Summary
Highlights
A computer's hardware consists of its physical components like circuits, chips, wires, speakers, and plugs. Software, on the other hand, comprises all the computer programs or code running on the machine, ranging from apps and games to web pages and data science software.
The CPU is the master chip that controls all other parts of the computer. It contains smaller circuits for specific tasks like math, logic, and sending/receiving information. The CPU uses simple commands to know which circuits to activate and when.
Simple commands in a CPU are represented in binary (ones and zeros or on and off electrical signals). These binary commands are stored in memory, and the CPU fetches and executes them sequentially. This sequence of commands forms a basic computer program, with binary code being the most fundamental form of software that controls hardware.
Modern software is not written in binary because it would be too time-consuming. Instead, programmers use high-level programming languages that resemble English. These high-level commands are then converted into the simpler binary commands that the CPU understands.
The operating system is the master program that manages how software uses the computer's hardware. It allows you to install new programs, decides when programs run on the CPU, and controls access to input/output devices. The operating system quickly switches between multiple programs to share the CPU, making it seem like many programs are running simultaneously.
Computers are made intelligent and useful by the software created by people. Learning to code empowers individuals to define problems they want to solve and write software that transforms their ideas into reality, building things that matter to them, their community, and the world.