Applications of Computer

Some of the application areas of the computer are listed below:

Education : Computers have its dominant use in the education field which can significantly enhance performance in
learning. Even distance learning is made productive and effective through internet and video-based classes.
Researchers have massive usage of these computers in their work from the starting to till the end of their scholarly
work.

Entertainment : Computers have had a major impact on the entertainment industry. The user can download and
view movies, play games, chat, book tickets for cinema halls, use multimedia for making movies, incorporate visual
and sound effects using computers, etc. The users can also listen to music, download and share music, create music
using computers, etc.

Sports : A computer can be used to watch a game, view the scores, improve the game, play games (like PUBG, chess,
ludo etc.) and create games. They are also used for the purposes of training players.

Advertising : With computers, advertising professionals create art and graphics, write and revise copy, and print
and disseminate ads with the goal of selling more products.

Home : Computers have now become an integral part of home equipment. At home, people use computers to play
games, to maintain the home accounts, for communicating with friends and relatives via Internet, for paying bills, for
education and learning, etc. Microprocessors are embedded in house hold utilities like, washing machines, TVs, food
processors, home theatres, security devices, etc.

Science and Engineering : Scientists and engineers use computers for performing complex scientific calculations, for
designing and making drawings (CAD/CAM applications) and also for simulating and testing the designs. Computers
are used for storing the complex data, performing complex calculations and for visualizing 3–dimensional objects.
Complex scientific applications like the launch of the rockets, space exploration, etc., are not possible without the
computers.

Medicine : Most of the medical information can now be digitized from the prescription to reports. Computation in
the field of medicine allows us to offer varied miraculous therapies to the patients. ECG’s, radiotherapy wasn’t
possible without computers.

Business : A computer has high speed of calculation, diligence, accuracy, reliability, or versatility which made it an
integrated part in all business organizations. Computer is used in business organizations for: Payroll calculations,
Sales analysis, Budgeting, Financial forecasting, Managing employees database and Maintenance of stocks etc.

Military : Computers are the main tools which help in developing missiles and other equipment in the deference
system. Designing and the maintenance are possible only through computers. Computer builds the links between
the soldiers and commanders through the satellite. Construction of weapons and controlling their function is not
possible without the aid of computers. The list of the criminals and the records of the cops are maintained regularly
in the system.

Banking : Today banking is almost totally dependent on computer. Banks provide the facilities of: Banks provide
online accounting facility, which includes current balances, deposits, overdrafts, interest charges, shares, and trustee
records. ATM machines are making it even easier for customers to deal with banks.

What is the Internet?

The Internet is a short form for an interconnected network. It has become a vital part of our lives, helping us connect
with people worldwide. The Internet is made of a large number of independently operated networks. It is fully
distributed with no central control. Each independently-operated system is motivated to ensure that there is end-to-
end connectivity of every part of the network.

The Internet is simply a wire that runs underground and allows two computers to communicate with each other. A
server is a particular computer that is connected directly to the Internet. When we talk about specific web pages,
they are simply files that are stored on the server’s hard drive. Every server has a unique protocol address or an IP
address. IP addresses are essential for computers to find each other. A short note of the history of the Internet will
help you understand when, where, and how the Internet was developed.

History of the Internet

The first question that pops into your mind is probably, “Who started the internet?”. The Internet was developed by
Bob Kahn and Vint Cerf in the 1970s. They began the design of what we today know as the ‘internet.’ It was the
result of another research experiment which was called ARPANET, which stands for Advanced Research Projects
Agency Network. This was initially supposed to be a communications system for the Defense Team of the United
States of America - a network that would also survive a nuclear attack. It eventually became a successful nationwide
experimental packet network. But when was the first Internet started? It is believed that on 6 August 1991, when
the World Wide Web opened to the public.

How Does the Internet Work?

Computers that we use every day are called clients because they are indirectly connected to the Internet through an
internet service provider. When you open a webpage on your computer, you connect to the webpage, and then you
can access it. Computers break the information into smaller pieces called packets, which are reassembled in their
original order.

If we put the right address on a packet and send it to any computer which is connected as part of the internet, each
computer would figure out which cable to send it down next so that it would get to its destination. With several
computers on a network, it may create confusion even with unique addresses. This transfer of messages is handled
by the Packet Routing Network, and hence a router is required to set up. The Transfer Control Protocol is another
system that makes sure no packet is lost or left behind because it might create a disrupted message at the receiving
end.

The below are the steps for how the message is transferred.

1. First, Computer1 sends a message by IP address to Computer2

The Internet works in a more complex manner than these above-given steps, but this might give a basic idea
of how the internet works.

Father of the Internet: Tim Berners-Lee

Tim Berners-Lee was the man, who led the development of the World Wide Web, the defining of HTTP (HyperText
Transfer Protocol), HTML (hypertext markup language) used to create web pages, and URLs (Universal Resource
Locators). The development of WWW, HTTP, HTML and URLs took place between 1989 and 1991. Tim Berners-Lee
was born in London and he graduated in Physics from Oxford University in 1976. Currently, Tim Berners-Lee is the
Director of the World Wide Web Consortium, the group that sets technical standards for the web.
Tim Berners-Lee, Vinton Cerf is also named as an internet daddy other than Tim Berners-Lee. After being out for 10
years from high school, he began co-designing and co-developing the protocols and structure of what became the
internet.

