Предисловие

Данное учебное пособие соответствует программе по английскому языку для средних профессиональных учебных заведений и предназначено для студентов специальностей 090305 «Информационная безопасность автоматизированных систем», 230101 «Вычислительные машины, комплексы, системы и сети», 230106 «Техническое обслуживание средств вычислительной техники и сетей», 230111 «Компьютерные сети», 230113 «Компьютерные системы и комплексы», изучающих английский язык в качестве общеобразовательной дисциплины.

Владение иностранным языком является обязательным компонентом профессиональной подготовки современного специалиста любого профиля. Для студентов, обучающихся по специальностям в области компьютерных наук и информационной безопасности, особенно актуально изучение английского языка, являющегося международным языком в сфере компьютерных технологий. Лексическая база языков программирования высокого уровня, без которых невозможно функционирование любой ЭВМ, строится на основе английского языка, используемого в качестве языка технических команд. Таким образом, усвоение материала пособия поможет студентам в изучении компьютерной техники и основ программирования.

Целью пособия является комплексное развитие речевых навыков и умений, а также формирование навыков аннотирования, реферирования и перевода (со словарем) текстов по специальности. Пособие составлено с учетом реальных коммуникативных потребностей обучаемых. Подобраны профессионально ориентированные тексты из кембриджских и оксфордских специализированных учебных курсов, а также материалы Интернета. Тексты снабжены упражнениями и грамматическими комментариями.

Материал пособия делится на части по годам обучения. Каждая часть состоит из нескольких разделов, содержание которых соотносится с определенной темой программы. Имеются англо-русский словарь, справочник основных компьютерных терминов и сокращений, статьи которого представлены в алфавитном порядке и содержат краткое описание на английском языке.

Part one

UNIT 1. PERSONAL COMPUTER

1. Useful computing words and abbreviations. Write the translations here.

switch software input devices output devices keyboard mouse monitor VDG CPU MHz disk drive swap file floppy disk hard disk

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Text 1

WHAT IS A COMPUTER

A Computer is a tool that people use to achieve a goal, just like any other tool that we use for Example a hammer to knock in nails. A Computer in its simplest form is a box full of switches. These switches can have two possible states, On or Off. That is why a Computer is known as a ‘Two State Electronic Device’. Most people assume that Computers are intelligent, but this is not true. Computers are really thick, they can’t do anything without being told to do so, and when a Computer does something wrong, it is not usually the Computer that is wrong but either the person using the Computer, or the person who programmed the software.

What are the parts of a Computer?

A Computer has three main parts:

The Input devices ― usually a keyboard and a mouse

Output devices ― usually a Monitor (sometimes known as a VDU, Visual Display Unit) or a Printer.

Processing unit ― the Processing Unit contains other devices that make the Computer work. There are three main parts of the Processing Unit:

• Central Processing Unit

The brains of the Computer, also known as just a CPU. There are various types of CPU, the most common one people will know is the Intel Pentium Processor (as seen on TV). The speed of a CPU is measured in Megahertz or MHz for short. The faster the MHz the faster you can run things on your Computer.

• Memory

The Memory inside a Computer is what the CPU uses as a work area. The more memory the Computer has, the more it can do in a shorter time. When the Computer uses up all its memory, sometimes it can not do the task asked of it. In other cases if it runs out of memory, it will start to use the space on the Hard Disk. This area on the Hard Disk is called a “swapfile”, the Computer copies data onto the disk that it is not using at that time. This makes room for more data that it requires, then it copies it to and from the Computer memory and the disk drive, and this has the effect of virtually giving the Computer more memory that it really has. This is why it gets the name “swapfile”. Unfortunately if the Computer uses the swapfile a lot, it can severely reduce the speed in which the task could be achieved, because real memory is much faster than using the swapfile. You may notice while you are using your Computer, that the disk drive suddenly starts to come on and off, what is happening is the Computer is either writing data to the swapfile, or it is cleaning up data from the swapfile it no longer needs.

• Disk Drives

There are three main types of disk drives on most modern Computers. They are as follows:

1. 3.5 in Floppy Disk

A 3.5 in Floppy Disk is known as “removable media”. This is because the disk can be removed easily, and transported to another Computer, the downside to a Floppy Disk is that the storage space is quite limited, usually 1.44 megabytes.

