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How a Computer Works: From Switches to Screens
A big-picture tour of how input, processing, memory, storage and output fit together inside a computer, from tiny switches up to the image on your screen.
Inside the Technology
How Computers Work
The parts and ideas inside every computer, in plain words.
Bits, Bytes and Binary
Learn how text, photos, sound and programs all reduce to ones and zeros, what bits and bytes are, and how to read a simple binary number.
Graphics Cards and What GPUs Do
What a graphics card and its GPU actually do, why parallel calculation suits games, video and AI work, and how integrated and dedicated graphics differ.
How Software Gets Written and Run
How programmers turn source code into programs, what compiling and interpreting mean, and why software needs updates after it is released.
How Touchscreens Sense Your Finger
How capacitive touchscreens detect a fingertip, why gloves and wet hands cause trouble, and how resistive and other touch technologies differ.
RAM Explained
RAM is a computer's short-term working memory. Learn how it differs from storage, what happens when it fills up, and how much you typically need.
SSD vs Hard Drive: How Each Stores Data
Compare how solid state drives and spinning hard drives store data, and how they differ in speed, durability, capacity, noise and cost.
What a Processor Does
What a CPU actually calculates, how cores and clock speed fit together, and why more gigahertz or more cores does not always mean a faster computer.
What an Operating System Does
How an operating system manages hardware, memory, files and programs, and why every computer and phone needs one to run apps safely and smoothly.
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