Computer (computador) is an appliance which
can manipulate data in accordance with a
list of instructions. It is a type of
data
processing system.
Today
the computer (computador) has become
indispensable in every household and comes
in numerous physical forms. The first modern
day computer was developed in the mid-20th
century, though the concept of computer (computador)
and various similar machines existed before.
It actually started in 1837, when `The
Analytical Engine`, the first fully
programmable mechanical computer, was
designed by Charles Babbage.
The Earlier versions were huge and bulky and
used up a whole room. The device EDSAC (Electronic
Delay Storage Automatic Calculator) was one
of the
very first computers that could
implement the stored program architecture.
In comparison to them,
modern computers (computador)
have tiny integrated circuits and are much
better in terms of capacity and speed as
well as accuracy.
Today`s tinier version can even fit in your
wrist watch and are powered from the watch
battery.
Personal computers
can be found in
almost every house today and in various
forms. They are in fact the icons of the
information age.
What makes computers (computador) highly
versatile and distinguishable from other
appliances is that it can be programmed. A
calculator can only calculate, just like a
washing machine can only wash, but a
computer can be programmed to do any kind of
job.
Software programs are a list of
instructions that can be stored and executed
by the computer.
A general computer (computador)
has four major sections, the arithmetic and
logical unit or ALU, the control unit or CU,
memory and the interface for input and
output devices. These parts of computer are
interconnected by busses. The ALU, control
unit, registers, and the interface for input
and output devices are collectively known as
the central processing unit or CPU. The
Early
CPUs used to be composed of different
separate components, however since the 1975;
the CPUs are being constructed on a single
integrated circuit, the microprocessor.
The ALU is for arithmetic and logical
operations of the computer while the control unit is for
directing the various parts of a computer (computador). Its job
involves reading and interpreting the instructions of the
programs one by one and converting them into control signals for
operating other parts of the computer.
The earlier version of computer (computador) used Magnetic core
memory but today it has been replaced by the semiconductor
memory. The main memory of Computer is divided in two parts, RAM
or random access memory and ROM or read-only memory. RAM can be
written and read anytime through CPU commands. On the other hand,
ROM is pre-loaded with software and data that never changes, and
it can be only read by the CPU.
I/O is hardware by the means of which a computer(computador) can
receive information from the outside world and also sends back
results. Common input devices are the keyboard and mouse. While
common output devices include monitor and printer. There are
some devices that serve as both input and output devices like
Hard disk drives, optical disc drives, floppy disk drives etc.
Internet has literary changed our lives.
Today people can search all types of
information on various subjects, advertise
their company or products pass information
to a large group of people and do much more
merely by a few clicks of the mouse. Whether
you want to search a new home or compare
prices of the latest mobile or fill up your
college form or read the latest Harry Potter
book, everything can be done on the Internet
through your computer.
With increase of computers (computador) and
its uses, an increasing number of
professions involving computers have also
developed. Computer-related professions
include Electrical engineering, Nanoscale
engineering Telecommunications engineering,
Software engineering, Web design, Desktop
publishing and Optical engineering.
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