The document describes the basic process a computer follows to complete a task. It involves an input, such as clicking a button or key press, which causes the computer to update its state internally. The output is then displayed, such as on a screen or through audio, to show the update has occurred and completed the task. An example is given of the classic game Pong, where pressing an up or down button is the input, moving the paddle is the update, and displaying the moving paddle on screen is the output.

1. Computer Processes
This is the process that a computer makes when it’s told to complete a task. The programme
could be Photoshop, for example. The user ‘inputs’ into the computer by pressing a button
or clicking a mouse, the computer then changes state and ‘updates’ itself. The update is
then shown on a screen and this is called the ‘output’. Without the output, with wouldn’t
know that the update has taken place. Sometimes the output is audio based as well as
visual, such as a sound being made when you place something in the recycling bin on your
desktop.
In ‘Pong’, the user creates the input by pressing the up or down button. The update is the
paddle moving up or down as a result, and the output is the paddle shown as moving on
the screen.
- Input (Press the up or down key)
- Update (Paddle moves)
- Output (Screen shows paddle moving)