How Computers Work

by Ron White, Timothy Edward Downs (Illustrator)

Updated to include all the recent developments to the PC and complete with a CD-ROM, the third edition of How Computers Work is like a cool science museum in a book. But make no mistake--this is not a book for children. How Computers Work aims to teach readers about all the intricacies held within the machine, and it's a daunting task. The author, Ron White, doesn't dumb down his material; instead he provides thorough and substantive definitions. The pages of fun and colorful graphics ease the tension, though, and bring the abstract concepts--the difference between RAM and ROM, for example--into real life.

The book has incredible depth, explaining everything you could want to know about your computer, with each piece of hardware being given full treatment over two to five pages. (Macintosh and UNIX users should be aware, though, that the book's model is the "Wintel," a Windows PC with an Intel microprocessor.) The book is well-structured and can easily be used as a reference resource beyond the first reading. --Jennifer Buckendorff

Genres: Computer Science, Computers, Nonfiction, Reference, Science, Technology, Programming

416 pages, Paperback

First published November 28, 1992

About the author

Ron White is a two time national memory champion winning the USA Memory Championship in 2009 and 2010. He held the record for two years for the fastest time to memorize a deck of shuffled cards in only 1 minute and 27 seconds.


Note: There are several authors named "Ron White". Their books need to be properly segregated.

Reviews

[John Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first glance, this looks like a children's book: it reminded me of the old Usborne series. However, it's actually a lot more detailed than that. This edition was printed in 1994, so it's a bit dated in 2012; for instance, it talks about floppy disks and serial/parallel cables rather than USB. However, a lot of it is still relevant, e.g. the description of the components inside a laser printer, and I assume that newer editions of the book will cover new technologies.

For a more in-depth look, I recommend CompTIA A+ Certification All-In-One Exam Guide: (Exams 220-701 & 220-702) With CDROM , but that will also take a lot longer to read. I read this from cover to cover in about 6 hours.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very useful book on how computers work. (Yes, it was for a class) I thought I understood a lot about computers, but after looking at the many great diagrams, I realized that I was not as much of a nerd as I thought I was...which might be a good thing. :)

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't finish because a) I knew more about computers than I had thought, b) kinda outdated, and c) the layout! Ugh! It's like a whole book of info graphics from Wired magazine or something. I got tired of it pretty quickly.

[James Davidson]

Changed my life.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very useful for refreshing my memory on how a computer is put together, how the parts communicate with each other and over the Internet, etc. Especially since I hadn't bothered to really learn any specifics since about 1992. Only problem is that even though the copyright in my edition says 2013 (and the ISBN for that edition isn't found in Goodreads...its a BN exclusive edition with a free iPad edition on an included DVD) the 9th edition was first published in 2007 so some of the specifics are a bit out of date. The iPad version has some very nice diagram animation. But this loses a bit for some sloppy editing - there are occasional repeated paragraphs (almost like filler) and some diagrams have some wacky colors that make them hard to read.

A nice book that covers everything from mother boards to the internet to digital cameras to color printing.

[Samuel Kleiner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a fantastic starting point for learning how computers work. It covers both the programming of the machine such as how the operating system goes about computing equations, but also the electrical aspect of them, such as how transistors make up a computer and such. The only problem I found while reading this is that is sometimes doesn't go into full detail and leaves you with a few questions. But as far as starting points go, this is definitely a good book for learning the basics of computers.

[Zach Freeman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Does an okay job of laying out how computers, the internet, cell phones, and pretty much any kind of technological gadget works. Lots of pictures but sometimes doesn't seem to go deep enough and just gives you enough information to be more confused.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very detailed I couldn't think of much that it missed out on the only thing was it sometimes got easy to get lost in the reading because it contained a lot of jargon but if u can get past that its great

[Painting · Rating 4 out of 5]

In spite of some layout problems, I am considering a purchase because this would make a nice home reference book.

[Keith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read in 1995

[Ilya Zarembsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has many pictures and colors and is very good.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome book. Really great illustrations. Would have gone nuts for this as a kid.

[William Schram · Rating 4 out of 5]

How Computers Work is a compendium of all things related to computers and their peripherals. This places it into a very wide subject matter. It doesn’t cover everything that possesses a computer chip, but it does talk about things like Video Game Systems. It focuses more on how the component works rather than the history, but there are occasions where the history is all the component has. For example, the book might talk about ancient connection ports like the RS-232 port or pretty much anything before the USB port. The book discusses the underlying physics behind the computer components. In that vein, it talks about how magnetic fields are used, what electromagnetism is, how they produce semiconductors and so much more.

