Computers are powerful machines used every day by people all around the world. They have functionality limited only by the imagination of those who create the hardware and software used by a computer. Computers can be used to access a virtual calendar, calculator, day planner, music streaming service, social media; their uses know almost no bounds.

How do they work?

While knowing how to use a computer is certainly a useful skill, what may be even more useful is knowing how computers work.

In general, computers do 4 things:

1 - Accept input

2 - Display output from that given input

3 - Process and perform functions and commands

4 - Store information to be used immediately or in the future

Input

When a user wishes to access the functionality of a computer, there has to be a means of communication between the user the computer so that the computer knows what the user wants to do. There are several different means of input. To list a few:

Keyboard and mouse: The most popular form of input for desktop computers and laptops is the keyboard and mouse. The keyboard allows the user to type website names, develop programs and scripts, provide input for video games, the possibilities are endless. A mouse provides the user with the means to navigate around their desktop, web browser, and interact with video games, among other things.

Touch screen: In the not so distant past, most cell phones used either a keyboard or a small number pad to allow the user to interact with software. Nowadays a lot of people use smart phones, whose key characteristic is a touch screen. A touch screen is an interface that the user can interact with simply by tapping the screen with their finger to enter a phone number to call, navigate a web browser, select their favorite songs to play through a streaming service, play phone games, and a variety of other uses.

Output

Keyboards, mice, and touch screens allow for a user to provide input for what they want to do with a computer. In order for them to receive the information which they have requested the computer to display, there are different devices which are used to output the information a user wants in several different mediums.