Product Description
This digital document is an article from Available For Acquisition: FirstList, published by Thomson Gale on December 1, 2006. The length of the article is 430 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Available For Acquisition; 59 -- Miscellaneous Retail; COMPUTER HARDWARE SALES AND SERVICE.
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: Available For Acquisition: FirstList (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: NA

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
This is a book for the PC user who would like to understand how their PCs work. It is written for the reader who is not a computer or electrical engineer but who wants enough information so that they can make intelligent buying or upgrading decisions, maximize their productivity, and become less dependent on others for help with their computer questions and problems. The book provides a thorough yet concise description of the entire IBM-type PC, including its subsystems, components, and peripherals. The book concentrates on PCs based on the Pentium and Pentium Pro class processors. The book contains easy-to-do experiments that readers can perform to actually see how things work. Understanding PC Computer Hardware can be read cover to cover or used as reference source. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

best intro to PC hardware I've seen
Great explanations and diagrams packed into a relatively short book.I was able to read most of this in a couple evenings, yet I felt I learned quite a bit, for example the difference between a controller and adapter and why the IDE hard drive standard was considered an advance over ESDI and ST506.A relief from the plethora of 1500 pg "upgrade" books on the market, with their scholarly compendia of Intel chip specs and pinouts, and the superficial beginners books that are so broad-brush that you wonder if you've learned anything.

One drawback is that the book is a few years old.Almost all the material is still useful, but some recent topics (Pentium III/IV, wireless, Windows 2K/XP, USB 2.0) aren't covered.

A GreatReference resource
It is written for the reader who is not a computer or electrical engineer but who wants enough information so that they can make intelligent buying or upgrading decisions, maximize their productivity, and become lessdependent on others for help with their computer questions and problems. Itis a great reference resource.

A good Reference resource
It is written for the reader who is not a computer or electrical engineer but who wants enough information so that they can make intelligent buying or upgrading decisions, maximize their productivity, and become lessdependent on others for help with their computer questions and problems. Itis a great reference resource. ... Read more

Product Description
Datamonitor's Computer Hardware - BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) Industry Guide is an essential resource for top-level data and analysis covering the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) Computer Hardware industry. The report includes easily comparable data on market value, volume, segmentation and market share, plus full five year market forecasts. It examines future problems, innovations and potential growth areas within the market.

Scope of the Report

• Contains an executive summary and data on value, volume and segmentation
• Provides textual analysis of the industry's prospects, competitive landscape and profiles of the leading companies
• Incorporates in-depth five forces competitive environment analysis and scorecards
• Compares data from Brazil, Russia, India, and China, alongside individual chapters on each country. .
• Includes a five-year forecast of the industry

Product Description
Written in a straightforward, easy to read style, Rob Beales provides the knowledge and techniques needed to build, troubleshoot, and maintain personal computer systems.

Divided into three parts, Part 1 forms an introduction to digital computers, leading the reader through the various parts of a modern PC system, including popular peripherals and networking concepts. Part 2 contains a step-by-step guide on the assembly and configuration of a complete state-of-the-art PC system, including a section on the use of important Windows 98 / ME / 2000 / XP applications and components. Part 3 covers preventative, predictive and corrective maintenance, based in typical current work practice - a major part of the IT practitioner's work schedule.

Case Studies and practical worked examples are included throughout the text, with additional Case Studies, specifically aimed to meet the requirements of e-Quals courses on an accompanying website. Further web resources include key figures from the text available to download in full-colour, with a wealth of extra material covering Binary / Hex and basic logic functions; ASCII tables; Connector types and pinouts; Bus slots; RAM slots and further useful website links.

Updated throughout in line with current technologies, the second edition is also designed to cover the latest specifications of BTEC National and City and Guilds e-Quals (400 and 500) courses, and the A+ certification, in addition to meeting the needs of the general PC user.

