Pessimists fear that the computer will have increasingly dehumanizing effect and will tend to pull the family apart.
But really, computers are here to stay. We can't bury our heads in the sand and hope they will disappear. Each day it becomes more difficult to get along without a basic understanding of what they are and how they are used. Some authorities have gone so far as to say that all students will need four basic skills in order to survive in today's high-tech world: reading, writing, arithmetic, and computer literacy-a basic knowledge of computers and their use. Although not everyone will have to know about computers, it is certain that as we move from an industrial society to an information society, the number of people needed to provide all kinds of information services is going to increse.
If you know a little about computers and what they can and cannot do,you will, in most cases, be more attractive to a perspective employer. You will be in greater demand if you can sit down and actually use a computer to do your bidding. Professional motives aside, computers can provide users with countless hours of fun and amusement.
Computer literacy means different things to different people, most would agree that a computer-literate person would:
-Have a basic understanding of what a computer can or cannot do.
-Be able to use a computer as a tool on a personal as well as a professional level.
-Be able to interact with a computer and use world processing, database, spreadsheet,or similar business programs.
-Have some idea of the social implications computer technology is posing now and what they might mean for the future.
Essencially, people who are computer literate will be able to unleash the power of the computer for their specific needs. As you read this page and apply what you learn, you will overcome any fear or inhibitions you presently have concerning computers. You will learn to work with microcomputers and become familiar with some of most important business applications in existence today.
What is a computer?
Essentially, a computer is a machine that stores and manipulates, or processes data. It cannot think or reason. It can only carry out instructions given to it. A set of instructions that directs a computer's actions is called a program and is written by programmers. Obviously, different programs must be written to solve different problems.This ability to accept, store, and execute various sets of instructions or programs is what makes the computer the invaluable, all-purpose business tool that it is, and what sets it apart from the common calculator.
How does it work?
The first step a computer takes in solving a problem is to access the desired program from disk or other external storage medium and store it in its memory. Now the computer can begin carrying out the instructions in the program. Although the actual instructions will vary from program to program, they will generally direct the computer to perform the same basic three funtions over and over again -input, processing, and output. These funtions are referred to as the data processing cycle.
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