History of HTML

In 1945, Vannevar Bush first introduced the basics of hypertext. In 1990, Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide
Web, HTML (hypertext markup language), HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) and URLs (Universal Resource
Locators. Along with his colleagues at CERN (an international scientific organization based in Geneva, Switzerland),
Tim Berners-Lee was the primary author of HTML (hypertext markup language).

Evolution of the Internet

Although the Internet was developed much earlier, it only became popular in households in the 1990s. The
emergence of the Internet can be tracked by how many businesses and homes started changing the way they
worked and started connecting their laptops and other devices to the Internet. However, the concept of hypertext
transfer protocol (HTTP) as we know it today, was created only during this time. This meant that people could access
the same web pages on their devices now and share information.

There has been a dramatic growth in the number of internet users since its inception. As a result, the number of
computer networks that are connected has grown exponentially too. It started with only connecting less than ten
computers initially. Today, 440 million computers can be connected directly, making life easier for people across the
globe. Sharing information and knowledge has become extremely easy for those that have access to the Internet.
The country with the highest number of internet users is China, with 1.4 billion users, followed by India with 1.3
billion and the United States of America with a little over 0.3 billion users.

The Two Main Types of Computer Networks

There are different computer network types, depending on how large they are and how much geographical area
they cover. The most common types are Local Area Network (LAN) and Wireless Local Area Network (WAN).

Local Area Network: This is a group of devices such as computers, servers, switches, and printers that are located in
the same building. These are near each other. The most common use of LAN is in houses or offices. A common type
of LAN is an Ethernet LAN, where two or more computers are connected to the Internet through switches.

Wireless Local Area Network: This is a local area network that uses wireless communication instead of wired
communication. In WLAN, two computers use wireless communication to form a local area network. A wifi router is
very common in this case. There are no cables involved in this case.

Advantages of Internet

The internet has become a popular name since the introduction of its easy installation and setup. The Internet was
first invented for only military and government uses. But now, it is found in every house across the world. The
following are the advantages of the internet. It is a great medium of sharing and has increased connectivity.

With the internet, banking has now become easier. Long tiresome waiting lines have been eliminated since the
introduction of e-banking platforms. E-commerce websites are one of the great advantages of the internet. One can
buy groceries, clothes, household items, and much more with the internet. The Internet is also a great source of
entertainment. One can watch videos and movies, listen to music, and play games, without any hassle. Social media
platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have brought the world closer.

The education system has also transformed. With the internet, any student across the world can attend online
classes.The most powerful motivator for the Internet to work is the fact that knowledge and information have to be
shared amongst people. The article provided useful information about the internet such as its history, working and
evolution etc.

Communications Protocols

email, newsgroups and chat

These are the messaging protocols that allow users to communicate both asynchronously (sender and receiver aren't
required to both be connected to the Internet at the same time; e.g. email) and synchronously (as with chatting in
"real time").

Email : This method of Internet communication has become the standard. A main computer acts as a "post office" by
sending and receiving mail for those who have accounts. This mail can be retrieved through any number of email
software applications (MS Outlook, Eudora, etc.) or from Web based email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail). Email is an
example of asynchronous Internet communication.

Email also provides the ability to access email lists. You can subscribe to an email list covering any number of topics
or interests and will receive messages posted by other subscribers. Email communities evolve from interaction
between subscribers who have similar interests or obsessions.

Usenet : Usenet is something like a bulletin board or an email list without the subscription. Anyone can post a
message to or browse through a Usenet newsgroup. Usenet messages are retained on the serving computer only for
a predetermined length of time and then are automatically deleted, whereas email list messages are retained on the
serving computer until the account holder downloads them. Many email applications, as well as Web browsers,
allow you to set up Usenet newsgroup accounts.

IRC (Internet Relay Chat) This protocol allows for synchronous communication: users on different computers
anywhere in the world can communicate in "real time" or simultaneously. You can instantly see a response to a
typed message by several people at the same time. This protocol requires a special software application that can be
downloaded from the Web, generally for free.

email

There are many free email services currently available including

Yahoo mail, Gmail

Newsgroups

Yahoo newsgroups, Google newsgroups, Interbulletin newsgroups

Chat

Internet Relay Chat (IRC) Help page, AIM, Google Talk, Meebo

Browsers

Microsoft Internet Explorer

Internet Explorer holds the lion's share of the browser usage today, but it came into the game later than its main
competitor. Microsoft has met with a good deal of criticism in recent years concerning Internet Explorer because of
its alleged intent to make IE an integral and necessary element of the Windows operating system. Competitors
complained that Microsoft tries to lock them out of the market by making IE the only Web browser effectively usable
by the Windows system.

Netscape

Netscape was one of the first commercial browsers on the scene and dominated the browser market until Microsoft
got serious about Internet Explorer. There are some Internet users who are fiercely loyal to Netscape and there are
sites on the Web that are best viewed using Netscape.

In either of these browsers, if you want to save a Web site that you find useful and want to return to, try using the
Favorites (MS Internet Explorer) or Bookmarks (Netscape) function found on the menu bars at the top of the
browser screen.