The%20Digital%20World%20vs%20The%20Real%20World

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The Digital World vs The Real World

• Computers speak in terms of the binary language
  (1 and 0) which represent on and off pulses
  of electricity.
• Digital is very discreet - either the pulse is
  there or it isnt.
• Our world is not discreet. We speak and hear
  along a continuous analog wave.
• Our language is not discreet. What humans
  recognize as language must be converted to
  machine language.

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The Digital World vs The Real World

• A machine cycle is the amount of time that it
  takes for a computer to
• Fetch and instruction from RAM (which has been
  put there as an input process from our world)
• Decode the instruction into machine language
• Execute the instruction inside of the ALU
• Return the result back to RAM (which is then
  returned to us as an output process by the OS)
• Measured in terms of MHz or MIPS (millions of
  instructions per second)

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Classification of computer systems

• Microcomputers
• Mainframes
• Supercomputers

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Microcomputers

• Personal computer single-user computer.
  Desktop model, laptop, notebook, subnotebook,
  Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs)
• Workstations special PCs designed to support
  applications that require more power than
  ordinary personal computing.
• Embedded microcomputer is embedded inside of
  another machine.
• Convergent Technologies
• Network computers

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Supercomputers

• Usually several large integrated computers. Used
  primarily in defense and scientific organizations
  to process enormous amounts of data extremely
  fast.
• Finding more use in traditional transaction
  environments.

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Mainframe

• Large centralized computers. Normally used to
  process operational business transactions. Some
  firms may have more than one mainframe.
• Usually supports hundreds or thousands of users.
• Large data storage ability