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
Moores Law
 The pieces
How are computers built?
How are computers programmed?
How are computers networked?
 Buying a machine

An ad for a computer
 Whats 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
Whats 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 --Moores 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)
 Moores 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%