2. The Hard Disk

The Hard Disk is known as “permanent media”. The Hard Drive lives inside your Computer and you are not meant to remove it and place it in another Computer. The Hard Drive has many advantages over its Floppy counterpart, these are in the speed it can save and read data, and on the size of storage space, the average Hard Disk today is around 1.2 Gigabytes, almost 1000 times greater than a Floppy.

3. CD-ROM

A CD-ROM is known as “removable media” just like the Floppy Disk. However, the CD-ROM Disc can store up to 650 megabytes on one CD as opposed to 1.44 on a single Floppy Disk. The CD-ROM is much faster to use than a Floppy Disk, and it has many more uses. Today you can get whole encyclopedias, interactive games and videos on CD-ROM. The only downside to a CD-ROM is that on standard Computer systems, the CD-ROM is known as “read only”. This means that you can not store files on the CD-ROM, but you can use the files on it, or copy the files to another type of media such as your Hard Disk. However it is now possible to purchase as an extra, a CD-ROM Drive that can write to the disc, these are known as “CD-ROM Writers”. Depending on the type of drive you buy, you may only write to the CD-ROM once, or if you were to buy the newer ‘CD-ROM Re-Writer’ you could write to it in excess of 1000 times.

Internet English Website

2. Label the picture, then use it to tell about a computer profile.

Language focus

Classifying

The term “classifying” means arranging objects in classes or groups according to shared characteristics. For Example, the class of “animals” includes all living things that can feel and move about, such as fish and birds. Each of these subgroups is also a class in its own right, having shared characteristics.

Classifying, then, is a process of bringing order out of confusion by organizing information in a logical fashion. There are often several ways of classifying the same information.

1. From general to specific: focusing on the large or high-level category and talking about its parts, that is from general to specific, the following expressions can be used:

• is made up of

• can be divided into

• is composed of

• comprises

• has

• consists of

A general-to-specific classification will usually have singular main verbs, unless two or more things are being analysed simultaneously.

Examples:

1. The CPU is divided into three parts: the control unit, the arithmetic-logic unit, and memory.

2. The CPU has three parts: the control unit, the arithmetic-logic unit, and memory.

3. The CPU is made up of three parts: the control unit, the arithmetic-logic unit, and memory.

4. The CPU is composed of three parts: the control unit, the arithmetic-logic unit, and memory.

5. The CPU consists of three parts: the control unit. the arithmetic-logic unit, and memory.

2. . From specific to general: what the smaller (or lower-level) components make when they are put together. This kind of classification uses the following expressions:

• make up

• form

• can be

• constitute

• are classified as

A specific-to-general classification will have plural verbs, because two or more lower-level categories are the focus of classification.

Examples:

1. The control unit, the. arithmetic-logic unit, and memory are the three parts that make up the CPU.

2. The control unit, the arithmetic-logic unit, and memory are the three parts that form the CPU.

3. Using the diagram on the following page, complete the paragraph below.

A computer, has four basic components: input, processor, memory, and output. The CPU consists of two parts: the ¹________, which directs and controls the signals and commands inside the processor, and the ²________ unit, which does the arithmetic operations and the decision-making operations. While the ³________ is made up of a ⁴________, a ⁵________, a ⁶________, and a ⁷________, the ⁸________ is composed of ⁹________, a ¹⁰________, and ¹¹________.

In a computer, internal memory or ¹²________ refers to the storage locations inside the computer, whereas ¹³________ refers to the storage embodied in the peripherals. ¹⁴___________ may be divided into ¹⁵________ ( ¹⁶________ ) and ¹⁷________

( ¹⁸________ ).

The ¹⁹________ devices can be either a ²⁰________, a ²¹________, or a ²²________.

These devices enter information into the computer. After the processor has operated on it, the ²³__________ devices display the results of the computations on either a ²⁴________ or a ²⁵________, or store them on tape or disk for future use.

Oxford English for Computing

GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE (GUI)

1. Useful computing words and abbreviations. Write the translations here.

GUI window icon pointer menu interface dialog box textbook checkbox title bar tab recycle bin arrow pointer

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2. A Graphical User Interface makes computers easier to use. A GUI uses icons. Icons are pictures which represent programs, folders, and files. Can you identify any of these icons?

