Explore how computer systems store, manipulate, and convert various data types like text, images, and videos through integrated software and hardware. Gain insights into accessible data representation.

Computer systems do not understand human instructions, nor can they perceive real-life data in its raw form. Therefore, computer systems require a way to store and represent information in an accessible way. They use software and hardware components combined to help retrieve information, store it, manipulate it, and convert it back to a human-accessible format. If you want to learn how computer systems perform complex tasks such as storing and manipulating textual data, videos, music, images of your cat, and much more, this course is meant for you.

Information Representation in Computer Systems

Nowadays, we are introduced to computers at a very early age. Whether it is for playing games on a smartphone or listening to music on a sound system, we’re surrounded by computer technology. But how can the same computer display such a variety of information and formats? Let’s get started and find out.

## Computer basics
A **computer** is a machine that manipulates information to assist humans with different sorts of computations, including, but not limited to adding two numbers, online shopping, and building virtual reality systems.

A machine that provides such diverse functionalities might be challenging to comprehend at first, right? But any computer system can be built with only four basic functionalities, shown in the figure below:

* **Input:** A device that can capture the information from the real world
such as a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, or even a heart rate monitor.

* **Storage:** A physical space that can store the information from the input device.

* **Processor:** An electronic circuit that can process the information stored in storage.

* **Output:** A device that displays the processed information, e.g., a monitor, a printer, or a speaker.

# Computer basics
A **computer** is a machine that manipulates information to assist humans with different sorts of computations, including, but not limited to adding two numbers, online shopping, and building virtual reality systems.

Get introduced to the basics of computer systems.

Computer basics

Hardware and Software Components of a Computer

Data Representation in Python

Image, Audio, and Video Representation in Python

Data Compression

What is a Computer?

Computer basics