Introduction

30 August 2005

Introduction to Comp120 Computer Organization

The topic

• What is a computer?

• How is information represented? bits? bytes? integers? floating point?

• How do computers work?

• What are instructions?

• What is machine language? assembly language?

• What is Instruction Set Architecture?

The topic

• What is meant by clock speed?

• What are benchmarks good for?

• What is pipelining?

• What is cache memory?

• What is virtual memory?

• How do disk drives work?

How to get an A?

Or at least get past the C wall?

• Read the book!

• Do the work.

• Ask questions.

• Learn to deal with complexity.

Your instructor

• my calendar

• who I am

You

Introduce yourselves

• Name

• Major

• Why are you taking this class?

• One thing about you we might not know

Cultural Highlight

Old Fashioned Farmer's Days at Silk Hope, NC (2-4 September 2005)

Labor Day

Ack! We should NOT be holding class on Labor Day!

• Tell for friends

• Tell your teachers

• Start a revolution!