E to design electrical installations and lighting systems
Personal computer is a small, relatively inexpensive computer designed for an individual user. In price, personal computers range anywhere from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars AJI are based on the microprocessor technology that enables manufacturers 1 C to put an entire CPU on one chip. CPU stands for Central Processing Unit The reason the CPU is called a processor is because it can work with data it can do calculations; it can move data Businesses use personal computers for word processing, accounting, desktop publishing, and for running spreadsheet and database management applications. At home, the most popular use for personal computers is for playing games. Personal computers first appeared in the late 1970s One of the first and most popular personal computers was the Ap~e II, introduced in 1977 by Apple Computer. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, new models and 2 A competing operating systems appeared daily Then, in 1981, IBM entered the market with its first personal computer, known as the IBM PC The IBM PC quickly became the personal computer of choice, and most other personal computer manufacturers fell by the wayside. One of the few companies to survive IBM was Apple Computer. which remains a major player in the personal computer marketplace . Other companies adjusted to IBM's dominance by building IBM clones, computers that were internally almost the same as the IBM PC, but that cost less Because IBM clones used the same microprocessors as IBM PCs, they were 3 B capable of running the same software. Over the years, IBM has lost much of its influence in directing the evolution of pes.Today, the world of personal computers is basically divided between ~ Macintoshes and PCs The principal characteristics of personal computers are that they are 4 F single-user systems and are based on microprocessors. However, although personal computers are designed as single-user systems, it is common to link them together 5 D to form a network. In terms of power, there is great variety. At the high end, the distinction between personal computers and workstations has faded. High-end models of the Macintosh and PC offer the same 6 G computing power and graphics capability as low-end workstations by Sun Microsystems, Hawlall.Packard, and DEC.