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Back to Build a Modern Computer from First Principles: From Nand to Tetris (Project-Centered Course)

Learner Reviews & Feedback for Build a Modern Computer from First Principles: From Nand to Tetris (Project-Centered Course) by Hebrew University of Jerusalem

4.9
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3,494 ratings

About the Course

What you’ll achieve: In this project-centered course* you will build a modern computer system, from the ground up. We’ll divide this fascinating journey into six hands-on projects that will take you from constructing elementary logic gates all the way through creating a fully functioning general purpose computer. In the process, you will learn - in the most direct and constructive way - how computers work, and how they are designed. What you’ll need: This is a self-contained course: all the knowledge necessary to succeed in the course and build the computer system will be given as part of the learning experience. Therefore, we assume no previous computer science or engineering knowledge, and all learners are welcome aboard. You will need no physical materials, since you will build the computer on your own PC, using a software-based hardware simulator, just like real computers are designed by computer engineers in the field. The hardware simulator, as well as other software tools, will be supplied freely after you enroll in the course. Course format: The course consists of six modules, each comprising a series of video lectures, and a project. You will need about 2-3 hours to watch each module's lectures, and about 5-10 hours to complete each one of the six projects. The course can be completed in six weeks, but you are welcome to take it at your own pace. You can watch a TED talk about this course by Googling "nand2tetris TED talk". *About Project-Centered Courses: Project-centered courses are designed to help you complete a personally meaningful real-world project, with your instructor and a community of learners with similar goals providing guidance and suggestions along the way. By actively applying new concepts as you learn, you’ll master the course content more efficiently; you’ll also get a head start on using the skills you gain to make positive changes in your life and career. When you complete the course, you’ll have a finished project that you’ll be proud to use and share....

Top reviews

AI

Jun 13, 2021

Undeniably one of the best computer science courses. The advertising isn't false! This course permanently changed my perspective on hardware and software along with the relationship between the two...

MM

Feb 17, 2017

An excellent course provided by phenomenal professors! Everything is broken down into simple, easily understandable portions, and leaves you with a clear idea how to proceed to solve a given problem.

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326 - 350 of 1,058 Reviews for Build a Modern Computer from First Principles: From Nand to Tetris (Project-Centered Course)

By Mike D

May 15, 2023

One of the very best courses I have ever taken. I have 40 years of programming experience and have always wanted to understand how computers work, and this course was exceptionally good.

By Remy S

Jun 14, 2021

Really enjoyable - I particularly enjoyed the puzzle solving aspect of the course and now armed with an understanding of how the gates and bits build up to make a fully working computer.

By Supun K

Sep 16, 2017

Gained a massive knowledge in fundamentals about Machine Language, Assembly Language and Hardware Descriptor Language. Thank you Prof. Nisan & Prof. Schocken for teaching all the sessions

By Rich E

Aug 2, 2017

Definitely one of the better online courses I've taken. Struggled a little bit by the end, so I probably won't go on to part two anytime soon, but I appreciated all the work they've done.

By Brian L

Nov 14, 2023

The professors are excellent and the course material is well prepared and thought out. Also, the instructor contacted me about a couple of minor issues I had in order to resolve them.

By Giacomo D

Apr 8, 2016

Very interesting subject. The course is very well organized and clearly explained. The projects are progressively challenging and all of them are engaging. I have learnt a lot of things.

By Jining Z

Nov 15, 2020

这门课程非常精彩。我是地理系的本科生,研究生阶段转换到软件工程方向。通过这门课程,我了解到了计算机这台钢琴内部是什么样子的。过程非常的有趣,有时候也很有挑战性。但总的来说这个过程是非常棒的。我建议每一位想系统了解计算机的学生都来尝试这门课程。如有机会,下学期我会选修这门课程的Part2

最后,再次感谢这门课程和Coursera,以及助教团队和各位志愿者的付出,谢谢你们!

By Jon H

Aug 27, 2017

Great course! The instructors explains the inner workings of a computer in an easy to understand manner. Did not think it was possible to make this material so accessible. Astonishing!

By Michael B

Nov 1, 2019

I loved this course it made me think and hade a lot of fun building my own computer. just a hint the slides are on the site that the course send you too. that will help with tables

By Lucas S L d L

Oct 2, 2020

Curso excepcional! Abriu minha mente em vários sentidos. Me sinto privilegiado em ter feito a parte 1. Obrigado a UFRPE que me proporcionou a realização desse curso gratuitamente :)

By Prabhjyot S

Jul 20, 2017

One of the best course.The first step for anyone interested in what computers are.Easy and can be done by anyone whether its a hobbyst or a computer science/electronics enthusiast.

By Arash O

Nov 2, 2016

This course is awesome and fun and very rewarding. I learned so much about how computer memory works! Pointers make sense now that I understand the basics of lower level computing.

By mouna k

Oct 8, 2019

The best course I have ever taken. The projects and lectures are so interesting, that I would sit the whole day finishing it. I have gained a lot of knowledge from this. Thank you.

By Jens G

Jan 28, 2017

Very interesting and well-structured course. Manages to explain something very complex by splitting it into manageable sections. I am enrolling in the second part as soon as I can!

By Marcus V M d S

Mar 16, 2018

Awesome course. I learned a lot! The projects were interesting and forced you to think a little differently: you can almost feels the synapses forming in your head by doing them.

By Daniel S

Sep 4, 2023

Amazing course, very challenging and lots of fun. If you are a programmer, everything you learn about how a computer works translates to your real-life programming environments.

By Kishore B

Feb 23, 2019

one of the best course i have ever done, thank you so much to the both course instructors noam and simon, they are awesome in the way they designed this course, simple and great

By Aishwarya K

May 2, 2016

Very insightful and awesome ....I am enjoying it !! Great work and efforts from both the professors ....respect ! Can't wait for the next course from NAND to Tetris II ...! :)

By 8f5 c

Dec 20, 2022

This is one of the greatest courses I've come across - I rate it on par with SICP. The content, tools, teaching style is world-class and done with loving attention to detail.

By Anders P

Apr 27, 2020

Great course. Building a computer from first principles is an invaluable experience to truly understand how a computer works, and hence what it is capable of doing. Thanks.

By Dan S

Dec 6, 2019

Very nice to be able to create a fully working computer simulation from scratch in just two weeks. A little less in-depth than I would like, but very good content overall.

By Karan P

Oct 21, 2018

Excellent resources with detailed explanation for everything made the course very easy to work on. The structure of the course also helped me understand everything clearly.

By Devadatta G H

Aug 16, 2021

Wonderful Course. You do really learn how a computer works. It is a solid foundation for understanding fundamentals of computer science, particularly things like pointers.

By Liming L

Dec 27, 2020

I have been taking online courses since 2013, and this course I would call the best of the bests. A masterpiece indeed. Thanks to both professors, you are great educators!

By Naveen S N

Aug 21, 2020

A course with a lot of practical exposure to how a computer works. I loved the syllabus a lot. Helped me put my computer architecture theoretical knowledge in to practice