huinventors1-6, Exercise 1: The stored-program idea

Model answer:

Early electronic computers were programmed by changing wiring and switches by hand, which was slow. In the stored-program design the instructions, like the data, are held in the computer's memory. This means a computer can be given a new program simply by loading it, without rewiring, and can even modify its own instructions. A processor works through the instructions one after another. This became the basic model for most computers, which is why it matters. The arrangement is called the von Neumann architecture, though the credit is shared (see Exercise 2). Details should be checked.