This book lays out the concepts necessary to understand how a computer works. For reasons of clarity, the authors have deliberately chosen examples that apply to machines from all eras, without having to water down the contents of the book. This choice helps to show how techniques, concepts and performances have evolved since the first computers.

The book is divided into five parts. The first four, which are of increasing difficulty, are the core of the book: “Elements of a Basic Architectu...

Developers, take note: databases aren't just for the IS group any more. You can build database-backed applications for the desktop, Web, embedded systems, or operating systems without linking to heavy-duty client-server databases such as Oracle and MySQL. This book shows how you to use SQLite, a small and lightweight database that you can build right into your application during development. Applications that handle data have an enormous advantage today, and with SQLite, you'll discover how t...