Download Chapter 1: How are computers organized?

Chapter 1: How are
computers organized?
Software, data, & processing ?
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A computers has no insight or intuition
It must be told what to do by instructions
A program: a sequence of instructions
Data: user data and application data
User data: data entered by a user
– The text of a report you entered
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Application data: supplied by a program
– Initial font, spacing between lines, etc in MS
WORD
Software, data, & processing ?
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Processing:
– a computer follows programs in working
with data
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Computer application:
– a program and its application data
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Software
– Programs, in old days
– Computer applications, now
How do computers work?
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We find out over the whole semester.
Main components in a machine?
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Central Processing Unit (CPU)
– Direct all operations in the computer
– Synonyms: the brain, processors, microprocessors
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Main memory or memory
– Holds the data and instructions during processing
– Synonyms: Random Access Memory (RAM)
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Input/output (I/O) devices
– Allow the CPU to interact with users
– Keyboards, monitors, printers, disks, etc.
Main components in a machine?
Network
System Unit
Input
CPU
Output
Memory
Disk
How are components connected?
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Integrated circuits – chips
– CPU, memory, etc
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Buses
– Electrical passage between chips
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Motherboard
– Circuit board hosting all the components
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Cards:
– Circuit boards for I/O devices
– Network card, video card, modem, etc.
How are components connected?
Bus
Monitor
Keyboard
Disk
CPU
RAM
What does the “brain” look like?
adapter cards
processor chip
memory chips
memory slots
Expansion
slots for
adapter cards
motherboard
What the components look like?
What is a “virtual machines”?
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A work environment for a specific task
– An interface
– A collection of capabilities
– A way of thinking about the task
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Examples
– MS word
– Internet Explore
Summary – chapter 1
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Hardware components
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CPU, memory, I/O devices
Connected together by buses
Circuits combined in chips
Chips placed on cards/board
Software and Information
– Instructions: tell the computer what to do
– Application data: used by programs
– User data: processed by programs
Terminology
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Hardware
Software
CPU
Main memory
I/O devices
Cache memory
Bus
Chip and casing
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Card
Expansion slots
Instructions
Programs
Computer applications
Latency
Processing
Data