ISWORLDnet SUMMARY

SUMMARY: 

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Note:
  Thanks for all replies that I have received. I have decided to 
  use "System Architecture" by Stephen Burd.
  
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Original Posting:
  There are many excellent heavy weight Computer Science text books
  about Operating Systems and Computer Architecture. I am wondering
  if there exists a combined a text book about: "All You Need To
  Know About  Operating Systems/Computer Architecture for MIS
  students" for a one semester class (50% Architecture/ 50%
  Operating Systems").

  I am going to write a summary of the responses to this list in
  about four weeks from now. *** PLEASE LET ME KNOW, IF YOU WOULD
  RATHER BE ANONYMOUS ***

* Richard G. Platt wrote:
  There is an excellent book that I have used for just such a class.
  It is System Architecture
  (http://averia.mgt.unm.edu/sa4e_student/), 
  by Stephen Burd. The current edition is the 4th edition
  (http://www.course.com/catalog/product.cfm?isbn=0-619-15978-2),
  but there is a 5th edition due out in March this year, or so the
  web site says 
  (http://www.course.com/catalog/product.cfm?isbn=0-619-21692-1).

* George Wyner wrote:
  I co-teach a systems architecture course for dual degree students
  (MBA with an MS in information systems). In the past we have used
  an intro level text (most recently Systems Architecture by Burd,
  Course Technologies) combined with additional readings selected
  from more technical material (we use Operating Systems by
  Tanenbaum, Prentice Hall).  We are currently considering moving
  to a single textbook.  We are looking at two candidates which may
  strike the right balance, which for us means covering some
  technical concepts but at a level suitable to students with no
  previous exposure to computer science. The two we are considering
  are books by Irv Englander (published by Wiley, I believe) and
  Douglas Comer (pub. by Prentice Hall), but we have yet to decide
  on whether to switch.

* Noam Nisan wrote:
  I saw your message asking for a book that combines architecture
  and OS. I think that a book I wrote with Shimon Schoken is related
  in spirit, but somewhat wider in scope. The book is called "The
  elements of computing systems: building a modern computer from
  first principles" and it should be published in about one month by
  MIT Press. The publisher's web-page for the book is at
  http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=10218
  and our own web site for the book is at:
  http://www1.idc.ac.il/tecs/
  I Hope that you find this realted to what you are looking for.

* Al Bento wrote:
  I have been teaching an OS class for the MS in MIS students in our
  program for the last four years. I use a traditional Computer
  Science book, together with references and suplements for Windows
  and Linux. Each class meeting has a first part (about an hour and
  15 minutes) on OS generic concepts, and a second part on Windows
  and Linux concepts corresponding to the OS generic concepts. You
  can see my syllabus at:
     http://home.ubalt.edu/abento/751/.
  I use the Deitel book because it has one chapter on Linux and
  another in Windows XP as case studies, where it covers both from
  OS concepts perspective. In addition, the projects I assign to
  the students are related do Linux and Windows, not programming
  assignments in Java or C++ like the traditional OS courses in
  Computer Science do.

* John Beachboard wrote:
  I have given up on the CS books and have been struggling with how
  to find materials and design a similar course. I finally gave up
  and am using a book designed to support Windows certification on
  Windows 2003 Server (a text by Laudon out of the Prentice-Hall
  series for MSCE certifications). I am not really happy going so
  Windows centric, but it does allow for introduction of many
  concepts associated with use of systems in the enterprise and
  allows for easy design of some hands-on labs. I do supplement this
  with outside material. And I am not attempting to teach this
  course so that the students can actually pass the certification
  exam. As I get more comfortable and competent with the material, I
  will probably try to introduce Linux based exercises to give
  students an introduction to that environment as well as help them
  to understand there are different ways to accomplish common tasks.
  If you have not guessed, I am leaning away from trying to combine
  the CS architecture and OS courses toward a more operationally
  focused course that introduces students to enterprise class
  technologies and what it takes to configure and operate them
  (e.g., directory services, group security policies, systems
  management). It remains to be seen how successful the class will
  be. I hope this helps.

* Jean-Paul Van Belle wrote:
  I'm also looking for good "Intro to (i) technology" books for MIS
  type students. The ones we used to use are:
    1. GOLDMAN, RAWLES & MARIGA: Client/Server Info Systems: A
       business oriented approach (Wiley, 1999), AND
    2. ORFALI & EDWARDS: Client/Server Survival Guide (Wiley, 1998?)
  but both are getting a bit long in the tooth. Both had fairly good
  sections on OS and architecture. Looking forward to your summary
  posting. Warmest regards from sunny Cape Town

* Beth Golub wrote:
  I am the editor at John Wiley & Sons Publishers for Information
  Systems textbooks. We have a book that may meet your needs:
    THE ARCHITECTURE OF COMPUTER HARDWARE AND SYSTEMS SOFTWARE: AN
    INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY APPROACH 3rd edition, by Irv Englander.
  Here is a brief description from our on-line catalog:
    This newly revised text provides a gentle approach to introduce
    MIS students to fundamental computer hardware, systems software,
    and data concepts. As in previous editions, the goal of this
    book is to provide the fundamentals of computer architecture
    which are essential to the workplace survival of Information
    Systems graduates. This text provides a careful, in depth, 
    non-engineering introduction to the inner workings of modern
    computer systems. New advances have been built into the new
    edition in the areas of operating system design and computer
    interconnection.
  For more information, please go to:
    http://www.wiley.com/college/englander
  and do not hesitate to contact me if you have specific questions
  or would like a review copy.

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