CHAPER 3 COMPUTER HARDWARE

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CHAPER 3COMPUTER HARDWARE
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Learning Objectives

• Identify the major hardware components of a
  computer
• Describe the design and functioning of the
  central processing unit
• Discuss the relationships between microprocessor
  component designs and performance
• Describe the main types of primary and secondary
  storage
• Distinguish between primary and secondary storage
  along the dimensions of speed, cost, and capacity
• Describe the hierarchy of a computer according to
  power and their respective roles
• Differentiate the types of input and output
  technologies and their uses
• Describe what multimedia systems are and what
  technologies they use
• Discuss strategic issues that link hardware
  design and innovation to competitive business
  strategy

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Chapter Overview
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Case Cutting Edge Hardware Solutions for the
Bellagio Hotel

• The Problem

• select to assure uptime and minimize the strain
  on their massive network

• tested the capabilities of the Intel Xeon
  processor

• The Solution

• Dell PowerEdge 6300 and PowerVault 650F
  five-channel storage - in addition to a mix of
  100 Dell PowerEdge 2200 and 2300 workgroup-level
  servers

• The Results

• Able to implement the network they needed to help
  make this one of the truly great resorts in the
  world

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Case (continued)

• What have we learned from this case??

• selecting the right IT infrastructure
• out of the box thinking - imagining how
  business processes could ideally be configured
  and supported, rather than incremental
  technology-based improvement of an outdated
  process model
• focus on three interrelated factors capability
  (power and appropriateness of the task), speed,
  and cost
• evaluating new hardware options and figuring out
  how to integrate them with existing systems
• changing of computer hardware almost always means
  much of its software needs to be rewritten to run
  on the hardwares new operating system

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The Significance of Hardware
Some basic understanding of computer hardware
design and function is essential because firms
(and individuals) frequently must assess their
competitive advantage in terms of computing
capability.
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Desktop or Portable PC The Tradeoffs
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Computer Hardware

• The physical equipment used for the input,
  processing, output, and storage activities of a
  computer system
• Central processing unit (CPU)
• Memory (primary and secondary storage)
• Input technologies
• Output technologies
• Communication technologies

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The Central Processing Unit (CPU)

• a microprocessor is made up of millions of
  microscopic transistors embedded in a circuit on
  a silicon wafer or chip
• Control unit
• controls the flows of information
• Arithmetic-logic unit
• performs the arithmetic calculations
• Registers
• stores very small amounts of data and
  instructions for short periods of time

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CPU (continued )

• How the CPU Works?

?EDCODE
?EXECUTE
?FETCH
?STORE
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CPU (continued )

• Advances in Microprocessor Design
• increasing miniaturization of transistors
• making the physical layout of the chips
  components as compact and efficient as possible
• new materials for the chip that improve the
  conductivity (flow) of electricity
• amount of basic instructions programmed into the
  chip
• complex instruction set computing (CISC)
• reduced instruction set computing (RISC)

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Computer Memory

• Computer memory affects the type of program it
  can run and the work it can do, its speed, and
  both the cost of the machine and the cost of
  processing data
• Memory capacity
• bits - 0 or 1
• eight bits are needed to represent any one of
  alphanumeric character or mathematical operation
• byte - eight-bit string
• kilobyte (KB) - 1,024 bytes (210 bytes)
• megabyte (MB) - 1,048,576 bytes (210 x 210 bytes)
• most PC have several megabytes of RAM memory
• gigabyte (GB) - 1,073,741,824 bytes (210 x 210 x
  210 bytes)
• hard drive in modern PCs is often more than one
  GB
• terabyte - 1,078,036,791,296 bytes

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Computer Memory (continued )

• Primary storage
• stores for very brief periods of time three types
  of information
• data to be processed by the CPU
• instructions for the CPU as to how to process the
  data
• operating system programs that manage various
  aspects of the computers operation
• four types of primary storage
• registers
• random access memory (RAM)
• cache memory
• read-only memory

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Computer Memory (continued )

• Secondary storage
• stores very large amounts of data for extended
  periods of time
• can have memory capacity of a gigabyte or more
• can be non-volatile
• takes much more time to retrieve data
• can be much more cost effective than primary
  storage
• can take place on a variety of media, each with
  its own technology

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Computer Memory (continued )

