Introduction of computer
This era is the technology era. We cannot imagine our life will be easier without technology. The most important technology in this era is the computer. It is one of the most powerful and useful technology in human history. In this article, you can learn what is a computer? and its definition.
Computer technology has brought tremendous effects in our daily life and enormous changes in the world. It has affected and reflected not only the individual itself but also the organization and society. With the use of it, people are suddenly able to perform an incredible amount of calculations at a very high speed with almost 100% accuracy.
In the early days, there were no facilities to count and calculate for the people. People at that time used different means to count in informal ways such as using pebbles, drawing lines, scratching on walls, etc. As there is a saying necessity is the mother of invention.
The saying holds true for computers also; the computer was invented because of humans in search of fast and accurate calculating devices.
We know that its history of begins with counting or computations. There is a great contribution of scientists mathematicians, philosophers, engineers, and many organizations to bring the computer to the present stage.
We, all are familiar with what a computer is in a specific modern device. They have become essential in today’s world. Millions of people are using computers all over the world.
They don’t have limited areas. They are used in almost every area such as education, health, and medicine, banks, defense, business, multimedia, desktop publishing, science and research, communication, government, weather forecasting, data processing, planning, and scheduling entertainment, etc.
What is the definition of a computer?
The word “Computer” is derived from the Latin or Greek word “computare” which means to calculate or compute. In the past, computers were normally considered calculation devices used to perform different calculations. But today modern computers are able to perform several tasks. So Computer can be defined as follows:
“A computer is an electronic machine, which accepts the data and instruction from the user, processes the data according to the given set of instructions, stores and gives the information as a result”.
Or
“Computer is an electronic device which can perform verities of the task according to the set of instructions given to it”.
Or
“A computer is an electronic machine that accepts the data and instructions from the user, processes the data according to the given set of instructions, stores and gives meaningful information as a result”.
Or
“Computer is an electronic machine that generates information by processing raw data according to the prescribed sequence of instructions. It can also store the data and information for future use. Thus, computers are also considered as an information processing machine (IPM)”.
A computer consists of the main processing unit called central processing unit (CPU), input devices (Mouse, Keyboard, and Joystick), output devices (Monitor, Printer and Speaker), main memory (ROM, RAM and Catch Memory), and secondary memory (Hard Disk, Pen drive, and Flash Memory).
It is an electronic machine that converts data into meaningful information by performing various actions on the data. It accepts the raw data from the user through input devices such as mouse keyboards etc processes them according to the given set of instructions, displays the result as a human-understandable form through an output device such as to monitor and printer, which is called information and stores them for future references.
Such an operation performed by a computer is called the Information Processing Cycle or the basic working principle. The working principle is defined below.
The working principle is a set of steps that they follow to accept the raw data, processes the raw data according to a given set of instructions, display the result to the user in an understandable form, and store the result.
The basic working principle of a computer has four steps. They are as follows.
Input
This is the first step of the basic working principle of a computer. During this step, it takes data from the user through input devices such as the keyboard, mouse, joystick, scanner, camera, microphone, etc., and provides it to the computer for processing.
Process
This is the second step of the basic working principle of a computer. During this step, the computer’s processing device CPU processes the input data according to the given set of instructions.
Output
This is the third step of the basic working principle. This step displays the result of processing. After processing input data, it gives meaningful information called result or output. The monitor, printer, plotter, speaker, etc. are the common output devices of the computer.
Storage
This is the fourth step of the basic principle of a computer. In this step, the computer permanently stores the processed result or output on the storage devices like Hard disk, Pen drive, CD/DVD, etc. There are many categories of memories: primary and secondary.
The capability of a computer
- It produces 100% accurate output if correct data and instructions are provided.
- It is faster in calculations than humans.
- It can perform complicated and difficult work at a high speed.
- It is capable of permanently storing data and retrieving it whenever required.
- It can perform repetitive tasks with the same speed and accuracy.
Limitation of a computer
- It is a non-intelligent machine. So it cannot think and give the right decisions as human beings.
- It cannot operate without a battery or electricity.
- Wrong information and failure in devices by users make it unreliable.
- They cannot memorize and recall as needed only store data in secondary memory.
- It requires instructions to perform a task.
Advantages of a computer
- The computer is faster than a human being and any other device ever invented.
- It is always accurate and reliable than humans.
- It is versatile i.e. so it is used in all types of work and fields like education, hospital, banks, etc.
- They can be used for communication among many users.
- It never feels exhausted and tired like a human being.
Disadvantages of a computer
- It can be used for computer crimes like hacking, cracking, creating and sending viruses, etc.
- It has increased the dependency on the machine.
- They are still expensive so each and every people cannot afford it.
- Repair and maintenance are required frequently.
- Skilled manpower is required to work on them.
- It increases unemployment.
At the End
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