
0.1 | Basics of Computer Architecture
0.1.1 | The Block Diagram of a Computer
A computer, as its name indicates is a machine used for computing. Computing, which
many years ago meant arithmetic calculations, has now given way to large amounts of
‘data processing’. As such, it is more reasonable to designate the computer now as a ‘data
processing machine’. For performing its designated tasks, this machine requires many
components, which can broadly be divided as hardware and software. Hardware is obvi-
ously, the physical constituents of a computer. Software is the collection of programs
which directs the hardware to perform its tasks.
Let us fi ...