Introduction To Computers and Programming4
Introduction To Computers and Programming4
and Programming
NEL C. HERNANDO, RME, MBA
Introduction
Think about some of the different ways that people use computers. In
school, students use computers for tasks such as writing papers, searching
for articles, sending email, and participating in online classes. At work,
people use computers to analyze data, make presentations, conduct
business transactions, communicate with customers and coworkers, control
machines in manufacturing facilities, and do many other things. At home,
people use computers for tasks such as paying bills, shopping online,
communicating with friends and family, and playing computer games. And
don’t forget that cell phones, iPods®, BlackBerries®, car navigation systems,
and many other devices are computers too
Computers can do such a wide variety of things because they can be
programmed. This means that computers are not designed to do just one
job, but to do any job that their programs tell them to do. A program is a
set of instructions that a computer follows to perform a task.
Two commonly used programs, Microsoft Word and Adobe Photoshop
Programs are commonly referred to as software. Software is essential to a
computer because it controls everything the computer does. All of the
software that we use to make our computers useful is created by
individuals working as programmers or software developers. A programmer,
or software developer, is a person with the training and skills necessary to
design, create, and test computer programs.
Concept
The term hardware refers to all of the physical devices, or components, that
a computer is made of. A computer is not one single device, but a system
of devices that all work together. Like the different instruments in a
symphony orchestra, each device in a computer plays its own part.
Typical computer system consists of the
following major components
Programs that make a computer useful for everyday tasks are known as
application software. These are the programs that people normally spend
most of their time running on their computers.