There are four stages to the computing process - input, processing, storage and output. You enter information into the computer by typing on the keyboard or clicking the mouse. This information is then processed by the microprocessor or CPU (Central Processing Unit),[link to popup] the ‘brain’ of the computer, which consists of millions of transistors on a tiny chip. The processor can execute hundreds of millions of instructions every second. The computer processes information by converting it to data in its own binary language. The transistors are tiny switches that are rapidly turned on or off (represented by 1s and 0s)

Once the information has been processed it’s stored in the computer’s own memory or RAM (random access memory), and it can be saved by the user to magnetic or optical disks.