计算机专业英语（第3版）-练习及情境对话 课件 1 Reading Material（阅读材料）

阅读材料ReadingMaterial计算机专业英语chapterone

HardwareConceptsMissLi:AsalesgirlinComputerTownMr.Zhang:AcomputerconsumerwhoknowslittleaboutcomputerLi:CanIhelpyou,Sir?Zhang:Yes.I’dliketobuyacomputer,butIknowlittleaboutit.Li:Doyoulikeabrandmachineoracompatiblemachine?PCOverview计算机专业英语APCisasmall,relativelyinexpensivecomputerdesignedforanindividualuser.Inprice,personalcomputersrangeanywherefromafewhundreddollarstooverfivethousanddollars.AllarebasedonthemicroprocessortechnologythatenablesmanufacturerstoputanentireCPUononechip.Businessesusepersonalcomputerforwordprocessing,accounting,desktoppublishing,andforrunningspreadsheetanddatabasemanagementapplications.Athome,themostpopularuseforpersonalcomputersisforplayinggamesandcomputer-assistedlearning.MissLi:AsalesgirlinComputerTownMr.Zhang:AcomputerconsumerwhoknowslittleaboutcomputerLi:CanIhelpyou,Sir?Zhang:Yes.I’dliketobuyacomputer,butIknowlittleaboutit.Li:Doyoulikeabrandmachineoracompatiblemachine?PCOverview计算机专业英语Personalcomputersfirstappearedinthelate1970s.OneofthefirstandmostpopularpersonalcomputerswastheAppleⅡ,introducedin1977byAppleComputer.Duringthelate1970sandearly1980s,newmodelsandcompetingoperatingsystemsseemedtoappeardaily.Then,in1981,IBMenteredthefray(竞争)withitsfirstpersonalcomputer,knownastheIBMPC.TheIBMPCquicklybecamethepersonalcomputerofchoice,andmostotherpersonalcomputermanufacturersfellbythewayside.OneofthefewcompaniestosurviveIBM’sonslaught(冲击)wasAppleComputer,whichremainsamajorplayerinthepersonalcomputermarketplace.MissLi:AsalesgirlinComputerTownMr.Zhang:AcomputerconsumerwhoknowslittleaboutcomputerLi:CanIhelpyou,Sir?Zhang:Yes.I’dliketobuyacomputer,butIknowlittleaboutit.Li:Doyoulikeabrandmachineoracompatiblemachine?PCOverview计算机专业英语OthercompaniesadjustedtoIBM’sdominance(优势)bybuildingIBMclones,computersthatwereinternallyalmostthesameastheIBMPC,butthatcostless.BecauseIBMclonesusedthesamemicroprocessorsasIBMPCs,theywerecapableofrunningthesamesoftware.Overtheyears,IBMhaslostmuchofitsinfluence(影响)indirectingtheevolution(发展)ofPCs.Manyofitsinnovations(创新),suchastheMCA(MicroChannelArchitecture)expansionbusandtheOS/2operatingsystem,havenotbeenacceptedbytheindustryorthemarketplace.MissLi:AsalesgirlinComputerTownMr.Zhang:AcomputerconsumerwhoknowslittleaboutcomputerLi:CanIhelpyou,Sir?Zhang:Yes.I’dliketobuyacomputer,butIknowlittleaboutit.Li:Doyoulikeabrandmachineoracompatiblemachine?PCOverview计算机专业英语Today,theworldofpersonalcomputerisbasicallydividedbetweenAppleMacintoshesandPCs.Theprincipal(主要的)characteristics(特征)ofpersonalcomputersarethattheyaresingle-usersystemsandarebasedonmicroprocessors.However,althoughpersonalcomputersaredesignedassingle-usersystems,itiscommontolinkthemtogethertoformanetwork.Intermsofpower,thereisgreatvariety.Atthehighend,thedistinctionbetweenpersonalcomputersandworkstationshasfaded(已褪色的).High-endmodelsoftheMacintoshandPCofferthesamecomputingpowerandgraphicscapabilityaslow-endworkstationbySunMicrosystems,Hewlett-Packard,andDEC.MissLi:AsalesgirlinComputerTownMr.Zhang:AcomputerconsumerwhoknowslittleaboutcomputerLi:CanIhelpyou,Sir?Zhang:Yes.I’dliketobuyacomputer,butIknowlittleaboutit.Li:Doyoulikeabrandmachineoracompatiblemachine?HowDoComputersWork?计算机专业英语Toaccomplishataskusingacomputer,youneedacombinationofhardware,software,andinput.Hardwareconsistsofdevices,likethecomputeritself,themonitor,keyboard,printer,mouse,andspeakers.Insideyourcomputertherearemorebitsofhardware,includingthemotherboard,whereyouwouldfindthemainprocessingchipsthatmakeupthecentralprocessingunit(CPU).Thehardwareprocessesthecommandsitreceivesfromthesoftware,andperformstasksorcalculations.Softwareisthenamegiventotheprogramsthatyouinstallonthecomputertoperformcertaintypesofactivities.Thereisoperatingsystemsoftware,suchastheAppleOSforaMacintosh,orWindows95orWindows98foraPC.Thereisalsoapplicationsoftware,likethegamesweplayorthetoolsweusetocomposelettersordomathproblems.MissLi:AsalesgirlinComputerTownMr.Zhang:AcomputerconsumerwhoknowslittleaboutcomputerLi:CanIhelpyou,Sir?Zhang:Yes.I’dliketobuyacomputer,butIknowlittleaboutit.Li: