Computers

The term computer is used to describe a device made up of a combination of electronic and electromechanical (partly electronic and partly mechanical) components. Com­puter has no intelligence by itself and is referred to as hardware. A computer system is a combination of five elements:

• Hardware

• Software

• People

• Procedures

• Data/information

Software is the term used to describe the instructions that tell the hardware how to perform a task. Without software instructions, the hardware doesn’t know what to do. People, however, are the most important compo­nent of the computer system: they create the computer software instructions and respond to the procedures that those instructions present.

The basic job of the computer is the processing of in­formation. Computers accept information in the form of instruction called a program and characters called data to perform mathematical and logical operations, and then give the results. The data is raw material while informa­tion is organized, processed, refined and useful for decision making. Computer is used to convert data into in­formation. Computer is also used to store information in the digital form.

Computer is an electronic device that can receive a program (a set of instructions) and then carry out this program by calculating numerical information.

The modern world of high technology is possible mainly due to the development of the computer. Com­puters have opened up a new era in manufacturing by means of automation, and they have enhanced modern communication systems.

When computers were first introduced in the 1940’s and 50’s, every program written had to provide instructions that told the computer how to use devices such as the printer, how to store information on a disk, as well as how to perform several other tasks not necessarily related to the program. The additional program instructions for working with hardware devices were very complex, and time-consuming. Programmers soon realized it would be smarter to develop one program that could control the computer’s hardware, which others programs could have used when they needed it. With that, the first operating system was born.

Today, operating systems control and manage the use of hardware devices such as the printer or mouse. They also provide disk management by letting you store infor­mation in files. The operating system also lets you run programs such as the basic word processor. Lastly, the operating system provides several of its own commands that help you to use the computer.

Windows 95 & 98 (Windows 2000) are the most popular user-oriented operating systems with a friendly interface and multitasking capabilities. The usage of Windows 95 and its enhanced version Windows 98 is so simple that even little kids learn how to use it very quickly. Windows 95 and 98 are DOS compatible, so all programs written for DOS may work under the new operating system.

Windows 95 is a new operational system with an easy interface based on the expanding windows principle which uses icons to graphically represent files and their types.

Windows 95 makes the way you and your computer interact easy. Most everyday tasks are now easier to ac­complish than ever before. For example, the second mouse button has become a powerful weapon. The old Windows 3.0 Program Manager and File Manager have been replaced. The desktop tools that replace them are very like those found on a Macintosh. For example, there is a Recycle Bin that makes it easier to recover acciden­tally deleted files.

Microsoft says that it is moving forward to the time when we’ll all think more about our data and less about the specific name-brand programs used to create them.

A new Windows shortcuts capability makes it easy to reach frequently used files and other necessities. A new Find feature helps you to locate and examine the contents of files in a flash.

Most of this is accomplished without sacrificing per­formance. In fact, many things (like printing) usually happen faster now, due to 32-bit support and other Win­dows 95 advancements.

The Internet technology was created by Vinton Cerf in early 1973 as part of a project headed by Robert Kahn and conducted by the Advanced Research Projects Agency, part of the United States Department of De­fence. Later Cerf made many efforts to build and stand­ardise the Internet. In 1984 the technology and the net­work were turned over to the private sector and to gov­ernment scientific agencies for further development. The growth has continued exponentially. Service-provider companies that make «gateways» to the Internet avail­able to home and business users enter the market in ever-increasing numbers. By early 1995, access was available in 180 countries and more than 30 million users used the Internet. The Internet and its technology continue to have a profound effect in promoting the exchange of information, making possible rapid transactions among businesses, and supporting global collaboration among individuals and organisations. More than 100 million computers were connected via the global Internet in 2010 and even more are attached to enterprise internets. The development of the World Wide Web leads to the rapid introduction of new business tools and activities that may lead to annual business transactions on the Internet worth hundreds of billions of dollars.

20. Ответьте на следующие вопросы:

1. What is a computer? 2. What are the main elements of a computer? 3. What does the term “software” mean? 4. What is the basic job of computers? 5. What does the abbreviation DOS mean? 6. What problems faced programmers in the 1940’s and 1950’s? 7. Why were the first programs “complex” and “time-consuming”? 8. What is “Windows 95”? 9. What is a “Recycle Bin” feature? 10. What is a “shortcut” capability? 11. What is a “Find” feature? 12. Why do many things work faster now with Windows 95? 13. By whom was the Internet technology created and when?
14. How many computers were connected via the global Internet in 2010?