In this edition of the Code Curious podcast, the discussion centers around the fundamental components of computer science. It begins by defining what a computer is, noting how it has evolved from a large, immobile desktop device to a variety of devices like cell phones and tablets. The podcast outlines two crucial elements of any computing device: hardware and software.
•
Hardware is defined as the physical machine, encompassing all parts you can touch such as a keyboard or mouse.
•
Software refers to the programs that run on the hardware and are created by computer scientists. These programs are essentially instructions that the hardware follows.
The podcast further explains that a computing device, regardless of its appearance, has five common elements:
•
At least one input device, which translates information from the analog world into binary that a computer can understand, such as keyboards, microphones, cameras, and touchscreens.
•
At least one output device, which sends information back to the user. Examples include screens, speakers, printers and touchscreens which can also act as input devices.
•
A CPU (Central Processing Unit), which acts as the processor and executes instructions from software. The CPU is described as the "brain" of the computer, directing its functions. It decodes and codes binary, loads and unloads information to and from memory, performs arithmetic and basic logic, and handles input/output operations.
•
Main memory (short-term memory) that the CPU works out of which is very fast, but is lost when power is off.
•
Secondary memory (long-term memory) that stores information permanently until deleted, such as hard drives, USBs and cloud storage.
The podcast also details three main types of software:
•
Operating systems, which control the memory and handle things like folder access and app compatibility.
•
Compilers, which translate the code that is typed in, into machine language or binary, which is a system of ones and zeros that the computer understands.
•
Applications, which are customized for the end user experience and perform specific activities, such as word processors or web browsers.
Finally, the podcast introduces key vocabulary related to computer science including terms such as compiler, computer, CPU, hardware, input, main memory, output, program, secondary memory and software
Информация по комментариям в разработке