* Updated throughout to cover new technologies and latest developments in the field
* Practical examples and self-assessment questions included throughout the text to put theory into practice
* Additional website resources feature worked examples and case studies, colour figures to download, appendices and web links ... Read more

Product Description

See it done. Do it yourself. It’s that Easy! Easy Computer Basics, Windows 7 Edition  teaches you the fundamentals to help you get the most from your computer hardware and software. Fully illustrated steps with simple instructions guide you through each task, building the skills you need to perform the most common computer tasks. No need to feel intimidated; we’ll hold your hand every step of the way.

In full color

Learn how to…

• Set up and configure your new computer system

• Upgrade your computer with new hardware and software

• Use Microsoft Windows 7–and personalize it just for you

• Connect to the Internet for web surfing, email, Facebook, and YouTube

• Manage and edit digital photos

• Play, copy, and burn your own music CDs–and download music from the Internet to play on your iPod

• Protect your family and your computer from viruses, spam, and spyware

• Set up a wireless home network and share your Internet connection with multiple computers

Category: General Computing

Covers: Hardware, Microsoft ® Windows 7

User Level: Beginner

Easy steps guide you through each task.

Items you select or click are shown in bold.

Each step is fully illustrated.

Customer Reviews (4)

Easy Computer Basics Windows 7
Very helpful book.I went from XP to 7 and it was a bit of a learning curve but this book is very helpful and would be ideal for first timers on the computer.

Computer basic classes at Senior Rv Computer club
Hi Using this book to teach Windows 7 and computer basics to seniors in a Rv Resort in Apache Junction Az. Had 2 classes,8 lessons ,3 hours each using this book as a teaching tool. Had 20 students at each class. Purchased 40 books and have 20 more on order. Easy to teach from and easy for students to follow and do pre class reading. Also have additional classes scheduled forusing digital camera and I pod, subjects covered in book. Recommend this book to anyone with little or no previous computer experience as well as people moving up from XP or VistaTed

Easy Computer Basics
Easy Computer Basics: Windows 7 Edition is meant for the person who has just bought their first computer, with a Windows 7 system, and isn't quite sure what to do next. If you have no idea how to open a file, listen to a CD, or write an email then this book is perfect for you.

Each concept in Easy Computer Basics: Windows 7 Edition is explained in plain English, complete with full step by step instructions and color illustrations that show the reader what to expect. The book takes the reader from the very basics of how to open, write, and save files through adding new programs to basic system maintenance on their laptop or desktop computer. After working through this manual, users will be surfing the net, tweeting on Twitter, and checking their Facebook accounts in no time.

Easy Computer Basics, Windows 7 Edition
An excellent reference for the novice as well as the intermediate user. It is extremely easy to use and is clear and precise in all instructions with excellent illustrations to guide the user through the various procedures.I wish I had a book this well written when I started with Windows 3.0! Since then I have used the XP and Vista editions of "Easy Computer Basics" to great satisfaction. ... Read more

Product Description
A part of the Apple Technical Library, this revised definitive guide to Macintosh hardware includes information on all the newest Macintosh models. ... Read more

Product Description
Here’s the easiest guide ever to computers — a book that skips the long-winded explanations and shows you how things work. Full-color screen shots walk you through each step, and self-contained, two-page lessons make learning a snap. You’ll learn to use different types of computers and software, create documents and use different programs, get online, start using e-mail, and manage your music and digital photos. A friendly character called Chip introduces each task, and sidebars offer real-world advice. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Like Being in a class room
Wow, this book is so easy to follow and explains everything so simply that I wish I'd had this a long time ago. I would definately recommend this book to any onethat is just learning about computers and anyone who thinks they know it all. You just never know, might learn something new.

Great for those who want to know computers in simplest form
This is definately a must have for anyone seeking to know how their computer works. Learned all I needed to know from this book and others from the same maker.

Read less, watch more.
Prices and S&H carge is unreasonably high need be reviewed and matched with their suppliers. There is differene of one and five fo some items.

