Computers have been around for many decades now. You would be surprised that many devices around you can pass for a computer. What really is a computer?

A computer is a device, which when under the control of a stored program, can accept data in a prescribed form, process the data and supply the results as information.

NB: To break it down,
There are three points to note about the definition:

1.     Computer is a DEVICE: It consists of electronic  and electromechanical parts working together to process data.

These various parts are referred to as COMPUTER HARDWARE!

2.     Computer is controlled by a STORED PROGRAM: A program is a set of instructions which tells a system how to operate. In a computer, another name for a program is software. This software is stored in the computer’s memory and is used from there, this software can be removed, replaced and reused if wanted by a special operations person.

3.     Computer Processes Data: A computer performs 3 major actions, which are:

–       Accepts Data (Input)
–       Processes Data
–       Supplies Information (Output)

Examples of Computer

❖   Desktop

❖   Mainframe

❖   Supercomputers

❖   Laptop

❖   Smart Phones

❖   Tablets

❖   Workstation

❖   Wearable computer

❖   Servers etc.

In the next lesson we would be looking at the various parts of computer.