This is the age of computers. Science has given us many wonders. One among them is the computers. Computers are a gift to the modern civilization. They have entered every walk of life and have become indispensable.
Charles Babez invented Computers. Compute means ‘to calculate’. In a crude sense a computer is a device that calculates. The computer was invented in 1880. When it was invented it was big in size. Later the device underwent several changes and finally acquired a smaller size.
Information fed to the computer is called ‘data’. Arriving at solutions based on this data is called ‘processing’. Information provided by the computer is the ‘output’. Thus a computer receives data, processes it and gives us the output. The data is received through the input device. There are a variety of devices that are used for the output and the input.
Computers can store a lot of information. This is done by the memory unit of the device. If more information has be stored the Auxiliary Memory Device is put to use. This memory is permanent. We can get back the information as and when required. Chips are being increasingly used in the field of computers.
Computers help us a lot in our daily life. They are extensively used in offices, educational institutions, hospitals and business. They can compute anything right from the marks of a student to the data required in space research. For different purpose different computer languages are used. ‘Fortran’ ‘Basic’ and ‘Cobol’ are some of the important languages. Computers used only in numerical calculations are called digital computers.
These valuable devices have to be set up in air conditioned rooms. Dust and pollution affect their efficiency. So they have to be placed in clean surroundings. This aspect is quite often forgotten.
We can say that computers have revolutionized the ideas of science. Modern science is largely dependant on the computers. Many remote control operations are carried out by the computers. The youth of the present day are drawn to this field in large numbers. Computers offer more and more jobs to the talented young men. There is more money in this field than in any other. What Bill Gates has achieved with computers is an example.
In spite of all these advantages there is a negative side to the use of computers. Today a computer can do the work of ten trained men. This leads to growing unemployment. Some people fear that the scientific achievements of computers can have their disastrous effect. All said and done this wonderful device is a boon to our progress.