Text 2

GUI

Most computers have a Graphical User Interface. The interface is the connection between the user and the computer. The most common type of GUI uses a WIMP system. WIMP stands for Window, Icon, Menu (or Mouse), Pointer (or Pull-down/Pop-up menu).

Windows A window is an area of the computer screen where you can see the contents of a folder, a file or a program. Some systems allow several windows on the screen at the same time and windows can overlap each other. The window on the top is the one which is “active”, the one in use.

Icons are small pictures on the screen. They represent programs, folders or files. For Example, the Recycle Bin icon represents program for deleting and restoring files. Most systems have a special area of the screen on which icons appear.

Menus give the user a list of choices. You operate the menu by pressing and releasing one or more buttons on the mouse.

The pointer is the arrow you use to select icons or to choose options from a menu. You move the pointer across the screen with the mouse. Then you click a button on the mouse to use the object selected by the pointer.

Language focus

Definitions

Make definitions by adding to the statements (1-10) the extra information (a-j).

Example: 1. An icon is a small picture on a computer screen

a it represents items such as floppy disks.

An icon is a small picture on a computer screen which represents items such as floppy disks.

A barcode is a pattern of printed black lines A floppy is a disk A motherboard is a printed circuit board A password is a secret set of characters A monitor is an output device A disk drive is a unit An expansion card is an electronic board A CD-ROM drive is a common storage device A notebook is a portable computer The system unit is the main part of the computer

it contains the main electronic components. it adds features to a computer. it is about the size of a piece of paper. supermarkets use them for pricing. it reads and writes to disks. it can hold 1.44 Mb of data. it allows access to a computer system. it controls all the other boards in a computer. it displays data on a screen. it reads data from a CD-ROM disk.

3. Work with a partner. Ask and make definitions of these items. Add other examples of your own.

   PC menu window

   active window pointer CD

4. Fill in the gaps.

The screen shows the Shut Down Windows … box. You use this box to … down and … the Windows program. The dialog box contains three … buttons: OK, Cancel, and Help. You close down by … on the … button. You return to the … program by clicking on the … button. You get advice on using the dialog … by clicking on the … button.

Text 3

WHAT DOES MY COMPUTER DO WHEN I SWITCH IT ON

When you switch your Computer on, the Computer does a check of all the components that are connected to it, to see if they are all working correctly. As we said before, Computers are thick, and don’t do anything until they are told to. So how does the Computer know when to check itself? Well the Computer has a microchip that lives inside the Computer that tells it how to talk to the devices connected to it, this microchip also tells the Computer to check all the devices when it is first started up. This microchip is called the BIOS. BIOS stands for Basic Input Output System.

The BIOS checks the following components when it is first started up:

Memory

The BIOS checks to see if all the memory in the Computer is working correctly. On some systems you can visually see this on the monitor. It looks like the Computer is counting, and that is exactly what it is doing, it is counting the number of bytes (the smallest measurable part of a Computers memory) to see if it all adds up correctly.

Keyboard

The BIOS then checks to see if you have a keyboard connected and working. On some systems you may see the “NUM Lock” light come one.

Disk Drives

The BIOS then checks to see if you have a Floppy and a Hard Disk drive connected.

If they are working it then checks the Floppy Disk to see if there is a disk inserted in it. If there is then in some systems the Computer then tries to “Boot” from your floppy disk drive. If the Computer does try to boot from the Floppy Disk, it expects to find a disk that has system files on it (files that tell the Computer how to load the operating system). If it does not find these files on the disk, it will give an error message like “Non System Disk Inserted, Replace and Strike a Key”. What this tells you to do is to either replace the disk with a disk that has the system files on it or just remove the disk and press a key. If you remove the disk and press a key, the Computer then checks your Hard Disk for the system files. If it can not find them on the Hard Disk, the only option left is to try and find a Floppy Disk with the files on it, so you can put them back onto your Hard Disk. In most cases, unless something seriously went wrong, your Hard Disk will always have the system files on it. Once the Computer has found these files, it will load the Operating System. Most people will use the Microsoft Windows 3.1 or 95 Operating System.

