Inside The Machine

by Stokes, Jon

• ISBN13: 9781593271046
• ISBN10: 1593271042
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-12-01
• Publisher: No Starch Press

Summary

Modern computers perform countless tasks ranging from the business-critical to the recreational, but regardless of how differently they may look and behave, they're all amazingly similar in basic function. Once a person understands how the microprocessor - or central processing unit (CPU) - works, he or she will have a thorough grasp of the fundamental concepts at the heart of all of modern computing. Written by the co-founder of the highly respected Ars Technica site, this 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. The book also explains basic terms and concepts that readers often hear when reading and talking about technology but which they may not fully understand.

Author Biography

Jon M. Stokes is co-founder of and Senior CPU Editor for Ars Technica. He has written extensively on microprocessor architecture and the technical aspects of personal computing for a variety of publications. Stokes holds a degree in computer engineering from Louisiana State University and two advanced degrees in the humanities from Harvard University. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Chicago.

Table of Contents

Basic computing concepts	p. 1
The mechanics of program execution	p. 19
Pipelined execution	p. 35
Superscalar execution	p. 61
The Intel Pentium and Pentium Pro	p. 79
PowerPC processors : 600 series, 700 series, and 7400	p. 111
Intel's Pentium 4 vs. Motorola's G4E : approaches and design philosophies	p. 137
Intel's Pentium 4 vs. Motorola's G4E : the back end	p. 161
64-bit computing and X86-64	p. 179
The G5 : IBM's PowerPC 970	p. 193
Understanding caching and performance	p. 215
Intel's Pentium M, core duo, and core 2 duo	p. 235
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.