People doing customer service are hoever extaordinarily efficient, courteous and helpful. ... Read more

Product Description
Developed jointly by Apple, IBM and Motorola, this book defines the architecture requirements and minimum system requirements for a common hardware reference platform. It provides essential information for anyone developing an operating system, hardware component, or hardware platform to run on these standard systems. ... Read more

Product Description
Whether you want to keep track of household finances, compile an email address book or find the websites for researching your family tree, you can feel confident of doing it right with 1001 Computer Hints & Tips. Each page is clearly laid out with step-by-step instructions, easy-to-follow screen grabs and coloured panels offering simple, at-a-glance explanations and guidance. Four colour-coded sections show you how to shop online, choose the right hardware for your needs, create your own website and much, much more. Plus a full glossary at the back explains all the jargon you may come across when using your PC, to help avoid confusion and increase your confidence as a user. Whether you're completely new to the PC or already use your home computer for certain tasks, this is the ideal reference guide ... Read more

Product Description
"If I had this book 10 years ago, the FBI would never have found me!" -- Kevin Mitnick This book has something for everyone---from the beginner hobbyist with no electronics or coding experience to the self-proclaimed "gadget geek." Take an ordinary piece of equipment and turn it into a personal work of art. Build upon an existing idea to create something better. Have fun while voiding your warranty! Some of the hardware hacks in this book include:
* Don't toss your iPod away when the battery dies! Don't pay Apple the $99 to replace it! Install a new iPod battery yourself without Apple's "help"
* An Apple a day! Modify a standard Apple USB Mouse into a glowing UFO Mouse or build a FireWire terabyte hard drive and custom case
* Have you played Atari today? Create an arcade-style Atari 5200 paddle controller for your favorite retro videogames or transform the Atari 2600 joystick into one that can be used by left-handed players
* Modern game systems, too! Hack your PlayStation 2 to boot code from the memory card or modify your PlayStation 2 for homebrew game development
* Videophiles unite! Design, build, and configure your own Windows- or Linux-based Home Theater PC
* Ride the airwaves! Modify a wireless PCMCIA NIC to include an external antenna connector or load Linux onto your Access Point
* Stick it to The Man! Remove the proprietary barcode encoding from your CueCat and turn it into a regular barcode reader
* Hack your Palm! Upgrade the available RAM on your Palm m505 from 8MB to 16MB

· Includes hacks of today's most popular gaming systems like Xbox and PS/2.
· Teaches readers to unlock the full entertainment potential of their desktop PC.
· Frees iMac owners to enhance the features they love and get rid of the ones they hate. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Warning: This book will consume your free time!
When I ordered this book, I planned to give it to my little brother in the hopes of interesting him in the delightful world of hardware hacking. I didn't expect it to contain anything I hadn't picked up doing E&M research for MIT, or engineering research for the Air Force. However, the things in the book were surprisingly advanced, even for people with experience. There are many excellent ways to kill time in here, and they can even turn out to be useful. They are explained clearly and presented without being intimidating, which makes it perfect for the motivated beginner as well. If you have the basic equipment and the drive, this book is great for you!

good, but not for everyone
The title is somewhat misleading since theres a fair amount of console repairing information here.The actual hacking information ranges from simple controller rewiring to completely gutting a pc. The chapters done by the main author are very indepth and maybe out of reach of some but the author knows his subject.The chapters concerning the Atari systems though are quite the opposite.All the information presented has already been published by others before or has been available online for free for years, and the author seems more concerned about promoting his website and selling homemade games.Overall there isn't much information here that is new to justify the price but it's a nice compilation with plenty of nice pictures.

