Due: Wednesday, January 21, 2009

• Read
  • Syllabus
  • Text, Chapter 1
  • Wikipedia articles on:
    • Central Processing Units: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CPU
    • CPU Design: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CPU_design
  • NASA history of computers in spaceflight:
    • http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/computers/contents.html
  • RANDOM THOUGHTS - IMPOSTORS EVERYWHERE
    
• Problems
  1. Write a 500-1000 word essay on your motivation for taking this course, what you plan to put in to it, and what you expect to get out of it. I will evaluate the essay on the quaility of the writing.
  2. Find or take a picture of a motherboard from a recent computer (if you own a computer, try to use it). Identify and label as many components as you can.
     Note: You may not use an already labeled picture; you must figure out the parts yourself.
  3. What kind of computers were available in the year you were born? Identify an off-the-shelf computer or computing device from that time period ? what was it?s processor speed, amount of RAM, amount of hard drive / permanent storage? How about input/output devices and monitor resolution?
  4. Essay question: What do you think ?computers? will look like 20 years from now? What industry sectors do you think will be the biggest users of computers and computer technology? How does this affect you and your career.