Chapter 3
Computer Hardware
McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Copyright © 2013 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Learning Objectives
Understand the history and evolution of
computer hardware.
Identify the major types and uses of
microcomputer, midrange, and maiframe
computer systems.
Outline the major technologies and uses
of computer peripherals for input,
output, and storage.
3-2
Learning Objectives
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
selections.
3-3
Section 1
Computer Systems: End User and Enterprise
Computing
3-4
I. Introduction
All computers are systems of Input,
Processing, Storage, Output, and Control
Components
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II. A Brief History of Computer
Hardware
Without computers many technological
achievements would not have been
possible:
Counting with fingers/toes, chicken bones,
shells
Calculate – from Calculus, meaning “small
stone”
Blaise Pascal, 1642 – invented the first
mechanical adding machine
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II. A Brief History of Computer
Hardware
Joseph Jacquard, 1801 – “Jacquard’s Loom”
accurately reproduced patterns on a loom
Herman Hollerith – Hollerith’s Punch Card
system to record census data in late 1880’s;
1911 – merged with competitor to form IBM
ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and
Calculator), 1946 – the world’s first
electronic digital computer
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II. A Brief History of Computer
Hardware
1950’s – Transistors were invented and
replaced tubes
1958 – Integrated Circuit (“chip”) was
invented
1970’s – 1980’s
Further miniaturization od circuits
ALTAIR 8800 – the first programmable microcomputer
Apple Computer and IBM PC
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III. Types of Computer Systems
Computers come in a variety of sizes,
shapes, and computing capabilities –
Mainframes
Midrange (obsolete due to powerful
microcomputers)
Microcomputers
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IV. Microcomputer Systems
(Personal Computer)
The most important category for
businesses and consumers, exceeds the
power of many mainframes
Workstations – support mathematical and
graphical demands
Network Servers – support
telecommunications and resource sharing
Computer Terminals – any device that
allows access to a computer
3-10
IV. Microcomputer Systems (Personal
Computer)
Network Computers – designed specifically
for use with networks and the Internet; low
TCO (total cost of ownership)
Information Appliances – Web-enabled
devices for accessing information from
anywhere – cell phones, PDAs, handheld
PCs
3-11
Corporate PC Criteria
Why laptops instead of desktops?
Why would a change in OS be
disruptive?
What are the strengths vs. risks of
cabled vs. wireless PCs?
3-12
V. Midrange, Mainframe, and
Supercomputer Systems
Midrange Systems – popular as Network
Servers; disappearing due to
microcomputers
Mainframe Systems – large, fast, and
powerful, used for high transaction
processing and complex computations; used
by corporations and government agencies
Supercomputers – extremely powerful,
extremely high speeds and massive numeric
computations
3-13
V. Midrange, Mainframe, and
Supercomputer Systems
The Next Wave of Computing –
minisupercomputers; connecting all the
power of unused desktops in an
organization
 Distributed (Grid) Computing – parallel
computing over a network
Advantages – purchase nodes as a commodity,
economies of scale
Disadvantages – untrustworthy calculations, lack of
centralized control
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VI. Technical Note: The Computer System
Concept
Understanding the computer as a system is
of vital importance
The Computer is MORE than a collection of
electronic devices:
Input – convert data into electronic form for entry
into the system
Processing – the CPU (Central Processing Unit)
consists of the Arithmetic-Logic Unit (ALU –
performs the arithmetic and logic functions) and
the Control Unit (controls the rest of the computer)
3-15
VI. Technical Note: The Computer System
Concept
The Computer is MORE than a collection
of electronic devices:
Output – converts electronic information
into human-intelligible form
Storage – store data and instructions for
processing
Control – the other component of the CPU
manages the activities of the rest of the
computer
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VI. Technical Note: The Computer System
Concept
3-17
VI. Technical Note: The Computer System
Concept
Computer Processing Speeds
MIPS – million instructions per second
Teraflops – trillion floating point operations
per second
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VII. Moore’s Law
Moore’s Law 1965 – the number of
transistors on a chip will double every
18-24 months; more broadly interpreted
– the power or speed of a computer will
double every 18-24 months
The Price would halve in that same time,
which has also proven to be true
Recent statistics indicate this time has
decreased to 12 months
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Section 2
Computer Peripherals: Input, Output, and
Storage Technologies
3-20
I. Peripherals
Peripheral - a generic name for all input,
output, and secondary storage devices not
part of the CPU but part of the system
Online – electronically connected to and
controlled by the CPU
Offline – separate from and not
controlled by the CPU
3-21
II. Input technologies
Source Document – the original record
of the data, very important for auditing
purposes; now accepted in both
electronic or physical form
Graphical User Interface (GUI) – presents
icons, buttons, windows, etc. for use
with Pointing Devices (as opposed to a
text-based interface)
3-22
II. Input technologies
Input Devices – keyboards, mice, light
pens, trackballs, touch screens
Speech Recognition Systems –
understands spoken commands/words
Discrete Speech Recognition – speak each word
separately
Continuous Speech Recognition – recognizes
conversationally-paced speech
Speaker-Independent Voice Recognition –
understands speech from a voice it has never
heard before
3-23
II. Input technologies
Optical Scanning – converts text or
graphics to digital input for direct entry
of source documents
Other Input Technologies
Magnetic Stripe – on credit cards
Smart Cards – contain an embedded chip
Digital Cameras
Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR)
– used in banking industry
3-24
Gati Limited: Real-Time Delivery with
Handheld Technology
What is a POD? Why is it important?
