Your everyday computer
A computer follows instructions to turn input into useful output. Your phone, a laptop and an ATM all use this idea.
Input → Process → Output → Storage
Input is what you give the computer: a key press, photo or spoken word. The processor follows instructions. Output is what you see or hear. Storage keeps files for later.
Hardware and software
Hardware is a physical part you can touch, such as a keyboard or screen. Software is the set of instructions, such as a browser or a drawing app.
Your turn
Look around your home or lab. Name three computing devices. For each one, identify something that goes in and something that comes out.