MODULE 1 – COMPUTER AND ITS CHARACTERISTICS

What Is a Computer?
A computer is an electronic machine or device that processes raw data to give
information as output. It has the ability to store, retrieve and process data.
Comprehensively, A computer is any electronic machine which can accept
inputs (instructions and data) presented to it in a prescribed format from input
devices, carry out some operations on the input automatically, and supply the
required results (output) in a specified format on output devices, as
information for human decision-making, or as signals to control some other
machines or process. It has the ability to store, retrieve, and process data.

Characteristics of a computer system

Computers of all sizes have common characteristics, principally:
(a) High Speed: The Computer is made up of electronic components that
operate at electronic speed – far more comparable to any other known
processing information tool. They provide the processing speed required
by all facets of society.
(b) Large Storage Capacity: With the use of external storage devices of large
sizes and increasingly large memory capacity, huge amount of information
can be stored, retrieved and processed electronically.
(c) Accuracy: in addition to being very fast, computers are very accurate. The
calculations are 100% error free. Computers perform all jobs with 100%
accuracy provided that correct input has been given.
(d) Reliability: A computer is a reliable machine. Modern electronic
components have long lives. Computers are designed to make
maintenance easy. The computer accuracy is consistently high when
compared with other information processing tools. Computers are indeed
extremely reliable.
(e) Automatic: Once a program is stored in the computer’s memory, the
individual instructions will require less human intervention for the
operation to be performed.
(f) Diligence: A computer does not suffer from human trait of tiredness, as
the computer is ready to perform any job as instructed.
(g) Versatility: the fact that a computer can be used in any discipline has
made it to be popular among other information processing tools. It is a
general purpose device.
(h) The Computer is Electronic in nature and can process millions of
instructions per second. Computers are definitely productive.
(i) The computer is not a Substitute for Human Brain.

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The Benefits of Computers
Computer has become the need for people, nowadays without a computer
people cannot survive and they cannot accomplish their target. The
businesspersons need computer to handle their business. Student needs a
computer to do the study. A teacher required computer to get information to
teach their students. However, every field or every organization required a
computer to run their organization. It has become the spine (backbone) of the
business and requirement as well.
Here are some of the benefits of using a computer:
1. It is the fastest medium of communication rendering postal and
telegraphic communication almost worthless. Through the computer
(laptop), you can do your work anywhere you want. Due to the Wi-Fi
facilities, people can use the internet for communicating with the people
around the work. Through computer your message or anything written or
photograph can reach any part of the world using internet facilities.
2. Through the computer, you can check your email; can communicate with
the people around the world, and even you are travelling to another
country or other city of the country.
3. You can use high resolution or high configuration required software on
your computer.
4. The computer is perfect thing to use because in the offices people use the
computer through which companies get progress. It is very important to
utilize the computer in the office for the progress of the company.
5. By using the computer, you can do online shopping by sitting at your
home. Gone were the days, when people use to go on the market for
purchasing each and everything. However, due to the online shopping
system e.g. OLX, Efritin, Paga, Konga etc, it has become very easy for the
people to purchase the any kind of product from the different website
from around the world. In a few days, those things will be at your door.
People are using this online secure shopping system even for purchasing
the vegetable and fruits as well.
6. By using the computer, you can get the information about anything
around the world. You can watch the videos of different countries. Here
are the many websites available who is providing the different dramas, film
and event videos of the world.
7. You can download any amount of material through computer.
8. All your arithmetical problems can be easily sorted out through computer.
9. Through video conferencing you can not only see each other but also talk
with anybody living in any part of the world. You can communicate with
anyone in the entire world at any given time of day with the click of a
button. They allow for easy access to hundreds upon thousands of
websites that provide information for anything and everything.

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10. Computers makes it possible to receive, supply and process large volumes
of data at very high speed.
11. Computers are also playing a big role in manufacturing of many other
physical products.
12. In an entirely different kind of application, a computer may control the
movement of a missile launched to intercept another missile fired by the
enemy.
13. Faster Results: Some companies have found that month-end figures can
be produced at the end of the last day of the month once a computer
system is functioning where previously it was about four weeks after end
of month. Any routine operation, such as producing accounts can be done
more quickly and more accurately by a computer than was ever possible
manually. Cash position can be reported at a touch of a button after each
transaction. Under the manual system, this is possible only hours after the
end of the transaction day. More rapid and reliable results can also be
obtained in the design office, technical services, engineering or any
department that has to crunch numbers regularly. The use of special
equipment such as plotters, and graphics terminals can also help in
improving information production.
14. Better management of information Using flexible software in the form
of database management systems (DBMS) enables management to look
at stored information in files.
Graphs can be plotted on revenue, costs, etc. and analyzed in different ways,
shape or form

Major disadvantages of computers include:

1. Computer is highly dependent on the quality of input data fed to it. Though
computers are very fast in tasks that are pre-programmed, it lake the ability
of human brain to detect and correct errors that it is not specifically
programmed to do.
2. Computer systems are rather rigid. Once a computers system is designed
and programmed, making even minor corrections or improvements can be
quite costly and time consuming. For this reason a great care is required in
design and development of computer systems.
3. Computers require use of sophisticated equipment and support facilities.
For example, a person solving a problem of Mathematics using just a pen
and paper can carry these with him or her anywhere with ease. However if
the same problem is to be solved using a computer, the person will not
only need access to a suitable computer, it will also be necessary to have
the required software and suitable electric power to run the computer.

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Applications and computer usage
The following list demonstrates various applications of computers in today’s
world
1. Business
2. Banking
3. Insurance
4. Education
5. Marketing
6. Health care
7. Engineering design
8. Military
9. Communication
10. Government

Exercise
 Is it a computer that controls the stoplights so you can drive to work?
 How did the cashier scan and calculate your grocery items?
 Is the weather map on television a computer-generated one?