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Computer Chapter Hardware
McGraw-Hill/Irwin
2008,The McGraw-Hill Companies, All Rights Reserved
Learning Objectives
1. Understand the history and evolution of computer hardware. 2. Identify the major types and uses of microcomputer, midrange and mainframe computer systems. 3. Outline the major technologies and uses of computer peripherals for input, output, and storage. 4. Identify and give example of the components and functions of a computer system.
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Learning Objectives
5. Identify the computer systems and peripherals you would acquire or recommend for a business of your choice, and explain the reasons for your selections.
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Case 1: Northrup Grumman, Boeing, and Others: Employee Connectivity Trumps ROI
When it comes to wireless technologies used to empower a mobile workforce, ROI seems to be a minor issue. For many companies like Northrup Grumman, Boeing, and others cost isn't the issue but total connectivity of the workforce is. The challenge is delivering the information that fit on small LCD screens of these mobile devices. Mobile computing capabilities have become "a critical component of a company's success."
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Case Study Questions
1. What are several major business benefits that organizations can realize by connecting all of their employees with wireless mobile devices? 2. Are the CIOs in the case saying that ROI is not important when deploying mobile computing devices? Explain your response. 3. What are several challenges that employees and organizations face in connecting their employees with wireless mobile devices? Do these challenges outweigh the connectivity benefits you outlined earlier? Why or why not?
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Real World Internet Activity
1. The BlackBerry mobile device, while extremely popular, is but one of several devices available for mobile communications and messaging. Using the Internet
See if you can find out who the major competitors are What strategies they are using to advance their products into the marketplace? Is it features, price, brand, or something else? Is BlackBerry really the leader?
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Real World Group Activity
2. The case outlines several challenges to employee morale and productivity caused by overuse or misuse of wireless mobile devices.
What are some of the potential problems that may arise in an organization from such challenges? What solutions can you propose? Discuss these issues
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Calculating pre-computer
Counting on fingers and toes Abacus: manipulating stones or beads to count
The word calculate comes from calculus, the Latin word for small stone
First mechanical adding machine
Invented by Blaise Pascal in 1642 Wheels to move counters
Machines in the age of industrialization
Mechanical loom with cards punched with holes
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Early computing
Charles Babbage and the Analytical Engine
19th century Machine that calculated, stored values in memory and perform logical comparisons Mechanical rather than electronics
Herman Hollerith and the 1890 census
Punched cards to record census data Cards read in a tabulating machine Hollerith's company went onto become IBM
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Electronic computers
ENIAC first electronic and digital computer
1946 Programmable 5000 calculations per second Used vacuum tubes First generation computer Drawbacks: size and could only do one program at a time
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Next wave of computing
Second generation, late 1950s
Transistors replace the vacuum tubes 200,000 to 250,000 calculations per second
Third generation, mid 1960s
Integrated circuitry, miniaturization
Fourth generation, 1971
Further miniaturization of circuits Multiprogramming and virtual storage
Fifth generation, 1980s
Millions of calculations per second
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Microcomputers
1975, ALTAIR, flicking switches 1977, Commodore and Radio Shack produce personal computers 1979, Apple computer, the fastest selling PC so far 1982, IBM introduces the PC which changes the market
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Computer System Categories
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Microcomputer Systems
Personal Computer (PC) microcomputer for use by an individual
Desktop fit on an office desk Laptop small, portable PC
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Recommended features for PC
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Microcomputer Systems
Workstation a powerful, networked PC for business professionals Network Server more powerful microcomputers that coordinate telecommunications and resource sharing in small networks
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How corporate buyers choose PCs
Solid performance at a reasonable price Operating system ready Connectivity reliable network interface or wireless capability
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Terminals
Devices that allow access to a network Dumb terminals keyboard and video monitor with limited processing Intelligent terminals modified networked PCs or network computers Network terminals or computers
Windows terminals depend on network servers for software, processing and storage Internet terminals depend to the Internet or Intranet for operating systems and software
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Information Appliances
Hand-held microcomputer devices Personal digital assistants (PDA)
BlackBerry
Video-game consoles Internet enabled cellular phones