This book is ridiculously thorough; it even has descriptions of UPC and QR Codes and how the computer ‘reads’ them. The book combines descriptive imagery and text to great effect. It is difficult to summarize, so I will just say that if your Desktop, Laptop, or Smartphone has it, this book discusses it.

If you were curious about the history of Operating Systems, Computer Parts, the Internet, and other major components of computers then this book is a good place to start.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm teaching a beginner course on computing (9 weeks - 1 marking period) to 8th graders. We have a basic book and we're doing codeacademy python, but I wanted some more detail. I checked this book out from my local library. What a gold mine! A different topic on each page, but in a logical order. Awesome pictures. I wish the book had the pictures separated stronger from the text. There are other books like this (basically, the entire DK series) that spend too much time making the book into art on every page detracts from my ability to read. But this book has the paragraphs numbered, for example, to help guide you through the reading steps, if there is any doubt how you should be reading it. I simply want to give each student a topic from the book, and have them develop a short 5' presentation for the class that I can give every single day.

[Erik Champenois · Rating 3 out of 5]

This tenth edition is over a decade old and outdated, yet it remains a useful overview and introduction to multiple aspects of how computers and computer technology works. With graphics and step-by-step explanations covering everything from OLED lights to printers, computer networks to keyboards. This remains a useful introduction, though over time it will increasingly need to be supplemented with other resources or discarded for other books.

[Ietrio · Rating 2 out of 5]

Crap data, this way, Tesla invents something in 1903. Tesla is said to be a "Yugoslavian scientist", although Yougoslavia appears in 1918. So Tesla is born after 1918, and he somehow turns back in time to invent something in 1903. And why is 1903 relevant to teach a 1995 computer?

Still, it can be used as base material to teach children about computers.

[Blaze-Pascal · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book has not aged well... I decided I would look for new sources when he discussed the topics of "browsing and surfing" on the "World Wide Web". I did enjoy reading how a computer boots up though...

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Up to date information, clear visuals, and simple, but full explanations.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great graphics and engaging text.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent intro (or a refresh) to the world of computers for non-tech people.

[Celz Lin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful world of computers!

[Zi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, incredible. So many great knowledge condensed into a tiny book. Also the visuals are very helpful.

[Abdullah O. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kitaba Türkçe bir isim vermem istenseydi kesinlikle bu isim "Bilgisayarın Mâhiyeti" olurdu. Zira yazar, bilgisayar denen nesnenin en temel yapıtaşlarını o kadar güzel izah etmiş ki. Bir de kitaptaki rengarenk çizimler işin içine eklenince, ortaya müthiş öğretici bir yapıt çıkmış.

Gerçekten emek mahsülü. Olağanüstü! Acilen Türkçe'ye kazandırılmalı!

[Bernie4444 · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this book you will know how computers work and then some.

I cannot believe how they can pack so much relevant information into such a small book; also, the book is packed with great understandable color graphics and diagrams.

If this had been a car instead of saying one petal makes it go and one petal makes it stop, we would see all the different systems that make the whole. Throw in the assembly line and radar.

If this had been a person we would get a circulatory system, nervous system, and all the systems. Throw in where people come from and how speech works.

This book is not just about how to press a button but why you want to press the button. We also learn about the world the computer lives in and how it communicates with that world.

After reading the book you will have a knowledgeable background. I have to snicker now and then as it describes obsolete equipment. Sometimes this is needed for a better background. However, the theories are still sound.

I even learned something about Quantum Dots.

[1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has great illustrations and explanations. Makes it viable to understand how technology and gadgets work. There is a lot of detail in this book on a variety of devices, it mostly outlines hardware principles and integrates materials science , physics and electronics.

[Connor Stack · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cool concept but full of wrong information on basic stuff. Examples: they say the maximum value of a 16 bit number is 256. They reference a programming language called "C+".

It makes me think this book was edited by people who know nothing about programming.

I didn't finish the book.

[Stravo Lukos · Rating 5 out of 5]

The problem is not the book, but the pace of progress. I can't seem to keep up, plus I forget a lot bc I'm not using this info daily. The book itself is great! I can't recommend it highly enough, though some of the info is just difficult to grasp unless you have the mind of an engineer. Saying that, go for it. You will not waste your time or money.

[Juan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book works well as a reference and a refresher of computer parts, and the history of computers. Most of the book was general knowledge, and the pictures displayed alot of information as well. It didn't go as in depth as I thought it would, which was dissponting.

[Tomdestefano]

Good overview. Technical but not inaccessible.