As I stated above, the first step in designing a computer system is determining the desired functionality of the system. I want a computer that I can use to write a term paper, record, edit, and copy personal and commercial video footage, record, edit and copy music that has been commercially recorded and live music, play video games, access the internet, and hopefully, in the future, perform as a server for a small business and website. Therefore, the computer system that I design must efficiently and effectively perform or be capable of upgrading to perform the following functions:
Multitasking
Multitasking is the ability of the computer to work on more than one operation or task at a time and still perform effectively and efficiently. To be capable of this a high speed processor with on-die full core speed cache is necessary. The actual speed rating of the processor in megahertz depends on the types and number of applications you want to be able to run at the same time. Multitasking also requires a large amount of system memory. The actual number of megabytes is also relative to the types and number of tasks.
Word processing
Word processing is a simple function accomplished with applications that consume a very small amount of system resources. There are no special considerations required in a system for this function.
Internet communication
Internet communication is a pretty standard function of computers today. The component required to enable the system to connect to the internet is a modem.
Data analysis
This function requires a high quality processor and a good data storage component to allow for storage and easy access to large quantities of data.
Multimedia entertainment
Multimedia entertainment is a catchphrase that is used quite frequently today. It is often not completely understood what this term encompasses. The technology behind it is advancing so rapidly it is difficult to comprehend all the possibilities becoming available, but for the sake of simplicity I will use the common definition. Programs and recordings that provide integrated audio and video entertainment, such as movies and music videos. There are also interactive multimedia entertainment programs, commonly known as video games. A computer with full multimedia entertainment functionality requires a specialized video adapter and sound card, DVD and CD drives, and a video game controller.
Multimedia production
A computer with the capability to produce multimedia programs and recordings takes the multimedia function to another level. Computers at this level are referred to as workstations. They need to be capable of processing and storing large amounts of data at high speeds. They also must be able to convert this data into a high quality removable media format for production copy and distribution. Here again, the demand for high speed, accurate data processing necessitates a dual processor workstation. The storage requirements demand a system with the capability to integrate multiple hard drives, such as a SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) or a RAID (Redundant Array Integrated Drive) controller. The format conversion component, a specialized video adapter called a video capture card, is the component that is unique to multimedia production. It is the component that can make the difference between a finished product that looks like a home movie and one that looks like it was made for the big screen. It is also the component that can cost as much as the entire system put together. It is very important that you research this component completely before deciding the specific brand and model video capture card to use in a system. Once the data is processed and compiled, it will be necessary to have some means to record the finished product. Therefore, I would also need DVD and CD-RW drives. Actually, since RW drives can both read and record their respective media, only the RW type drives are necessary.
Low-end LAN/web server
This is a computer that connects and coordinates the functions of a small group of computers
that are all working in the same area , such as a small business or home office and can host a website for the LAN. It goes without saying that multitasking is the order of the day for this computer, but servers also need storage options such as SCSI or RAID and communication hardware, known as network cards or NICs.
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