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Midrange systems
High-end network servers Minicomputers for scientific research and industrial process monitoring Less costly to buy, operate and maintain than mainframe
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Mainframe Computer Systems
Large, fast powerful computer systems Large primary storage capacity High transaction processing Complex computations Can be used as superservers for large companies
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Supercomputer Systems
Extremely powerful systems Scientific, engineering and business applications at extremely high speeds Global weather forecasting, military defense Parallel processing with thousands of microprocessors Billions of operations per second Millions of dollars Minisupercomputers costing hundreds of thousands of dollars
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Computer hardware functions
Input
Keyboards, mice, optical scanners Convert data into electronic form
Processing
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
Arithmetic-logic unit performs the arithmetic functions Control unit
Output
Video display units, printers, etc. Convert electronic information into human-intelligible form
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Computer hardware functions
Storage
Primary Storage Unit or memory Secondary Storage
Magnetic disks and Optical disks
Control
Control unit of the CPU Controls the other components of the computer
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Computer Processing Speeds
Millisecond thousandth of a second
Microsecond millionth of a second
Nanosecond billionth of a second
Picosecond trillionth of a second
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Computer Processing Speeds
MIPS million instructions per second Teraflops trillions of floating point operations per second (Supercomputer) Clock speed of the computer:
Megahertz (MHz) millions of cycles per second Gigahertz (GHz) billions of cycles per second
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Moore's Law
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Case 2: Apple Inc.: The iPod, the iMac, and the Business Lessons of Closed Systems
In the microcomputer market, Apple shrank from an industry leader to a niche player because it designed closed systems with proprietary hardware and software. The runaway success of Apple's iPod has helped boost the market share of the iMac and other desktop and portable computers in Apple's Mac lineup. Since the arrival of the iPod, Apple's share of the desktop and portable computer market in the US has almost doubled, reaching just under 6 percent in early 2006. Apple's strategy of closed system of the iPod really paid off.
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Case Study Questions
1. Do you agree with the sources in this case that Apple will continue to dominate the digital music market for years to come? Why or why not? 2. Can the key technology and business strategies Steve Jobs implemented with the closed system of the iPod be applied successfully to the iMac and other Apple closedsystem computer products? Defend your answer with several examples of what could or could not be accomplished for Apple's computer product line.
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Case Study Questions
3. Will the cachet of the iPod and the capabilities of Boot Camp and the Leopard version of Apple's OS X continue to lure more first-time computer buyers and Windows PC users to the Mac lineup of desktops and portables? Why or why not?
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Real World Internet Activity
1. Use the Internet to check out the claims of the iPod's dominance by the sources in this case. Research how the iPod's competitors are doing now, including new entrants like Microsoft's Zune, and what strategies they are employing to gain share.
market Has the market changed since this case was written? Defend your view of the status of the battle for the digital music market.
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Real World Group Activity
2. What is your view of digital rights management tactics like copy protection that are used by Apple, its competitors, and the music industry?
Is this capability a proper protection of the music companies' and artists' intellectual property rights? Is it an infringement on a purchaser's right to reproduce content? Is it an anticompetitive restraint of trade, especially for the closed system of the iPod? Discuss these issues.
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Peripherals
Peripheral is generic name for all input, output, and secondary storage devices that are part of the computer system but are not part of the CPU Online devices
Separate from CPU But electronically connected to and controlled by CPU
Offline devices
Separate from and not under control of the CPU
Peripherals are online devices
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Peripheral Checklist
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Input technologies
Keyboard: most widely-used Graphical user interface (GUI)
Icons, menus, windows, buttons, bars Used for selection
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Pointing Devices
Electronic Mouse Trackball Stationary device like a mouse
Roller ball used to move cursor on screen.
Pointing Stick Small eraser head-like device in keypad
Moves cursor in direction of pressure placed on stick.
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Pointing Devices
Touchpad Small rectangular touch-sensitive surface
Moves the cursor in the direction of finger moves on the pad
Touch Screen use computer by touching screen
Video display screen that emits a grid of infrared beams, sound waves, or a slight electric current Grid is broken when the screen is touched.
