The Computer Revolution Overview
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Questions and Answers

What significant societal change is suggested by improvements in computers?

  • Increased agricultural productivity
  • Decreased intellectual capacity
  • Remote work capabilities and global accessibility (correct)
  • Enhanced industrial manufacturing processes

    • Which of the following revolutions does the information revolution align with?

  • Cultural revolution
  • Space revolution
  • Environmental revolution
  • Agricultural revolution (correct)

    • What effect does a factor of 10 improvement in computing costs have?

  • Allows previously infeasible applications to become practical (correct)
  • Reduces the number of computer applications
  • Leads to increased power consumption
  • Harms the economic feasibility of applications

    • Which technology area was notably affected by the revolution in computing in the early 1980s?

    <p>Automobiles</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What transformation was seen in mobile communication due to computing advances?

    <p>Widespread availability of mobile phones</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was a major obstacle to the Human Genome Project that was overcome by technological advancements?

    <p>High cost of computer equipment</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How did the computer revolution impact safety features in vehicles?

    <p>Increased reliability through automated systems</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one key reason why applications like the Human Genome Project were not feasible earlier?

    <p>Excessive cost of computational resources</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a primary characteristic of servers compared to desktop computers?

    <p>Servers have greater storage capacity.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What distinguishes a supercomputer from other types of servers?

    <p>Supercomputers consist of hundreds of thousands of processors.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a common use for low-end servers?

    <p>File storage and small business applications.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which description best fits the term 'terabyte' (TB)?

    <p>1 trillion bytes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How are servers generally accessed by users?

    <p>Remotely through a network.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic of supercomputers regarding cost?

    <p>They typically cost tens to hundreds of millions of dollars.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How has the definition of terabyte changed over time?

    <p>It typically refers to 1,000,000,000,000 bytes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one main reason for the importance of dependability in servers?

    <p>A server's failure can lead to significant financial loss.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which factors impact the number of computer instructions executed for each source-level statement?

    <p>All of the above</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What component primarily determines how fast instructions can be executed?

    <p>Processor and memory system</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which system affects the speed of I/O operations?

    <p>Operating system</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What purpose do Check Yourself questions serve in the text?

    <p>To assess understanding of major concepts</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why is it important to evaluate both software and hardware in performance assessments?

    <p>They can create unique performance bottlenecks</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT one of the factors to look at when assessing performance bottlenecks?

    <p>Network speed</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How do the seven great ideas in computer architecture influence modern computing?

    <p>They represent key principles that guide computer design</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following aspects does NOT significantly influence a computer's performance?

    <p>Quality of power supply</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the application binary interface (ABI) combine?

    <p>The user portion of the instruction set and operating system interfaces</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary purpose of an instruction set architecture (ISA)?

    <p>To provide an abstract interface for hardware and low-level software</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does an implementation relate to an architecture?

    <p>An implementation follows the architecture abstraction.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the instruction set architecture enable computer designers to do?

    <p>Talk about functions independently from the hardware</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following statements regarding volatile memory is true?

    <p>It forgets everything when power is lost.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does binary portability allow across computers?

    <p>Running identical software on various implementations</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which component is NOT part of the architecture as defined in the content?

    <p>Network protocols</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the relationship between hierarchical layers in computer systems?

    <p>Lower layers hide details from the levels above them.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary difference between wide area networks (WAN) and local area networks (LAN)?

    <p>WANs span larger geographical areas compared to LANs.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which technology has significantly increased the capacity of both local and wide area networks in recent years?

    <p>Optical communications technology</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the maximum capacity of the first standardized Ethernet technology developed about 40 years ago?

    <p>10 million bits per second</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic of the PostPC Era mentioned in the content?

    <p>Widespread use of wireless technology.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which statement reflects a trend in networking technology over the last 30 years?

    <p>Access to networking has become more common and devices connected have increased.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In the early days of networking, what was the primary method for transferring large amounts of data?

    <p>Physically mailing magnetic tapes</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What has been a major benefit of advancements in networking technology over the past four decades?

    <p>Wider availability and increased performance.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What aspect of computer network technology has dramatically changed over the years?

    <p>Increases in capacity and deployment.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    The Computer Revolution

    • Computers have led to a third revolution for civilization, alongside the agricultural and industrial revolutions.
    • This "information revolution" has profoundly changed everyday lives and the way new knowledge is acquired.
    • Computational scientists have joined theoretical and experimental ones, exploring new frontiers in fields like astronomy, biology, chemistry, and physics.
    • The affordability and power of computers constantly increase, opening up new application possibilities previously deemed impractical.

    Computer Applications

    • Computers in Automobiles: Microprocessor advancements led to their inclusion in cars, improving pollution control, fuel efficiency, and safety through features like engine controls, automated driving, and airbags.
    • Cell Phones: Computer system advancements have enabled widespread use of cell phones, facilitating communication globally.
    • Human Genome Project: The project was made possible by the reduced cost of computer equipment for mapping and analyzing human DNA.

    Servers and Supercomputers

    • Servers: Computers for running programs for multiple users, often simultaneously, accessed via a network. They are often tailored for specific needs, ranging from simple file storage to complex web serving.
    • Supercomputers: High-performance, expensive computers, often used for high-end scientific and engineering calculations. They typically consist of hundreds of thousands of processors and terabytes of memory.
    • Supercomputers vs. Servers: Supercomputers constitute a small fraction of the overall computer market in terms of revenue.

    Factors Affecting Computer Performance:

    • Programming Language, Compiler, and Architecture: Determines the number of computer instructions for each source-level statement.
    • Processor and Memory System: Determines the speed at which instructions are executed.
    • I/O System (Hardware and Operating System): Determines the speed of Input/Output operations.

    Seven Great Ideas in Computer Architecture

    • Computer architects have developed seven key ideas over the past 60 years, shaping the evolution of computing.
    • Instruction Set Architecture: Defines the interface between hardware and low-level software. It encompasses instructions, registers, memory access, I/O, etc., providing a blueprint for creating machine language programs.
    • Application Binary Interface (ABI): Combines the instruction set architecture and operating system interface for application programmers. Essentially, it standardizes how software interacts with hardware across different computers, facilitating binary portability.
    • The BIG Picture: Both hardware and software are structured in hierarchical layers using abstraction. The instruction set architecture forms a crucial interface between these layers, allowing for diverse implementations while running identical software.

    The Importance of Data Storage

    • Computers store data in memory, which is volatile.
    • Losing power to the computer results in data loss.

    Networking Revolution

    • Local Area Network (LAN): Carries data within a restricted geographical area, typically within a single building.
    • Wide Area Network (WAN): Connects computers over long distances, often across continents.
    • Impact of Networking:
      • Enabled the rise of the Internet and web.
      • Made data transfer more efficient and accessible.
      • Improved communication and collaboration.
      • Increased the capacity and ubiquity of networks.
      • Led to the rise of wireless technology, further shaping the "PostPC Era."

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    Description

    Explore the profound impact of the computer revolution on society and various fields of science. This quiz covers topics like the integration of computers in automobiles, cell phones, and the Human Genome Project. Discover how computational advancements are shaping the future of information and technology.

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