An operating system is a group of programs that tell a computer how to perform basic functions, e.g. how to respond when a key on the keyboard is pressed, how to display a character on the monitor screen, or how to read and write to a disk. The operating system is started automatically when a computer is switched on. It is then used to start up and control other programs. The operating system determines how the user interacts with the computer. Some operating systems require the user to type commands, but an operating system with a graphical user interface (GUI) makes it easier for the user to control the computer.

Internet English Website

Language focus

The passive

Passives are very common in technical writing where we are more interested in facts, processes, and events than in people. We form the passive by using the appropriate tenses of the verb to be followed by the past participle of the verb we are using.

Examples:

Active

1. We sell computers. (simple present)

2. Babbage invented “The Analytical Engine”. (simple past)

Passive

1. Computers are sold. (simple present)

2. “The Analytical Engine” was invented in 1. (simple past)

Facts and processes

When we write or talk about facts or processes that occur regularly, we use the present passive.

Examples:

1. Data is transferred from the internal memory to the arithmetic-logical unit along channels known as buses.

2. The other users are automatically denied access to that record.

3. Distributed systems are built using networked computers.

Exercise 1. Read the text below, which describes the insurance company's procedure for dealing with PC-users' problems. Fill in the gaps using the correct form of the verb in brackets.

All calls ¹____________ (register) by the Help Desk staff. Each call ²__________(evaluate) and then³_____________ (allocate) to the relevant support group. If a visit ⁴_____________ (require), the user ⁵_____________ (contact) by telephone, and an appointment ⁶_____________ (arrange). Most calls ⁷_____________ (deal with) within one working day. In the event of a major problem requiring the removal of a user's PC, a replacement can usually ⁸_____________ (supply).

Exercise 2. Fill in the gaps in the following sentences using the appropriate form of the verb in brackets

.

1. The part of the processor which controls data transfers between the various input and output devices ________ (call) the control unit.

2. The address bus ________ (use) to send address details between memory and the address register.

3. The pixel positions ________ (pass on) to the computer's pattern recognition software.

4. An operating system ________ (store) on disk.

5. Instructions written in a high-level language ________ (transform) into machine code.

6. In the star configuration, all processing and control functions ________ (perform) by the central computer.

7. When a document arrives in the mail room. the envelope ________ (open) by a machine.

8. Once the index ________ (store), a temporary key number ________ (generate) and ________ (write) on the document.

Oxford English for Computing

Text 4

1. Discuss the following questions:

1. How small do you think computers can usefully become?

2. To what extent does the size of a computer influence what it can be used for?

Think of examples to illustrate your answers.

2. Before reading the text, match these words with their definitions:

clipboard stylus screen grid voltage pixel template

surface on which picture or data are shown electrical force pattern used as a guide for creating letters or characters individual dot on a computer screen network of lines crossing at right angles pointed implement for drawing or writing portable board with a clip at the top for holding papers

3. Read the text and decide why the author chose the title “Delete Keys”. Can you suggest a better title?

DELETE KEYS ― CLIPBOARD TECHNOLOGY

For the last generation, Silicon Valley and Tokyo have been working to design computers that are ever easier to use. There is one thing, however, that has prevented the machines from becoming their user-friendliest: you still have to input data with a keyboard, and that can require you to do a lot of typing and to memorize a lot of elaborate commands.

Enter the clipboard computer, a technology that has been in development for the last 20 years but took hold in the mass market only this year. Clipboard PCs ― which, as their name suggests, are not much bigger than an actual clipboard ― replace the keyboard with a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen and an electronic stylus. Users input data by printing individual letters directly on the screen. There are two technologies at work in a clipboard PC: one allows raw data to get into the computer and the other allows the computer to figure out what that data means.

The first technology relies principally on hardware and varies depending on the particular computer. In one system, marketed under the name GRIDPad, the computer's LCD screen is covered by a sheet of glass with a transparent conductive coating. Voltage is sent across the glass in horizontal and vertical lines forming a fine grid; at any point on the grid, the voltage is slightly different. When the stylus ― which is essentially a voltmeter ― touches the screen, it informs the computer of the voltage at that point. The computer uses this information to determine where the stylus is and causes a liquid crystal pixel to appear at those coordinates. The position of the stylus is monitored several hundred times a second, so as the stylus moves across the glass whole strings of pixels are activated.