This Book made My Hardware EVEN MORE fun to play with
This book is good for anyone who wants to get into either Electronics or Computers..A book like this would have been Wonderful for My Highschool years, when I started playing around with Electronics...If you have a Child in Highschool or College who likes to tinker & find out how things work in a hands on fashion, GET THIS BOOK for them...I would even recommend this books To Amatuer Radio enthusiasts

Major Hardware Hacks for the Hacking Inspires
The book contains 15 amazing projects that range from the truly useful to the legendary and wacky. You'll learn how to connect toasters and coffeemakers to a network; upgrade radio-controlled cars and talking toys such as the Furby; and build car-mounted periscopes and home video arcades. You'll see how to turn a classic Mac machine into an aquarium and harness ordinary batteries to power your laptop. You'll learn how to build an intruder-detection system for your office cubicle and how to track remote objects as they move around. There's even a project for hacking a 12-story building to use its windows as elements of a huge display screen.

Each project includes step-by-step instructions that even a novice hacker can follow, while also providing the necessary detail to satisfy an experienced hacker. The knowledge gained by building each project can easily be applied to your own projects. If you are unfamiliar with basic electronics, you'll find sections that teach you how to use the tools of the trade; you'll also learn how to read schematics and do basic soldering.

So, whether you're an electronics hobbyist who likes to learn by doing, a software hacker who wants to learn how the other half lives, or a neophyte who has only dreamed of hacking, "Hardware Hacking Projects for Geeks" will inspire you to tinker with all kinds of gadgets and gizmos, and will serve as a jumping-off point for new and clever hacks.

Good stuff for the experienced hacker..
If you're the hard-core type that likes to take things apart and "fix" them, you'll like Hardware Hacking: Having Fun While Voiding Your Warranty by Joe Grand (Syngress).Your discarded toys will never be quite the same again.

Chapter list: Tools of the Warranty Voiding Trade; Electrical Engineering Basics; Declawing Your CueCat; Case Modification: Building a Custom Terabyte FireWire Hard Drive; Macintosh; Home Theater PCs; Hack Your Atari 2600 and 7800; Hack Your Atari 5200 and 8-Bit Computer; Hacking the PlayStation 2; Wireless 802.11 Hacks; Hacking the iPod; Can You Hear Me Now? Nokia 6210 Mobile Phone Modifications; Upgrading Memory on Palm Devices; Operating Systems Overview; Coding 101; Index

The first thing to know about this book is that it isn't a beginner's volume.There is some serious hardware modifications going on here.You should be comfortable with electrical theory, devices such as resistors and capacitors, and tools like soldering irons.Also, I'd recommend that you don't try these things on primary devices.I'd say there's a decent chance you could damage it trying some of these tricks.But having said all that, you'll enjoy the book if you meet the above qualifications.

Since I'm not a major hardware geek, I don't know that I could do many of these mods.One of the mods that would be useful even to non-geeks is the chapter on the iPod.You will learn how to replace the battery and how to upgrade the hard drive on your earlier generation iPods, and you don't even need to be that handy.That tip alone would probably pay for the cost of the book.Each hack is very well illustrated with excellent photos and instructions, so you don't feel like you're reading assembly instructions written by something that was run through an automatic translator.

So if you have some old video game consoles gathering dust in the basement, pull them out and see what you can do with them using this book.You'll end up being the envy of all your geeky friends.:-) ... Read more

Product Description
PCs made easy for visual learners

Beginning computer users who want to see visually how things are done will learn quickly and easily with this full-color, step-by-step guide. Screen shots show clearly what you will see at each step, and numbered instructions guide you through dozens of common PC tasks. You’ll learn all the basics, plus some intermediate topics including how to use multimedia applications, the Internet, wireless technologies, Windows 7, Office 2010, mobile devices, and key security processes.

• Computer literacy is essential in today’s world; this full-color guide makes it easy for visual learners to get up to speed quickly
• Covers basic operating procedures, hardware and software, Windows 7, networks, the Internet, wireless devices, using multimedia applications, Office 2010, syncing with mobile devices, virus protection, and much more
• Each lesson is fully illustrated with screen shots and numbered, step-by-step instructions

If you learn best when someone shows you how it’s done, Teach Yourself VISUALLY PCs is the computer book you’ve been looking for.