• Secondary storage (cont)
• Magnetic media - store data via magnetism
• Magnetic tape - kept on a large open reel or in
  a smaller cartridge or cassette
• Magnetic disks - allow much more rapid access to
  the data than does magnetic tape
• Hard drive (hard disk) - permanently mounted in a
  unit that may be internal or external to the
  computer
• Magnetic diskettes (floppy disks) - have much
  less capacity, ranging from 1.44 megabytes for a
  standard high-density disk to 200 megabytes for a
  disk formatted for a zip drive

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Computer Memory (continued )

• Secondary storage (cont)
• Optical storage devices - a pinpoint laser beam
  is used to burn tiny holes into the surface of a
  reflective plastic platter
• Compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM) -
  high-capacity, low cost, high durability, and
  read only but not written on
• Write once, read many disk (WORM) - can be
  written on, but requires the laser technology
  (the CD burner) to do so
• Rewritable CDs - allow the disk to be written
  upon and rewritten up to 1,000 times

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Computer Hierarchy

• Supercomputer
• has the most processing power
• especially valuable for large simulation models
  of real-world phenomena
• Mainframe Computer
• used in large corporations for centralized data
  processing and maintaining large databases
• allowing for data and information to be shared
  throughout the organization
• several hundreds or thousands of online computers
  can be linked to a mainframe

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Computer Hierarchy (continued )

• Minicomputers (midrange computer)
• perform the same functions as mainframe computers
  but to a limited extent
• designed to accomplish specific tasks such as
  process control, scientific research, and
  engineering applications
• Workstations
• based on RISC (reduced instruction set computer)
  architecture
• provide both very high-speed calculations and
  high-resolution graphic displays

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Computer Hierarchy (continued )

• Microcomputers (micros or personal computers,
  PCs)
• Desktop PCs - typical, familiar microcomputer
  system
• modular in design, with separate but connected
  monitor, keyboard, and CPU
• Network computers (NCs) - allow users to access a
  network
• Laptop and Notebook Computers - small, easily
  transportable, lightweight microcomputers
• designed for maximum convenience and
  transportability
• Palmtop Computer - hand-held microcomputers
• configured for specific applications and limited
  in the number of ways they can accept user input
  and provide output
• Personal digital assistants (PDAs) - a computer
  appliance

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Computer Hierarchy (continued )

• Computing Devices - ever-smaller
  computing/communication devices
• Wearable computers
• free users movements
• Embedded computers
• placed inside other products to add features and
  capabilities
• Active badges
• worn as ID cards by employees who wish to stay in
  touch at all times while moving around the
  corporate premises
• Memory buttons
• store a small database relating to whatever it is
  attached to

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Input Technologies

• Human Data Entry Devices
• keyboard - designed like a typewriter but with
  many additional function keys
• mice and trackball - used to point a cursor at a
  desired place on the screen
• touch screens - touch the desired area to trigger
  an action
• stylus - a pen-style device
• joy stick - used primarily at workstations that
  can display dynamic graphics
• microphone - used to dictate to the computer

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Input Technologies (continued )

• Source Data Automation
• Cash transaction devices
• automated teller machines (ATMs)
• point-of-sale (POS) terminals
• Optical scanners - optical character recognition
  (OCR) software is used in conjunction with a
  scanner
• bar code scanners
• optical mark reader
• magnetic ink character readers
• Voice recognition
• Sensors
• Cameras

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Output Technologies

• Monitors
• the video screen used with most computers that
  displays input as well as output
• Printers
• impact printers
• like typewriter, using some kind of striking
  action
• non-impact printers
• laser printer - uses laser beams to write
  information
• plotters
• uses computer-directed pens for creating
  high-quality images

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Output Technologies (continued )

• Voice Output
• can be played through speakers
• Multifunction Devices
• combine a variety of technologies - fax, printer,
  scanner, copy machine, and answering machine
• Multimedia
• computer-based integration of text, sound, still
  images, animation, and digitized motion video

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Strategic Hardware Issues

• Productivity
• businesses need to assess whether employees
  personal productivity is likely to increase as
  microprocessor power and speed increase
• Changing Work Styles
• organizations must consider whether new work
  styles will benefit employees and the firm as a
  whole
• New Products and Services
• organizations should consider whether they are
  ready and able to take advantage of the advances,
  and new products and services that hardware may
  make possible for the business
• Improved Communication
• businesses need to judge whether they are ready
  to use multimedia