Today somehow I was curious how exactly "Computer" works.
Oh, by the way, I'm a web developer. So far I'm just working with high level web programming language such as Javascript and PHP. This is a great way to make some money (mwuehehe) but I start getting bored of it. Also with the comes of AI, it makes the job easier and faster. Well, because I do my task faster than usual, it means I have to think about another task. Mainly about design system and architecture. It surely pain in the ass, especially for me who always code all of my career.
Anyway, because of that I start doing new hobbies. Guess?
Yup, it was playing around with linux. Currently I'm using Arch linux (btw), with i3 as the WM. I start ricing it up, and now it looks not bad. But still I want to improve it. I want to do anything in my linux, literally many things. I want to create my own browser, my own utilities software, even I want to create Tamagochi widget on my desktop. There is a lot of things I want to do in this freedom OS.
However, I realize that dealing with OS, meaning you have to know and understand (at least know how it works) about "Computer". And then I came up with a question. How does computer exactly works? I mean, I know something like, computer only know 0 and 1, and the CPU does the computation extremely fast, memory make it able to store data, and so on. But how exactly the magic happens? How can it has several peripherals and they work nicely together. How does GPU works?
With that question, then I committed to learn "Computer" at the ground level. I'll start with the very first computer model ever, to understand the philosophy, the concept, and how they come up with the device called "Computer". You'll be shocked if the ancestor, one of the first mechanical computer, is being used in textile factory. Yup, you heard it right -- a Textile Factory. I was like, "What?? What were they do with computer in a fxxxing Textile Factory? It's not even related with Math!!"
Well, technically they are not real computer like we know, but it provides the very basic concept of "Computer", which is `input - process - output`. It makes them easier to make complex pattern, which usually need them to make it from scratch just for the same pattern. This machine is called Jacquard Loom. They use something called Punch Card to store the instructions (or function). With that Punch Card, they automate the repetitive process just for one pattern.
Well, that's the beginning. Thrilled enough?
In this segment "Computer", I'll write about my journey, to learn "Computer" from the very ground level, starting from it's very basic concept. It will be written into several parts:
- What is Computation - 🧮
- How Electricity Becomes Computation - ⚡
- Build a CPU - 🧠
- How Real Computers evolved - 🦧
- and finally, Software - 🐧
I'll write my journey, and what I got from my learning, I'll share it to you guys. Hope it helps if you want to learn something about "Computer"
Thanks, and stay tuned.
Bye 👋
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