... Read more

Product Description

This book defines the architecture requirements and minimum system requirements
for a computer system that is designed to become an open industry standard.
These requirements provide a description of the devices, interfaces, and data
formats required to design and build a PowerPC-based computer. This standard is
designed to provide software compatibility for several operating environments.
Systems built to these requirements can use industry-standard components
currently found in IBM-compatible and Apple® Macintosh® personal computers. These
systems are expected to run various future versions of operating systems
including Apple Mac OST, IBM AIXT and PowerPCT Editions of IBM OS/2 Warp ConnectT,
Microsoft Windows NTT Workstation, Novell NetwareT, and SunSoft SolarisT.

Customer Reviews (1)

Informative
This book should help shine a light on dark paths.Being a new user myself, this book took me through every step I happened to stumble across. ... Read more

Product Description
Inside the Machine explains how microprocessors operate -- what they do, and how they do it. Written by the co-founder of the highly respected Ars Technica site, the book begins with the fundamentals of computing, defining what a computer is and using analogies, numerous 4-color diagrams, and clear explanations to communicate the concepts that form the basis of modern computing. After discussing computers in the abstract, the book goes on to cover specific microprocessors, discussing in detail how they work and how they differ. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

A nice illustration to how computers works
Inside the machine by Jon Stokes is a wonderful introductory treatment of computer and microprocessor architecture. Author started off with microprocessor concept as simple computing and calculating machine.Next he gradually moved into advanced topic such as pipelining and superscalar execution. Then he discusses Intel Pentium and Pentium architecture and PowerPC processor followed by comparison between Intel Pentium 4 and Motorola G4E. Different caching scheme are discussed towards the end of the book. The book closes with discussion of Intel latest line of processor such as Pentium M, Core Duo and Core 2 Duo.

Chapter 1: Basic Computing Concept

In this chapter, heart of computer--microprocessor--is discussed with a simple file-clerk model. Basically, microprocessor consists of a CPU, some storage, data and instruction bus. The author put a great stress on CPU functionality as a device which read, modify and write data. So a computer is like a file clerk who sits at his desk all day waiting for messages from his boss. Eventually, boss send a message for him to perform a task or calculation and where to get information from his personal file cabinet. So clerk first get the number, then perform the required task or calculation and finally put the results back in his file cabinet. I think the above analogy is very power to understanding the CPU role in modern computing. In essence, CPU functionality is very simple and every other system in the computer supports the CPU to accomplish this very task of read, modify and write task endlessly.

Chapter 2: The Mechanics of Program Execution

This chapter introduces the machine language, the programming model, ISA (Instruction Set Architecture), branch instruction and fetch-execute loop. Machine language structure such as opcodes, binary encoding of arithmetic and memory access instruction is discussed for hypothetical machine DLW-1. Basically, DLW-1 has four simple instructions: add, sub, load, store. The author shows binary encoding of these instructions. For example, the format for the machine language encoding of a register-type arithmetic instruction has following format: mode (1bit), opcode (2 bits), source1 (2 bits), source 2 (2 bits), destination (2 bits) and bit 10 to 15 are all zeros. Branch and conditional instructions are covered toward the end. This chapter actually gets into mechanics of how computer represent data and instruction and work toward the goal of the computer to actually read, modify and write data.

Chapter 3: Pipelined Execution

Pipelining is a technique that computers use to speed up the execution of the program. Pipeline is explained with a simple yet powerful SUV factory analogy. Five stages of this supposed factory are presented as: chassis construction, engine placement, doors and covering mounting, wheel assembly and paint. The idea is that each stage takes an hour to finish so that while one SUV is going through the pipeline other workers are not doing anything. In order to speed up the process, a new SUV can be sent when the first SUV is in the second stage; therefore, it will speed up the process and factory output. Because of this simple analogy, I finally understand how the pipelining works in the computer system. Pipeline stalls are also discussed toward the end of the chapter because of that pipeline's average instruction throughput reduces.

