Computing Basics
While learning to use a computer to do day to day task is important, it is also important to understand what is going on inside of your computer and how things work. Below are some important terms that will help you in this chapter.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| binary: | A numbering system in which the only digits are 1 and 0. A method of encoding information in which it is possible to store all information in terms of 1's and 0's. Binary numbers are the only kind of information that computers can deal with. Very fast electronics and different encoding methods are how 1's and 0's can become text, graphics, sounds, or any of the other things computers can do. |
| bit: | A unit of binary storage. One bit can either be a one or a zero (i.e. on or off). |
| byte: | A series of eight (8) bits. One byte is required to represent one "character" in ASCII. |
| megabyte: | Due to the prefix, one might think that this would be equal to one million bytes (or 8 million bits). However, due to the binary nature of computers things are a little different. The following table shows the progression. Keep in mind that 2^10 = 1024: 1024 bytes = 1 kb (kilobyte) 1024 kilobytes = 1 mb (megabyte) |
