How Do Computers Work?

The spoken lesson

"A computer is a programmable machine. Input devices provide data. A processor follows software instructions and performs operations. Working memory holds information being used now, while storage keeps information for later. Output devices create pictures, sound, printed pages, movement, light, vibration, or Braille. Hardware is the physical equipment, and software is the organised set of instructions and data. Digital systems commonly represent information with bits called zero and one, and eight bits form a byte. Computers can work very quickly but can still be wrong. A computer follows software instructions to transform input data into stored information and output." DESIGN REQUIREMENTS: Use clear system diagrams and unplugged logic. Avoid anthropomorphic computer brains, device disassembly, personal-data entry, coding competitions, or claims that binary digits are literal objects travelling around.