How Computers Work

What makes your computer run, allowing you to create documents, paint pictures, listen to music, etc? These are the main sections in a computer's architecture:

CPU (Central Processing Unit)
The CPU is the part of the computer that executes instructions; it is responsible for the computing of a computer. An average computer today can execute about 2 to 3 billion of these computations, or instructions, per second.

I/O (Input / Output)
This is how you interact with your computer. Input/Output devices range from simple keyboards and mice, to monitors, to DVD drives, as well as printers, scanners and webcams. Input devices convert (or encode) information into data that the computer can understand; output devices convert (or decode) data into information the computer user can understand.

OS (Operating System)
Heard of Windows? It's just an example of an operating system (or OS), which tells the computer which programs to run, when to run them, and what resources to use. Another very important feature of the OS is that it provides a graphical interface for the user, allowing for ease of use.