The insides of a computer will be shown, described, and passed around. We will talk about the different types of devices that make up the computer, how they all connect together, and how information is formed in the hardware. If this were a medical course, the first morning would be Anatomy 101. After seeing how a computer is put together from the screws up, we will look closely at how a computer stores, creates, accepts, and gives information. The second day will build on the hardware we screwed together and our new knowledge of information management.
Software is the most volatile and versatile part of the computer.
It is nothing but information, input into the computer from an external source and modified or manipulated by you, the computer user. We will get our hands dirty with the interaction between the software and the hardware. The operating system is a vital part of the computing experience, though many never fully appreciate it. We will get a chance to dig our hooks into the operating system, seeing how to load it and configure it for our hardware, and how to make it more friendly, more our own experience. We don't need a computer to impress our friends, we need a computer to write documents, to figure the checkbook, and to have fun.