Hardware Fundamentals and Trends

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Information Systems 2nd edition A Business
Approach

• Hardware Fundamentals and Trends

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Computer Memory

• 1 byte (8 binary digits)1 alphanumeric
  character
• 1 Kilobyte (KB) 1024 Bytes (210)One half of a
  double-spaced page of A4
• 1 Megabyte (MB) 1,048,576 Bytes (220)500 pages
  of A4
• 1 Gigabyte 1,073,741,824 (230)Half a million
  pages of A4
• most people think of a KB as 1000 bytes

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Computer Speed

• Computer speeds are defined in two ways first,
  the speed of the system clock usually quoted in
  Megahertz (cycles per second). We quote speeds in
  millions of instructions per second (MIPS). The
  problem is that clock speed does not necessarily
  equate to instruction process rate. To give an
  idea of the number crunching ability of a
  processor, a third metric FLOPS (Floating point
  operations per second) is used.
• Key Concept Most business applications do not
  require vast amounts of number crunching. Instead
  they are input-output focused. Accordingly, disk
  access speeds and internal transfer rates are
  more important than raw processor power.

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Four Generations of Hardware

• Generation 1 Valves 1946-1959 Transforming
  Business Processes
• Generation 2 Transistors 1959-1964
  Transforming Organisations
• Generation 3 Integrated Circuits 1965-1971
  Transforming Markets
• Generation 4 Very Large-Scale Integration (VLSI)
  1971-present day Transforming Society

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Types of Computer

• Super computer
• Mainframe
• Mini computer
• Workstation
• Microcomputer
• Handheld
• Wearable

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Computer Architecture

• Most computers use a single-processor
  architecture called the von Neumann architecture.
  The program and data are stored in memory and
  fetched in as required.
• All computers perform the same basic functions
  input, output, processingand storage.

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PC Architecture

• Based on the von Neuman machine, the PC has
  the following features
• motherboard with expansion slots
• processor (divided into the ALU and control unit)
• primary memory (divided into RAM and ROM)
• secondary storage (hard and floppy drives)
• system bus
• ports (serial, parallel, USB, Starfire)

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Types of Chip

• The most widely used type is a complex
  instruction set chip (CISC) which are used in IBM
  PC standard systems
• The other variety of chip is a reduced
  instruction set chip (RISC) and is able to
  replace complicated instructions in terms of a
  number of simple instructions which can be
  performed very efficiently. These are used in
  workstations and Apple computers.

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The Quest for Speed

• New materials (gallium arsenide) and room
  temperature superconductors
• New architectures (parallel machines)
• Reversion to vacuum tubes (nano scale)
• New technology such as quantum computing would
  allow all the numbers from 0 toone trillion to
  be represented using a mere40 qubits compared
  with 104 trillion bits ina conventional machine.

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Output Devices

• Hard copy (printers)
• Soft copy monitors
• Monitors can be CRT or Flat screen (LED) or more
  recently OLED.
• More recently, minute lasers can be used to
  output vivid images directly onto the retina
  this is important for personal and mobile
  computing.
• Monitor clarity (resolution) depends on the
  number of pixels and their density on the screen.
• A high quality video card will improve PC
  performance substantially

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Primary Storage

• ROM (firmware) holds instructions permanently.
• Also have PROM and EEPROM chips for embedded
  software (important for handhelds)
• RAM holds data and instructions while there is
  power, RAM is volatile.
• The more memory the PC has the better it will
  perform. 128MB is average. Good design puts the
  RAM close to the processor. Accessing RAM is many
  thousand times faster than accessing secondary
  storage.

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Secondary Storage

• Classified by access method
• Serial tapes, DAT, etc., are too slow for live
  systems and tend to be used for system backups.
• Random hard drives are much faster than devices
  such as floppy drives, CD, DVD,ZIP drives, etc.
• Random devices such a flash memory are random
  access but use EEPROMs to store user data. Widely
  used in handhelds and digital cameras expensive
  and slower than most hard drives and expensive.

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Moores Law

• In 1965, Gordon Moore, one of the cofounders of
  Intel noted that the amount of information
  storable on a square inch of silicon would double
  about every 18 months. In general terms this
  means that the processing power effectively
  doubles every34 years, though the actual figure
  is nearer 20 increase per year for mainframes
  and roughly 25 per year for PCs.
• The limiting factors include the need for heat
  dissipation and the physical wavelength of light
  used to etch the microchips.

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Buying A PC

• Analyse your needs for computer purchase.
• Choose software that will support your needs.
  Identify hardware that will support your
  software.
• Produce a shortlist and choose your preferred
  platform (PC/Mac) seek advice.
• Obtain quotes and negotiate.
• Dont be influenced by bundling.
• Pay by credit card not store finance.
• Adhere to standards look for an upgrade path.

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Why Standards?

• Reduce complexity and diversity.
• Make systems understandable and manageable.
• Reduce cost and risk.
• Reduce dependency on key suppliers and key
  employees.
• Since most costs associated with managing
  networked PCs are labour (approx.70),
  standardising on hardware and software
  configurations can save a lot of money.
• Since many company departments control their own
  IT budget, how can an IS manager make sure that
  the recommended procurement standards are
  followed?

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Thin Clients and Disposables

• Thin client machines rely on using a computer
  network the network becomes the computer and
  the client becomes a display device with limited
  processing power but a longer effective life.
• Much of the costs of PCs comes about because we
  have to maintain compatibility with earlier
  hardware (serial and parallel ports). Cheaper,
  sealed-for-life devices are marketed some for
  as little as 350.

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Purchasing Hardware

• Establish criteria and call for expressions of
  interest (EOI).
• Issue a request for proposal (RFP) to suitable
  companies.
• Evaluate and validate responses.
• Negotiate and oversee the contract for supply.
• Never assume that batteries are included!
• Delay purchases for as long as possible.
• Offload configuration and installation onto the
  supplier if possible.

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Summary

• Standardise on hardware platforms.
• Use widely recognised and supported standards.
• Beware of state-of-the-art technologyit can be
  high risk.
• The difference between leading edge and bleeding
  edge is slight.

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