Absolute Beginner's Guide to Programming, Third Edition

Chapter 1. Computers Are Tools

In This Chapter

• Computers and Programming

• What a Computer Does

• Common Misconceptions

• Ease-of-Use Matters to Programmers

• People and Computers

• It Takes More than a Computer

• A Quick Overview

• Networking It All

• Today's Computers

• Types of Computers

Computers are tools that help people get their work done. They are special tools because, unlike a hammer or saw, a computer is multifunctional. When a computer needs to perform a specific job, a program directs the computer and tells it exactly what to do and how to do it.

The highlights of this chapter include the following:

• At its most basic level, a computer program turns raw data into meaningful information.

• Fortunately, no math skills are required to program computers!

• A computer ...