How long did it take to return a POD?
Why and How does this help Gati?
How long did ROI take?
3-25
Forget the ATM: Deposit Checks Without
Leaving Home
What does federal Check 21 Act allow?
What is the concern of consumers
remotely depositing checks?
What basic security is provided?
What limits/restrictions are placed on
the consumers?
3-26
III. Output Technologies
Most popular are video and printed
output
Video Output – most popular form of
output
Printed Output (Hardcopy) – most popular
after video; still required for some legal
purposes
3-27
IV. Storage Tradeoffs
Tradeoffs are Cost vs. speed vs. capacity,
but all regularly increase in speed, cost
and capacity
Primary Storage (Random Access Memory
or RAM) – Semiconductor memory, Volatile;
faster but more expensive
Secondary Storage – Magnetic Disks,
Optical Disks, Magnetic Tape; Non-Volatile;
slower but cheaper
3-28
IV. Storage Tradeoffs
Computer Storage Fundamentals
Binary Representation – Two-state, on/off, +/-,
0/1
Bit – Binary digit, 0/1
Byte – Grouping of bits (typically 8 bits/byte),
represents a single character
ASCII – formalized code determining what byte
values represent which character
Storage capacities – kilobytes (KB), megabytes
(MB), gigabytes (GB), terabytes (TB)
3-29
IV. Storage Tradeoffs
Direct and Sequential Access
Direct Access – Random Access Memory (RAM)
and Direct Access Storage Devices (DASD) –
Direct Access and Random Access are the same
concept; locate an address on the storage device
and go directly to that location for access to the
datum
Sequential Access – All tape devices are
accessed serially – device must be read one
record at a time from the first stored datum
until the desired datum is located
3-30
IV. Storage Tradeoffs
3-31
IV. Storage Tradeoffs
3-32
V. Semiconductor Memory
RAM (Random Access Memory) – volatile, may
be read and over-written
ROM (Read Only Memory) – non-volatile, may
be read but not over-written or erased; PROM
and EPROM may be reprogrammed
Flash (Jump) Drives – solid-state memory
3-33
V. Semiconductor Memory
ReadyBoost – Microsoft product that uses any
flash product as a cache to increase Windows
access speed
Solid-State Drive (SSD) – transistor device
created to be accessed like a hard drive; no
moving parts, non-volatile, much faster access
speed
3-34
Work 7x24: Collaboration Technology for
Small Companies
What services does Work 7x24 provide?
What group do they focus on?
Why does this group need these services?
Why might this group have been overlooked
by larger organizations providing similar
services?
3-35
VI. Magnetic Disks – the most common
form of secondary storage
RAID Storage (Redundant Arrays of
Independent Disks) – interconnected groups of
hard drives, fast speeds, fault tolerant
(redundant backups) through networks
3-36
VII & VIII. Magnetic Tape & Optical Disks
Magnetic Tape – slow speeds, but
inexpensive for large amounts of
backups
Optical Disks – CD-ROM, CD-R, DVD-R
(cannot be erased or re-written); CD-RW,
DVD-RW (may be erased or re-written)
3-37
VII. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
RFID – for tagging and identifying mobile objects
(store merchandise, postal objects, sometimes
living organisms); provides information to a
reader when requested
Passive – no power source, derives power from the
reader signal
Active – self-powered, do not need to be close to the
reader
RFID Privacy Issues – may be used as spychips; gathers
sensitive information about an individual without
consent
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Kimberly-Clark: Secrets to RFID Success
 What percentage of K-C promotional materials arrived
on time?
 How has RFID technology helped with this?
 Why is “Real-Time” important to Kimberly-Clark?
 What has the short-term payback been? Why do you
think this is important?
3-39
Computers Will Enable People to Live
Forever
 What does Kurzweil think will happen in the near
future?
 What time-frame does he place on this?
 What other advances does he see in the near future?
 Which of these advances do you think might be the
most important?
 How might these affect Business in the future?
 How might you capitalize on tis for business purposes?
3-40