Tools for Processing

Hardware-

- CPU (Central processing unit)
--> Core 2 duo (intel), 2 cores allows you to do two processing things at once. potential exists if it is written particular for it.
GHz, unit measures how rapidly certain things are happening.
Clock cycle, how quickly things come in and out of it.
--> Quad core (intel), 4 cores operate at once if written to take advantage of.

- Processer only processes instructions. Instuction is more than a single bit of data. e.g. 32bit long. 64bit long means the instructions would be more complex (new operating system). Improves processing power. Depending on the instruction size you need instructions written for it.
- Arithematic logic units, handle mathematical parts of it.

What new processor is there now than the quad core?
Intel Core i7 Processor:
2.93 GHz and 2.66 GHz core speed
8 processing threads with Intel® HT technology
8 MB of Intel® Smart Cache
3 Channels of DDR3 1066 MHz memory

- Graphics Processing
--> graphic card turns the data that can be displayed on screen.
--> Graphics Proceesor: might take a long while depending if tis good or not. Virtual modelling, drawing etc, need a good graphics processor. Graphics card for information on the screen changing, would have a big RAM.

Sophisticated Graphics Card?
NVIDIA Graphics card.

Software:

- Spreadsheets and Databases (access)
- Graphics based software specifically for processing digital images.
--> Photoshop, MovieMaker for proessing video (Video-editing software), Sound files.
--> Adobe Premiere: sophisticated software.
- Software that can take a spoken voice into command. By the process of sound into a accessible command. Improved quality of microphones. e.g. Dragon Voice