Introduction to Computers: Hardware and Software in a Nutshell

Topics

  • Introduction

  • Hardware and software

  • How computers store data

  • How a program works

  • Using python

    Assignment due next class


Introduction

  • Bug = error

  • Grace Hopper developing computer in IBM

    • Noticed an error, spotted a moth on the relay, referred to the error as “an instance of a bug” in her journal


  • Computer processing similar to human processing

  • CPU = brain

  • RAM = working memory

  • SSD/Storage = long-term memory


Input ←> CPU/RAM ←> Output


Main memory is where computer stores a program while program in running, and data used by the program

Two types of data: program instruction and input data


If it requires multiple bytes to store large data, why can’t you add more bits into a byte rather than using multiple bytes


Quantum computers -