Introduction to Computing

When do you use a computer?

• Word Processing
• Web Surfing
• Instant Messaging/Email
• Music downloads/Games

• Air traffic control

• Car diagnostics
• Climate control
 Why do you use a computer?
• Word Processing
– Improved communication
• Web Surfing
– Knowledge acquisition
• Instant Messaging/Email
– Community
• Music downloads/Games
– Entertainment
What do you need in a computer?
• Word Processing
– WYSIWYG
– Attached to printer/Email
• Web Surfing
– Network connection
• Instant Messaging/Email
– Network connection
• Music downloads/Games
– Network connection
– Disk space
– CD/ROM ?RW
 When do you use a computer?
• Air traffic control
• Car diagnostics
• Climate control
 What is a computer?
• Processor brains
• Memory scratch paper
• Disk long term memory
• I/O communication (senses)

• Software reconfigurability
What makes a computer special?
• Most complex object made by humans
• Communication mechanism
• Reconfigurability
• Moore’s Law
 The pieces
• How are computers built?
• How are computers programmed?
• How are computers networked?
 Buying a machine

• An ad for a computer
 What’s in a Machine
• Processor (Pentium III 850 MHz)
• RAM (128 MB of SDRAM expand to 512 MB)
• Disk (20 GB)
• CD ROM/ CD RW/DVD/…
• 15" XGA TFT Display (1024x768 res.)
• 3.5" 1.44MB Floppy Disk Drive
• S3 Savage IX 128-bit AGP 2x graphics
– 8MB memory, 3D Hardware acceleration,
composite TV-Out support, …
• 16-bit Soundblaster Compatible Sound
What’s in a Machine (cont)
• 2 Type-I or Type-II slots or 1 Type-III slot
• 2 USB Ports
• Built-in 56Kbps V.90 Data/fax modem
• Built-in 10/100 Ethernet Adapter
• Also
– universal AC adapter,
– built-in Lithium-Ion battery,
– Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition,
– Encarta World Encyclopedia online version…
 The machine
Power
Disk

RAM

Core Machine
Communications
I/O
Text
Sound
Ports Software
 Building an application
• Word (is a part of the Office application)
• Runs on Windows (an operating system)
• Runs on Pentium (a computer)
• Enhanced by connections to monitor, printer,
network
• Uses random access memory (RAM) to work on
document, disk (non-volatile) memory to store in
• Need a CD-ROM to install application
More for Less --Moore’s Law

• 1981 when I came to Princeton

– CS department machine
• $150,000 (now < $1,000)
• 700 Khz chip (now 1 GHz)
• 1 MB memory (now 128MB)
• 80 MB disk (now 40 GB)
• CD-ROM not yet invented (1983), CD-R (1989)
• Minimal Internet connection
• Communication 9600 bps (now 10 Mbps)
 Moore’s Law 2
• $150,000 (now < $1,000)
– Factor 0f 150
• 700 Khz chip (now 1 GHz)
– Factor of 1500
• 1 MB memory (now 128MB)
– Factor of 128
• 80 MB disk (now 40 GB)
– Factor of 500
• Communication 9600 bps (now 10 Mbps)
– Factor of 1000
 What about COS 111?
• COS 111 is intended for students from the humanities and
social sciences who want a one-course introduction to
computers and computer science. Emphasis is on
understanding how computers really work, starting with a
single switch, and showing step by step how to use just
that one kind of part to build the most interesting human-
made machine. Also addressed are essential limitations of
the computer, such as undecidability, as well as future
prospects for artificial intelligence and on-line access to
the world's knowledge. The laboratory is complementary
to the classroom work and explores a broad spectrum of
modern applications.
 What does this mean?
• Building a computer
• Using a computer
• Networking the computer
• Understanding the limitations of the computer
• Social Issues
• Applications
 What does this mean?
• Building a computer
• Using a computer
• Networking the computer
• Understanding the limitations of the computer
• Societal Issues
• Applications
 Building a computer
• Start with simplest part – switch
• Build logic gates – AND/OR
– Use to solve logic problems
• Build memory
• Build processing power
– Arithmetic Unit
• Build simple programming language
 What does this mean?
• Building a computer
• Using a computer
• Networking the computer
• Understanding the limitations of the computer
• Societal Issues
• Applications
 Using a computer

• How to represent data

• How to manipulate data
• How to manage information

• Start with 2 applications

– Picture processing on the computer
– Sound processing on the computer
 What does this mean?
• Building a computer
• Using a computer
• Networking the computer
• Understanding the limitations of the computer
• Societal Issues
• Applications
 Networking the computer
• How do computers communicate
– Protocols TCP/IP, HTTP, FTP, …
• The InterNet
– What it is and where it came from
– How it transports email and displays web pages
• Differing network connections
– Client/server vs. peer-to-peer
– How networks facilitate music sharing
 What does this mean?
• Building a computer
• Using a computer
• Networking the computer
• Understanding the limitations of the computer
• Societal Issues
• Applications
Understanding the limitations of the computer

• Algorithms for solving simple problems

• Harder problem
– Problems unlikely to be solved in our lifetime
– Problems unlikely to be solved in millennia
• Undecidable problems
– Problems that provably can never be solved
 What does this mean?
• Building a computer
• Using a computer
• Networking the computer
• Understanding the limitations of the computer
• Societal Issues
• Applications
 Societal Issues
• Digital rights management
– Old ideas of copyright law do not work
– When is sharing legal?
• Privacy
– Systems are not secure
– How much information should be public
• Safe communication
– Should you send your credit card over the internet?
 What does this mean?
• Building a computer
• Using a computer
• Networking the computer
• Understanding the limitations of the computer
• Societal Issues
• Applications
 Applications

• How well can computers

– Understand written text
– Understand spoken text
– Understand hand drawn pictures
– Play chess …
• Possibly a look inside a big program
Pause for experiment
 What does this mean?
• Building a computer
– 6 lectures, 3 problem sets
• Using a computer
– 2 lectures, 1 problem set, 2 labs
• Midterm review and Midterm
– 2 classes
• Networking the computer
– 3 lectures, 2 problem sets, 3 labs
• Understanding the limitations of the computer
– 4 lectures, 2 problem sets, 2 labs (programming)
• Social Issues and Applications
– 3 lectures, 1 problem set, 1 lab
 Practical Details
• Lectures Tuesday/Thursday 11-1230
– No class 9/18, 9/27
– Lecture notes will be online
– Class participation expected
• Labs
– Start in week of 9/24, due by Friday at 5PM
– Can do in lab sessions or elsewhere
– To be scheduled
• Problem Sets
– Handed out Thursday, due Tuesday (12 days later)
 Practical Details
• Paperless course
– All assignments, lecture notes on web
• Go to http://www.cs.princeton.edu
• Click on fall courses
• Click on COS 111
• Problem sets
– Lowest score dropped
– Must do 7 of 9 to pass the course
• Labs
– Must complete all labs to pass the course
• Midterm and Final
 Practical Details
• Problem sets 20%
• Lab reports 10%
• Midterm exam 25%
• Final exam 25%
• Class Participation 20%