Computers as a Second LanguageComputers as a Second LanguageComputer Fundamentals
ARE ALL COMPUTERS THE SAME? In the 1980's most computers were designed with the 8-bit
architecture. This configuration is obsolete today, but many 8-bit IBM or
IBM-compatibles still exist in the work place. They can handle many office
tasks such as word-processing, accounting, filing, etc. More recently, new
applications have been designed to work on a personal computer. These include
Computer Aided Design
(CAD - a fancy phrase meaning computer drafting), desktop
publishing (combining various fonts, graphics and even photographs into a
document), and multimedia (integrating computer graphics, music and video into
a professional presentation for teaching or sales presentations).Unfortunately, a computer with the standard 8-bit
architecture cannot perform adequately when it comes to fancy new applications
involving extensive use of computer graphics. With the addition of music and
full-motion video in multimedia applications, the 8-bit microcomputer comes to
a standstill.To extend the capabilities of
personal computers, engineers designed the newer 16-bit architecture. This
design consists of two bytes side-by-side which effectively gives 16 bits per
panel instead of 8. This is analogous to doubling the width of a highway. In
any given period of time, twice as many cars could get through on a 16-lane
highway versus an 8-lane highway.To
process computer graphics efficiently, the wider "highway" was essential.
However, the engineers took things a step further in 1982 when they also
managed to triple the speed along the 16-lane highway compared
with the 8-bit computer. Imagine the difference in traffic volume comparing an
8-lane highway with a 70 mph speed limit versus a 16-lane highway with a 210
mph speed limit. Computer speeds refer specifically to how fast the CPU can
carry out an operation (like adding up two numbers) and they are
not measured in miles per hour. Instead, the speed of
a CPU is measured in megahertz (MHz) or millions of cycles per second! A
typical speed for an 8-bit IBM XT computer with an 8088 CPU (1979) is 4.77 MHz.
Compare this to a typical 16-bit AT computer with an 80286 CPU (1982) running
at 12 MHz.16-bit computers had greater memory capacities
than 8-bit machines. Typically, they came with at least 1,000,000 bytes of RAM
(written as 1 MB RAM). Many were sold with 4 MB of RAM! With these
improvements, graphics intensive applications like desktop publishing became
feasible on the personal computer.For multimedia
applications, even more capabilities are required. Today's minimum standard for
a multimedia computer is a 32-bit design (that's four bytes side-by-side on
each panel) with four times the speed of a 16-bit computer.
That's sixteen times the speed of a standard 8-bit computer
and four times as many lanes! A computer with an 80486 CPU
running at 66 MHz speed would closely fit this description. A more typical
32-bit PENTIUM computer selling today is equipped with 32 MB of RAM. They can
be readily upgraded to 128 MB or 256 MB of RAM and beyond! |
