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Part III

These advances in software and operating systems were matched by4 the development of microprocessors that contained increasing numbers of circuits. It resulted in increases in the processing speed and power of personal computers. The memory capacity of PCs had increased from 64 kilobytes (64,000 characters) in the late 1970s to 100 megabytes (100 million characters) by the early '90s.

By 1990, some PCs had become small enough to be completely portable. They included laptop computers, which could rest in one's lap; notebook computers, which were about the size of a notebook; and pocket, or palm-sized, computers, which could be held in one's hand. At the high end of the PC market5, multimedia personal computers equipped with CD-ROM players and digital sound systems allowed users to manipulate animated images and sound (in addition to text and still images) that were stored on high-capacity CD-ROMs. Personal computers were increasingly interconnected with each other and with larger computers in networks to collect, send and receive information electronically. The applications of personal computers continued to multiply as the machines became more powerful and sophisticated, and their software more versatile. By 2000, about 45 percent of all households in the developed countries owned a personal computer.

Notes:1computerkit– конструктор(компьютер, продаваемый в виде комплекта деталей и узлов);

2inearnest– всерьез;

3clone– клон, двойник, копия(семейство компьютеров, полностью совместимое с каким- либо иным семейством, но произведённым другой фирмой);

4tomatchby–зд: происходить одновременно с;

5high end of the market – элитный рынок(рынок товаров для состоятельных интеллигентных потребителей с уровнем дохода и образования выше среднего).

EXERCISES

Ex. 16. Search the text for the English equivalents to the following phrases:

  1. разработанный специально для личного пользования;

  2. устройство считывания (ввода) с перфоленты;

  3. передняя панель устройства;

  4. человек, увлекающийся вычислительной техникой;

  5. коммерческое (промышленное) применение;

  6. плата центрального процессора;

  7. чуть больше стоимости микропроцессора;

  8. инженер-электротехник;

  9. предварительно собранный ПК массового производства;

  10. довольно ограниченный объём памяти;

  11. бухгалтерская компьютерная программа;

  12. упустить такую возможность;

  13. машина сразу же стала пользоваться спросом;

  14. большая вычислительная мощность;

  15. необходимость набирать (на клавиатуре) сложные команды;

  16. выводить текстовую и графическую информацию на экран дисплея;

  17. доминирующая операционная среда для ПК;

  18. увеличение скорости обработки (информации) и мощности ПК;

  19. компакт диски большой ёмкости.

Ex. 17. Answer the questions.

  1. What technical innovations resulted in the development of microcomputers?

  2. What was the first desktop computer designed for personal use?

  3. Can you describe the Altair 8800? Try to do it. Give at least eight characteristic features.

  4. Why was the commercial application of the Altair limited?

  5. What was one of the first pre-assembled, mass-produced personal computers?

  6. What was the Apple II initially used for and when did its popularity greatly increase?

  7. What can you say about the IBM PC? Say six sentences.

  8. When was the first portable, IBM-compatible computer introduced?

  9. What does compatibility with the IBM PC mean?

  10. What is the difference between IBM-compatibles and IBM-clones?

  11. What computer was the first to incorporate the graphical user interface?

  12. What are the advantages of the GUI?

Ex. 18. If you think a statement is false, change it to make it true. (TIP: You should replace only one word in each sentence.) Go back to the text if necessary.

  1. Two technical innovations in the field of physics led to creating microcomputers.

  2. The IC and the microprocessor permitted the miniaturization of laptops.

  3. The first desktop computer called the Altair was designed specially for military use.

  4. The Altair was developed by a large firm named Micro Instrumentation Telemetry Systems in 1975.

  5. The Altair used a 16-bit Intel 8080 microprocessor, had 256 bytes of RAM.

  6. The computer kit contained a box, a CPU board with 256 bytes of memory, and a back panel.

  7. The Altair was not a revolutionary invention but it encouraged computer experts to take the previous step.

  8. The Apple II computer was developed by the Apple Computer, Inc founded by Stephen Jobs and Steven Wozniak.

  9. The monitor of the Apple II supported relatively high-quantity color graphics.

  10. Personal computers were far more expensive than mainframes and many individuals, small businesses and schools could afford to buy them.

  11. The IBM Corporation introduced the IBM-compatible сomputer in 1981.

  12. The accounting system for the IBM PC was developed by Bill Gates and Paul Allen.

  13. The first portable computers resembled washing machines when they were closed.

  14. Unlike the Lisa, the Macintosh incorporated a graphical user interface.

  15. The Macintosh GUI combined icons (pictures that represent files or programs) with doors (boxes that each contain an open file or program).

Ex. 19. Translate the phrases in the box.

a) business use i) floppy-disk drive

b) CD-ROM players and digital sound systems j) GUI

c) CPU k) high-capacity CD-ROMs

d) computer hobbyists l) memory capacity

e) computer memory circuits m) microprocessor

f) desktop computer n) palm-sized computers

g) electronic spreadsheet o) processing speed and power

h) electronics expert

Use the required phrases to complete each sentence.

  1. Thanks to the integrated circuit, the size of ___ was reduced.

  2. The ___ enabled the computer engineers to minimize the size of the CPU.

  3. The Altair 8800 was the first ___ designed specially for personal use.

  4. The Altair was popular among ___.

  5. It took an ___ many hours to assemble the computer.

  6. The Apple II had a monitor, its own keyboard, power supply, a ___ and eight slots for peripheral devices.

  7. The Apple II used 8-bit microprocessors and had rather limited ___.

  8. Daniel Bricklin wrote an accounting program called VisiCalc – the first ___.

  9. Intel Corporation's 16-bit 8088 microprocessor was selected as the ___ for the IBM PC.

  10. The Lisa was a personal computer designed for ___ that incorporated a mouse to select commands and control an on-screen cursor.

  11. The ___ enables users to input commands by clicking on pictures, words, or icons with a pointing device called a mouse.

  12. The development of microprocessors that contained increasing numbers of circuits resulted in increases in the ___ of PCs.

  13. By 1990, various kinds of portable computers such as laptops, notebook computers, and ___ had been developed.

  14. Multimedia PCs equipped with ___ allowed users to handle animated images and sound.

  15. Animated images and sound as well as text and still images were stored on ___.

Ex. 20. Read and translate TEXT B, using a dictionary. Give a suitable title to each part of the text. Write a summary of the text. Make use of the phrases given in UNIT TWO.