"The Essentials of Computer Organization and Architecture is an outstanding text that builds from the lowest level of logic gates through the circuits of the CPU up to the complexity of modern machines. I’ve used this text since 2008 (Second Edition). Each new edition has brought additional clarity to the material. One of my students said, at the end of the term, I feel like I could build a computer from scratch!”
The exercises are well-designed so that I can assign problems that test the topics we’ve focused on. It is a vast, rich collection of information.”
-Jacqueline A. Jones
Associate Professor, Dept. of Computer and Information Science
Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Updated and revised to reflect the most current data in the field, perennial bestseller The Essentials of Computer Organization and Architecture, Fourth Edition is comprehensive enough to address all necessary organization and architecture topics, but concise enough to be appropriate for a single-term course. Its focus on real-world examples and practical applications encourages students to develop a “big picture” understanding of how essential organization and architecture concepts are applied in the computing world. In addition to direct correlation with the ACM/IEEE CS2013 guidelines for computer organization and architecture, the text exposes readers to the inner workings of a modern digital computer through an integrated presentation of fundamental concepts and principles.
Key features of the fully revised and updated Fourth Edition include:
• A direct correlation with the ACM/IEEE CS2013 guidelines for computer organization and architecture, in addition to integrating material from additional knowledge units
• All-new material on a variety of topics, including zetabytes and yottabytes, automatons, tablet computers, graphic processing units, and cloud computing
• MARIE Simulator package allows students to learn the essential concepts of computer organization and architecture, including assembly language, without getting caught up in unnecessary and confusing details
About the Author
Linda Null, PhD- Pennsylvania State University
Linda Null received a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Iowa State University in 1991, an M.S. in Computer Science from Iowa State University in 1989, an M.S. in Computer Science Education from Northwest Missouri State University in 1983, an M.S. in Mathematics Education from Northwest Missouri State University in 1980, and a B.S. in Mathematics and English from Northwest Missouri State University in 1977. She has been teaching mathematics and computer science for over 25 years and is currently the Computer Science graduate program coordinator at Penn State Harrisburg, where she has been a member of the faculty since 1995. Professor Null was recently presented Penn State’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in recognition of her innovative and outstanding work in the classroom, as well as the Kathryn Towns Award in recognition of her commitment to the issues and interests of women students, particularly those in mathematics and computer science. Her areas of interest include computer organization and architecture, operating systems, and computer security.
Julia Lobur- Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania
Julia has been a practitioner in the computer industry for over 20 years. She has held positions as a systems consultant, a staff programmer/analyst, a systems and network designer, and a software development manager.
