Principles of Computer System Design: An Introduction is published in two parts. Part I, containing chapters 1-6, is a traditional printed textbook published by Morgan Kaufman, an imprint of Elsevier. Part II, containing chapters 7-11, is available here as an open educational resource.

This textbook, an introduction to the principles and abstractions used in the design of computer systems, is an outgrowth of notes written for 6.033 Computer System Engineering over a period of 40-plus years. Individual chapters are also used in other EECS subjects. There is also a web site for the current 6.033 class with a lecture schedule that includes daily assignments, lecture notes, and lecture slides. The 6.033 class Web site also contains a thirteen-year archive of class assignments, design projects, and quizzes.