How Do Computers Work?

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evlPanda
evlPanda
NSW
9207 posts
NSW, 9207 posts
20 Mar 2013 5:54pm
So somebody I refer to as "dad" asked me innocently, and very naively, how they actually work. After nearly 20 years of playing and working with the things all day this was my answer.

"...I don't know."

And this being my dad he wasn't looking for the answer "There's a hard drive that stores all your data, and your software is executed in RAM, and when you type in 'www.google.com' the request goes through the network, and there's like routing tables, and then it gets there, and http back." He wanted the layer-by-layer-by-layer answer.

elmo
elmo
WA
8894 posts
WA, 8894 posts
20 Mar 2013 3:05pm
lots and lots of On/off switches
slammin
slammin
QLD
998 posts
QLD, 998 posts
20 Mar 2013 5:13pm
elmo said...
lots and lots of On/off switches


and a clock.
Ian K
Ian K
WA
4169 posts
WA, 4169 posts
20 Mar 2013 3:30pm
Don't forget the stack. When a more important job comes up the computer writes a little note to itself about where it was up to and puts it on the stack. The stack cannot be shuffled, it can only be accessed from the top. Might be dozens of unfinished jobs on the stack, but it doesn't get flustered, and everything works out OK.

There's a lesson there somewhere.
GalahOnTheBay
GalahOnTheBay
NSW
4188 posts
NSW, 4188 posts
20 Mar 2013 6:42pm
^^^ all lies!

If you pend your computer case you would see this:

Scotty88
Scotty88
4214 posts
4214 posts
20 Mar 2013 5:06pm
What's a computer ?
Is that like my ipad I am using ?
We had computers at school I recall.
Commodore 64 I think.
Must be a Holden v Ford thing
FormulaNova
FormulaNova
WA
15101 posts
WA, 15101 posts
20 Mar 2013 7:20pm
My answer these days, is something like "I don't work in that area of computers. I used to know about them, but now you probably know more about them than I do". It works like a charm and has dropped support calls to almost none

thePup
thePup
13831 posts
13831 posts
20 Mar 2013 7:29pm
Scotty88 said...
What's a computer ?
Is that like my ipad I am using ?
We had computers at school I recall.
Commodore 64 I think.
Must be a Holden v Ford thing


whats an ipad
rockmagnet
rockmagnet
QLD
1458 posts
QLD, 1458 posts
20 Mar 2013 9:51pm
They are generally fuelled by apples to make them work properly but there are some that work with little windows which can also be broken which cause crashes and leave shattered glass everywhere.This allows bad people in to steal things and generally drive people crazy.They thought the window would show a grand vista but was really just smoke and mirrors.
Mark _australia
Mark _australia
WA
23678 posts
WA, 23678 posts
20 Mar 2013 8:10pm
I am terribly disappointed - actually no, my own ego was buoyed by it - when a geek didn't know an I.C was all about mini switches being on or off and that represents zeros and ones.

I am a computer retard and I knew that.

Shame on you 'panda.
TheWolf
TheWolf
SA
247 posts
SA, 247 posts
20 Mar 2013 10:46pm
They complete mathematical operations using

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boolean_logic

they do this by using a large array of

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logic_gates

That work together to form

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arithmetic_logic_unit

that is then coupled with a

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Control_unit

to form a

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Processing_Unit

that works to complete a program given to it by a programmer.




pweedas
pweedas
WA
4642 posts
WA, 4642 posts
20 Mar 2013 9:31pm
There's little people in there. Lots and lots of them.
It's the little things that count.
More complex tasks are outsourced to India which is why they take longer.
Macroscien
Macroscien
QLD
6809 posts
QLD, 6809 posts
20 Mar 2013 11:57pm
that is actually quite interesting the people get to the point and design things that are beyond comprehension.
Same with the science at top level hard to imagine that there is still understanding all these.

If you look at computer source code it seems that nobody really wish to spent whole life to have a slightest glimpse sense of that, then new generation comes and pickup everything in no time at all, even to improve on that...
Mark _australia
Mark _australia
WA
23678 posts
WA, 23678 posts
20 Mar 2013 10:00pm
elmo said...
lots and lots of On/off switches


Sounds like a day of marriage.
thePup
thePup
13831 posts
13831 posts
20 Mar 2013 10:04pm
Mark _australia said...
elmo said...
lots and lots of On/off switches


Sounds like a day of marriage.


boom boom
Pitbull
Pitbull
WA
1267 posts
WA, 1267 posts
21 Mar 2013 1:11am
Most of them use a power source of some description to work.
desertyank
desertyank
1264 posts
1264 posts
21 Mar 2013 1:58am
" How Do Computers Work?"

