by Jon Stokes December 2006, 320 pp. This book is currently out
of stock, but the ebook is still available Computers perform
countless tasks ranging from the business critical to the
recreational, but regardless of how differently they may look
and behave, they're all amazingly similar in basic function.
Once you understand how the microprocessor—or central processing
unit (CPU)—works, you'll have a firm grasp of the fundamental
concepts at the heart of all modern computing. Inside the
Machine, from the co-founder of the highly respected Ars
Technica website, explains how microprocessors operate—what they
do and how they do it. The book uses analogies, full-color
diagrams, and clear language to convey the ideas that form the
basis of modern computing. After discussing computers in the
abstract, the book examines specific microprocessors from Intel,
IBM, and Motorola, from the original models up through today's
leading processors. It contains the most comprehensive and up-
to-date information available (online