This book consists of three basic sections. Section 1, “Microcomputer Architecture,” comprises 14 chapters covering such topics as architecture, instructions, microsequences, memories, parallel and serial I/O, and D/A and A/D converters. Section 2, “Microcomputer Systems,” contains three chapters treating timing diagrams, processor-memory interfaces, and processor-I/O interfaces. Section 3, “Microcomputer Software,” contains six chapters covering flowcharting, data organization, assemblers, and operating systems. Four appendices treat the ASCII character set, system testing aspects, use of a logic analyzer, and hexadecimal arithmetic.

In the preface, the author emphasizes that it is his “firm conviction that a good understanding of the principles and basics of microcomputers, independent of any specific product, is fundamental to establishing a good foundation in this subject. Consequently this is a generic textbook, supported by a number of product supplements. . . . to date Z-80; Intel 8080, 8085.” Following this strategy, the author excludes all product information and introduces virtual components. Therefore it is mandatory to assess the quality of this book from the conceptual point of view; i.e., did he manage a thorough presentation of architecture, software, and systems (as promised by the title)?

First of all, the three sections are highly unbalanced (425, 57, and 109 pages, respectively). Section 1 is overloaded. From my point of view, interfacing aspects should have been moved to section 2. DMA (treated in section 1) is a typical example that students can understand only when all the system components have been introduced.

Even more critical are the flaws in the software section. The author twice asks the question “What are Operating Systems?” (in 23-2.1 and 23-4.1), but the answers remain rather informal: “An operating system is a master control program that controls and monitors all the programs that run in the computer. . . . OS or part of it generally resides in the mainframe memory of the computer.” (Mainframe? I thought the book treated 8-bit micros.) “It is common practice to have another copy of the OS stored on some other off-line device such as magnetic tape to avoid the loss of this through accidental erasure and modification.” (What about memory protection? This backup problem is not at all operating system–specific.) This section also omits important topics such as process concept, file system, and time-sharing mode (batch and queued batch are described).

The book contains a glossary, which is nice, but lacks bibliographic references, which is a catastrophe because the reader has no chance to get more technical information. In conclusion, with the present organization and contents I cannot recommend the book for either classroom work or self-study.