Chapter 4: Superscalar Execution

This chapter continues the theme from the last chapter to improve the efficiency of microprocessor and introduces another ALU on the chip. As an example, DLW-1 is extended to DLW-2; it has now two ALU, so it's able to execute two arithmetic instructions in parallel, it's called two-way superscalar. The instruction "Decode" is relabeled as "Decode/Dispatch". Superscalar computing allows a microprocessor to increase the number of instruction per clock and can have multiple instructions write stage on each clock cycle. Toward the end of the chapter various challenges to superscalar design are discussed. Conditions under which two arithmetic instructions cannot be safely dispatch in parallel for simultaneous execution are called hazards. There are three different categories: data hazards, structure hazard and control hazards. Overall, this chapter provided good overview of pipelining and superscalar deign and it's challenges to implement them in microprocessors.

Chapter 5: The Intel Pentium and Pentium Pro

In the chapter, the focus is on the Intel Pentium architecture and start of first original Pentium which was introduced in 1993. It has two integer ALUs and a floating point ALU. It also introduces the level 1 cache and multiple pipelines which shares four stages in common: fetch, decode-1, decode-2 and write. Author then introduces Pentium pro, Pentium II and Pentium III. They were introduced in 1995, 1997, and 1999 respectively. One of key difference between Pentium pro and other processor was location of L2 cache. Pentium pro has L2 cache off die but Pentium II and Pentium III supported caches on die. Overall this chapter provides the good architectural support and comparison between Intel microprocessors and helped me to learn how they actually work.

Chapter 6: Power PC Processors

The focus on this chapter is origin and development of popular family of microprocessor: PowerPC. The 600 series was first in the line and was introduced in 1994. It has cache size of 32KB. It has classics four-stage RISC integer pipeline: fetch, decode/dispatch, execute and write-back. Furthermore it has much simpler front-end than its counterpart x86 at that time.The PowerPC 700 series also known as G3 was introduced 1997. It has cache sizes of 64KB split L1 and dedicated 1MB L2, which leads to its great success. It eventually got widespread into embedded devices and across Apple's entire product line. Then PowerPC 7400 also known as G4 introduce in 1999. It has cache of 64KB split L1 and 2MB L2 supported via on-chip tags. Consequently, it supported compelling multimedia and multiprocessor performance. Overall this chapter has good introduction of PowerPC lines of early processor, their historical development and architecture.

Chapter 7 and 8: Intel Pentium 4 vs. Motorola G4e

Pentium 4 was introduced in 2000, and it was the first major new architecture from Intel since the Pentium Pro while Motorola G4e was introduced in 2001. The two chapters built on last chapters to examine the two microprocessors side by side.

The main difference between two microprocessors technology was pipelining depth which also show the differences of design philosophy and goals of the two processors. In simple term, G4e approach of pipelining was wide and shallow. It has more functional unit in parallel in its back end. Each of G4e execution units has fairly short pipeline, so the instructions take very few cycles to move through and finish executing. While Pentium 4 takes a narrow and deep approach to moving through the instruction stream. Deep pipelining mean that it can hold and work on quite a few instructions at once and it pushes them through its narrower back end at higher rate.

Architectural differences between two processors are also discussed in great length with clearly marked diagrams. Integer units and floating points units explained for two processors. Because of Pentium narrow and deep approach, design is much more suited to floating point applications. One of the key technology is vector execution units on which both G4e and Pentium 4 rely on this for multimedia applications. Overall these two chapters explained the two processors very well and highlighted their differences in a easy to understand manner.

Chapter 9: 64 bit computing

In the chapter, concept of 64 bit computing explained and why we may use them. First of all 64 bit processor means that the processor has general purpose registers that can stores 64-bit numbers. This way ALU and register can handle more possible integer values and more possible addresses. In the nutshell, this will improve the quality of various CAD tools and 3D rendering programs such as weather and scientific simulations, 3D games. But 64-bit comes with a price, that it can squeeze the useful data out of the cache and degrade performance because now the memory address value are twice as large and they take up twice as much cache space.

