COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF PERSONAL COMPUTERS FROM THE DESKTOP CLASS COMERCIALIZED IN ROMANIA
Content
Introduction
Chapter 1
GENERAL PRESENTATION OF THE PERSONAL COMPUTER
1.1 Short history
1.2 Classification of personal computers
1.3 Main elements of a computer
Chapter 2
DESKTOP COMPUTERS MARKET
2.1 Main manufacturers
2.2 Market evolution of personal computers
2.3 Factors that negatively affect the market
Chapter 3
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SOME DESKTOPS COMERCIALIZED IN ROMANIA
3.1 Presentation of the selected products
3.2 Main features analyzed
3.3 Comparative analysis of the selected products
CONCLUSIONS
Bibliography
In this paper I chose to talk about personal computers as they have reached incredible performances today. Since the first PC, over 70 years have passed, while computing has developed very much and really fast.
At the same time, computers have evolved in several directions. Over a period of time, the personal computer concept has strictly referred to fixed computing systems. Now it's a digital computer, it's not just a data-processing machine, it's a device that makes communication between two or more people easier.
It has the function of writing texts, numbers, watching pictures, videos and listening to music. Also, another computer goal is recreational. The analog computer had one function, it was used for fixed calculations, for calculating the equations and was hard to use, being manually reconfigured to move from solving a problem to another.
In the first chapter I presented a short history of personal computers, their classification, as well as the main elements of a PC. In history, we talked about the origin of the personal computer term, the first of its kind that consisted of a microprocessor, a power supply, and a memory. Also here we talked about the two companies that launched the first PCs.
In the second subchapter we explained the types of computers and the most important criteria we need to consider when purchasing a computer. At the end of the chapter we exemplify the main elements of a computer.
In Chapter II we presented the story of the top 5 personal computer manufacturers in Romania, named: Acer, Asus, HP, Dell and Apple. Then I wrote about the evolution of the stationary personal computer market and ended by presenting factors that negatively affect the profile market.
In Chapter III I have created a case study on comparative analysis of desktops marketed in Romania. Chapter III is structured on three subchapters. In the first subchapter I made a small presentation of the selected products, and in the second subchapter I present their main characteristics. In conclusion, we performed the comparative analysis of the products.
CHAPTEPR 1
GENERAL PRESENTATION OF THE PERSONAL COMPUTER
1.1 Short history
Personal computers are tools that have become necessary for most people, both in the office and at home.
Modern numerical calculator is actually an assembly of electronic communicators, which are used to illustrate and verify the elementary data circuit, the so-called binary digits (bits). Thanks to the on or off feature of binary information, an effective electronic switch had to be discovered.
The main problems were due to the fact that the first computers used the electronic tubes as a switch, which led them to inefficiency due to the high energy consumption, releasing a large amount of heat making them ineffective.
John Bardeen, Walter Brattain and William Shockley invented the transistor in 1948, an invention that revolutionized personal computers. This is a compact electronic switch that consumes less energy, leading to the removal of electronic tubes. At present, the old computer systems, which were very large in size and consume large amounts of energy, turned into laptops.
The birth of a personal computer began in 1973 when the first microcomputers based on the 8008 chip were planned. These only served as exemplary tools for lighting and extinguishing lights. The end of 1973 brings the 8080 Intel-based microprocessor, which was ten times faster than the previous one.
The first personal computer was made up of an 8080 mircoprocessor, a power supply, a command board, and a 256-byte memory. It was launched in 1975 with the name of the Altair kit. The sale price of the kit was about $400 and requires assembly by the buyer. The computer had the possibility of adding additional extensions and peripherals because it contained an open architecture archway.
In 1975, IBM introduced the 5100 to the market, the company's first personal computer, with a 16-bit monitor and a 16K memory with a DC 300 tape storage unit and BASIC language.
Because of the high price it could not enter the personal computer market and had to be replaced by other models like the 5110 and 5120. After replacing the 5100 with the other two models. Shortly, IBM comes with a new model called the 5150 or IBM Personal Computer, with a computer system similar to the 1980s, IBM System/23.
Apple launched its first personal computer, Apple I, in 1976. It consisted of a main board, a piece of plywood and screwed in, with no power supply and housing. A year later, Apple II appears, setting the standard for all the computers that followed.
Being in rapid growth, IBM entered the personal computer market under the guidance of Don Estridge at the end of 1980. Thus, the first personal computer was based on an IBM System /23 data Master system with built-in monitor and keyboard, and the design team used the 8088 microprocessor with 1 MB of memory with the 8-bit external bus and the internal 16 bit.
After designing the new model, IBM launches the first computer made exclusively from components from external manufacturers. For this, many softwares was created, and those who accepted the challenge were those from Microsoft who developed an operating system called DOS (Disk Operating System). The prototype has been a real success.
Developing personal computers nowadays begins 20 years ago, then the first IBM PC was launched, with the 8088 microprocessor-based systems at 4.77 MHz. Thereafter, AMD K7 Athlon or Pentium III microprocessor systems were developed at 800 MHz, 1500 times faster, capable of working with quantities of data in the order of tens of Gb and using hundreds of memory volumes by Mb.
After IBM invested the compatible standard, a lot of manufacturers in the field of computer equipment and peripheral equipment appeared on the market.
Classification of personal computers
To classify types of computers, a large number of criteria must be considered. The most important are the size, the power of information processing, the speed of operation and the price.
According to the above listed criteria, computers can be classified as follows: