Computer means a machine that computes and processes data. More precisely, a computer is a device that accepts information as input (in the form of digital data), manipulates it for some result based on a program or sequence of instructions on how the data is to be processed and then produces result as output. Complex computers also include the means for storing data (including the program, which is also a form of data) for some necessary duration. These are the definitions of computer that can be found in a book, magazine or internet. But for me, it means a lot more than its definition. Computer is a complete world. It can not be defined simply as a machine but a complete architecture bundled with operating mechanism (called Operating System) which process data & information and performs user specified operations. In simple words, it is a dumb machine which works as the operator specifies.
First ever computer machine was visualized by Charles Babbage in light of mathematical ideas of George Boole. Computer is a collection of Hardware and Software. These are the basic requirements of any computer system. Hardware provides basic functioning unit which is operated upon by computer. Hardware alone doesn't serve any purpose until we specify any mechanism to operate on it. This purpose is fulfilled by the software. Early, assembly language which is also known as machine language, was used to operate on hardware but it was very difficult to understand. Later more sophisticated languages evolved which operate on hardware indirectly. All we have to do is to write instructions as specified in the programming language. Rest is the work of compiler that is provided with the programming language. It converts the programming instructions into the machine code and then execute it to perform desired operation.
I don't remember exactly when I was introduced to computers
but it was when I was in school reading in secondary classes - the days of 5.25" floppy disks.
I used few paint programs at that time on computer in school and learned very basic concepts. We were taught Flow Charts and Basic Language. Basic was one of the powerful languages of that time. It was exciting to know about computers and was influenced very much from this electronic machine. So this was the brief story on how I came to know about computers.
Computer has several parts - Motherboard, Hard Disk Drive, Floppy Drive, CD Drive, RAM, CMOS, Graphics Card, Sound Card, AGP, Mike, Speakers, Monitor, Mouse, Keyboard, Joystick, Scanner, Printer, DVD ROM etc.
These all the hardware parts of a computer. One can customize computer according to his/her needs. Computer softwares include Operating System and wide variety of applications that run on specific Operating System. An Operating System provides interface between Computer Hardware and Computer Applications. It acts as a platform for the coordination between these two units. There are number of Operating Systems that are available in the market today. Some of them are - Windows, UNIX, MAC, Linux, Solaris, Lindows etc. These operating systems are further divided into the version numbers and different distributions. For example, Windows come into different flavours - Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista etc. Different Linux distributions are Red Hat Linux, SUSE Linux, Mandrake Linux, United Linux etc. Examples of different applications are Microsoft Office, Star Office, Oracle, Corel Draw, Microsoft Visual Studio, Norton Antivirus, System Mechanic etc. These applications perform different functions and hence are used for different purposes.
Subject of computers is a never ending and you would keep on finding more as you keep on exploring it. It was an effort to provide very basic level information about computers and my relation with them.
but it was when I was in school reading in secondary classes - the days of 5.25" floppy disks.
