When anyone is first introduced to the topic of digital computers, they are almost invariably told that these machines are based on binary (base-2) logic and the binary number system, where “binary” ...

In Part 1 of this two-part binary coded decimal (BCD) extravaganza, we introduced a bunch of bodacious concepts, including the binary (base-2) number system, binary logic, binary computers, and bits, ...

It’s hard to believe today, but in the 1940s, the earliest computer technicians actually worked at the bit level. If a computer made a mistake and the technician determined it wasn’t from a burned-out ...