order form appears on the screen.

Step 6:

Supply your personal details.

KYou received a catalogue in the post from a large chain store that sells electronic goods.

• How do the price compare with those on the Internet?
• Now what?

Assessment

Memorandum

Shopping on the Internet

• The purpose of this learning unit is to become acquainted with the rapidly expanding phenomenon of e-Commerce on the Internet.

Activity 1

• This activity can be done on computers if the facilities are available at the school. Because the information on the Internet regarding e-Commerce may change on a daily basis, the instructions might not necessarily correspond. Keep it in mind!
• Similar activities can be done by the learners.