Define the term computer and discuss the four basic computer operations: input, processing, output, and storage

 

Define the term computer and discuss the four basic computer operations: input, processing, output, and storage.

Computer: Input, Processing, Output, and Storage

In today's world, computers are used for almost every task imaginable. Routine activities such a paying bills, buying groceries, or communicating with a friend can be done with a computer. That is why it is important not only to know how to use a computer, but also to understand the components of a computer and what they do.

Recent studies report that almost 40% of homes surveyed have personal computers, and this number is growing. Given the widespread use of computers, computer literacy - a knowledge and understanding of computers and computer uses - has become an essential ingredient in the recipe for success in today's world. Florida was the first state to demand computer literacy of all students by grade 12.

Collectively, the electric, electronic, and mechanical equipment that makes up a personal computer is called hardware. Devices that surround the system unit (i.e., the keyboard, mouse, speakers, monitor, and so on) sometimes are known as peripheral devices.

Computers manipulate (process) data (input) to produce information (output) and hold (store) that information for future use. These operations are completed incredibly quickly. Today's supercomputer can perform 72 trillion operations per second. If a person did one arithmetic operation a second without stopping, it would take more than 31,000 years to perform the number of operations a supercomputer can do in one second.