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Pen-based Computing
Used in Tablet PCs and PDAs Pressure-sensitive layer like touch screen under liquid crystal display screen Have software that digitizes handwriting, hand printing, and hand drawing
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Speech Recognition Systems
Discrete: pause between each word Continuous: conversationally-paced speech
System compares your speech patterns to library of sound patterns
Training: to recognize your voice patterns Speaker independent system: understand voice never heard before
Used in voice-messaging computers
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Optical Scanning
Read text or graphics and convert them into digital input Desktop or flatbed scanners Optical Character Recognition (OCR):
Read characters and codes Used to read merchandise tags, sort mail, score tests
Optical scanning wands
Read bar codes such as the Universal Product Code (UPC)
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Other Input Technologies
Magnetic stripe
Read magnetic stripe on credit cards
Smart cards
Microprocessor chip and memory on credit card Used more often in Europe than in US
Digital cameras Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR)
Identification numbers of bank and account printed in magnetic ink on bottom of check
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Output Technologies
Video displays
Cathode ray tube (CRT) like a television
Most desktop PC screens
Liquid crystal displays (LCDs)
Laptop and PDAs, some PCs
Printed Output
Inkjet printer
Spray ink on page
Laser printer
Electrostatic process like photocopying machine
Voice response systems
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Storage tradeoffs
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Computer Storage Fundamentals
Binary representation
Data are processed and stored in computer system through the presence or absence of signals Either ON or OFF
ON = number 1 OFF = number 0
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Bit and Byte
Bit (short for binary digit)
Smallest element of data Either zero or one
Byte
Group of eight bits which operate as a single unit Represents one character or number
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Representing characters in bytes
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Computers use binary system to calculate
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Measuring storage capacities
Kilobyte (KB): one thousand bytes Megabyte (MB): one million bytes Gigabyte (GB): one billion bytes Terabyte (TB): one trillion bytes Petabyte (PB): one quadrillion bytes
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Direct and Sequential Access
Direct Access or Random Access
Directly store and retrieve data Each storage position has unique address and can be accessed in same length of time Semiconductor memory chips, magnetic disks
Sequential Access
Data is stored and retrieved in a sequential process Must be accessed in sequence by searching through prior data Magnetic tape
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Direct and sequential access
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Semiconductor memory
Microelectronic semiconductor memory chips Used for primary storage Advantage:
Small size Fast Shock and temperature resistance
Disadvantage:
Volatility: must have uninterrupted electric power or lose memory
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Two types of semiconductor memory
RAM: random access memory
Most widely used primary storage medium Volatile memory Read/write memory
ROM: read only memory
Permanent storage Can be read but cannot be overwritten Frequently used programs burnt into chips during manufacturing Called firmware
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Flash drive
New type of permanent storage Uses semiconductor memory Small chip with thousands of transistors Easily transported Also called jump drives, USB flash drives
Source: Courtesy of Lexar Media.
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Magnetic Disks
Used for secondary storage Fast access and high storage capacity
Source: Quantum.
Source:3- 54 Corbis.
Types of magnetic disks
Floppy disks
Magnetic disk inside a plastic jacket
Hard disk drives
Magnetic disk, access arms, and read/write heads in sealed module
RAID (Redundant arrays of independent disks)
Disk arrays of interconnected hard disk drives Fault tolerant with multiple copies on several disks
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Magnetic Tape
Secondary storage Tape reels and cartridges Used in robotic automated drive assemblies Archival storage and backup storage
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Optical Disks
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Uses of optical disks
Image processing
Long term storage of historical files of images Scan documents and store on optical disks
Publishing medium for fast access to reference materials
Catalogs, directories, etc.
Interactive multimedia applications
Video games, educational videos, etc.
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Radio Frequency Identification
RFID Tag and identify mobile objects
E.g., store merchandise, postal packages, pets
Use RFID chips to transmit and receive radio signals Chips half the size of a grain of sand Passive chips:
do not have power source and derive power from signal in reader
Active chips:
Self-powered
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RFID versus bar codes
RFID
Scan from greater distance Can store data Allows more information to be tracked
Privacy concerns due to invisible nature
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Case 3: E-Trade, Verizon Communications, AAA, and Others
Computerized speech recognition technology has become smarter, easier to use, and more integrated with other applications. According to Data Monitor analyst Daniel Hong, "Speech technology is finally transitioning from a cool technology to a business solution." According to Data Monitor, the average call-center call costs $5 if handled by an employee but 50 cents with a selfservice, speech-enabled system. Today technical advances are enabling companies new uses for automated speech systems and helping them save millions of dollars.
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Case Study Questions
1. What are the business benefits and limitations of the speech recognition systems at e-Trade, Verizon and others? How could their use of this technology be improved? 2. What types of business situations would benefit most from speech recognition technology? Which ones would benefit least? Explain your choices.
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Case Study Questions
3. Given the advancements in speech recognition software over the past 20 years, what types of new applications for this technology do you see in the next 20 years? Provide examples to illustrate your answer.
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Real World Internet Activity
1. Speech recognition technology is advancing rapidly in terms of its ability to simulate natural language conversations and accept common phrases.
Using the Internet, research the state of the art in speech recognition technology. A good place to start would be the web sites of the speech recognition system developers mentioned in the case.
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Real World Group Activity
2. Simply simulating natural conversations is but one capability of speech software applications. Text-to-speech, voice verification, and speechto-text are a few others.
Brainstorm about how speech recognition systems could be used in innovative and useful ways. Do you think we will eventually eliminate the need for humans in common telephone interactions? Is this good or bad?
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