This webpage provides an introduction to how data is stored in computers, including a brief explanation of the binary numbering system.
Computers can only work with digital information. Everything that they process must first be turned into a digital signal in one of two states: "on" or "off."
At a basic level, a computer processor is a collection of switches which can either be on or off. These switches are known as transistors. The computer processes information by switching transistors on and off automatically.
Information from input devices must be digitized so the information can be processed.