Sometimes pretty well, other times they suck.....
dorothyinste
dorothyinste
QLD
481 posts
QLD, 481 posts
21 Mar 2013 6:21am
Mark _australia said...
I am terribly disappointed - actually no, my own ego was buoyed by it - when a geek didn't know an I.C was all about mini switches being on or off and that represents zeros and ones.

I am a computer retard and I knew that.

Shame on you 'panda.



(off topic)
Interesting Mark! You separate yourself from your ego. Did you know, that some people are unaware of this fact? Some people are their ego, they cannot distinguish between the two.

Ok back to computing...
Scotty88
Scotty88
4214 posts
4214 posts
21 Mar 2013 5:24am
thePup said...
Scotty88 said...
What's a computer ?
Is that like my ipad I am using ?
We had computers at school I recall.
Commodore 64 I think.
Must be a Holden v Ford thing


whats an ipad


Same as an ipod but bigger
sameh
sameh
WA
310 posts
WA, 310 posts
21 Mar 2013 7:38am
Everybody knows its got to do with electrickery and mathemagics
evlPanda
evlPanda
NSW
9207 posts
NSW, 9207 posts
21 Mar 2013 12:07pm
Here's maybe the best description I could find (and I'm not even entirely sure how I came across it).

accounts.google.com/ServiceLogin?passive=1209600&osid=1&continue=https://plus.google.com/112218872649456413744/posts/dfydM2Cnepe&followup=https://plus.google.com/112218872649456413744/posts/dfydM2Cnepe

Those are actually such incredibly complex technologies that they'll make any engineer dizzy if they think about them too much, and such that no single company can deal with that entire complexity.
Skid
Skid
QLD
1499 posts
QLD, 1499 posts
21 Mar 2013 1:29pm
Have you tried turning it off, then on again?
deXtrous
deXtrous
NSW
451 posts
NSW, 451 posts
21 Mar 2013 2:31pm
How do magnets work?
rockmagnet
rockmagnet
QLD
1458 posts
QLD, 1458 posts
21 Mar 2013 6:12pm
magnets work by using wireless electricity
GreenPat
GreenPat
QLD
4105 posts
AquaPlow
AquaPlow
QLD
1066 posts
QLD, 1066 posts
22 Mar 2013 12:53pm
TheWolf said...
They complete mathematical operations using

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boolean_logic

they do this by using a large array of

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logic_gates

That work together to form

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arithmetic_logic_unit

that is then coupled with a

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Control_unit

to form a

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Processing_Unit

that works to complete a program given to it by a programmer.


Brilliant - does not matter how complex they have become - the fundamentals are the same.

+ alot of quality insights in the runners up category

evlpanda - if U have the time - many years back I walked the in-law through building PC - since he has replaced bits in-side. Does that mean I really know how it works - nahh sufficient to make it work at the level I can deal with it at. I have not programmed product for along time now.
If dad is really interested checkout raspberry pi for hands on experience...
www.raspberrypi.org/quick-start-guide


Cheers
AP
laurie
laurie
QLD
3900 posts
QLD, 3900 posts
22 Mar 2013 2:58pm
"A Computer" used to be a job description for a person.

The US forces had women who were good at maths, to calculate all things mathamatical in the very early days. These "computers" became the first programmers for the one of the first electronic "computers" called the Eniac, around 1946.

The Eniac was lightening fast & could do 385 multiplication operations per second.

Your bog standard graphics card now does over a trillion (million million) multiplication operations per second

Crikey!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ENIAC
Tux
Tux
VIC
3829 posts
Tux Tux
VIC, 3829 posts
22 Mar 2013 4:00pm
Logic gates....
frant
frant
VIC
1230 posts
VIC, 1230 posts
22 Mar 2013 4:05pm
My brain is far superior to any computer. Look at images of naked women performing sexual act on a computer screen and you get bored quickly. Look at those same images in your brain and away we go.
Mark _australia
Mark _australia
WA
23678 posts
WA, 23678 posts
22 Mar 2013 1:23pm
frant said...
My brain is far superior to any computer. Look at images of naked women performing sexual act on a computer screen and you get bored quickly. Look at those same images in your brain and away we go.


Thanks very much. I just tried your advice.

I have been called into the bosses office now ...
frant
frant
VIC
1230 posts
VIC, 1230 posts
24 Mar 2013 2:47am
Mark _australia said...
frant said...
My brain is far superior to any computer. Look at images of naked women performing sexual act on a computer screen and you get bored quickly. Look at those same images in your brain and away we go.


Thanks very much. I just tried your advice.

I have been called into the bosses office now ...


There used to be a saying "You put your finger in your EAR and go ding-a-ling-ling." Don't know what your problem is Mark! wrong orifficer maybe??
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