“What we do is sort of connect the dots,” says Jeff Hawkins, the creator of GRIDPad. “'Users can then write whatever they want on the screen with a kind of electronic ink.” Making that writing comprehensible to the computer, however, requires the help of some powerful software. When the stylus is being used, the computer is programmed to look for moments when the tip does not touch the screen for a third of a second or more. Every time this happens ― and it happens a lot when somebody is printing¹ ― the software assumes that one letter or number has been written. The pixel positions of this fresh character are then passed on to the computer's pattern recognition software, which instantly identifies the letter or number written. The software does this by first cleaning up the character ― smoothing out crooked lines and removing errant dots. The remaining lines and curves are then compared with a series of templates in the computer's memory that represent hundreds of thousands of different versions of every letter in the English alphabet and all ten numerals. When the computer finds the closest match, it encodes the character in memory and displays it on the screen as if it had been typed. The entire process takes just a fraction of a second. To delete a word, you simply draw a line through it. To move to the next page, you flick the stylus at the bottom of the screen as if you're flicking the page of a book. There are a handful of clipboard computers now on the market, including GRIDPad, which is sold in the US: Penvision. Manufactured by NCR and sold around the world; and Sony's Palmtop and Canon's Al Note, both sold only in Japan. IBM and Apple are also pouring millions of dollars into the technology.

In addition to this hardware, a variety of software is also making its way to the market. Depending on the power of the computer and the sophistication of the software, clipboard systems can be programmed to understand the particular quirks of a particular user's printing: this is an especially useful feature in Japan, where elaborate kanji² characters make up most of the written language. Improvements in software may soon allow machines sold in the US to understand not only printing but continuous script as well.

Given such flexibility, the designers of clipboard computers are predicting big things ― and a big market ― for their products. “There's no doubt about it”, says an optimistic Hawkins. “You're going to own one of these things in the not-too-distant future.”

4. Decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F) in relation to the information in the text. If you think a statement is false, change it to make it true.

1. The Americans and the Japanese are working together to produce user-friendlier computers.

2. The clipboard computer was first sold twenty years ago.

3. On a clipboard, an electronic pen replaces the traditional keyboard.

4. In the GRIDPad system, when the pen touches the screen, it informs the computer and a liquid crystal pixel appears at that point.

5. The software decides that one character or number is complete if the tip of the stylus is not in contact with the screen for more than half a second.

6. The whole process of recognizing letters or numbers and printing them on the screen takes very little time.

7. There are many clipboard computers sold today which are all available everywhere in the world.

8. Clipboard systems can be made to understand any kind of writing.

5. Use the information in the text to complete the dialogue in your own words.

A How big is a clipboard PC?

B _____________________________________________________

A Does it have a keyboard?

B _____________________________________________________

A How does the stylus work?

B _____________________________________________________

A How does the computer know when one letter or number is complete?

B _____________________________________________________

A And how does the computer recognize different letters?

B _____________________________________________________

A Can you delete a word after you have written it?

B Yes. __________________________________________________

A Are these systems capable of recognizing joined writing?

B ______________________________________________

6. Look back in the text and find the reference for the words in italics.

   1. from becoming their user-friendliest

   2. one allows raw data to get

   3. it informs the computer

   4. Every time this happens

   5. which instantly identifies

   6. it encodes the character in memory

   7. this is an especially

   8. for their products

7. Look back in the text and find words or phrases that have a similar meaning to:

   1. understand

   2. sold

   3. covering

   4. points

   5. join

   6. making even

   7. not straight

   8. made by mistake

   9. move quickly and sharply

   10. unique features

8. Choose the correct word to complete each sentence. You may have to change some words slightly.

1. electron, electronic, electronics, electronically

   1. An _______ pen is one example of an input device.

   2. A computer solves problems _______ .

   3. Many _______ students go on to work as engineers.

2. technology, technological, technologically, technologist

1. The computer is the greatest _______ invention of the twentieth century.

2. There are two _______ involved in a clipboard PC.

3. Today's computers are _______ far superior to those used a few years ago.

3. identify, identifying, identifiable, identity

1. The clipboard's pattern recognition software immediately _______ the letters and numbers written by the stylus.

2. Most computer companies will not allow people without an ______ card to enter their premises.

3. A password is a mechanism for _______ the computer-user and allowing access.

4. compute, computing, computation, computerize, computerization

1. The _______ of the manufacturing division will be expensive in the-short term, but cost-effective in the long term.

2. We should be able to _______ our profit for next year fairly accurately with the new program.

3. I could tell from all the _______ on the board that a math’s lesson was in progress.

9. Translate the third paragraph (starting “There are two technologies...” ) into your language. Check the meaning of any unfamiliar technical words in the glossary at the back of this book.

