Lesson 1 Beginning
Let me start by stating the obvious, the main purpose of a computer is to follow instructions. It computes, therefore it is. Over the decades many people, have worked on the computer, eking out improvements and pushing boundaries. The primary aim, until fairly recently, was for a machine to do the tedious number crunching and repetitive tasks for humans and for humans to tell them what to do more easily.
Essentially, they were making a thinking machine. These tireless people were only human. They had to base the designs of how the processes would work on the closest thing to a computer at hand: The human brain. In essence, a lot of the basic things a computer does, you perform every day. It just does it a lot quicker and with less counting of fingers.
Take a simple addition for an example:
124 + 378 = ?
I have deliberately chosen an addition operation that is higher than 20. We most of us have the ability to perform these types of addition instantaneously and they are the product of instinct or memory than any kind of metal exertion or deduction. The mind will take the first value and hold on to it. It will then take the second number and attempt to apply it to the first. The product will then come out of our mouths or on to the paper we are writing on.
Whether or not the answer is right is not important at this point. The principle of the working out is the central theme being emphasised. Most will broadly follow the steps below:
- Hold on to the first number
- Take the second number
- Apply the calculation to the two values
- Output the answer
This is what a computer does. It also highlights 3 important facets of a computer.
- Memory - the computer has to hold on to the two values. These need to be kept somewhere; it doesn’t hold them in a cardboard box.
- Instructions - operations the computer carries out, addition being one of these.
- Output - a computer could do the most wondrous operations imaginable, it's of no use unless a human is able to get at the product.