Microsoft controls the dominant PC operating system and other software, giving it control over PC software. Intel controls PC hardware by dominating processor and motherboard production and setting hardware standards. Together, Microsoft and Intel largely control the modern PC, known as "Wintel". The basic components of a PC include the motherboard, processor, memory, storage devices, input devices, video card, and monitor.

1. CH2-PC COMPONENTS,
FEATURES AND SYSTEM DESIGN
2011© Eng. Mohamed Ahmed
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Computer Architecture

2. ¨ What exactly is a PC?
v It stands for Personal Computer.
v Not all PCs are personal
computers.(Apple,Mac,Motorolla)
v PC is much more specific than Personal Computer
(IBM Family Relation).
v IBM literally invented the PC in 1981

3. Ch2-PC Components, Features and
System Design
v IBM controlled Development and Evolution of PC
from 1981-1987.
v PCs were either IBM-Compatible or IBM Clone.
v Since IBM lost control of PCs ,who Controls it?

4. Ch2-PC Components, Features and
System Design
¨ Who Controls PC Software?
v Do not even hesitate to say: Microsoft.
v Because it controls the dominant OS used for PCs.
v Then it begun to control other types of PC software.
(drivers, utilities and applications).
v Many utilities originally offered by independent
companies.

5. Ch2-PC Components, Features and
System Design
v In the early days, IBM hired Microsoft to develop
most of the PC core software.
v IBM made the most costly business mistake in history.
v It has failed to secure exclusive rights to the DOS it
had contracted from Microsoft.
v IBM allowed Microsoft to sell the same MS-DOS
code to any other company interested.

6. Software Copyright and Hardware
Patterns.
v Software enjoys copyright protection.
v Hardware is protected only by patters which is
much more difficult, time-consuming and expensive
to obtain.
v In US patterns expires 20 years after filling it.
v Almost any one could duplicate the IBM hardware
because it was not wholly patterned.

7. Ch2-PC Components, Features and
System Design
v the difficult part of copying IBM PC was the
software (BOIS).
v Compaq and Phoenix Technology developed a
legal way around this problem.
v It is called Clean Room approach to reverse
engineering.

8. Ch2-PC Components, Features and
System Design
¨ Who Controls PC Hardware?
v IBM controlled the Hardware till 1987.
v since then Intel has ben responsible for creating and
inventing newer hardware designs.
v Intel became dominant processor supplier after IBM
chose Intel 8088 in 1981.
v In 1994 Intel became the largest motherboard
manufacturer in the world.

9. Ch2-PC Components, Features and
System Design
v Intel had also a hand in setting some PC hardware
standards:
‫ط‬ PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) local bus
interface.
‫ط‬ AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) for high performance
video cards.
‫ط‬ DMI (Desktop Management Interface).
‫ط‬ DPMA(Dynamic Power Management Architecture)

10. Ch2-PC Components, Features and
System Design
v Who ever controls the Operating System, controls
the PC software.
v Who ever controls the Motherboard controls the
Hardware
v So it is not surprise to call the modern PC “Wintel”.

11. Ch2-PC Components, Features and
System Design
White-Box Systems:
¨ Many companies design and manufacture their
motherboards.
¨ White-box system uses industry-standard
components that are interchangeable.
¨ Companies selling white-box systems do not
manufacture all the system parts, but assemble them
(HP, Acer and Dell).

12. Ch2-PC Components, Features and
System Design
PC Design Guides:
¨ For several years Intel and Microsoft released “PC
XX DESIGN GUIDE”.
¨ The documents were guidelines for companies
developing products that work with Windows.
¨ “Designed for Windows” logo requirement.

13. Ch2-PC Components, Features and
System Design
System Types:
¨ Can be broken down based on:
‫ط‬ Design.
‫ط‬ Width of processor bus “FSB”.
‫ط‬ Width of internal registers (16-bit,32-bit,64-bit).
‫ط‬ Width of the data bus (8,16,32,64-bit).

14. Ch2-PC Components, Features and
System Design
¨ Confusion can arise in the processor’s width.
‫ط‬ some refer it to how many bits of data can be read or
written at a time “Data Bus Width”.
‫ط‬ Some refer to it how many bits of data can be operated at
a time “Internal Registers Size”.

15. Ch2-PC Components, Features and
System Design
System Components:
¨ Modern PC is both simple and complicated, How?
¨ It is simple: many components have been integrated.
¨ It is complicated: each part performs many more
functions.

16. Ch2-PC Components, Features and
System Design
¨ Basic PC Components:
‫ط‬ Motherboard.
‫ط‬ Processor.
‫ط‬ Memory(RAM).
‫ط‬ Case.
‫ط‬ Power Supply.
‫ط‬ Floppy Drive.
‫ط‬ Hard Drive.
‫ط‬ CD/DVD Drive.
‫ط‬ Keyboard.
‫ط‬ Mouse.
‫ط‬ Video Card.
‫ط‬ Monitor.
‫ط‬ Network/Modem.