1. Computer Hardware Chapter 3 McGraw-Hill/IrwinCopyright © 2011 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

2. 3-2 Understand the history and evolution of computer hardware. Identify the major types and uses of microcomputer, midrange, and mainframe computer systems. Outline the major technologies and uses of computer peripherals for input, output, and storage. Learning Objectives

3. 3-3 Identify and give examples of the components and functions of a computer system. Identify the computer systems and peripherals you would acquire or recommend for a business of your choice, and explain the reasons for your selection. Learning Objectives

4. 3-4 Early Computing 1880s –Punched cards turned sensors On or Off 1946 –ENIAC –First Digital computer - programmable –Used vacuum tubes –Would fill room 39 ft by 39 ft Late 1950s –Transistors replaced vacuum tubes –Smaller, faster, cooler

5. 3-5 Waves of Computing First Generation - Prior to 1950 –Vacuum tubes Second Generation - Late 1950s –Transistors & integrated circuits – Jack Kilby –200,000 to 250,000 calculations per second Third Generation - Mid-1960s –Integrated circuitry and miniaturization Fourth Generation - 1971 –Further miniaturization –Multiprogramming and virtual storage Fifth Generation - 1980s –Millions of calculations per second

6. 3-6 Age of Microcomputers 1975 –MITS introduced ALTAIR 8800. 1977 –Commodore and Radio Shack 1979 –Apple computer, fastest selling –Steve Jobs & Steve Wozniak 1982 –IBM introduced the PC –Changed the market

7. 3-7 Information Appliances Hand-held microcomputer devices Known as personal digital assistants (PDAs) –Web-enabled –Touch screens, handwriting recognition, keypads –Access email or the Web –Exchange data with desktop PCs or servers –Latest entrant is the BlackBerry PDAs include –Video-game consoles –Cellular and PCS phones –Telephone-based home email appliances iPhone 4

8. 3-8 Midrange Systems High-end network servers –Large-scale processing of business applications Not as powerful as mainframes –Less expensive to buy, operate, and maintain Often used to manage –Large Internet websites –Corporate intranets and extranets –Integrated, enterprise-wide applications Used as front-end servers –Assist mainframes with telecommunications and networks

9. 3-9 Mainframe Computer Systems Large, fast, powerful computer systems –Large primary storage capacity –High transaction processing –Handles complex computations Widely used as superservers for… –Large client/server networks –High-volume Internet websites Becoming popular computing platform for… –Electronic commerce applications –Data mining and warehousing

10. 3-10 Supercomputer Systems Extremely powerful systems –Scientific, engineering, and business applications –Massive numeric computations Markets include… –Government research agencies –Large universities –Major corporations Uses parallel processing –Billions to trillions of operations per second (gigaflops and teraflops) –Costs $5 to $50 million

11. 3-11 Storage Capacity Measurement 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

12. 3-12 Types of Semiconductor Memory Random Access Memory (RAM) –Most widely used primary storage medium –Volatile memory –Read/write memory Read-Only Memory (ROM) –Permanent storage –Can be read, but not overwritten –Frequently used programs burnt into chips during manufacturing process –Called firmware Flash Drive

13. 3-13 RAID Storage Redundant Arrays of Independent Disks –Arrays of hard disk drives –Virtually unlimited online storage –6 to more than 100 small hard disk drives in a single unit –Data are accessed in parallel over multiple paths from many disks –Redundant storage of data on several disks provides fault-tolerant capacity –Storage area networks can interconnect many RAID units

14. 3-14 Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) One of the newest and fastest growing storage technologies –System for tagging and identifying moving objects Merchandise, postal packages, casino chips, pets –Tag 1 inch square –Chips half the size of a grain of sand Passive chips derive power from reader signal Active chips are self-powered Privacy Issues

15. 3-15 Predictions for the Future Biological memories Health remedies Longer life spans Virtual activities Memory recall