Chapter 2
Hey everyone! This is Chapter 2 of the Scott Mueller's Upgrading and Repairing PCs. This chapter took a little more time than I would have liked because I was distracted by a number of things. Anyways, let's get this started.
What is a PC? Literally speaking it stands for a personal computer, but this term includes Macs as well. I'm sure many of those MAC users outright reject this labeling of Macs as PCs. A PC by today now implies those based off of IBM's first design.
[Interesting Note: The term personal computer came from a New York Times article quoting John W. Mauchly: "There is no reason to suppose the average boy or girl cannot be master of a personal computer."]
I'm sure to really understand the things we're learning about we should learn a little about the here and now! So, Who is leading the software world...? The correct answer is what most people answer: Microsoft. Ever since IBM messed up the contract with Microsoft, it's been able to take off and make a killing selling stuff it's already made to other companies. Since they bundle in so many programs like notepad and browsers and word processors, they've basically used the fact that MS DOS (Microsoft Disc Operating System) to choose who gets the most use. (Although I still prefer Firefox).
To clarify an OS, or operating system (i.e. Windows or Mac OS X), uses the BIOS to control and communicate with the various hardware and peripherals in the system.
Clean Room - a process of reverse-engineering. One group of people describe a system's functions. Another group who has never seen the schematics for the system they are trying to imitate do their best to construct that system.
The leader in hardware is none other than Intel. Remember all those Intel inside commercials? Chances are most of the computers being used to read this post right now are made with Intel processors. The reason they're the lead in hardware is because they create the motherboards. By having control of the processor they obviously had control of the chips that were necessary to integrate their processors into systems. In this way, they basically took over the processing and chip markets.
Back to the technical stuff: PC classifications!
There are two ways to classify them: their data bus widths and their internal register sizes.
Data Bus Width (Hardware classification): 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit, 64-bit
Internal Register Size (Software classification): 8-bit (PC/XT-class) systems and 16/32/64-bit (AT-class) systems
Bus - determine how many bits move in and out of the chip in one cycle.
PC-class are completely obsolete. No one makes them anymore for obvious reasons.
AT-class (Advanced Technology PC class) is the one currently in use following IBM's standards for AT-class systems.
[Think about: The staggering growth of computers. The first real PC as we call them today was made around 1980. So anyone in my generation, we're the first ones to grow up with computers. And that every two years the progress has nearly doubled as far as the computer world is concerned.]
Moore's Law: Every two years memory capacity and processing power would roughly double.
Well that's all for this chapter. The next chapters I'm going to have to simplify down a lot cause there is just so much in them. Chapter 3 is 120 some odd pages.
Till next time! Good night and Good wishes!
-Kariston
What is a PC? Literally speaking it stands for a personal computer, but this term includes Macs as well. I'm sure many of those MAC users outright reject this labeling of Macs as PCs. A PC by today now implies those based off of IBM's first design.
[Interesting Note: The term personal computer came from a New York Times article quoting John W. Mauchly: "There is no reason to suppose the average boy or girl cannot be master of a personal computer."]
I'm sure to really understand the things we're learning about we should learn a little about the here and now! So, Who is leading the software world...? The correct answer is what most people answer: Microsoft. Ever since IBM messed up the contract with Microsoft, it's been able to take off and make a killing selling stuff it's already made to other companies. Since they bundle in so many programs like notepad and browsers and word processors, they've basically used the fact that MS DOS (Microsoft Disc Operating System) to choose who gets the most use. (Although I still prefer Firefox).
To clarify an OS, or operating system (i.e. Windows or Mac OS X), uses the BIOS to control and communicate with the various hardware and peripherals in the system.
Clean Room - a process of reverse-engineering. One group of people describe a system's functions. Another group who has never seen the schematics for the system they are trying to imitate do their best to construct that system.
The leader in hardware is none other than Intel. Remember all those Intel inside commercials? Chances are most of the computers being used to read this post right now are made with Intel processors. The reason they're the lead in hardware is because they create the motherboards. By having control of the processor they obviously had control of the chips that were necessary to integrate their processors into systems. In this way, they basically took over the processing and chip markets.
Back to the technical stuff: PC classifications!
There are two ways to classify them: their data bus widths and their internal register sizes.
Data Bus Width (Hardware classification): 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit, 64-bit
Internal Register Size (Software classification): 8-bit (PC/XT-class) systems and 16/32/64-bit (AT-class) systems
Bus - determine how many bits move in and out of the chip in one cycle.
PC-class are completely obsolete. No one makes them anymore for obvious reasons.
AT-class (Advanced Technology PC class) is the one currently in use following IBM's standards for AT-class systems.
[Think about: The staggering growth of computers. The first real PC as we call them today was made around 1980. So anyone in my generation, we're the first ones to grow up with computers. And that every two years the progress has nearly doubled as far as the computer world is concerned.]
Moore's Law: Every two years memory capacity and processing power would roughly double.
Well that's all for this chapter. The next chapters I'm going to have to simplify down a lot cause there is just so much in them. Chapter 3 is 120 some odd pages.
Till next time! Good night and Good wishes!
-Kariston