Monday, September 10, 2007

What's Computer

A general purpose computer has four main sections: the control unit (ALU), the memory, the arithmetic and logic unit (ALU), and the input and output devices (collectively termed I/O). These parts are interconnected by busses, often made of groups of wires.

The control unit, ALU, registers, and basic I/O (and often other hardware closely linked with these) are collectively known as a central processing unit (CPU). Early CPUs were composed of many separate components but since the mid-1970s CPUs have typically been constructed on a single integrated circuit called a microprocessor.

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