Computer Systems, Second Edition

Computer Systems, Second Edition provides students with a broad understanding of all levels of computer systems. It emphasizes computer science topics that are related to, but not usually included in, the treatment of hardware and its associated software. The topics are presented through a unified concept of computer systems. The book allows students to explore several levels, such as high-order languages, machine, assembly, and logic gate through a top-down approach. Computer Systems, Second Edition covers the core topics in the Architecture and Organization category of the ACM and IEEE Curriculum 2001 Guidelines for Computer Science. This comprehensive approach supplies students with a fundamental understanding of computer systems. The Architecture and Organization (AR) core areas from the preliminary report, together with the chapters from this text that cover each area, are AR1. Digital logic and digital systems - Chapter 10, 11, AR2. Machine level representation of data - Chapter 3, AR3. Assembly level machine organization - Chapter 4, 5, 6, AR4. Memory system organization and architecture - Chapter 9, AR5. Interfacing and communication - Chapter 8, AR6. Functional organization - Chapter 11, AR7. Multiprocessing and alternative architectures - Chapter 8. This book has an integrated computer assembly language simulator integrated throughout.

User review
could be a good book, but,,.
This book is pretty good, but can be quite frustating if you try to study it in on your own. When reading books, sometimes authors would refer to certain tables or columns to better explain the context of the subject discussed. In this book, however, the author doesnt give any hint or idea of where to look when using certain reference.

So lets say you are still in the middle of absorbing certain texts, ,suddenly the author mentions certain things that seem to be out of context, and you have no idea that the author is actually refering to certain table or figure(eg. figure 4.5 or etc.). The author doesnt mention anything, its just there out of the blue. The table or figure mentioned, could be in the next page or ,,somewhere at beginning of the chapter.

You are left to find it out yourself.In other words, the author doesnt tell you which figure he is talking about, he just say in this table, or figure etc,,. etc,,.and the worse thing is that its not always on the same page,,,,could be really far at beginning or next few pages,,lol

User review
Very good book for programmers
As a programmer I'm really enjoying this book. It's an excellent book about computer architecture. I also teaches assembly language.

If you are not already a programmer this is not the right book.

This book uses C++ high level, and assumes you have some experience with a high level programming language (not necessarily C++)

User review
CS Instructor from NY
I regularly teach CS1 and CS2, (as well as CSX)in the NYS SUNY system. We have a course between CS1 and CS2 (CS1.5?) This is a breadth course which also has a required programming component. I like the Warford text, as it provides a pretty good introduction to topics across the spectrum. I am not in love with the order, since I cover logic after data representation and the text has it at the end. Also, as with another review I saw, this text unfortunately does not use a real live assembly language. Since learning a pretend one is just as hard as learning a real one, I usually substitute a module on the intel-chip assembly language in place of the text coverage. All that said, this is the best book I could find. Most breadth- coverage texts are at level CS0, this one definitely is not.

User review
A nice introduction to computer architecture
This book serves as a nice introduction to computer architecture, though those wishing to learn assembly language that they can actually apply in real-world applications will be disappointed, as the assembly language that's taught applies only to the virtual computer that is used with the book. The virtual computer, called the Pep/6, aids the student in learning about different addressing modes, language translation, etc. The book covers many other topics including boolean logic, language translation principles, different base numbering systems, etc. The book moves at a comfortable pace, and, coupled with good teaching, can potentially teach the student a good deal.