Completely Electronic Device

There are many different kinds of computers in the world today. Computers are operating at the bank, in your car, and at the grocery store. Many of these computers are special–purpose computers; that is, they serve specific functions. There are also general–purpose computers in the office, at home, and at school, versatile enough to handle all kinds of tasks. The existence of all these different types of computers raises an important question: What is a computer? Simply put, a computer is a device that processes raw data into useful information. But from that perspective, a typewriter, a calculator, or even an abacus could be called a computer. What distinguishes a computer from other information-processing devices are three basic characteristics:

• A computer is completely electronic. That is, all its functions are carried out with electrical signals.

• A computer can remember information and hold it for future use. Computers
do this on a temporary basis with memory circuits and permanently with storage devices such as magnetic disk and tape.

• A computer is programmable. Unlike other devices built to perform a single function or limited range of functions a computer can be instructed to do whatever task we tell it to do. This opens up a vast realm of possibilities for computers to solve problems for us in everyday life: at home, at school, or at work.

The most common kind of general-purpose computer in use today is the personal computer or microcomputer. It gets the name microcomputer from the tiny electronic device, called the microprocessor that does the actual processing. The use of personal computers has grown greatly during the last ten years. Only a few million personal computers were in use in 1980, so they were a relative novelty. Now there are almost a hundred million in this country alone.

Answer the questions:

Where are computers operating nowadays?
What is the definition of a computer?
What are three basic characteristics of a computer?
What is the most common kind of general-purpose computer?
How many personal computers (approximately) are there in this country?

Text 2

<== попередня сторінка	\|	наступна сторінка ==>
Tourism	\|	Microcomputers

Не знайшли потрібну інформацію? Скористайтесь пошуком google:

Генерація сторінки за: 0.005 сек.