How Computers Work: Processor And Main Memory

by Roger Young

Computers are the most complex machines that have ever been created. This book will tell you how they work, and no technical knowledge is required. It explains in great detail the operation of a simple but functional computer. Although transistors are mentioned, relays are used in the example circuitry for simplicity. Did you ever wonder what a bit, a pixel, a latch, a word (of memory), a data bus, an address bus, a memory, a register, a processor, a timing diagram, a clock (of a processor), an instruction, or machine code is? Unlike most explanations of how computers work which are a lot of analogies or require a background in electrical engineering, this book will tell you precisely what each of them is and how each of them works without requiring any previous knowledge of computers, programming, or electronics. This book starts out very simple and gets more complex as it goes along, but everything is explained. The processor and memory are mainly covered.

Genres: Computer Science

152 pages, Paperback

First published March 20, 2002

Reviews

[Maurizio Manetti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pessimo, noioso, ripetitivo... Spesso non chiaro in cosa gli esempi si prefiggono di mostrare. Praticamente un computer 😁
No, se volete un bel libro sull'argomento che spiega le cose in maniera decisamente appassionante, consiglio piuttosto "Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software" di Charles Petzold.

[Dan Etue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Explains the binary logic of basic computers.

[Joe Beeson · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent, pretty short book about how the simplest of computers work at the smallest level, starting with relays

[John Weis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazingly simple intro to circuits, schematics, memory, processors, and digital programming. Hard and helpful.

[Lucille Nguyen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overview of binary logic and computing. More elementary than expected.