Chapter 10: IBM's PowerPC 970

This chapter discusses latest line of G5 PowerPC processor which is heart of Apple computers. It has extremely wide back end and 14-stage integer pipeline that built for speed. It instruction architecture is similar to G4e, but it can have a 200 instructions on-chip in various stages on execution as compared with G4e 16 instructions and Pentium 4's 126 instruction. On the whole, this chapter provides the in-depth details of the 970 architecture and provided comparison with Pentium 4 and G4e.

Chapter 11: Understanding Caching and Performance

This chapter introduces a caching in a gentle way. CPU clocks cycles has faster than the memory and bus clock cycles and a great deal of CPU clock cycles has to be wasted in order to retrieve data from the memory. In order to address this problem, cache was introduced as early as first processor came out. Analogy with the warehouse is given as an explanation of cache, and it was a key for me to really understanding the cache concepts. Level 1 cache has an access time of 2-8 ns and consists of SRAM. Similarly, Level 2 cache has an access time of 5-12ns and consists of SRAM as well. When compared with the main memory and hard disk, they have access time of 10-60ns and 3ms-10ms respectively. Cache spatial and temporal locality is discussed in great length. Different Mapping schemes such as fully associative mapping and direct mapping are explained very clearly with simple diagrams. It is very helpful for people who are learning about cache mappings first time.

Chapter 12: Pentium M, Core Duo and Core 2 Duo.

In this chapter, Intel latest high performance and low power consumption processor Core Duo discussed. Chip multiprocessing (CMP) is where two or more processor cores are integrated onto the same silicon die and this commonly called dual-core processor. The focus of these architectures is from single-threaded performance to multithreaded performance.The Intel Core 2 Duo was introduced in 2006 and it has L1 cache of 32KB instruction and 32KB of data. L2 cache is either 2MB or 4MB. It has built in support for 64 bit. The number of improvements has been added to Core Duo processors such as more decoding logic, bigger execution hardware and memory buffer space. Overall, this chapter provided a very good in-depth knowledge of Core 2 processors and it is a must read for anyone interested in the latest development in microprocessors.

Conclusion:

This book is excellent for every level of reader from beginners to engineers with many years of experience and a technical background. Overall, this book had done a very great job explaining microprocessor architectures from beginning to latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who has any interest how computers and microprocessors works.

Introductory text takes you from beginner to intermediary- and it is fun too!
I started with very limited understanding of computer architecture. What I had was a jumble of marketing terms I had picked up from reading popular PC magazines. This book helped me understand the basics of computer architecture, and quickly took me on a fun and insightful tour of major 32-bit and 64-bit architectures.
I have gained enough understanding from this book to move on to more quantitative treatments of processor design.

Very Good.
This book is very accessible.I came in with little knowledge of of a cpu works and came out with a lot more.It spends about half its time on simple theory or how a cpu works and the other half on showing how this was implemented in processors in the last three decades.

Great Intro to Microprocessor Architecture
Jon Stokes takes us on a journey through time, beginning with a trivial hypothetical processor, marching through the fundamental design decisions and trade-offs that microprocessor designers have made over the years with subsequent versions of their products.

Each major component of microprocessor architecture is described. Rarely does a book so perfectly describe a complex subject in simple and easy to understand terms. The book is full of excellent color illustrations that help drive the subject matter home.

In the introduction, Jon describes the book as an "introduction to computers that is intended to fill the gap that exists between classic but more challenging introductions to computer architecture...and the growing mass of works that are simply too basic for motivated non-specialist readers." That statement is spot on.

