This document is an introductory chapter about computers, programming, and the C++ programming language. It defines key computer components like the CPU, memory, storage devices, and input/output devices. It then discusses what programs and programming languages are, including low-level machine language, assembly language, and high-level languages like C++. It explains how programs are compiled from source code into machine-readable object code. The chapter objectives are to introduce basic computer and programming concepts needed to learn C++.