Meaning of Computer
- Computer is an electronic device that transforms data into meaningful information. Data can be anything like marks obtained by you in various subjects. It can also be name, age, sex, weight, height, etc. of all the students in a class.
- A computer can take in data and process it. It can store the data either in raw form or as processed results and can deliver the raw or processed data to the outside world on demand.
Functions
- It accepts data
- It stores data
- It processes data as desired
- It retrieves the stored data as and
- It prints the result in desired format.
The major characteristics of a computer are
- High speed
- Accuracy
- Diligence
- Versatility
- Storage
- Programmability
Components of Computer
- Input - This is the process of entering data and programs into the computer system.
- Control Unit (CU) - The process of input, output, processing and storage is performed under the supervision of a unit called 'Control Unit'. It decides when to start receiving data, when to stop it, where to store data, etc. It takes care of step-by-step processing of all operations inside the computer.
- Memory Unit - Computer is used to store data and instructions in Computer’s memory.
- Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) - The major operations performed by the ALU are addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, logic and comparison.
- Output - This is the process of producing results from the data for getting useful information. The ALU and the CU of a computer system are jointly known as the central processing unit (CPU). You may call CPU as the brain of any computer system.