Topics covered include 'basic computing concepts', 'mechanics of program execution', 'pipelined execution', 'superscalar execution', '64-bit computing and X86-64' and 'caching and performance'. Processors covered include Intel (Pentium, Pentium Pro, Pentium 4, Pentium M, Core Duo, and Core 2 Duo) and Motorola (PowerPC 601, 603, 604, 604e, 750 aka G3, 7400 aka G4, G4E and 970 aka G5).

This book provides excellent, in-depth coverage of real-world microprocessor design. It earns top marks from me for its easy accessibility and high quality writing.

Very good introduction and overview
I liked the simplicity in the book. It is very easy to read and understand things written on it. I classify the book as introductory level in computer architecture giving an overview on the today's microprocessors. I would recommend it for those who want to learn something about microprocessors on their own, outside the class or want to read some brief details about the most current microprocessors (i.e. Core 2 Duo) or architectural comparison between different microarchitectures (i.e. IBM and Intel cores).

I don't think that the book is good as a text book for computer architecture. Instead I would recommend the Hennessy and Patterson "Computer Architecture - Quantitative Approach"

I personelly enjoyed reading this book.
... Read more

Product Description

New manufacturing technologies have made possible the integration of entire systems on a single chip. This new design paradigm, termed system-on-chip (SOC), together with its associated manufacturing problems, represents a real challenge for designers.

SOC is also reshaping approaches to test and validation activities. These are beginning to migrate from the traditional register-transfer or gate levels of abstraction to the system level. Until now, test and validation have not been supported by system-level design tools so designers have lacked the infrastructure to exploit all the benefits stemming from the adoption of the system level of abstraction. Research efforts are already addressing this issue.

This monograph provides a state-of-the-art overview of the current validation and test techniques by covering all aspects of the subject including:

• modeling of bugs and defects;
• stimulus generation for validation and test purposes (including timing errors;
• design for testability.

Product Description
Helpful, easy-to-follow guide for new laptop users over the age of 50

Laptops are fun and more popular than ever, but they are still computers and come with their own set of issues: easier to steal, more likely to be dropped, often dependent on wireless Internet access, and other concerns. If you're entering the computer world as an older adult—and wondering about laptops—this straightforward, helpful book is for you.

Written in full color with lots of screenshots and clear, easy-to-read type, this friendly guide walks you through the process from start to finish: selecting which type of laptop is right for you (PC or Mac?), handling setup, safely adding wireless Internet access, staying secure online, and much more.

• Provides guidance for purchasing your laptop, bringing it home, and setting up
• Walks you through all the various connections, buttons and switches
• Shows you how to connect wirelessly at home and abroad, safely
• Delves into laptop accessories, whether you need them, and how to get the most out of them
• Addresses online security issues and how to stay safe
• Explores troubleshooting problems and how to save your precious data

Prepare properly, enjoy the freedom, and maybe even show the kids a thing or two with this fun and practical guide! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

ONCE AGAIN GREAT SERVICE
As always fast del. great book yes i would use you again thank you George ... Read more

Product Description
Now fully revised and updated to take account of the new Windows XP operating system, this friendly, illustrated guide opens up hundreds of ways for you to get more out of your PC - from managing your household expenses to planning a garden: from cataloguing your favourite recipes to making your own Christmas cards (and addressing the envelopes!); and from keeping track of your family's health to shopping on the Internet - it's all explained in clear, jargon-free language. With step-by-step instructions based on a PC using Windows XP and standard Microsoft software, the projects offer expert advice and tried and tested shortcuts to make light work of any task they are also clearly illustrated with screen snapshots showing you what you'll see on your screen at each stage. This book also comes with a free CD-Rom containing tailor-make templates, images and fonts to make the tasks even simpler. Easy-to-use garden design software, and a gallery of free illustrations for livening up stationery and newsletters are just some of the exciting benefits of this CD-Rom.Whether you're a complete beginner or a more experienced PC user, this guide offers you a wealth of inspirational, bright ideas for accomplishing tasks you never even dreamed of tackling on a computer before. ... Read more