Computer Basics

The computer, at least in the form we think of it today, is a relatively new technological development. The first electroninc computers were built in the 1940s, and desktop computers accessbile be average people date back only to the late 1970s. In a very short time, computers have become integral to nearly every aspect of our society, from business transactions to personal communications. However, although many people use them for work and pleasure avery day, few have even a basic uderstanding of how computers work.
This post presents an overview of computer technology, focusing on what comuters are, how they are organized, and what they can do. The coverage is not meant to be exhaustive many of topics introduced here will be resivited in later post. However,this overview should providea framework work for understanding computing concepts as you encounter them throughtout the book, as well as making you a wiser consumer of computer tehcnology.



What Is a Computer?

When you think of the word "computer" you probably picture a machine that sits on a desk and is used to create documents, send email, or explore the World Wide Web. This type of computer is often reffered to as a personal computer (PC), as it designed for use by one person at a time, or as desktop computer, since it is small enough to fit on top of a desk. When people contemplate computers today, many think only of desktop machines; however, a wide variety of computers are used to fulfill defferent needs. Some, known as supercomputers, are large enough to fill entire rooms and can perform trilions of calculations per second. Researches involed in complex tasks, such as modelling weather patterns or testing engineering designs, are the primary users of supercomputers. Smaller, less expensive computers include laptops, which can fit in a briefcase and palmtops, (also called personal digital assistans, or PDAs), which you can hold in your hand. Individuals employ these type of computers are embedded in (e.g., built into) and electronic mail. More recently, hybrid devices that combine the functionality of a a palmtop with another technology, such as a cell phone or personal music player, have be come available and are growing  in popularity.

In general, we will define a computer as a device that receives, stores, and processes information. Although the computers described in the previous paragraph may look different and perform deverse functions, they all fit is his general definition. For example, a supersomputer is able to receive  data on current weather patterns, store that data, and process it to predict when shorm conditions will arise. A personal computer is able to recognize charachters typed by the user, store these characters in files, and process them to produce a document, spredsheet, or email message. Likewise, a computer  embedded in a car's antilock brake system is able to sense the spin of the wheels, process that data to compute the optimal braking pattern, and bring the car to a safe stop.