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CHAPTER
COMPUTER EVOLUTION
AND PERFORMANCE
2.1 A Brief History of Computers
The First Generation:Vacuum Tubes
The Second Generation:Transistors
The Third Generation: Integrated Circuits
Later Generations
2.2 Designing for Performance
Microprocessor Speed
Performance Balance
Improvements in Chip Organization and Architecture
2.3 The Evolution of the Intel x86 Architecture
2.4 Embedded Systems and the ARM
Embedded Systems
ARM Evolution
2.5 Performance Assessment
Clock Speed and Instructions per Second
Benchmarks
Amdahl’s Law
2.6 Recommended Reading and Web Sites
2.7 Key Terms, Review Questions, and Problems
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