10. Discuss the following questions:

1. What are the limitations of portable computers?

2. Do you think students should be allowed to use portable computers in class

Oxford English for Computing

UNIT 2. PC SOFTWARE

Text 1

BILL GATES

1. Read the article and match the paragraph to the headings

Character/ Likes / Plans . . .

Early life . . .

Introduction . . .

Later life . . .

1. Everyone has heard of Bill Gates, one of the richest and most successful people in the world. Microsoft, the business he started with a friend in 1975, has become the world’s largest computer software company, and Gates was the world’s youngest billionaire at the age of 31.

2. His full name is William Henry Gates III, and he was born on 28^th October, 1955, in Seattle, USA. Gates’ father was an attorney in Seattle, and his mother a teacher. At school, Bill soon showed that he was very intelligent, and especially good at Maths and Science. His parents decided to send him to Lakeside, the private school where he first began to use computers. 13-year-old Bill Gates and his school friend Paul Allen were soon spending all their time writing programs and learning about computers instead of doing their schoolwork!

3. After finishing school in 1973, Bill went to Harvard, America’s most famous university. The next year, he and Paul Allen wrote an operating program for the Altair, one of the world’s first microcomputers. The two friends started Microsoft in 1975, and Gates left Harvard. Before long, Microsoft was a major business success. Since then, the company has continued to grow, producing most of the world’s leading PC software. One reason for his success is that Gates has always been very ambitious and hardworking. This has not left him much time for a normal personal life, but in 1994 he married Melinda French, a Microsoft employee, and in 1995 he wrote a best-selling book, The Road Ahead. The Road Ahead is Bill Gates’ view of how the Information Highway – the Internet – will affect everybody.

4. Bill has mixed feelings about spending so much time running Microsoft. “There are a lot of experiences I haven’t had, but I do like my job”, he says. When he does find time to relax, he likes puzzles, golf and reading about science. One of his ideas of relaxation is to race Melinda at identical jigsaw puzzles. For such a rich person, his life is simple, and he spends little on himself and his family. When it comes to helping others, though, Gates is very generous. He annually gives away more than most people earn in a lifetime. He has already given huge amounts of money to charity, and says that he plans to give away almost of his wealth when he retires: “I plan to go from the world’s richest man to the world’s largest philanthropist.”

Enterprise-2 Student’s Book

2. Put the two halves of these sentences together.

The first computer program Gates wrote … When we talk about the future of the Internet we call it … Paul Allen is … A microprocessor chip is … In December 1974 Gates and Allen saw … The Altair 8 800 is important because it was the first … Gates and Allen took five weeks to … Bill Gates and Paul Allen started the first company that … Bill Gates left college at 19 because …

… write a program for Altair. … told the computer to play a game. … a picture of the Altair 8 800. … three years older than Bill Gates. … small computer that Gates saw. … wrote programs for microcomputers. … the Information Highway. … the part of the computer that thinks. … he couldn’t run business and study.

3. Read the article again and answer the questions.

1. Who is Bill Gates?

2. What have he and Paul Allen done together?

3. Why has Gates been so successful?

4. What does he do in his free time?

5. What does he plan to do with all his money?

4. Complete the table and then talk about Bill Gates.

Full Name:
Born:
Early Life:
Later Life:
Character:
Likes:
Plans:

Text 2

1. Before reading the text match each word with the correct definition:

mainframe mouse icon operating system software hardware microchip

the set of software that controls a computer system a very small piece of silicon carrying a complex electrical circuit a big computer system used for large-scale operations the physical portion of a computer system a device moved by hand to indicate position on the screen a visual symbol used in a menu instead of natural language data, programs, etc., not forming part of a computer, but used when operating it.

