When people think of technology, they tend to think more of the software end of things. They think about the programs that people use on the computer, the games they can play on the PlayStation, and so on. However, technology is every bit as much about the hardware, and really a lot more. Neither word processing nor Grand Theft Auto would be possible without the devices that those things run on, which are tangible and can break and involve very complex technology. Just like software, for which people are constantly thinking of more clever and more efficient ways to do things that result in improved performance, there are constantly big strides in the technological progression of hardware. This is one reason why machines keep getting more powerful (and usually more compact and efficient).
For example, computers run on devices called microchips, which are the “mind” of the computer and tells it how to do things. The more microchips in one device, the larger its mind and the smarter it is. Eventually the goal is real artificial intelligence, preferably without the machine rebellion foreseen by the Terminator and Matrix franchises and almost all science fiction ever. But in the meantime, more microchips means better games like the PlayStation 3, with its high-definition Blu-Ray movie format and its amazingly realistic video game graphics, and similar devices. It’s possible to make microchips both faster and smaller, so that you can fit more of them in a limited space. This can result in huge leaps in power from generation to generation of hardware.
Technology is important in maintenance, too. When all those microchips are running, the electronic device gets hot . These are moving parts and they’re moving very quickly and intensely. Without adequate ventilation, the microchips might overheat and burn out, which is why fans are required to circulate air. Some computer experts like to use chilled water circulated through tubes within their powerful computers for greater effect.