“COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE TRENDS”

The focus of this report is to provide an overview of the history, currently implemented technology, and possible future implementations in the field of Computer Architecture.

Write this report in simple English. What this means is that you are required to write this report in a format any average person can understand (think of reading this report to your grandparents, will they understand what you wrote?). Do not make this report complicated by putting in too many technical terms.

You need to cover the following sections in your report:

History of Computing

For each of the five components of Computer Architecture (CPU, Memory, Input/Output, disk storage, Programs), you need to cover:

History of each component
Current technology being used for each component (remember… Simple English!!)
Future trends for each component (what are companies doing to improve the performance of the components; for example, faster hard drives, faster RAM etc.)

Technology currently being used in the field of computer architecture (I expect you to give me an overview at the System’s level [you have already given me a component-level view in the previous section] in simple English).
Your viewpoint on the future of computer architecture, and how it can be implemented (example, some companies are making computers powerful by putting in more processors, others are putting in more memory, others like Microsoft are integrating a lot of functionality in machines like the XBOX). You need to predict the next “hot” area of computer architecture, and tell me how do you think that can be implemented.

The report will be 4-5 pages (approximately 3000 words) long.

Turn in a hard copy (A-4 paper, double spaced) and a soft copy (Microsoft Word 97/2000/XP format on a floppy). Be sure to write your name and email on the hard copy and the floppy.

Write your report in simple English, that an average person can understand, don’t make it too technical.

List your references at the end of the report. If you refer a book, list the book’s name, author, publisher, ISBN Number (if any), page number. You can also list magazines (magazine name, date/month of publication, page number). In case you refer a website, list the complete URL.

No plagiarism will be tolerated (what this means is that I expect each of you to turn in your own original stuff).