Computer Architecture: A Designer's Text Based on a Generic Risc (Mcgraw-Hill Computer Science Series. Computer Organization and Architecture.) [Hardcover]

James M. Feldman (Author), Charles T. Retter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1994 | Series: Mcgraw-Hill Computer Science Series. Computer Organization and Architecture.

This book, intended for undergraduate and postgraduate courses in computer architecture, begins with a short history of digital computation. It is distinguished by its orientation towards RISC rather than CISC architecture, and is one of the few books on the market to fully address the topic of input/output and limits to speed. Bringing entire computing systems (both hardware and software) together, this text makes clear the consequences of hardware decisions on software vice versa. Also available is an instructor's manual (0-07-020454-3).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 619 pages
• Publisher: Mcgraw-Hill College (January 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0070204535
• ISBN-13: 978-0070204539
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,664,361 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good introductory book, July 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Computer Architecture: A Designer's Text Based on a Generic Risc (Mcgraw-Hill Computer Science Series. Computer Organization and Architecture.) (Hardcover)

Good introduction of RISC CPU design. This book illustrates some of the architectural trade offs that real designers make when introducing a new CPU architecture. I especially like the fact that the authors went into great detail about the software and hardware aspects of the CPU design.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent introduction to RISC, December 11, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Computer Architecture: A Designer's Text Based on a Generic Risc (Mcgraw-Hill Computer Science Series. Computer Organization and Architecture.) (Hardcover)

The book is an exceptionally clearsighted introduction to the topic of RISC. With many lookbacks on existing processors the authors weighs the pros and cons on almost every aspect of the design. I especially enjoyed the lengthy discussions of what an operating system (unix in this case) expect from the hardware and how the two cooperate in the best possible way.

It's discussion on different file systems does not directly have a bearing on the RISC architecture but fits in very snugly in giving a most complete general overview of a computer system. There's more to it than a good processor.

Read it! You'll learn a lot - not only about RISCs - but also what has driven hardware designers in the microprocessor industry for decades.