2. Now read the text and decide on a suitable title for it.

In 1952, a major computing company took a decision to get out of the business of making mainframe computers. They believed that there was only a market for four mainframes in the whole world. That company was IBM. The following year they reversed their decision.

In 1980, IBM decided that there was a market for 250,000 PCs, so they set up a special team to develop the first IBM PC. It went on sale in 1981 and set a world-wide standard for IBM-compatibility which, over the next ten years, was only seriously challenged by one other company, Apple Computers. Since then, over seventy million PCs made by IBM and other manufacturers have been sold. Over this period, PCs have become commodity items³. Since IBM made the design non-proprietary⁴, anyone can make them.

The history of the multi-billion dollar PC personal computers in their Palo Alto laboratory in California. However, the company failed to capitalize⁵ on this work, and the ideas that they put together went into the operating system developed for Apple's computers. This was a graphical interface: using a mouse, the user clicks on icons which represent the function to be performed.

The first IBM PC was developed using existing available electrical components. With IBM's badge on the box it became the standard machine for large corporations to purchase. When IBM were looking for an operating system, they went initially to Digital Research, who were market leaders in command-based operating systems (these are operating systems in which the users type in commands to perform a function). When the collaboration between IBM and Digital Research failed, IBM turned to Bill Gates, then 25 years old, to write their operating system.

Bill Gates founded Microsoft on the basis of the development of MS-DOS, the initial operating system for the IBM PC. Digital Research have continued to develop their operating system, DR-DOS, and it is considered by many people to be a better product than Microsoft's. However, without an endorsement from IBM, it has become a minor player in the market. Novell, the leaders in PC networking, now own Digital Research, so things may change.

The original IBM PC had a minimum of 16K of memory, but this could be upgraded to 512K if necessary, and ran with a processor speed of 4.77MHz. Ten years later, in 1991, IBM were making PCs with 16Mb of memory, expandable to 64Mb, running with a processor speed of 33MHz. The cost of buying the hardware has come down considerably as the machines have become commodity items. Large companies are considering running major applications on PCs, something which, ten years ago, no one would have believed possible of a PC. In contrast, many computers in people's homes are just used to play computer games.

The widespread availability of computers has in all probability changed the world for ever. The microchip technology which made the PC possible has put chips not only into computers, but also into washing-machines and cars. Some books may never be published in paper form, but may only be made available as part of public databases. Networks of computers are already being used to make information available on a world-wide scale.

3. How much did you understand? Now try these questions.

1. How many mainframes did IBM think it was possible to sell in 1952 ?

2. How many PCs have now been sold?

3. Who paid for the initial research into PCs?

4. Which company later used the results of this research to develop their operating system?

5. What are command-based operating systems?

6. DR-DOS is an acronym. What does it stand for?

7. Since the invention of the IBM PC, many of its features have been improved.

Which of the following features does the text not mention in this respect?

1. memory

2. speed

3. size

4. cost

4. Give three Examples from the text of how the availability of computers has “in all probability changed the world for ever”.

5. Translate the sixth paragraph (starting “The original IBM PC...”) into your own language. Look carefully at the tenses before you start.

6. The article states that “many computers in people’s homes are just used to play computer games” .Discuss the following questions:

1. In what other ways are computers used at home, or outside work?

2. If you already have a PC. how do you use it? (If not, how would you use one?)

7. Read the interview between a market researcher and a visitor to a computer exhibition.

Fill in the gaps. To help you, the first letter of each missing word is given.

interviewer: Do you own a PC?

ENRIQUE: Yes, I have an Apple Macintosh.

I: Why did you c______¹ a Mac as opposed to an IBM or an IBM

c______²?

E: I think Macs are e______³ to use than IBM PCs.

I use the m______⁴ feature a lot, which is s______⁵ on all Macs.

Then there's the graphical user interface and the windows.

I: Graphical user interface? Could you explain that?

E: Well. put simply, it means that you click on i______⁶ instead

of typing in c______⁷.

I: I see. You mentioned windows. Doesn't IBM also use windows?

E: Yes, but I think their windows are harder to s_______⁸ u_______⁹.

In any case, I’m used to the Mac.

8. Read the interview again and fill in the missing information.

Name: Occupation: Type of PC used: Reasons for choice: … … …

___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

Oxford English for Computing